The phone rang three times, and then there was a sharp click. A voice came through the other end calm, authoritative, but undeniably intimidating.
"Hello?" The man's voice was steady, but it carried an air of quiet power, the kind of voice that made you sit up straight without realizing it.
Dr. Murphy, already tired from the grueling operation and emotionally drained from the encounter with Lucian's lifeless body, felt a wave of anxiety rush over him. He had no idea who this person was, but the tension in his own body told him that whoever was on the other end of the line was not someone to be trifled with.
"Hello, sir. I'm Dr. Murphy, calling from L.I.T. Hospital in the capital city of Wolley," the doctor began, his voice steady but the weight of what he was about to say pressing on him like a heavy boulder.
There was a slight pause, and then the man's voice returned, colder this time, with an unmistakable edge. "Yes? Why did you call me, and how did you get my personal number?"
Dr. Murphy could feel his palms sweating, his grip on the phone tightening. Even though he was a seasoned professional, having dealt with life and death countless times, this was different. Lucian's request had been unsettling enough, but now, hearing the voice on the other end of the line, he felt a sense of dread creeping up his spine. The man on the phone sounded young likely in his twenties, just like Lucian but his voice carried an authority that made it clear he wasn't someone who could easily be reasoned with.
The doctor took a long breath, trying to steady himself. He had faced intense situations before, but something about this call made his nerves fray at the edges. "Yes, sir, I'm calling because… well, I was instructed to do so. Mr. Lucian Kane, he… he gave me your number before his procedure. He told me to contact you once the procedure was done."
Another pause. But this one was different. It was colder. More menacing.
Lucian...he gave you the number?
"And what exactly do you mean by 'once the procedure was done'?" the man asked, his voice dropping to a dangerously low tone.
Dr. Murphy swallowed hard. There was no easy way to say it, no gentle way to deliver the news. He had done this hundreds of times before, breaking the news of a loved one's passing to a grieving family, but this was different. Lucian's death wasn't a tragic accident or the end of a long illness. It was a choice. His choice. And now, he had to explain it to someone who clearly had no idea what was coming.
"Mr. Lucian Kane… he passed away earlier today," Dr. Murphy said, his voice shaky but as professional as he could manage. "He gave his heart to Miss Avey Starline for a heart transplant. It was his choice to do so. I'm very sorry to have to tell you this, but he is no longer with us."
The line went deadly silent.
The doctor felt his heart pounding in his chest, each beat louder than the last. Then, suddenly, a sound erupted from the other side of the phonea sickening, high-pitched crack. It was the unmistakable sound of glass shattering, as if the person on the other end had crushed their phone in their grip.
Dr. Murphy's hand trembled slightly as he held the phone. The silence that followed was unnerving. Whoever this person was, they weren't grieving in the usual way. There was no sobbing, no gasping for air just a deadly, suffocating silence. It felt like the calm before a storm.
"Sir…?" Dr. Murphy ventured, his voice hesitant.
"Say that again," the voice on the other end demanded, cold and sharp, like the blade of a knife.
The doctor winced at the venom in the man's tone. He could hear the anger, the disbelief, and something even deeper.something darker.
"I'm truly sorry, sir," the doctor repeated, choosing his words carefully, feeling the weight of the conversation pressing down on him. "Mr. Lucian Kane is… gone. He… he gave his heart to Miss Avey Starline. It was his decision. His last words were to ask me to contact you, and to give you this information. He also left his mobile phone for you. I was instructed to give it to you personally. You should… visit the hospital. We will also be informing his family soon."
For a moment, the only thing Dr. Murphy could hear was the sound of his own breathing, loud in the stillness of the call. Then, from the other side, a sound broke through the quiet. A harsh, sharp noiselike something heavy and metal being thrown to the ground. There was a crash, followed by the sound of footsteps, quick and purposeful, walking on a hard surface.
The doctor instinctively pulled the phone slightly away from his ear, wincing at the sudden noise. He glanced at his phone screen, the call still ongoing, but there was no voice just the sound of things being thrown and smashed in the background. It was as if the person on the other end was in a fit of rage, unable to contain the emotions flooding out of him.
Then the line went quiet again. Just silence. The eerie, oppressive silence that made Dr. Murphy's skin crawl.
He waited, uncertain of what would come next. His heartbeat thudded in his ears as he held the phone tightly in his sweaty hand. There was still no sound from the other end, but he could feel the weight of the man's fury lingering in the air, thick and suffocating. And yet… the call wasn't ended. There was no click, no disconnection. The line remained open, a silent threat lingering between them.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Dr. Murphy sighed and gently pressed the button to end the call. He pulled the phone away from his ear and stared at the screen for a moment, his mind racing.
"Sigh…" The doctor exhaled, running a tired hand through his hair. The adrenaline that had flooded his body during the call was wearing off, leaving him feeling even more drained than before. His legs felt weak beneath him, and he realized just how much he had been dreading this moment.
He had spoken to many families about death, but something about this conversation left him shaken to his core. There was something about that voice on the other end of the line something terrifying and raw. The anger, the fury, the grief it was all bubbling just beneath the surface, and Dr. Murphy knew he wasn't done yet. Whoever that man was, he would come. And when he did, the doctor would have to face him.
For now, though, there was one more thing to do.
Dr. Murphy reached into his pocket, pulling out Lucian's phone, the device that now felt impossibly heavy in his hand. This was what Lucian had left behind the last remnant of his life. The doctor stared down at it, his chest tight with emotion. There was something deeply unsettling about holding this phone, knowing that Lucian's final wish had been tied to this small object.
"I wonder what he left on here," the doctor muttered to himself. He had no intention of prying whatever was on the phone was for the person Lucian had intended. But holding it felt like holding a part of Lucian's soul, a piece of the man who had given up everything, even his life, for something someone he loved.
"Let me honor your last wish, boy," the doctor whispered, his voice soft and tired. He didn't know why, but there was an ache in his chest as he said those words. Something about Lucian's final act the madness of it, the tragedy of it had burrowed its way into the doctor's heart.
He took a deep breath and dialed the number Lucian had written on the slip of paper he had left behind. The phone rang once again, each tone echoing in the silent corridor of the hospital.
Whoever was on the other end of this, they weren't just anyone. And when they came… the doctor knew that the storm would follow.