Doctor Tim looked at Kira, his expression calm but serious.
"Well, Miss Barner," he began, "as you can see, Nurse Tasha has tried calling the patient's emergency contacts many times but not one of them picked up."
He studied her face carefully, searching for signs of frustration.
Kira raised one eyebrow. "So?" she asked.
Seeing that she wasn't angry or impatient, Doctor Tim continued.
"Since we can't reach her contacts, we need someone to step in as her guardian."
Kira's eyes widened. "What? You want me to be her guardian?" Her voice was filled with shock.
"Yes," Doctor Tim said gently but firmly. "If we don't have a guardian to register her and pay the emergency fees, we can't start treatment."
Kira opened her mouth but closed it again without saying anything. She placed a hand under her chin and thought hard.
A deep sigh escaped her lips.
"Fine," she said at last. "Since I started this, I'll finish it. What do you need me to do?"
Doctor Tim handed her a small card. "Here's her National Identity Card. Take it to the registration office, register her, and pay the emergency treatment fees at any pay point."
Kira took the card with a heavy feeling in her chest.
Without another word, she turned toward the door and left the Accident and Emergency Department.
As she walked down the hospital corridor, her steps were slow.
She kept wondering how much the treatment would cost.
The thought made her stomach tighten but her feet kept moving until she reached the registration window.
Inside the office sat a young woman with hair as black as a crow's feathers and eyes as bright blue as the summer sky.
She wore a neat white blouse and black skirt and her smile was warm and welcoming.
"Hello, miss," the woman greeted. "How can I help you?"
Kira didn't answer. Her mind was far away.
"Miss? Miss? Miss!" The woman snapped her fingers sharply. "Back to earth, girl!"
Kira blinked, startled, her face turning red with embarrassment.
She took a deep breath and said, "Sorry. My name is Kira Barner. I'm here to register a patient. Here's her ID card."
The woman took the card and began typing quickly. "Is she in Accident and Emergency?"
"Yes. She was in a hit-and-run accident," Kira said softly.
"Oh…" the woman murmured. "Your phone number, please?"
Kira gave it to her, adding, "It's always reachable."
"Good," the woman said with a nod while her fingers kept dancing on the keyboard.
A few minutes later, she printed a medical case file and pulled a patient card from a drawer.
"I've registered Rachel Shen," she said. "Here's her case file and patient card. Now, go to any pay point and pay sixty-five thousand Gilead dollars. Bring the case file to the doctor so they can start treatment."
"Sixty-five thousand?" Kira repeated, her voice sharp with disbelief.
"Yes," the woman replied with a sigh. "That's the emergency fee. If you don't pay, she won't be treated."
Kira's heart sank but she forced herself to nod. "Alright, I'll go and pay."
She walked to the nearest pay point, feeling the weight of every step.
Behind the window sat another lady with a computer in front of her.
"Hello, how may I help you?" the cashier asked.
"I'm here to pay the emergency fees for Rachel Shen," Kira said, her voice quiet as she handed over her debit card with trembling hands.
The cashier inserted the card into the POS machine and passed it to Kira to enter her PIN.
Kira's fingers shook as she pressed the buttons.
After the transaction was approved, the cashier returned her card and gave her a payment receipt.
Kira didn't waste a second.
She ran back to the Accident and Emergency Department.
Inside, she spotted Doctor Tim speaking with Nurse Tasha.
She hurried over and handed him the case file, receipt, and patient card.
"Oh, you've paid," Doctor Tim said with a small smile. "Good." He scribbled some notes on the case file and gave it to Nurse Sukie.
Then he looked at Kira and said,"You came just in time. First, I want to thank you. You've done a great thing for Rachel Shen."
"No need to thank me," Kira said with a wave of her hand. "I'm just helping someone in need."
Doctor Tim smiled faintly. "Alright then. We've done the emergency treatment, but she's lost a lot of blood. She needs surgery immediately. We've already given her anesthetics. We were only waiting for you to sign the consent form."
Kira's eyes softened with concern. "Will she be alright?"
"Yes," Doctor Tim said firmly. "We have the best surgeons here. Trust us."
"But… people die in operating rooms," Kira whispered.
"Miss Barner, this is Shen Hospital," he replied, his tone carrying urgency. "Trust us and sign. We can't waste anymore time."
Kira held his gaze for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. I'll trust you." She signed the form.
At once, Doctor Tim ordered the nurses to roll Rachel toward the operating room.
Kira followed until they stopped her at the door.
A few minutes later, Doctor Tim appeared again in a green surgical gown.
He gave Kira an assuring look before disappearing into the operating room.
The doors shut, the "Ongoing Surgery" light came on, and Kira sat down, eyes fixed on the closed doors, her body tense.