Chapter 17
Joanna ran toward the hospital entrance, her sneakers hitting the pavement hard.
*
She’d just heard about free medicine being given out at the hospital. It was some herbal stuff that supposedly worked wonders for kids‘ stomachaches.
It was getting dark, and the hospital’s parking lot was lit up like a high school football game, crammed with parents pushing to grab the meds.
A sharp, no–nonsense voice cut through the noise. “Hold up, people, one at a time. If you want the medicine, I need your kid’s name first.
“Different problems, different fixes–don’t just snatch it.”
The woman held a clipboard, ticking off names as she handed out packets of medicine.
Joanna’s heart raced when she heard that voice. She pushed through the loud crowd, finally spotting the woman in the middle–Sylvia.
Anger hit her like a punch. She’d begged Sylvia for medicine at her place, and Sylvia had said no.
Now here she was, acting like a saint, passing out free remedies to strangers.
D
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Next to Sylvia was a folding table with a cardboard box full of neatly packed medicine packets she’d brought from home. She was handing them out to desperate parents fast.
The crowd was a lot, so she’d pulled in Cedric, the well–liked president from the hospital next door, to help.
With his gray hair and good reputation, parents trusted them right away.
“Give me one of those packets,” Joanna said, shoving up to Sylvia and sticking out her hand.
Sylvia grabbed a packet from the box, about to hand it over, but stopped when she recognized Joanna’s voice. She looked up, her eyes cold.
“Not for you,” she said.
She gave the packet to another parent instead, crossing a name off her clipboard with a quick pen stroke.
Joanna’s face went pale, but she switched tactics fast, putting on a sad, teary look.
“Sylvia, please, Yara is in bad shape with stomach pain. You’ve got to help her,” she said, her voice shaky just right.
People turned, giving her sympathetic looks. A few dads even stepped up, ready to play hero.
“Hey, doc, why not help her first? She’s in rough shape. We can wait,” one guy said, nodding at Joanna.
Joanna flashed the crowd a thankful smile, a hint of smugness in her eyes.
Thanks, everyone. I’m sure Sylvia will do what’s right, seeing how nice you all are,” she said, all sweet.
Sylvia’s eyes snapped up, cold and sharp, seeing through Joanna’s game. She was trying to win the crowd; that was classic Joanna.
A big, middle–aged guy stepped up, glaring at Sylvia. “Just give her the medicine already! You’re a doctor–where’s your heart? We’re all waiting, so stop stalling!”
Joanna hid a smirk, tossing the guy a grateful look. He blushed, and then even puffed up, like he’d just done something big.
Sylvia’s lips twitched into a small, hard smile as she looked over the crowd. “Anyone else want to play hero for her?
*Raise your hands. Oh, and if you do, you can leave–my medicine’s not for you.”
Her voice was quiet but icy, shutting people down quick.
A few parents who’d started to raise their hands dropped them fast, dodging Sylvia’s sharp gaze like kids caught doing something wrong
The big guy’s face went red, his fists tightening. “How could you do this?”
“These are my medicine, my remedies, made with my time. I’m not charging a cent, so I decide who gets them,” Sylvia said, each word hitting hard.
The guy’s face turned even redder, and he looked ready to charge at her.
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4:12 PM C
Chapter 17
Joanna’s expression darkened. Sylvia wasn’t backing down, and now was the perfect chance to let someone else deal with her.
“There’s someone here I don’t want around,” Sylvia said, her voice cold as ice.
Her eyes flicked to Joanna and the angry guy. “If they stay, this giveaway’s done.”
“Get out of here! You’re holding things up!” parents yelled, turning on Joanna.
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The crowd paused. They started pushing Joanna back, out of patience. “She’s giving this stuff away for free, and you’re the only one she won’t help? Maybe there’s a reason! Quit wasting our time!”
Joanna stumbled, almost falling as the crowd pushed her back, her face red with embarrassment.
The big dad got shoved out too, and it hit him hard. He glared at Joanna, furious.
Because he’d backed her up, he had nothing, and his son would still be curled up in pain.
Regret and anger twisted inside him.
“You’re pathetic!” he snapped at Joanna, storming off toward the hospital entrance.
Just then, a kid stepped out of the hospital doors. Zack stopped, eyes wide, staring at the wild crowd.
Just
He grabbed a passerby’s sleeve and found out someone was giving away free medicine.
He stretched up, trying to spot the person in the middle of the chaos.
He couldn’t see her, but he knew it was a woman, and the parents were practically calling her a saint.
“Look, just take the medicine and leave. I don’t want your money or gifts. Your thanks is enough,” the woman called out, her voice steady but warm.
Some parents had brought thank–you baskets or homemade snacks, and she sounded almost annoyed as she brushed them off.
Zack, standing at the crowd’s edge, felt his heart skip. That voice–he knew it!
His eyes burned, and he started pushing through the crowd, one thought racing in his mind.
It had been three years, but her voice was etched in his memory.
Zack had played this moment over and over–finding her, demanding answers for why she’d done such terrible things, why she’d never fixed it.
He wanted to asker her why she’d left him for three whole years.
But now, all those questions vanished. His mind went blank, buzzing, as he fought to get closer.
With every step. his heart pounded harder, like it might explode.
She was turned away, busy handing out packets, but that slim figure, those familiar movements–they hit him hard.
He was almost sure. It was her… the mom he’d missed and resented all at once.
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