The Miami Billionaire Playboy's Bride

Emily smiled as she stepped into Gabrielle's ward room. She was still asleep. She pushed back the pang of anxiety that lurched in her chest as she watched how peaceful her sister looked in her sleep.

Gabrielle would be clocking twelve in about two months, and Emily earnestly hoped she could get better before then.

Ever since she had been born, she had been diagnosed with congenital heart disease (CHD) and had constantly been admitted to the hospital on several occasions.

Although they had been advised by the doctor to schedule her for a transplant, her parents had stuck to the alternative of maintaining her health with medications.

The medications she used, although very expensive, were still more affordable than signing her up for heart surgery.

Gabrielle had carried on through the years, depending on the drugs, but her body had eventually weakened.

Her parents had stalled the unavoidable for as long as it could last due to their financial incapability to fund her surgery, but now her condition had deteriorated, and Emily had to bear the brunt of it all alone.

For up to a year, Gabrielle had been placed on an array of support measures tailored to sustain her health while she awaited a heart transplant.

It had been torture over the years for Emily to foot the bills, but the hope that she could save her younger sister, as she had been unable to save their parents, had kept her pushing through the years for the brighter days to come.

She wouldn't think of all the misfortune three years ago had wrecked upon her family. It had robbed her parents of their lives, her of her dream of working for a renowned organization eventually as an industrial designer, and her sister of her vigor.

Gabrielle had held out on her health commendably. 

Tears pooled again at Emily's eyes, and she swept them off with the back of her finger, patting Gabrielle's clasped hands over her belly. 

"You are holding out well, Gabrielle. Good girl." She sucked in the air harshly, her chest heaving. "You will survive this. I will make sure you do."

Gabrielle was a strong girl. It pained Emily to think of how much distress Gabrielle's condition had imposed on her.

"Does it still hurt? Do you feel discomfort in any way?"

Several questions always plagued her mind every time she visited the hospital, but she couldn't dare voice them out, her anguish chugging the words down her throat.

Of course, why wouldn't it hurt?

Her condition had denied her an eventful childhood as she truly would have loved to have, having always been conscious of her health and placed on medications.

"Em."

Emily opened her eyes as she heard her sister call her name softly. 

She plastered a smile on her face immediately and beamed down at her. 

"Good morning, Gabrielle? How's your health faring?"

Gabrielle nodded over the pillow. "It's stable."

Emily nodded in return, lacing her fingers with her little ones, her smile deepening. "I'm glad it is."

"You're here early. Won't you be late to work?" 

Emily shook her head. "I got here early to spend more time with you. I brought you breakfast too."

She raised the lunch bag she had brought with her, flashing a smile at her, and dropped it in the drawer by her bed.

"It's your favorite," she told her.

Gabrielle smiled in return, nodding subtly in acknowledgement. "Thank you, Em."

"So you should get better quickly so that I can cook more of the dishes you love for you. Alright?"

Gabrielle nodded. "Yes, Em. You're the best sister ever."

"It's boring in here, isn't it? There's hardly anyone around your age to make friends with."

"I told you the nurses take me out for walks occasionally. I admire the scenery. It's enough to keep me entertained. And we talk too. The nurse said I'm a delightful child. I have fun chatting with her every time she comes."

Emily exhaled softly, clucking her tongue at the back of her throat. "Alright, then."

She laced her fingers with her sister's and cocooned them between her palms, patting them tenderly. "I can't wait for things to get better, and you should be out of here early."

"Me neither," Gabrielle agreed.

The door slid open, and the two of them looked towards it as the doctor walked in.

The doctor was a young and handsome bespectacled woman who looked to be in her early thirties. She had a slim figure, waist-length wavy black hair, and a sophisticated aura around her.

However, Emily had known her for a long time. Her personality was a contrast to the arrogance her physique and outlook exuded; she was polite and soft-spoken.

"Good morning," she greeted them first as she entered. "Gabrielle. Emily."

"Morning, Doctor Sanchez." Both Emily and Gabrielle returned.

