Everything blurred. The sirens. The hospital rush. The doctors barking orders as they wheeled her away. And then after a while, I found her lying in the hospital bed, so small, so fragile. Wires and tubes surrounded her, machines beeping in rhythms that made my heart clench.
“The fall caused severe internal bleeding,” the doctor said. “She’s in critical condition. We stabilized her, but…” He hesitated, glancing between Matteo and me. “Her kidneys are failing. She needs a transplant—urgently.”
“I’ll do it,” I said instantly. “Take mine.”
The words left my lips without hesitation. There was nothing to think about. Nothing to consider. If my daughter needed me, I would give her everything.
The doctor nodded. “We’ll run the tests.”
Time crawled. The world outside moved, but I stayed frozen, my fingers gripping Amber’s tiny hand, whispering prayers under my breath.
Her tiny chest rose and fell with shallow breaths. The machines beeped steadily, the sound both comforting and terrifying. I brushed her curls back gently, my heart squeezing at how pale she looked.
Matteo sat beside me, silent. His hand was on my back, a steady presence, but I barely felt it. My entire being was focused on Amber.