Silent Echoes of the Past

On the night I found out I was pregnant, I stumbled across a viral "Truth or Dare" challenge video online. In the comment section, my best friend had tagged my boyfriend. Erika McKnight: [Do you dare to tell her that the only reason you take off her hearing aid every night is that she won't hear you in my room next door?] David Frazier had replied almost instantly: [No. Erika, don't be crazy.] Erika: [Don't worry. I won't say a word, not since I'm dying. My only wish before I go is to see you two happy.] The comment section exploded with fury. What nobody knew was that years ago, a drunk caretaker at the orphanage targeted me as a kid. Erika had shoved me into a utility closet and locked the door from the outside. She had protected me that night. And David had turned down a famous university offer and given up studying abroad just to spend three whole years tutoring me so I could make it into college. I owed them far too much—so much that even after discovering they were seeing each other behind my back, hating them felt ungrateful. After closing the app, I received a phone call from the hospital, informing me that Erika was running out of time on the liver transplant list. As it turned out, I was a perfect donor match. I looked down at the other lab report resting in my lap. It showed that I was six weeks pregnant. I went to the hospital alone and signed the organ donation consent forms, alongside the paperwork to terminate my pregnancy. Chapter 1 After completing the pre-donation medical screenings, I sat in the quiet hospital hallway for a long time, wanting to spend just a little more time with the undeveloped life growing inside me. When I finally turned my phone back on, the video from last night was gone, along with all the comments. 13 missed calls from David Frazier and 17 from Erika McKnight popped up on my screen. I dialed David back, and he answered on the first ring. "Hazel, where have you been?" His voice sounded heavy and tense. "Erika has been breaking out in cold sweats from the pain all day, but because she couldn't reach you, she refused to take her pain medication. Do you seriously have to make us worry at a time like this?" I opened my mouth to speak, but my throat felt dry. The line went quiet before David finally noticed my silence. "Where are you?" I tucked the lab reports deep into my purse. "I'm fine." He let out a sharp breath. "Then get over here. Erika wants to take photos." Over the line, Erika gave a frail smile. "Hazel, I just want a nice portrait for my memorial service. When I'm gone, I don't want you guys to remember me looking terrible." "Stop talking like that. You look fine," David scolded. His tone sounded sharp, but as he poured her a glass of water, I heard the glass clink against the edge of the table. His hands were trembling. By the time I arrived at the studio, Erika was already dressed in a white gown. It was a beautiful dress, but she was so emaciated that the waist hung loosely around her frame. David stood behind her, his eyes rimmed red. When he saw me, he frowned. "Why are you so pale?" Before I could answer, Erika offered me a weak smile. "Hazel..." Instantly, David turned back to steady her. I walked over and smoothed down the hem of her dress. She had been just as thin when we were kids, yet she had still pushed me into that utility room and locked the door behind her. Later, as she was being loaded into the ambulance, she had comforted me. "Don't worry, Hazel. I might be small, but I can protect you just fine.] The photographer's voice snapped me back to reality. "Should we do individual shots first?" Erika shook her head. "Could we take the group shot first? They're the most important people in my life. After that, you can take my memorial portrait." David's face darkened. "Don't use that word." Erika's eyes welled up with tears. I looked at her and spoke softly. "Let's skip the group shot." They both looked over at me, and I smiled faintly. "You two should take the couple portraits instead." Erika froze, and David frowned. "Hazel, stop messing around." I ignored him and crouched down to look Erika in the eye. "I just don't want you to be alone on the other side without someone to stand by you." David fell silent. Tears spilled down Erika's cheeks, and I gently wiped them away. When the photographer asked them to step closer together, Erika hesitated, afraid to touch David. I took her hand and placed it gently around David's arm. "It's alright." David looked down at her. "Groom, put your arm around the bride," the photographer called out. David didn't bother correcting the photographer. Instead, he reached out and wrapped his arm around Erika, pulling her into his embrace. I stepped outside the frame, holding Erika's bag of medications in one hand and David's jacket in the other. As the flash went off, it suddenly occurred to me that David and I had never taken wedding photos together. So, I took