Doctor Sanchez immediately attended to Gabrielle, checking her vital signs and adjusting the medications that helped keep her heart stable.

She took brief notes in her notepad while she checked on her health and tucked her pen back in her chest pocket.

She smiled briefly at Gabrielle. "Good," she murmured a comment through her breath.

Gabrielle beamed back at her, delighted to hear that. "Does that mean I will be out of here anytime soon?"

Doctor Sanchez held a breath before she answered, "Let's see." She dramatically tapped her finger against her chin. "Hopefully." She nodded. "You're that eager to leave us here? I thought Nurse Philips was your best buddy ever," she teased, a smile cupping the corners of her mouth.

"She is, but I want to get better early. I don't like staying cooped up in bed every morning until I'm taken out for a walk by the nurses."

Doctor Sanchez nodded empathically. "I understand how you feel, Gabrielle. You will get better, alright?" 

Gabrielle flashed a brilliant smile at the doctor with a happy twinkle in her eyes, and she nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, Doctor Sanchez. Thank you."

"You're welcome, darling." Doctor Sanchez smiled warmly at Gabrielle.

She turned to face Emily then. "May I have a word with you in my office, Emily?"

"Uh...oh! Right," Emily stuttered, apprehension immediately washing over her.

Whenever a doctor requested a private audience with a patient's guardian, it mostly spelled trouble.

Emily's heart was in her throat as she followed the doctor out of Gabrielle's ward room to her office.

The doctor's office was a small space cluttered with files on the table, a few chairs, and a table in the center to receive guests in her office either for counseling or addressing concerns with her patients' guardians.

It wasn't lush to the eye, but it was neat despite the cluttered stuff in the small, single-window room.

"Have a seat, please." She extended her hand toward one of the chairs facing the table, walking across it to sit on hers as well.

After they had both taken their seats, she began, "Emily, I want to talk to you about your sister's hospital bills. We have noticed that the payments have been falling behind, and it's important that we address this issue."

Emily's eyes flashed, her lips parting. She had been doing her best to manage Gabrielle's medical expenses, but it seemed that the burden had become too heavy. Anxiety washed over her, making her heart drown and weigh with disappointment.

She had been doing a poor job lately, keeping up with the excessive financial demands from her here and there: her rent, feeding, and her sister's bills, among others.

"I've been trying, Dr. Sanchez," Emily stammered, her voice laden with emotion. "But the medical bills have become overwhelming. I don't know how to keep up anymore."

The doctor's expression softened, her empathy evident. "I understand, Emily. Medical costs can be incredibly challenging. But we need to find a solution so that Gabrielle can continue to receive the care she needs. And I ought to be frank with you. It will be advisable to sign her up as fast as you can for surgery."

Emily's gaze shot up at that. "Pardon. I thought you said she was responding well to treatment in the ward room."

Doctor Sanchez heaved a sigh. "She's still a kid. I can't talk about such a sensitive issue in her presence in such a condition. Her emotional well-being is significant as well as increasing her chances of recovery."

Emily pressed her lips tightly with a sniff, nodding in understanding. "Of course, " she murmured through her breath.

"You should know that her heart condition has been progressively worsening, and medication alone is no longer sufficient to manage her symptoms effectively."

Emily's eyes welled up with tears as she nodded, aware of the seriousness of Gabrielle's situation. "Yes, I understand. The doctor mentioned that surgery was the only viable option."

Doctor Sanchez sighed sympathetically. "That's correct. Surgery would have been the best chance to improve Gabrielle's condition and provide her with a better quality of life. I wanted to discuss the details of the surgery and the associated costs with you."

Emily's face paled, and her voice trembled as she spoke. "I'm afraid I don't have the means to cover the surgery expenses. I've been struggling to pay the hospital bills as they are."

The doctor let out another sigh, expressing her concern. "I apologize, Emily, but in order for your sister to have the best chance of survival, we must act swiftly and prepare her for surgery. Unfortunately, our hospital does not possess the required equipment and resources for the procedure she needs. Therefore, it is imperative that we arrange for her transfer to another medical facility where the necessary expertise and equipment are available."

