The antiseptic scent of the hospital room was a stark contrast to the warmth that radiated from Grace's recovery. The room was a bubble of joy, a stark contrast to the cold reality that Isla had just woken up to. She was a ghost in the room, unseen and unheard, her presence as intangible as the laughter that filled the air.
Grace's kidney transplant had been a resounding success, and the room was a testament to that. Her parents, Eleanor and Richard, fussed over Grace, their faces alight with relief and joy. Luke stood nearby, his usual stern expression softened, as he watched the scene unfold. He was the picture of contentment, his gaze never wavering from Grace.
Isla let out a bitter laugh, the sound echoing in her own ears. How had she not accepted the truth after all this time? From the start, she had never been the one anyone cared about. She was the shadow to Grace's light, the forgotten sister in a family that only had room for one.
She floated out of the room, her spirit drawn towards the morgue. The cold, sterile room was a stark contrast to the warmth of Grace's recovery. She could feel it, a pull that led her to one of the small, cold drawers that held her body. What would happen to her now? Would she be left in the morgue, forgotten by everyone?
It didn't take long for her to find out the answer. She realized she could only stay near Luke, her parents, or Grace. She was tethered to them, a ghost bound to the living by invisible strings.
After three days of watching their happy family scene unfold, a young nurse finally arrived. "Excuse me, who is the family of Isla?" she asked, her voice cutting through the laughter.
Her parents exchanged glances. Luke pretended not to hear. Grace closed her eyes, feigning sleep. The nurse hesitated momentarily, double-checking her notes and mumbling, "I'm not wrong, right? This is Isla's sister's room."
Only then did Eleanor awkwardly force a smile and ask the nurse, "Nurse, we're all Isla's family. Did she cause some kind of trouble again?"
The nurse eyed Eleanor with suspicion, her voice carrying a note of accusation. "Trouble? It seems like you're the one causing trouble! Isla's been dead for three days. As her family, shouldn't you take her body already? The morgue is for bodies, sure, but you can't just leave her there forever."
Eleanor froze for a moment, as if doubting her own ears. She turned mechanically toward Richard and asked, "Did you hear what the nurse just said? Am I hearing things?"
The nurse kindly handed over Isla's death certificate and cause of death, her voice soft. "Ma'am, your hearing seems fine."
Richard and Luke leaned in close to Eleanor, curiously reading Isla's cause of death. It stated that she had died because she lost her only kidney. She had died from pain and shock due to the loss of her kidney.
Luke's face turned pale, as though he were questioning the nurse or maybe even Isla's parents. "Why did Isla only have one kidney?!" he demanded, his voice a mix of anger and disbelief.
The room fell silent, the happiness that had filled it moments before replaced with a heavy guilt. Eleanor and Richard exchanged glances, their faces a mask of shock and denial. Grace's eyes fluttered open, her gaze falling on the death certificate in her mother's hand.
"Why didn't anyone tell me?" Grace whispered, her voice breaking. "Why didn't you tell me she was gone?"
The room was filled with the weight of unspoken words and the guilt of a family that had forgotten one of their own. Isla watched them, her spirit hovering over the scene, a silent observer to the chaos she had left behind.