No More Waiting, She Chooses Love

We were rescued.

The driver who picked me up to visit Jefferson at the detention facility was among those who saved us. I knew he was one of Ernest's guys.

The car was a wreck; it took breaking it apart to pull Conrad and the driver out. And they even found our phones.

"Hey, this one's still on a call," he handed me the phone.

But it wasn't mine; it was Conrad's. I had used it to call Ernest earlier. Could it be he never hung up?

Taking the phone in a daze, I looked down just as the call ended-67 minutes and 12 seconds.

Ernest had been on the line the whole time. Did he hear everything Conrad and I said?

Not that Conrad and I said much of anything worth eavesdropping on.

Before I could ponder any further, I was whisked away in an ambulance to the hospital for a barrage of tests.

I got off with minor scrapes, but Conrad and the driver were in bad shape-Conrad with hemorrhagic shock, the driver concussed and unconscious.

Out of the three of us, I was the least injured.

Conrad had shielded me

or next of kin for

we were, far from home, with no one from the Wagner family around. I had to step up. "I'm his family. How is

RhD negative blood type. Our hospital doesn't have any in stock, which puts the patient in critical condition. If we can't transfuse him soon, might... Please, prepare yourself for

at the doctor's grim prognosis

else in your family have

swallowed hard,

you'll be careful. Don't get hurt, don't bleed, and never tell anyone

the so-called 'panda blood with fewer than 50 known

needed a transfusion, finding a match would be nearly

heart, despite

there be a mistake? He told me his blood type was AB," I interjected, hoping for some

expression darkened. "We've conducted blood tests.

could there

Conrad had lied, perhaps under similar instructions from his

turned dry at the realization. Against all odds, in a world so vast, Conrad and I shared this incredibly rare

in critical condition

you