A Reborn Bride Pearl Emerging from Dust by Sally Garcia

Calliope was out of options. If there were any, she sure as hell wouldn't be standing there in silence.

Lance knew her if she had a plan, she'd be the first to tell him. She was the Miracle Doctor, after all. She'd fixed things before that no one else could.

If she was quiet now, it only meant one thing-she truly had no idea what to do.

"I'm sorry. I'm doing everything I can to figure something out. But... I think Hudson already told you. His situation is really complicated. It's moving so fast. I've never seen anything like it. The tumors are everywhere. It's... it's bad. Some of them are in places you just can't touch. If they were in better spots, maybe surgery would be an option. But where they are now, trying to operate could just make things worse."

Guilt flickered across her face. Calliope wished she were better-wished she could just snap her fingers and fix it. But she couldn't.

"There's nothing else you can do?" Lance's voice trembled as he stared at her, desperate. "You're the Miracle Doctor, right? Aren't you supposed to have those... those insane treatments? Like, you brought people back from the brink before! Hudson's still here, he looks fine, doesn't he? You have a way, right? Callie, tell me you have a way-please, you have to!"

He grabbed her arms, holding on so tight it hurt.

winced, but didn't pull away. She just met Lance's eyes, quiet

shook her head. "Right now... I've got nothing. But I'll keep

him, okay? If if there really isn't any hope, then these are your last days together. You need to think about how you want

you'll live with no regrets. Hudson's doing what he can in his own way. It's

hurt. But if Hudson was really leaving, then Lance needed to be ready. He had to make the most of the days they had left, or

Please, stop crying, okay?" Hudson, for his part, was calm. He patted Lance on the shoulder, giving

ahead to scout the trail. Everybody dies someday. I'm just getting

go-God, he didn't.

said quietly. "But I

just take tonight to

to Hudson, shaking his head even harder.

die, I'm going