CHAPTER 69: HOSPITAL ARRIVAL

As they gathered Nina’s things and prepared to leave, Danny pulled out his phone with shaking hands.

He stared at his father’s contact for a moment before dialing.

"Dad? Dad, listen to me." Danny’s voice carried a mixture of exhaustion and newfound hope.

"We’re taking Nina to Memorial Children’s Hospital. Yes, Memorial. I know, I know we can’t afford it, but Alex... Alex arranged something. I don’t understand it either, but they’re expecting us."

There was a pause as Danny listened to his father’s response, his free hand running through his hair in that familiar nervous gesture.

"No, Dad, I’m serious. Alex made some calls... Dad, I can hear it in your voice, you don’t believe me, but I’m telling you this is real. We’re leaving now."

Another pause, longer this time. Danny’s eyes filled with tears as he listened.

"Just... just meet us there, okay? And Dad? Bring yourself some coffee and maybe a change of clothes. I think... I think we might be staying for a while."

After hanging up, Danny looked at Alex with an expression caught between gratitude and bewilderment.

"He sounded like he thought I was having a breakdown. Can’t really blame him - yesterday we couldn’t get anyone to even look at Nina, and now..."

"Now she’s going to get the help she needs," Alex said simply, lifting one end of Nina’s small suitcase. "That’s all that matters."

The front door burst open without warning, and Sarah rushed inside, her face flushed from running. Her long brown hair was pulled back in a hasty ponytail, and she was still wearing her study clothes.

"Danny!" she called out, her eyes immediately finding him across the room. "Why didn’t you call me sooner?"

Before he could answer, she crossed to him in three quick steps and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a fierce embrace that seemed to physically hold together the pieces of him that were falling apart.

"I’m here now," she whispered against his shoulder. "Everything’s going to be okay. We’ll figure this out together."

Danny melted into her embrace, allowing himself, for just a moment, to lean on someone else’s strength.

Sarah pulled back just enough to study his face, her hands cupping his cheeks.

"You look exhausted. When’s the last time you ate something? Or slept?"

"I’m fine," Danny started, but Sarah’s look silenced him.

"Don’t give me that. I know you, Danny. Where’s Nina?"

"Sarah!" Nina whispered, managing a tiny wave. "You came to see me."

Sarah immediately softened, moving to the base of the stairs. "Of course I came, sweetheart. I heard you weren’t feeling well."

"I’m very sick," Nina said matter-of-factly, with the strange honesty children have about their own conditions. "But big brother Alex says the doctors at the hospital are going to make me all better."

Sarah glanced at Alex, who was helping Linda navigate the stairs, then back at Nina. "Well, if big brother Alex says so, then it must be true. He’s pretty smart, you know."

"I know," Nina said, her voice getting weaker as the effort of talking tired her out. "He promised."

Sarah reached out to gently squeeze Nina’s small hand. "Then you’re in very good hands, little one. The doctors are going to take excellent care of you, and I’ll make sure your big brother Danny takes care of himself while you get better."

Nina smiled, her eyelids drooping. "Okay, Sarah. I trust you."

"I’m following you to the hospital," Sarah said firmly to the group, leaving no room for argument.

***

The towering glass facade of Memorial Hospital gleamed in the afternoon sun, its modern architecture speaking of cutting-edge medicine and resources that seemed worlds away from the county hospital they’d left that morning.

Linda sat in the passenger seat of Alex’s car, Nina cradled in her arms, staring up at the building with an expression of disbelief.

"I’ve driven past this place a hundred times," she whispered. "Never thought... never imagined..."

As they pulled into the circular drive marked for patient admissions, Alex noticed something unusual.

Three staff members in crisp uniforms were waiting outside the entrance, along with a wheelchair and what appeared to be a portable gurney setup.

One of them, a woman in a white coat, stepped forward as soon as their car came to a stop.

"Excuse me," Linda said quietly, "but are they... are they waiting for us?"

Before Alex could answer, the woman in the white coat approached their window with a warm, professional smile. "Are you the Morrison family? I’m Dr. Elizabeth Johnson. We’ve been expecting you."

Danny, climbing out of the back seat with Mike, stopped mid-step. Sarah’s hand found his arm, her grip tightening as she processed what she was witnessing..

"They... they’re actually expecting us. Alex, how did you..."

But Alex was already moving, focusing on getting Nina safely transferred. The staff moved with practiced efficiency, but their level of attention was remarkable.

The wheelchair was positioned perfectly, blankets were already warmed, and Dr. Elizabeth herself was handling the initial assessment rather than delegating to residents.

"Hello, Nina," Dr. Johnson said gently, crouching to the little girl’s eye level.

