The Poison of Regret

"Dylan already called me. I know exactly what you're trying to do. Do you realize that you're wasting medical resources? Making a fake emergency call like this could cost a real patient their chance at survival!" Nathan continued to lecture me from the other end of the line.

Then, it finally hit me. Nathan was a doctor at a nearby hospital. He must have seen my request, called Dylan, and decided to meddle.

I was speechless. "So doctors these days don't even need to examine a patient before making a diagnosis? Just send the ambulance over now, or you'll be the one held responsible."

Nathan was furious. "Who do you think you're threatening? If you hadn't schemed your way into Dylan's bed, do you think he'd ever have been with you? A manipulative woman like you belongs in a psych ward."

"You're seriously insane. I recorded that. You can be sure that I'll be sending it straight to your hospital's complaint inbox."

With that, I hung up. Then, I called the hotline again. This time, I made sure to report Nathan's verbal abuse along with my emergency request.

The dispatcher reassured me while arranging for another ambulance. Even so, it still took over ten minutes for them to arrive.

Nathan wasn't with them. Instead, another first aid responder led the team. He lifted Andrew's and Sally's eyelids for a quick examination, his expression darkening. "This isn't good."

Without hesitation, he ordered his team to get them downstairs.

On the way to the hospital, he kept calling ahead, making sure that they had beds and equipment ready.

At the same time, he turned to me. "What did they eat before this?"

In my past life, after Andrew and Sally recovered, they had their stomach contents tested. The results showed mercury poisoning.

The cause? A takeout meal they had eaten that afternoon. Someone had laced it with poison.

At the time, Andrew and Sally assumed that Dylan had ordered it, so they didn't think twice before finishing the entire meal. Even up until my death, we never found out who had placed the order.

The first responder furrowed his brows when he heard this. He told me that mercury poisoning could cause severe organ damage and might even require surgery. Then, he asked me about my relationship with the patients.

I immediately said, "They're my ex-fiancé's parents."

The first responder looked at me for a while before continuing, "Then you need to contact their immediate family. If surgery is needed, a family member has to sign the consent form."

I asked, "Can't I sign it?"

He shook his head and repeated firmly, "Immediate family only."

Left with no choice, I called Dylan's younger sister, Bernice Turner. Fortunately, she was in the same city.

After hearing my explanation, she panicked. "How could my parents be poisoned? They don't have any enemies!"

I rubbed my temples. "Now's not the time to play detective. Hurry, get off work and get here as soon as possible. The doctor said that they might need surgery, and I can't sign the consent form."

As a responsible adult, Bernice quickly asked for the hospital's address and promised to come immediately.

Knowing that the patients' condition were critical, the ambulance driver sped through the streets, cutting down what should've been a 15-minute drive to just ten.

Once we arrived at the hospital, Andrew and Sally were rushed into the emergency room, and I hurried to pay the medical fees.

After settling the payment, I sat outside the emergency room, waiting.

Nathan passed by, looking dejected. But the moment he saw me, his expression twisted with anger.

"Fiona, why are you so shameless? Just because I insulted you a little, you reported me to the emergency center. Now, I've had a month's performance pay deducted. Are you happy now? And did you really send my godparents to the hospital? Aren't you afraid of karma for tormenting them like this?"

Before I could respond, a doctor walked out of the emergency room and urgently asked, "Are the patients' family members still not here? Their condition is critical. You need to contact them immediately."

Nathan's face turned pale. Without saying another word, he followed the doctor back into the emergency room.

Just two minutes later, he walked out and apologized to me. "I'm sorry. Dylan told me that you made this up out of jealousy. I really didn't think that it was true."