Chapter 1I was on a plane carrying life-saving bone marrow when we suddenly turned around. 'Cause my boyfriend's charity case screamed that the cooler in my lap was a BOMB.
Next thing I knew, I was face-down on the floor getting searched like a terrorist.
His mom was dying in Boston. Waiting for this marrow to save her.
I dropped to my knees. Signed like fifteen liability waivers. Begged the captain to keep flying.
Finally, we made it. I got the marrow into the OR with minutes to spare.
She lived.
But the day she was discharged? Cade dragged me up to the hospital roof.
Grabbed me by the throat.
"Blair was just messing around. But YOU called the cops. Now she's dead. She killed herself in jail because of YOU."
His mom's eyes were ice.
"Over bone marrow? You drove that poor girl to suicide."
Then they both shoved me off the edge.
When I opened my eyes again, I was back on that plane.
Right when Blair opened her mouth about the bomb.
This time? Let her talk.
The person dying on that table?
Wasn't my problem anyway.
---
"She's got a bomb in that box! It's not bone marrow—it's a BOMB!"
Blair rushed the flight attendant, sobbing and shaking like her life was over.
The whole cabin went dead silent.
I stared at her.
Holy shit.
Did I actually get a do-over?
Last time, I got on my knees and lost it. Voice cracking, hands shaking, the whole deal.
"It's NOT a bomb!" I'd screamed. "It's bone marrow stem cells—it's gonna save someone's LIFE! We have all the paperwork! Hospital clearance! Transfer docs! Please, PLEASE don't turn this plane around!"
I traded my dignity—hell, I traded my life—just to get Cade's mom that surgery.
And what did I get?
Cade and his mom hating my guts. Throwing me off a roof. Watching me splatter.
This time?
I wasn't playing savior.
Blair was covering her mouth now, fake tears pooling in her eyes.
"I heard you... you said if that thing opens, we're all dead..."
The flight attendant's face changed. Passengers started freaking out.
I looked straight at Blair.
"You gonna stand by that? You KNOW what's in here."
She bit her lip. Shrank back toward Cade. Tears on cue.
Cade stood up, stepped in front of her.
"Rory, why are you yelling at her?"
Like I was the one being unreasonable.
He pulled me aside. Lowered his voice.
"She thought you needed to relax. You looked stressed."
"Blair was just messing around. Why do you gotta make it a thing?"
I looked at Blair's little wounded-puppy face and almost laughed.
She loved this.
Loved it so much she should've been on Broadway instead of working at Mass General.
She'd tell a guy with a stomachache that it was Stage 4 cancer. "Better start planning the funeral."
She'd tell a husband waiting outside delivery that his wife and baby were both gone. "Didn't make it. Sorry."
She'd whisper to a dad at a checkup, "Your wife cheated on you. That kid? Not yours. Blood type doesn't match."
And when people broke down crying?
Blair doubled over laughing, wiping her fake tears.
"You guys are SO gullible! I should literally be in Hollywood."
Later, when patients complained and everything blew up, she'd run straight to Cade with tears in her eyes.
"I was just messing around! Trying to lighten things up! I didn't know they'd actually lose it!"
"And Rory went off on me in front of everyone. Like I did something horrible."
She'd cry. Cade would blame me for being cold.
And today?
When we picked up the donor marrow, the donor's family was grieving. Their daughter had just died.
Blair couldn't help herself.
"Honestly? You should be thanking ME."
They almost walked out right there.
I spent the next hour apologizing. Explaining how bad the patient needed this. Breaking everything down. Over and over until I couldn't even talk anymore.
Finally, they calmed down.
We walked out. Blair's eyes went red again.
Said I embarrassed her. On purpose.
I ignored her.
But I never thought she'd pull this on a plane.
Watching everyone panic, Blair's eyes lit up.
Then she raised her voice even louder.
"We need to open it NOW or we're ALL dead!"
The flight attendant went white. "Ma'am, hand it over. NOW."
I looked at Cade. Tapped the case.
"You're next of kin. This is your call. You really wanna do this?"
Right that second, his mom was on an operating table in Boston. Already cut open. Bleeding. Waiting for this marrow.
But the stem cells inside this cooler? The second it opened, they'd be useless. Dead. Trash.