She continued, her voice reflecting the gravity of the situation. "Once you are ready, we will guide you through the process of signing the required paperwork. Within the next two weeks, your sister will be transferred from our hospital to an institute where the surgery can be performed. I understand this adds further distress to your worries, and I assure you that we will do everything in our power to facilitate a smooth transition and provide the best possible care for your sister."

Emily trapped air in her mouth and blew out an exhale as she digested the information the doctor had given her. An ache spread through her heart as she considered the possibility of her meeting up with the deadline for her sister's surgery.

If she were to be realistic with herself, she knew she had no chance of meeting the stipulated deadline to cover Gabrielle's surgery expenses and her outstanding hospital bills.

But she gave a light shrug, squaring her shoulders.

She wouldn't give up before she ever tried.

"Alright, Doctor Sanchez. I will find a way."

The doctor nodded in acknowledgement. "I know how hard it is on you, Emily. I will find out as well if there's anything I can do to help out with Gabrielle's situation."

Emily nodded quickly, biting her lip to hold in the tears that had welled up in her eyes. She twitched her lips as she responded, "I will appreciate that, Doctor Sanchez."

"But I should warn you. It's not guaranteed that I may be able to secure help with those organizations, so it's advisable not to depend solely on them."

Emily nodded quickly. "Of course, I know. Thank you, doctor. I will be on my way now."

The doctor angled her chin in her direction, watching her till she walked out of the office.

Emily sucked heavily in the air as she stepped out of the doctor's office, patting her eyelids quickly to get rid of the tears clouded within them before she walked back to Gabrielle's room to tell her goodbye.

Her heart felt heavy in her chest. She held in her breath, her chest heaving with the motion. She struggled to hold in her tears, letting out a feverish breath.

The tears didn't seem to listen to her commands. She rushed immediately to the bathroom, dunking her head low to avoid attracting anyone's attention as she walked down the hall to where the bathroom was located.

She groped blindly for the door, dashing into one of the toilets and locking herself in there.

She tugged at her chest, the air tight and feeling constricted in there as she struggled to muffle her sobs while she cried.

She expected her baby sister would be declared fine and discharged in less than a couple of weeks for her birthday.

The hopes she had nurtured all along, from the time she was told by the doctor that Gabrielle was responding well to treatment, were suddenly dashed.

She cried out the ache and anguish enveloping her heart until she was certain she could face her sister without revealing her underlying emotions.

She wiped the corners of her eyes off with the back of her palms, hiccuping as she rose from the covered toilet seat she was sitting on and walked out to the wash basin to wash her face.

She splashed water repeatedly on her face, raking her fingers through her blonde hair.

She could find a way to save her sister, no matter the glaring disadvantage against her.

She would find a way. That, she strongly resolved within herself.

She fetched her face towel in her shoulder bag and dabbed at her face, patting the puffiness in her eyes gently away.

When she was certain she had patted most of the conspicuous signs of crying off, she headed back to bade Gabrielle goodbye.

"What did you and the doctor talk about?" Gabrielle asked curiously when she came in. "Is it about my discharge? How soon will it be?" She asked eagerly, hope blooming in her voice.

Her questions and the expectations in Gabrielle's eyes made Emily's heart lurch in her throat with anguish once more. She felt moved to tears, but she forcefully restrained herself, biting hard on her lip while forcing a smile on her face to mask her true emotions.

"She assured me you would be fine after a couple of treatment options," she told her.

"And my discharge? It will be early, right?"

Emily exhaled softly, glancing quickly at her phone to hide the tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks. "Mmn! You know what? I have to go. I will be back to check up on you, alright?"

Gabrielle nodded. "Sure, Emily. Take care." She waved ecstatically at her.

Emily waved back at her, blowing her a kiss, and walked out quickly of the ward room.

She held her chest as she walked out of the hospital, mentally calculating how she could raise such an exorbitant amount of money for Gabrielle's surgery in such a short period of time.