Chapter 5 - The Secret Unmasked
The hospital’s chief legal counsel stepped forward, clutching a thick digital tablet. Beside him, the two police officers took up strategic positions on either side of Richard.
“Six months ago,” Dr. Vance explained, her voice steady and lethal, “a private clinic was raided for attempting to bypass the National Organ Allocation System. They were looking for a rare HLA-phenotype match—specifically, an extremely uncommon human leukocyte antigen combination found in less than zero point zero one percent of the population. Someone with end-stage hepatic cirrhosis and acute myeloid failure was paying tens of millions under the table to locate a compatible living donor for a partial liver and bone marrow transplant.”
Mark slowly stood up, wiping his face, his gaze shifting between the doctor and Richard. “What does that have to do with Sarah?”
“When we performed Sarah’s emergency transfusions tonight, we ran her full antigen and genetic panel to cross-match her blood,” Dr. Vance continued, fixing her gaze squarely on Richard. “Sarah possesses that exact, exceedingly rare HLA profile. But that wasn't all we found. When we accessed her historical medical records through the state database, we discovered that someone had repeatedly accessed her IVF genetic screenings without her knowledge or consent using an unauthorized administrative login from a private medical foundation.”
Evelyn looked baffled. “Richard… what is she talking about? What foundation?”
Richard’s mouth opened, but no sound came out. A thin sheen of cold sweat had broken out across his forehead.
“Your husband is dying, Mrs. Sterling,” Dr. Vance revealed coldly. “He has been suffering from terminal liver failure and refractory myelodysplastic syndrome for over a year. He knew he had less than twelve months to live without a perfectly matched donor. But because of his history of severe alcohol abuse, he was disqualified from the public transplant list.”
The corridor fell into a tomb-like silence.
“Richard?” Evelyn gasped, grabbing his arm. “Is that true? You told me you were just tired from work!”
“He didn't pay for Chloe’s cosmetic surgery because he was being a generous father,” Dr. Vance said, turning her gaze toward Chloe, whose eyes went wide with sudden horror. “We pulled Chloe’s surgical records from the private clinic forty minutes ago under an emergency police subpoena. Chloe underwent a covert needle biopsy and preliminary tissue harvest disguised as an abdominoplasty. But Chloe was not a match. Sarah was the only match.”
Mark’s fists clenched until his knuckles turned pure white. “He knew Sarah was pregnant with our IVF babies. He knew her body was carrying our children!”
“Yes,” Dr. Vance said, her voice dropping into a chilling register. “And by shoving her down a flight of granite stairs tonight, Mr. Sterling caused severe blunt-force trauma to Sarah’s right upper abdominal quadrant. The force of the impact caused a grade-four liver contusion and extensive retroperitoneal hematoma. Sarah will recover, but the damage to her hepatic tissue has rendered her permanently disqualified from being a living organ donor for the rest of her life.”
Dr. Vance took a slow step toward Richard, her gaze piercing right through his soul.
May you like
“You wanted to steal her liver and her stem cells, Richard. But your own uncontrolled rage destroyed the only organ on the face of this earth that could have saved your life. You signed your own death sentence on those stairs.”
***