Cade glanced at me, annoyed.
"Rory, just work with me here. What's the problem?"
"Yeah. Just open it."
The flight attendant stepped closer, trying to figure out what was going on.
But Blair couldn't wait.
Her eyes were shining. That twisted little thrill she always got.
She lunged forward and ripped the lid off.
Cade stood there, smiling at her like she was so cute.
He didn't know yet.
What he just killed wasn't the cooler.
It was his mom.
Chapter 2
The second the lid came off, I stopped breathing.
Not because I felt bad for myself.
But because I'm a doctor. My instinct is to not watch someone die right in front of me.
But then I remembered Cade and his mom pushing me off that roof. No hesitation. No mercy.
So I made myself stay cold.
The lid popped open. White fog poured out, cold and dense.
The marrow cells? Already dead. Took less than a second.
Before anyone else could react, Blair let out this bloodcurdling scream.
"GET DOWN! IT'S GONNA EXPLODE!"
Total chaos.
People ducking. People shoving backward. Someone screaming at the flight attendants, "Why the hell did you let her open it?!"
I stayed in my seat. Didn't move.
Just felt... sorry.
Sorry for all the people whose effort just got wasted.
The girl who donated her marrow. The coordinators who worked through a dozen transfer clearances. The surgical team in Boston waiting in the OR.
They'd never know.
Hope just died at thirty thousand feet.
And the person who killed it? She was standing in the back of the cabin, still putting on her little performance.
Blair clutched Cade's sleeve, shaking like a scared little rabbit.
But I knew better.
She wasn't scared.
She was high off it.
She lived for this. All eyes on her. Everyone reacting to her. She was loving every second.
A few seconds passed. Nothing happened.
No explosion. No fire. No smoke.
Just the cooler, neatly packed, fog still leaking out.
The cabin went quiet.
People started standing up, confused. A couple of passengers crept closer to check.
They looked at each other. Faces going from fear to anger.
"...This is just a medical transport case."
"There's no bomb."
"So she was lying?"
That's when Blair blinked. And giggled.
"Hahaha! Oh my God, I'm so good! I totally had you guys!"
She doubled over laughing, wiping away her fake tears.
She was so proud of herself.
But she didn't see it.
The whole cabin staring at her like they wanted to throw her out the emergency exit.
Passengers started standing up, pointing at her, voices getting loud.
"Are you insane? You just scared a whole plane for FUN?"
Blair flinched, eyes going red again.
"I— I didn't mean— I'm just really good at acting! That's all! Cade, they're scaring me— why is everyone yelling at me? What did I even do?"
She buried herself in Cade's chest, playing victim like her life depended on it.
Cade wrapped his arms around her. Looked at everyone like they were the problem.
"She's young. She likes to joke around. Nothing even happened, so why is everyone making such a big deal?"
Even the flight attendant rolled her eyes.
But they still had a job to do. A few of them went around trying to calm people down.
The lead attendant knelt by the cooler, checking the case. Flipping through the transfer papers, hospital docs, clearance forms I handed over.
Her face got more serious the longer she read.
"Okay, this all checks out. Emergency medical. Bone marrow."
She glanced at me, looking apologetic. "We'll fly as fast as we're allowed. Get there ASAP—"
"No."
Cade's voice cut through, cold and sharp.
I turned.
He was still holding Blair, wiping her tears, gentle as hell.
Didn't even look up.
"Don't. Blair doesn't do well with turbulence."
"The marrow can wait. Blair freaking out? That's the actual problem."
I lowered my eyes. Didn't say a word.
The flight attendant opened her mouth. Closed it. Then walked away.
Blair, though? She wasn't done.
"Cade... my stomach kinda hurts. I really want something cold to drink..."
Cade looked down at her and smiled.
"You little brat. If you want a drink, just say so. Why do you always gotta put on a show?"
But there were no cold drinks on the plane.
Blair's eyes landed on the cooler by my feet.
"That box is full of ice, right? We could use it to chill a soda."
This time, I didn't even bother arguing.
The cells were already dead anyway.
Fighting over it wouldn't change anything.
But I wasn't about to take the fall for this.
Chapter 3
I looked straight at Cade, voice flat, like I was reading off a checklist.
"You're next of kin."
"Opening this cooler kills the marrow."
