Lunch break arrived, but Natalie remained seated, her mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. The cafeteria buzzed with the usual chatter and clatter, but she barely registered the noise around her. Her thoughts were consumed by fear and urgency—fear that her sister's condition could deteriorate at any moment and urgency to find a solution before it was too late. She couldn't stand the thought of waiting passively, watching her sister slip away without doing anything to help.
Natalie glanced around the bustling room, seeking a moment of solitude, but there was none to be found. Determined, she stood up, the decision weighing heavily on her shoulders. She knew she needed help, and there was only one person she could turn to—a man she had come to consider family over the past five years. Without hesitation, she pulled out her phone and began scrolling through her contacts, her fingers trembling slightly with apprehension.
