Michelle Alexandria. A mesmerizingly beautiful girl with big dreams.
Who would have thought that this lovely twenty-seven-year-old girl, affectionately called Michelle, was a comic artist—her pen name widely recognized online due to her partnership contract with a paid online comic platform. However, she was only known as Red Moon, not as Michelle.
No one knew that the person behind the name Red Moon was Michelle, except for her mother, her older brother, and Gavin Brooks—the cardiologist in charge of her treatment. All her fans only knew her through her exquisite drawings, which seemed so alive, with captivating plots, filled with messages and motivation for those who enjoyed her work.
Of course. This was one of Michelle's strengths that she could be proud of after being acclaimed by the doctors at the hospital—where Michelle was treated—as one of the strongest women, who managed to survive with congenital heart muscle weakness since she was a baby.
Through this hobby, Michelle could even help alleviate the large hospital bills, some of which weren't covered by insurance and thus had to be paid in cash by Leo and her mother, especially since the death of their father.
"Good evening, Michelle."
Her brother's greeting, as Michelle was focused on drawing on a tablet placed on the table, managed to break her concentration.
With a joyful expression, Michelle immediately stood up, carrying her IV pole, and threw herself into her brother Leo's strong embrace, which he returned even tighter. Michelle didn't even realize that the stylus pen she used to draw was still in her grip.
"Why are you alone? Where's Mommy?" Michelle asked after their hug.
"Mommy's still outside. She's talking to Daddy's old friend. She'll be in soon," Leo answered, handing her a plastic bag filled with various snacks she loved.
"Daddy's friend? Who?" Michelle asked, curious.
The beautiful girl, who now looked fresher, sat back down on the sofa, placed the drawing tablet on her lap, then opened a container of fruit slices her brother had brought for her.
"Uncle Jhon," Leo replied, sitting beside his sister and opening his laptop.
Michelle resumed drawing while snacking on strawberries brought by her brother. A drawing of a beautiful woman, with long flowing hair, wearing a maroon mini dress, was sitting on a hospital garden bench alongside a man with a cane.
"What's this comic about?" Leo asked, his eyes catching a glimpse of the drawing on her tablet screen.
Without diverting her attention, Michelle replied, "Just a regular romance. The love story of a patient and her doctor."
"Happy ending?" Leo became more curious as he picked up from the dialogue in the drawing that it seemed to be something about Michelle.
Michelle shook her head. "Sad ending."
"Why?"
"The girl has a congenital heart failure, and the doctor's diagnosis says she doesn't have long to live."
"Your storyline is terrible! Change it! I'm strongly against you making a story like that!" Leo cut in, irritated. The handsome man was truly upset because the comic storyline his sister chose was very sensitive for him. From the brief summary alone, it was clear that the story mirrored Michelle's own life, albeit with a different character portrayal.
Hearing her brother's spontaneous command made Michelle instantly irritated, glaring at Leo. "You can't just tell me what to do, Leo! This story is already contracted. The plot laid out in the synopsis can't just be changed like that. Don't act strange!" Michelle snapped, annoyed.
In his frustration, Leo suddenly snatched the stylus pen from her hand and scribbled on the rectangular tablet screen.
"LEO!" Michelle yelled, her tone high.
With a nonchalant gesture, Leo just waved one hand and refocused on his laptop screen.
"You're mean! You don't appreciate my work," Michelle grumbled, irritated. "This chapter has been eagerly awaited by Ms. Olivia for review! Do you even understand the effort it takes for me to create this drawing? It's not easy to do something like this, especially with my health just recovering."
"Well, if you know making a story like that isn't easy, then why continue with your work? I can still afford to cover your hospital bills and our monthly household needs."
"You're really cruel, Leo. Heartless. I hate you!" Michelle muttered, amid her sobs.
"I don't care. Call me cruel, heartless, whatever you want. But I don't agree with the plot of the comic you're making. Got it?"
Michelle scoffed at her brother's response. "Ha! What's your reason for not agreeing with the plot I created? This is my idea. A storyline I carefully crafted long in advance. It's already at chapter one hundred and eight. I can't just change the plot that easily!"
"Because what I want is for you to have a happy ending in real life!" Leo replied, closing his laptop lid with a loud thud. 'And I know that Jessy, in the comic you're creating, is a reflection of you, and the story of your own life,' Leo continued silently.
Meanwhile, in a surgical room, a man wearing surgical attire was focusing on implanting a permanent pacemaker. After checking the position of the device and connecting it with a small conduit, he secured it with monofilament sutures, ensuring everything was perfectly in place and functioning well, then closed the incision on his patient's chest.
A collective sigh of relief filled"the room, followed by words of gratitude from all the doctors present. Nico, who led the surgery, looked at his colleagues, smiling behind his mask.
"Thank you, everyone, for all your hard work."
The man didn't realize his father, alongside an older woman, was watching him through the operating room window.
"He's my son. The best thoracic and cardiovascular surgeon in this hospital. He's also the man who will marry your daughter, just as I promised my best friend—Peter," said the older man clearly.
***