The Ice Prince

Chapter 17

"Can I trust you on this?" I finally asked her, because she'd zoned out, and frankly, I hated myself for adding to her emotional burdens. Especially now, when we both needed our fullest strength. But it had been necessary, or so I convinced myself.

"What's wrong... with Alyna?" she managed.

I told her. I couldn't hide that from her, not now that she knew what I wanted from her in return. "Alyna has holes in her heart. And her blood-group is O negative. It's almost impossible to get a compatible heart." I paused to let that sink in. I wanted to make sure she didn't feel sorry for me, but understood my problem all the same.

"O negative?" she repeated.

"O negative." I agreed and continued, relieved that she'd understood, but hadn't tried to sympathise.

"I'm O negative myself, and her body stands the best chance of survival if I give her my heart. No surgery can save her, and Dr. Beauchamp's convinced that a transplant might give her a fighting chance. Our mother died in a car crash a day before Alyna's problem was discovered. We'd always had this house, so I decided to shift here, and joined Polson Academy. The hospital is close-by from here too." I didn't know why I was discussing the practicality of my decisions with her, but I was. I steered back to the topic.

"When Mom left us, Alyna went into shock. The small ASD holes that she was born with, suddenly opened up, and I had to bundle her into Buzz and get her to the hospital. She'd turned blue all over, and Dr. Beauchamp managed to save her. Just. It seems she was born with the holes, but they were closing down as she grew up. Only, the recent shock had her heart pumping overtime, and the force of her own beating heart tore apart at the weak regions." I sighed. I had never told this to anyone. But it didn't feel weird to open up with Hayley.

I looked away from her, just to give her some time to digest what I'd thrust on her. My eyes searched for Buzz, whom I'd left in the parking.

It felt weird to not see him parked in his usual space. I'd been underage to drive Buzz back then, and nothing short of the sight of my dying sister could've forced me into a car, when I'd lost my Mom in one of those wretched machines. She'd taken out her little VW Polo, and I could never look at a car the same way again.

But Buzz had helped me out when my little sister was in danger, so I guess I had begun learning not to blame cars for accidents caused by human folly.

Hayley nodded. "It's a deal." She said. I felt relieved. She was strong enough to handle this, and the thought of losing Carver would have her convinced right now. I was grateful for her fiery self, because if she didn't have that fire within her, I'd be troubled. I trusted that blazing inferno to take the necessary actions and help me save Alyna.

I hoped this didn't change how things stood between us. I didn't want her to pity me, or worse, sympathize with me. I needed her to stay strong and fiery, like she was when I first saw her in the morning.

So we made our way to the gates, when she inched closer. I put my arm around her waist, not wanting to hurt her shoulder. Soon, she had her good arm around my shoulder, like before, and I could hear her heartbeat. "Do you trust me?" I asked her, for the second time in the day.