CHAPTER 43 – ZERO COMPENSATION
The news sounded like a gunshot in Mackenzie’s ears. Her eyebrows slanted. “What?”
Tears poured down Charlotte’s face, “I’m so scared and helpless right now, Mackenzie! I just got the call and there’s absolutely nothing I can do to help the situation. She’s going to die unless she gets medical attention in the next hour! I can’t even call Uncle Maverick cos his number isn’t going through!”
That was right. Uncle Maverick had gone out of the city for a short trip. He would have been able to resolve the matter if he were here.
Mackenzie felt her heart start to pound in genuine worry and panic. Mrs. Weston, Charlotte’s mom was just like her own mother. The thought of her dying was terrifying.
“We have to do something about this immediately!” Mackenzie’s voice shook with fear as she straightened back up.
Her mind was racing with thoughts on what she could do, when she immediately thought of Chase. Yes. At this point, he was the only one that could save Mrs. Weston from dying.
Her hands fumbled as she slid out her phone and dialed Chase’s number. His number had been in her phone ever since they had sex multiple times, before she left the city. Now, she was so glad she had not deleted it.
She bounced on her heels, as she waited for the call to go through, trying to calm Charlotte down at the same time.
He picked, and she exhaled with relief, blurting out, “Chase? Are you there?”
“Yeah. Why do you sound like that, Mackenzie, is something wrong?” His deep voice came on the other end.
Her voice broke. “Something is terribly wrong, Chase, please I need to see you right now!”
“I’m right outside your house.”
If she was in her right mind, she would have been shocked that he was right outside. She was already aware that he knew where she lived, and that should bother her to no end because he could discover her kids, and she should be angry at him for showing up at her house without notice… but right now?
All Mackenzie could feel was stark relief.
She rushed out of the living room and out of the house, still holding the phone against her ear. Just like he said, he was standing alone, right by his parked Lamborghini. She nearly cried from the overwhelming surge of hope and relief that hit her.
He brought the phone down from his ear, his eyes thoughtful and intense as he watched her hurry to meet him.
Mackenzie could barely stay still. She clutched his hands, saying with panic and urgency, “Please, please, I need your help, Chase! It’s Charlotte’s mother. You have to help us, please, or she’s going to die! I’ll work for you after this, you don’t even have to pay me ever again, just help me save her, please…”
Her eyes were moist with unshed tears.Text © 2024 NôvelDrama.Org.
Chase looked alarmed and concerned now. He held her arms softly, “Hey, hey. Slow down. Calm down and tell me what’s wrong.”
Mackenzie nodded, but she definitely didn’t calm down. “Charlotte’s mom has a heart condition, and she just experienced heart failure. The ambulance and few paramedics are too busy responding to other emergencies. The only hospital in North Dakota can’t help her! We need to get her here within the next hour!”
Chase’s eyes hardened when he saw the raw desperation and fear in her watery eyes. He nodded. “I’ll take care of it, Mackenzie. She’ll be okay. Don’t cry.”
He touched her cheek comfortingly, then moved away. “Got to make a call. Get your friend here.”
Mackenzie nodded, hurrying back up into the house while blinking back the moisture in her eyes. Chase gave the Axford Medicals emergency response unit a call and ordered them to get one of the choppers ready to go to North Dakota and back, in limited time.
He gave explicit orders to have a doctor and paramedics on board to keep the patient alive until they get back to the hospital.
“Charlotte!” Mackenzie called as she barreled into the living room. “Get up and put on some shoes. We’re going to get your mom right now!”
Charlotte scrambled up, shocked and confused, yet hopeful at the same time. “What?”
“I’ll explain in the car, Let’s go!”
Charlotte moved with the speed of light, dashing around to wear some random shoes and cover herself up, just as Felicity walked out of the bathroom, carrying Calista’s, whose small body was wrapped in a towel.
“What’s going on?” She asked, sensing their urgency. After making Cameron take a nap, she had taken Calista to the bathroom to give her a bath, so anything going on outside the bathroom was obstructed by the sound of running water.
“We’ll call you, I promise!” Mackenzie responded, following Charlotte who was already halfway through the door.
Felicity looked worried, but she responded. “Alright. Please call. And I’ll handle the kids.”
***********
Thanks to Chase’s super fast car, they arrived at Axford Medicals in no time. Mackenzie had explained to Charlotte that Chase was helping them, and now several staff were leading them out of the elevator and onto the helicopter hangar on the building’s roof top.
It was so high up, that clouds could be seen in some parts of the air below. The wind and noise coming from the rolling helicopter blades were deafeningly loud.
Staff had loaded the necessary equipment and stretcher into the chopper, and Mackenzie led Charlotte to them. Charlotte climbed in, and Mackenzie’s was about to follow when Chase held her back.
“They’ll need as much space as possible. Your friend will be fine.” He said.
She glanced back at Charlotte, who was trying to wipe her tears, looking at Mackenzie’s tearfully and gratefully. “I’ll never forget this, Mackenzie. Thank you so much..”
“Anything for you, Charlotte. Now, go, there’s no time!” Mackenzie responded.
The staff pulled her in and placed a headset over her ears. Then the chopper door slammed close. Chase protectively placed an arm around Mackenzie’s shoulders, shielding her from the surge of noise and wind as the chopper lifted into the air.
His fingers held down her flying curls, preventing them from whipping against her face.
He led her back into the elevator, and as things grew quiet, he briefly wondered if he should take Mackenzie to go see his father. But then he decided against it. He would take care of Mackenzie, makes sure she lacked nothing.
He just wanted her to accept him, and stop hiding away.
Besides, he wanted his father’s focus to be on the surgery. After he gets his treatment, and Mackenzie had finally taken up his offer, he would take her to him.
The elevator opened on the floor to the private hospital cafeteria which the VIP patients like politicians, public figures and others, only had access to. Patients who definitely would not like to share their privacy with regular people.
Although, to be able to pay the bills in Axford Medicals, you’re no regular person. VIP or not. The standards are high around here.
Chase leads her to sit at the table furthest away from the rest of the practically empty cafeteria. Mackenzie was still visibly tense, constantly fidgeting with her fingers, worry in her eyes.
“She’ll be fine.” Chase said. He was sitting right across her at the small table.
Mackenzie sighed. “I just hope she’s able to make it here at least. I can’t imagine losing Mrs. Weston. She’s one of the women who filled in the role of a mother after my mom died while giving birth to me. She was a great help to my dad, who knew nothing about raising a tiny infant on his own. Along with Beatrice, Felicity’s mom.
“I was fed with Mrs. Weston’s breast milk, because she was also nursing Charlotte. She’s like a mother to me. And I can’t … I just can’t bear to see Charlotte so lost and helpless…”
Chase arched an eyebrow. “I had no idea you and your friends have such a long history together.”
“We’re really close. Technically, Felicity is also my stepsister. My dad and her mother are now married. I’ve known them all my life.”
Chase gazed at her, watching the downward slope of her shoulders. The sadness in her beautiful hazel eyes, and her pretty face framed by long curls. She was still in her waitress uniform.
She looked so tired and delicate, and he realized that life had been so cruel to her. At such a young age of nineteen, she got married to an asshole and spent years in a hellish marriage which eroded her self esteem and identity.
She lost a baby. Next, she fell so ill. She went back to her father without anything to show for all her efforts. Then a divorce came later with zero compensation.
Chase could only admire her strength to keep going, and he could understand her fear of facing Jeffrey again. He vowed that he was going to make her life beautiful, and all her days of suffering would be over.