Due to the emergency, Sophia and her mom had to halt their plan and drove to the hospital Katie was admitted. When they arrived, Jessica and Katie's parents were already in the waiting area.
The moment Jessica saw Sophia, she walked to her and hugged her as tears streamed down her face. "Jessy, what happened?" Sophia asked in tears, already affected by the sour atmosphere.
"I don't know. She was complaining of chest pain yesterday, but I told her it was just because she had too much juice yesterday at your place. It's all my fault", Jessica sobbed on her shoulders.
"No, it's not. We didn't know she had a hole in her heart this whole time", Jessica pulled away and cleaned her tears. Sophia's mom went over to Katie's parents and spoke with them.
"What is her condition?" Sophie's mom asked. Mary, Katie's mother cleaned her tears with a handkerchief. "She's stable, at least for now. The doctor said she'll need a heart transplant, as the hole had expanded too much", Mary explained.
"Oh my god", Sophia's mom gasped softly. Just then, the grey-beaded doctor came out of the operating room with beads of sweat on his forehead.
"How's my baby?" material Septal Dy quickly approached him. "She's awake and alright. You can go see her now", the doctor said, removing his mask. So Mary and the rest went over to Katie's ward and sure enough, she was awake.
"Oh honey, thank god you're awake", Mary ran over and hugged Katie, who was strapped on to life support. "Mom, dad", Katie spoke weakly. Then she looked at Sophia and Jessica and smiled.
"You're here". Sophie slowly went over to her and held her free hand. "I'm glad you're okay", Sophia said softly. She didn't even know what to feel at all. Was she a terrible friend that she didn't notice something was wrong with her?
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Inside the hospital.
Katie was already strong enough to sit on the bed. Jessica and Sophie sat next to her as they discussed. "So what happened next?" Sophia asked. "Then I began feeling light-headed", Katie said.
"At first, I assumed it was the drink I took earlier, so I went to the kitchen and drank a cup of water. That was what I remembered last", Katie said.
"I knew something wasn't right with her when she kept telling me she had chest pains", Jessica interjected. "What I don't understand was why this would rear up at this time when she's just turning eleven", she added.
"Atrial Septal Defect", Sophia said. "That's the name for the condition, a hole in the heart", she added. "Is it curable?" Katie asked. "It is, but I would recommend a heart transplant", Sophia added.
The two sighed. "That's what the doctor said, but where can they find a donor that would sacrifice a heart for me?" Katie asked sadly. "They will find a donor, I assure you", Jessica said, holding her hand firmly.
"Many people have done heart transplants before, I don't see how yours would be different".
While they were still talking, a nurse came over and checked on Katie's drip, adjusted it and left.
"Let's put all these aside. What's the update about your hacker friend? Has he responded yet?" Katie grinned slowly. "Not yet, but I asked him if meeting at Gustavo's kitchen is okay for him, you know so that our safety would be assured", Sophia explained.
"Smart, just in case he has any ill intentions, you will be safe", Jessica commended. Sophia hummed in response, although she has a feeling this hacker might not be a bad person.
But who knows, he might be aware of her status, so anything can happen. "Yeah. I initially wanted to call you to ask whether you will join me and be my sidekicks, you know before this happened", Sophia's smiled wryly.
"I'm sorry for ruining your plans guys", Katie said sadly. "No, come on Katie, it's not your fault. Things unexpected happen", Jessica shook her head.
"You need to rest. I hope you get released from here so we celebrate the end of the new year. I have a ton of things we will all do. It's gonna be fun!" Sophia giggled excitedly.
This lifted the mood of the two as they all giggled together. "What do you have in plans?" Katie asked. "Uhh, that's why it's a secret, duh", Sophia gave her a stink eye, causing her to laugh.
They both chatted till six, till Sophia's mom came over to pick her up. "Mom, can I sleep with her?" Sophia whined. "No honey you have somewhere else to be, so let's get going", she declined.
Sophia turned to Jessica and Katie with an apologetic look. "Sophia, I can take care of her. Get outta here", Jessica smiled. Sophia hugged both of them and left the hospital.
While on the road, Sophia's mom noticed Sophia leaning on the window and staring out. "She'll be okay honey", she assured her. "I know that. But why didn't I notice this? I mean she's my best friend and I just let this get past me", she sighed.
"Sophia, stop this self-blame. Atrial Septal Defect is not something anyone can detect until they are diagnosed by a doctor. It's not your fault", her mom scolded lightly.
"I know. But it would take months before a donor would be available", Sophia's face mumbled. "I have a friend in Italy that had heart disease. It was so bad that she had to remove her heart urgently.
She laughed lightly. "Just when they thought she won't survive, a donor swoop in and saved her. Before anyone knew it, she was able to walk away from the ordeal in just a month", she said.
Then, glancing at Sophia, she smiled. "Your friend has only a hole in her heart, that's still fixable. So a heart donor won't be hard to come by", she added.
"I hope", Sophia could only say, as she drew hope from her mother's story.
"So, about that invitation to Adams' house, are you still going?" Her asked. "I said I wasn't going. I have something I desperately needed to do", Sophia declined with mild annoyance.
Why was her mom keep insisting?