Molten Chocolate - S01 E21

Story 5 months ago

Molten Chocolate - S01 E21

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 21

Evan's POV

"HELLO BIG BROTHER!" two voices said in sync as they entered into my office and flopped down on the leather couch in the corner.

I couldn't help but smile at the cheerful pair.

"What are you doing here?" I asked them, still looking into my computer.

"We're only stopping by to see you. And we're kidnapping you after work today. Dad's taking the family to dinner."

"Arrghh!" I groaned.

"Come on man," EJ protested.

A knock came on my door.

"Come in," I said firmly.

Jasmine walked into my office, eyes red from tears.

"Good afternoon," she said, looking over at Emily and EJ.

"Hi," EJ answered.

"Hello there," Emily said with a small wave of her hand.

"Mr. Hollen, the hospital called me in regards to my mother. I have to sign some papers, giving them the permission to pull..." She couldn't finish her sentence as tears welled up in her eyes.

"Shhhh," I said, already knowing what was coming. An awful feeling rushed to the pit of my stomach. I found myself getting off my seat and comforting her with a hug.

"Go on ahead. Take all the time you need," I said, rubbing the small of her back.

She nodded, pulled away from my comfort, and walked out the door.

Tears came to my eyes.

Oh my goodness. Her pain was literally becoming my pain.

I wiped a tear away so my siblings wouldn't see it. I went back to my desk; all the while, they were looking between me and Jasmine.

"Ummm, Evan," Emily began, "What's going on here?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're hot for your assistant," EJ answered.

"What? I'm not hot for Jasmine. Her mom--"

"Oh, you call her by her first name. That's so cute," Emily said again with jest, cutting me off.

I narrowed my eyes furiously at her.

"What's wrong with her mother though? That sounded serious," EJ asked.

"I haven't a clue of what's happening. All she told me was that her mom's in the hospital and she's not well," I answered.

"Okay, but that statement she made earlier, she said she'll have to sign some forms to give permission to the hospital in order to pull... something."

"Exactly. Pull the plug. Is her mom dying?" Emily asked.

I raked my fingers through my hair and stared at the other two concerned faces that were staring right back at me.

"Evan! You have to do something. You have to find out exactly what's wrong with her mom!" Emily cried.

"I can't bare the thought of losing our mom, so I can't imagine what your assistant must be, actually, going through," EJ said.

"I'll call in," I said pulling the office phone closer to me and searching through the directory's list for surrounding hospitals.

The first one I came across, Saint Street Medical Hospital, was about two miles away from my company.

"Thank you for calling Saint Street Medical. How can I help you?" a receptionist answered.

"Good afternoon. I'm Evan Hollen," I said; I heard a small gasp from her.

"Yes, Mr. Evan Hollen. How can I help you?" she asked with enthusiasm.

"I'm actually calling to find out some information about a patient in your care."

"What's the name of the patient?"

"I don't have her first name. I do know her surname is Blackman and she has two daughters. One by the name of Jasmine Blackman. I'm certain that she visits all the time."

"One moment, Mr. Hollen." She put me on hold.

"What is she saying?" Emily asked impatiently.

"She got me on hold, but I think she'll give me the information."

"So they're just going to pass out private information to someone over the phone?" EJ asked.

"Not someone as you so rudely put it. But they will do it to one of most handsome, most successful, richest young men in the world. Our brother." A triumphant look spread across Emily's face.

"Mr. Hollen? Are you still there?" the voice came through the phone again.

"Yes I'm here," I answered.

"Susan Blackman is the patient's name-- age forty eight. Her condition is end stage Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, or COPD for short. She's desperately in need of a transplant. I can see on my computer screen, her remaining life expectancy is two weeks."

My blood ran cold.

Poor Jasmine. I thought.

"Can anything be done to save her from dying?" I asked.

"Yes, lung transplant."

"So why hasn't that been done?"

"There are organ procurement fee, hospital costs, physician fees, and the cost of evaluation, follow-up and immuno suppressant drugs; and there's a short waiting list. There would also be a fee in order to move her name to the very top of the list. Everything would amount to seven hundred thousand dollars. I don't believe her daughters have that large sum of money to conduct these procedures."

"Thank you for the information," I said.

"You're welcome."

I ended the call.

"WELL?" Emily shouted.

"Her mother's definitely dying. COPD, end stage. She needs a lung transplant," I summarized.

"Oh my gosh, Evan!" Emily began to cry.

EJ wrapped his arms around her.

Emily was always an emotional wreck.

Warning, don't call Emily to your house if you're emotional but want to get over it; Emily will only let you cry even more.

"Are you going to do something Evan?" EJ asked me, still holding our sister.

I nodded my head yes. "I'll wire the money today."

'I'm not about to let my soon-to-be mother-in-law die,' my inner self said.

"Come on guys, lets get out of here," I said, getting up from my chair and straightening my suit.

"You're not staying to finish up your work?" Emily asked through tears.

"Advantage of being the boss. Fix your face and lets go. I'll handle everything," I said to her.

She got up and disappeared ran to my bathroom.

''Women,'' EJ joked.

_________