Oliver hurriedly went to Mia and helped her up from the ground, gently shaking her.
"Mia! Please wake up," Oliver let out a terrified scream.
His heart stopped for a moment when he saw blood slowly gushing out from her nose.
When his parents heard the noise, they rushed to see what was happening and were shocked to see the scene.
"What happened to your sister?" his mother asked in shock.
"Did you do something to her?" his father asked furiously.
"No, she was fine just now. I think she is having one of her episodes," Oliver said, his voice filled with fright.
"Honey, we have to take her to the hospital," his mother cried.
"Honey, we don't have money for that," his father calmly explained.
"So you suggest we just leave Mia here and let her die? If you don't want to, I'll do it myself," Oliver said as he swiftly placed Mia on his back and dashed out of the house.
He hadn't gotten far off when the rain started pouring, tempting him to stop, but he couldn't risk waiting and kept pushing forward, assuring Mia that they were almost at the hospital.
When they got to the hospital, Oliver was completely drenched from the rain. He even had mud stains on his legs and clothes. Mia had woken up, but she was wailing in pain as blood kept gushing from her nose.
Oliver quickly ensured that Mia was settled in her seat, then hurried to find someone who could attend to his sister.
"Please, my sister needs medical attention," Oliver pleaded with the receptionist.
The receptionist's face twisted in disgust and annoyance when she laid eyes on Oliver's appearance.
"I'm sorry, sir, it's a busy night. All the doctors and the nurses are busy. I think you should leave."
"What do you mean all the doctors are busy? My sister is sick, and you're giving me excuses?" Oliver flared up in anger.
"I think you should leave. We don't attend to the likes of you here," the receptionist scoffed.
Oliver and the receptionist engaged in a hot argument. Suddenly, a passing doctor stumbled upon the scene and was taken aback.
"Doctor Raymond," the receptionist stuttered, but he ignored her and rushed over to Mia's side.
The doctor signaled to his assistants, and Mia was rushed into a ward. Oliver paced around the door, waiting for the doctor to come out.
As he caught sight of his parents rushing towards him, anger welled up inside him, causing him to avert his gaze and turn his face away.
"You didn't even wait so we could figure out things and just ran off like that," his father scolded in anger.
"Honey, calm down," his mother pleaded, gently tugging at his arm.
"I was trying to save my sister's life since both of you seemed less concerned," Oliver yelled, his voice filled with frustration.
"You will watch your tone in front of me, young man," his father sternly ordered.
The door opened and Doctor Raymond came out. Oliver and his parents fixed their gaze upon him, waiting for his results. The doctor cleared his throat and began.
"Her vitals are stable, but she needs surgery. She doesn't have much time left before her system completely shuts down," the doctor said, his voice filled with sadness.
"Oh my God!" Oliver's mother gasped.
"How much is the surgery?" Oliver's father asked after summoning courage.
"The bone marrow transplant costs five million dollars," the doctor replied.
The doctor observed their terrified expressions, and he realized they didn't have that kind of money. He shook his head when he realized there was nothing he could do for them.
"Do you want to say your goodbyes now? Because she doesn't have much time. A week is probably the maximum I can give."
"Don't worry, we will get the money," Oliver's father said with confidence.
Oliver's mother, who was at his side, covered her mouth in shock as tears rolled down her eyes. Oliver pulled his mother into a tight embrace, holding her close as her sobs grew even louder.
"Okay, you can go and see her now," the doctor said as he made his way down the hallway.
Oliver and his family entered the room. Mia was tucked under the hospital sheets, with a drip attached to her and an oxygen mask covering her face.
"How's my little sister holding up?" Oliver laughed, trying to lighten up the mood.
"Well, as you can see, your little sister is holding up quite well," Mia beamed a smile on her face.
"You're on medication, you shouldn't be talking," Oliver's mom gently scolded, gripping Mia's hand tightly, her eyes welling up with tears. She fought to hold back.
"Hey Dad, how do I look?" Mia called out to her father, who appeared lost in his thoughts.
"You look like you need to get some rest. It has been a long day for everyone," Oliver's dad spoke in a soft tone, gently caressing her head with his hand.
"What did the doctor say?" Mia glanced at Oliver, who seemed unsure about responding to the question.
"He said you're fine," Oliver said, forcing a smile.
"I'm pretty sure that's not what he said, but I will pretend to believe you for now," Mia chuckled.
"Just let us handle this. All you have to do is focus on getting better," Oliver's dad leaned in and planted a gentle kiss on Mia's head.
When Oliver's father heard the amount of money needed for his daughter's surgery, his heart raced with so much fear because he didn't know how he would be able to come up with five million in less than a week. The first and only plan at that moment was to borrow money from the place he worked.
"I'm sorry, Adam. I don't think I can give you such a huge sum of money. Believe me, I'm sorry about what's happening to your daughter, but this is business. I can't give you that kind of money."
Oliver's father's hope crumbled as his boss uttered those words, leaving him devastated.
"Please, just half the money, or even a quarter, or a fraction of that. I swear, I'll pay it back," Oliver's father pleaded on his knees.
"Adam, we are old pals, and you have been working for me for years. You know we are like family, but I don't have any money on me," his boss replied.
"What about a salary advance? I know it's not enough to pay for my daughter's surgery, but it's a start, and besides, the month is ending next week," Oliver's father said, his voice filled with desperation.
"Adam, I can't do that. You will have to come next week for your salary, and I'll be deducting the days you were absent from work from your paycheck."
"I just told you my daughter is sick, and I need to source funds," Adam scoffed in disbelief.
"Well, it's not my problem," his boss retorted, nonchalantly shrugging his shoulders.
Oliver's father knew it was useless to argue with his boss. He knew his boss was stingy and also very heartless, but he didn't know it was to this extent. He angrily left his boss's office and started walking down the street when one of his work colleagues kept calling his name and running towards him.
When he saw his colleague, his face lit up with hopes that his boss had reconsidered his request.
"I overheard what you were saying to the boss. I'm so sorry about your daughter," Philip said as he tried to catch his breath.
"Oh. I mean, it's all good," Oliver's father replied, trying to hide his disappointment.
"I know someone who can help you with that kind of money."