"My name is Elizabeth, and I’m going to help you feel much better. These nice people are going to take very good care of you while we figure out the best way to treat you."

As they moved through the hospital’s entrance, Linda grabbed Alex’s arm, her grip tight with emotion. "Alex, this... the way they’re treating us... it’s like we’re..."

"Important patients," Mike finished quietly, looking around in wonder. The lobby was pristine marble and warm lighting, with staff members nodding respectfully as they passed.

"Mr. Morrison? I’m Philip Walsh, patient services director." A hospital administrator in an expensive suit materialized beside them.

"Everything has been arranged for Nina’s care. Dr. Johnson will be her primary physician. You’ll also have a private family suite on the pediatric floor."

He added warmly, "If there’s anything... anything at all... that you or your family needs during your stay, please don’t hesitate to contact me directly."

He handed Danny an embossed card with gold lettering, the kind of personal attention typically reserved for major donors or VIPs.

Danny stared at the card, then at Alex. "This is... Alex, what exactly did you tell them about us?"

Before Alex could answer, Nina’s weak voice piped up from the wheelchair: "Big brother Alex knows important people, doesn’t he Mommy?"

The innocence of the observation hung in the air.

Linda’s eyes were bright with unshed tears as she looked at Alex - not with suspicion or confusion, but with the same fierce gratitude she’d shown him years ago when he’d helped Danny with bullies at school, or when he’d spent his own money to buy her birthday flowers.

"He always has," she said softly, her voice thick with emotion. "He’s always known exactly who matters most."

As they entered the elevator to head to Nina’s room, Alex caught his reflection in the polished steel doors.

For a moment, he allowed himself a small, satisfied smile. Every choice, every risk, every favor he’d ever made... it had all paid off now.

The elevator rose smoothly toward the pediatric floor, carrying with it the weight of a promise kept and a family about to receive the miracle they’d been praying for.

***

Nina’s Room - Memorial Children’s Hospital

The private pediatric suite was unlike anything the family had ever experienced. Soft afternoon light filtered through floor-to-ceiling windows that offered a view of the hospital’s garden courtyard.

The room was spacious enough for a full-sized bed for Nina, a comfortable seating area, and even a pull-out bed for parents to stay overnight.

Nina lay propped against a stack of pristine white pillows, looking impossibly small in the hospital bed despite its child-friendly decorations.

The blankets were soft cotton rather than the scratchy hospital linens they’d grown accustomed to at St. Mary’s. An IV line had been started in her thin arm, but even that seemed gentler somehow - secured with colorful tape featuring cartoon characters.

"It doesn’t hurt as much," Nina whispered to Alex, her voice still weak but carrying less strain than it had at home. "The bed is so soft, and they gave me this button..."

She held up a patient-controlled device. "The nurse said if I feel sick, I can press it and medicine will make me feel better."

Linda sat in the cushioned chair beside Nina’s bed, one hand stroking her daughter’s hair while the other clutched a tissue.

She hadn’t stopped crying since they’d arrived, but these were different tears - relief mixed with lingering disbelief.

"They said they’re going to start her on dialysis tonight," Linda said quietly to Alex and Mike, who stood near the window.

"Just to stabilize her while they run more tests. Dr. Elizabeth wants to map out the exact treatment plan, but she said... she said Nina’s going to be okay."

Danny paced near the door, checking his phone every few minutes. "Dad should be here soon. I called him again from the lobby - told him to ask for the Morrison family in the VIP wing." He shook his head. "VIP wing. I still can’t believe this is real."

A soft knock interrupted them. A nurse entered, wheeling a cart with medical supplies and what appeared to be a small tablet computer.

"Hello, Nina," the nurse said warmly. "Hello Nina, I’m Celia and I’m going to be taking care of you today. How are you feeling, sweetheart?"

"Tired," Nina admitted, "but better than this morning."

"That’s wonderful to hear." The nurse began checking Nina’s vitals with practiced efficiency, but her manner was unhurried, gentle. "We’re going to take very good care of you here. This tablet has games and movies if you want something to do later."

After the nurse left, silence settled over the room. Mike stood awkwardly by the window, clearly moved by the scene but uncertain of his place.

Danny continued his restless pacing. Linda kept her vigil by Nina’s bedside, occasionally whispering soft words of comfort.

Alex found himself studying Nina’s face, noting the slight improvement in her color, the way her breathing seemed less labored.

The weight of what Victoria had made possible pressed against his chest.

"Big brother Alex?" Nina’s voice was barely audible.

"Yeah, sweetheart?"

"Thank you for bringing me here. It’s like... like a fancy hotel."

Before Alex could respond, urgent footsteps echoed in the hallway outside.