"So I need you to confirm. You telling me to open this and take stuff out?"
I made damn sure to emphasize 'you' and 'confirm.'
Cade's face twisted.
"Rory, seriously? Popping a lid ruins the marrow? Yeah, right. Who are you trying to fool?"
"Blair grew up broke. First plane ride ever. She's excited. Wants a cold drink. And you're seriously gonna blow this up?"
I shrugged. "So that's a yes? You sure?"
"Yes. Open it."
He didn't even wait. Bent down and yanked the lid off himself.
Then grabbed the marrow bags and tossed them to the side like garbage.
Blair beamed, stuffing her soda can into the cooler. "You're the best, Cade."
I just sat there. Leaned back. Closed my eyes.
Didn't open them again until we landed and the cabin door opened.
Cade grabbed Blair's little purse in one hand, held her arm with the other, and walked her off the plane first.
Like he forgot I was even his girlfriend.
Like he forgot we didn't fly out here for a vacation.
We came to pick up life-saving bone marrow.
I stayed behind, packing up the cooler.
When we got outside the airport, the Ashford family driver was already waiting, checking his watch, looking stressed.
We got in the car. Blair immediately grabbed Cade's arm, voice all sweet.
"Cade, the weather's so nice today... can we go to Six Flags? Please?"
The driver's hand tightened on the wheel.
But Cade was actually thinking about it.
Blair shook his arm. "I got so scared on the plane... I just wanna go have fun and forget about it. Plus, marrow stuff can wait, right?"
Cade nodded. "Yeah. Okay. Let's go."
The driver finally spoke up, voice careful. "The hospital's been calling nonstop. They really need—"
Cade's face went cold. Driver shut up.
I finally looked up. Looked right at Cade. Voice calm, almost robotic.
"Professional duty. Last time I'm saying this."
"That marrow's dead."
"You need to call the registry right now and see if there's another match. Or call the hospital. Tell them to figure out plan B."
Blair's eyes lit up. Like she'd been waiting for this.
"Rory, if you wanna come to Six Flags, just say so. Why do you have to curse Cade's mom?"
Cade's face darkened.
"Rory, what the hell is wrong with you? You've been trying to freak Blair out this whole trip. Are you trying to ruin this for her?"
His tone reminded me of the last life.
The day he killed me.
So I nodded. Pushed the car door open and got out.
Next second, the black Mercedes sped off.
If this were a normal situation, I'd call the hospital right now. Get an emergency pickup. Coordinate a backup plan with the surgical team.
But right now?
I just stood there on the curb. Looked down at the cooler in my hands.
No point.
Dead marrow. A family member who didn't give a damn about his mom's life.
Calling for backup would just waste more resources.
I flagged a cab. Gave driver the name of the hospital.
Then leaned back and closed my eyes.
All I could see was that moment on the roof.
The wind rushing past my ears as I fell.
I couldn't get it.
I saved his mom.
So why was I the one who deserved to die?
Now I got it.
Some people should die.
And if you try to save them, you just end up dead instead.
The cab pulled up to Mass General thirty minutes later.
I walked into the transplant center with the cooler.
And ran right into Cade.
He'd rushed over because his dad finally called and screamed at him to get his ass to the hospital.
Cade's dad was standing outside the OR, face red, furious.
"Where the hell were you?! Your mother's already in surgery! Where's the donor marrow?!"
Cade froze.
But before he could say anything, Blair piped up, pouting.
"Why are you yelling at him? He was just trying to help me calm down. That plane thing really messed me up."
Cade's dad looked at her like she was an insect.
But now wasn't the time.
He snatched the cooler out of my hands.
"Get this inside! NOW!"
A nurse grabbed it and ran into the OR.
Silence in the hallway.
Cade's dad paced back and forth, sweating, hands shaking.
Cade finally looked at me, voice small.
"Rory... it's gonna be okay, right?"
I didn't answer.
A few minutes later, the OR doors opened.
The lead surgeon stepped out. Mask still on. Eyes exhausted.
"I'm very sorry."
"Your mother had serious complications during the procedure. She stopped breathing."
"The stem cells didn't survive. They were exposed to too much heat. The transplant failed."
"I'm so sorry for your loss."
Cade just stood there. Face going white.
"...What did you just say?"
