SWNOVELS Chapter 29
29. Is she going to be okay?
The paramedics who arrived at the scene manage to stabilize her a bit after asking me and the waiter who served us a rapid
slew of questions, and immediately puts her on a stretcher and leads her into the ambulance.
“Is she going to be, okay? What happened?” I demand, feeling my heart racing in my chest “where are you taking her?!”
The woman EMT of the pair that came from the ambulance turns to me, holding her hands up. “Sir, you need to calm down. Your
friend just had a severe allergic reaction to a spice present in the sauce of the pizza topping she ordered, which is why we took
samples of the food to determine what exactly she had a reaction to. We need to take her to the hospital to treat her further.”
“I’m coming with you,” I tell her.
“Alright, you can follow us. We’re taking her to Clandestine General Hospital. However, you better notify and come with her
family.”
“Yes, yes, of course. I will be there, and I’ll call her parents.”
“Of course, sir, we have to go now.”
The EMTs get into the ambulance and race away, leaving a bewildered crowd in its wake. As I stand there, trying to wrap my
head around what just happened, the cook, the manager, and the waiter of the pizza joint approach me.
“We are so sorry for what happened, sir,” the manager says, looking downright terrified. “Nothing like this has ever happened
here before, and we assure you that the quality of our products is the best-”
But I wave my hand at me. “It’s not your fault. None of you guys. She just had an allergy. It happens, and she didn’t tell you about
any allergies she had either.”
“Nevertheless, sir, we are sorry,” the cook joins, looking devastated, “I take pride in making food to the best of my ability, and to
have my own creations hurt someone like that...”
“The pizza is on the house, sir,” the manager is quick to add, “as well as the drinks. Everything is.”
“Thank you, but you don’t have to.”
“We insist sir, it’s the least we could do.”
“Well, thanks then. And don’t worry, we won’t sue you or anything. It’s just an unfortunate accident. I got to go now.”
“Please notify us about the young miss’s health, if possible,” the manager asks, and the waiter nods.
“Yeah, man.”
“I will. If you guys excuse me.”
I race to the Zelt Tech parking lot and find my driver to ask him to take me to the General Hospital. On the way, I call her parents
and tell the story shakily, and her mother cries out. I assure them that she was alright to the best of my ability.
“We will be at the hospital in moments,” her father assures me, “just need to get off work. We’ll be there as soon as possible.
Please take care of her until we get there if you can. Coraline speaks highly of you as her friend, and we know that aside from
us, you’re the next best thing she got.”
Their words manage to warm my heart, quelling some of my own panic. By the time we arrive at the
hospital, I am in a considerably level-headed state.
I walk through the hospital halls until I reach the reception, and approach one of the nurses behind the
desk.
“Hey,” I flash her a smile, “a friend of mine was taken to the ER by an ambulance, she had an allergic reaction, and her parents
are on the way. Can I know how her situation is?”
“Sure, sir, can I know her name?”
I relay Coraline’s full name and wait for the nurse to look over her records.
“Are you family, sir?”
“No, no, I’m just her friend, and technically her employer. We were having lunch together when she had the allergic reaction.”
The nurse looks at me with a nervous expression, “Sir, the patient had a complication with her life insurance policy. I can’t relay
to you the exact details because of confidentiality issues, but we cannot
treat her because of this.”
My eyebrows climb to my scalp, “what? What kind of a complication is that?”
“I don’t have to liberty to discuss it with your due to legal issues. But we can’t charge her fees because of
1. In fact, no one can until the issue is resolved”
Anger unlike any other flashes in me. That’s absurd. She is clearly hurt, and you’re telling me that you won’t treat her because of
what, money?”
The nurse looks like she would rather be in hell than here, “I’m sorry sir, but that’s the hospital policy.”
I want to scream at her, I want to demand she shows my friend some compassion and be humane, but I know that it will be
useless. The little ones down the ladder like the nurse had no say in these issues. So I rein in my anger and take a deep breath
to control my voice.
“Fine, then put her under my bill,” I reply, “I’ll pay for her charges out of pocket. Or from my insurance policy. Whatever it takes,
just treat her.”
The nurse nods, “yes sir, we can do that.”
own life
I huff and provide all my financial information. Later her parents arrive, and I notify them all about what had happened.
“What’s wrong with Coraline’s life insurance?” her mother questions, “we always made sure that she had the best for everything
available. She was under ours when she was young, but then after graduating she got her own one. As far as I know, it was fine.
She made all her payments in time too.”
I shrug, “they won’t tell me anything about it, maybe because I’m not family.”
“Well, we are her family, so they better tell us,” Coraline’s father grouses before both of them march to the nurse and demand to
know what is going on with their daughter’s life insurance. The poor nurse, who is starting to look more and more agitated the
second, splutters and finally reveals what had happened.
“Her life issuance is tied to that of her partner, Aiden Collins, and the paperwork had not been completed yet. Neither of them
can use the insurance policy until the issue is resolved.”