Chương 10 - Arrival at Mass GeneralThe descent into Boston Logan International Airport was bumpy, the jet shaking slightly as it cut through a thick blanket of coastal fog.
By the time the Gulfstream touched down on the tarmac with a smooth, practiced thud, a fleet of medical transport vans and specialized pediatric ambulances was already waiting near the private hangar, their emergency lights flashing a quiet, professional amber against the grey afternoon mist.
Within minutes, the cabin door opened, and a team of top-tier pediatric specialists from Massachusetts General Hospital boarded the aircraft.
“Mrs. Sterling? Mr. Sterling?” a tall, silver-haired doctor with sharp, intelligent eyes stepped forward, extending a hand. “I’m Dr. Evans. We’ve been briefed on Leo’s file. The sterile transport unit is ready to take us directly to the pediatric oncology wing.”
Grace stood up immediately, her maternal instincts kicking back into overdrive as she gently shook the doctor’s hand. “Thank you, Dr. Evans. How quickly can we begin the preliminary labs?”
“We’ll run the complete blood work and bone marrow compatibility panels the moment we arrive at the ward,” Dr. Evans replied, glancing briefly toward me. “Mr. Sterling, you’ll need to undergo immediate genetic screening as well so we can run the comparative markers alongside Leo’s profile.”
“I’m ready,” I said firmly, standing up and setting Chloe down gently beside her mother.
The transfer was executed with military precision. Leo was moved smoothly onto a specialized pediatric gurney, his small eyes blinking sleepily as the medical staff wheeled him out of the jet and into the waiting transport van. Maya and Chloe stayed close to Grace’s side, clutching her coat as we descended the metal stairs into the biting Boston chill.
As we climbed into the back of the private medical van, the reality of what was about to happen settled over the vehicle like a lead weight.
Tomorrow morning, the test results would reveal whether my bone marrow was a compatible match to save my son’s life.
If I wasn't a match, Leo’s chances plummeted into dangerous territory, and Grace would be proven right about everything—that my presence here was useless, a meaningless footnote in a tragedy I had helped create.
If I was a match, the real battle would begin: the surgery, the recovery, and the long, agonizing climb toward earning back the trust of a woman who had every reason in the world to never forgive me.
We arrived at Massachusetts General Hospital twenty minutes later, bypassing the emergency room entrance entirely and heading straight up to the secure pediatric oncology floor on the eighth floor.
The rooms were quiet, sterile, and bathed in soft yellow light.
As the nurses settled Leo into his new bed, hooking up the IV lines and monitoring equipment, Grace stood by the window, staring out at the darkening Boston skyline.
I walked over slowly, stopping a few feet away from her.
“Grace,” I said quietly.
She didn't turn around, but her shoulders dropped slightly. “The blood draw is at 7:00 AM tomorrow, Ryan.”
“I know,” I replied, my voice steady.
“If the results come back negative...” She paused, her voice trembling slightly before she forced herself to finish. “You don't have to stay, Ryan. The medical trust is established. The doctors are paid. You can go back to Chicago. Back to your life.”
I took a step closer, close enough to smell the faint scent of rain and lavender on her sweater.
“I don't have a life in Chicago anymore, Grace,” I murmured, my eyes fixed on the back of her head. “I have an empty penthouse, a wastebasket with a diamond ring in it, and a family I was too blind to see.”
Grace finally turned around. Her eyes met mine—searching, vulnerable, and terrified.
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“And what if you’re not a match, Ryan?” she whispered, a tear finally spilling over her lashes. “What happens to us then?”
“Then I stay anyway,” I said without a single second of hesitation. “And I spend the rest of my life proving to you that I’m finally awake.”
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