a quiet half-step toward the edge of the frame, letting my blurred silhouette catch the side of their photo. It was a small way to fulfill my final wish. After the photoshoot, Erika asked if we could go for a walk outside. "Just for a little bit," she pleaded. "I want to look at the sky one last time." David refused. "You're in no condition to be walking around." Erika lowered her head, falling silent. I opened my mouth to speak, but my vision suddenly flickered dark. Because of the blood drawing earlier, my legs felt weak, and a dull ache throbbed in my lower abdomen. I leaned against the back of a chair to steady myself. David caught my movement and furrowed his brows. "Erika is already physically and emotionally exhausted. Don't get sick right now and make things harder for her." I forced myself to nod, picking up Erika's scarf. "Let me walk with you guys." The wind bit outside. David held Erika gently as they walked ahead, while I lagged a few paces behind. Erika stood by the railing, staring into the distance. After a while, she suddenly spoke. "David, I have one more wish." David's voice sounded tight. "You have a lot of wishes today, don't you?" Erika didn't laugh; she simply turned back to look at me. David turned as well. After a few agonizing seconds, he muttered, "Hazel, take off your hearing aid for a second." I complied, and the entire world fell silent. David turned back to Erika and said something with utmost seriousness. Erika froze, then burst into tearful laughter. They thought I couldn't hear a word, but I knew how to read lips. He had said, "I love you." A rush of bitterness swelled up in my chest. Wiping away the stream of tears, I slowly curved my lips into a smile and silently mouthed toward them. "I love you both, too." For that, I was willing to step aside and let them be together. Chapter 2 Erika cried until her body suddenly swayed. Startled, David lunged forward to catch her. "Erika!" Erika kept her eyes closed, her fingers still clutching his sleeve. David's voice trembled with sheer panic. "Erika, stay awake! Look at me! Do you hear me?" He scooped her up and ran toward the car as fast as he could, placing her gently in the back seat. Bending over to check her breathing, he trembled noticeably. The car sped off; he had forgotten all about me. I stood by the curb, slowly placing my hearing aid back into my ear. Then I hailed a cab and rode to the hospital on my own. By the time I arrived outside the emergency room, David was standing outside the doors of the emergency room. His dress shirt was badly rumpled, and traces of Erika's nosebleed were smeared across his hands. A nurse urged him to go wash up, but he acted as if he couldn't hear her, his eyes glued to those doors. When the doctor finally stepped out, David rushed over. "How is she?" "The patient's liver function is failing," the doctor said grave-faced. "Any further delay is extremely dangerous." David swallowed hard. "Have you still not found a donor match? I don't care how much it costs." The doctor sighed. "It's not a matter of money." David's voice was raspy and broken. "Then take mine. I just want her to live." As I watched from a few steps away, a memory suddenly surfaced from the time my hearing loss began worsening. Back then, I had been so terrified I couldn't sleep at night. David had stayed up sitting with me until dawn, his eyes bloodshot from exhaustion. He had simply stroked my hair and whispered, "Don't be afraid." He had always been so steady that I had believed he would never break down. After the doctor went back inside, David leaned against the wall and slowly slid down to the floor. His forehead rested on his hands as quiet sobs broke from his chest. I walked over slowly and squatted in front of him. "She's going to be okay. She'll get a liver match in time." His head jerked up, his bloodshot eyes staring right through me. "How can you just stand there and say that so carelessly?" I froze. He pushed himself up against the wall so abruptly that his shoulder slammed hard into mine. Already unsteady on my feet, I lost my balance and collapsed onto the ice-cold floor. A sharp pang in my lower abdomen made my vision flicker dark, but David didn't even notice. He just looked down at me, his voice cracked with raw anger. "Years ago, Erika almost died outside that room trying to save you. Now that she is sick, you have the nerve to stand here and casually say she's fine? When did you become so selfish?" Sitting on the cold tiles, I couldn't utter a word for the longest time. A nurse hurried over to help me up. "Are you alright?" I nodded lightly. "Just low blood sugar." The nurse noticed my pale face. "With how pale you are, you ought to get checked out." Before I could answer, Erika's faint voice drifted out of the room. "David..." David spun around instantly. The moment Erika opened her eyes, her first question was, "Have they found a donor yet?" David sat by her bedside, holding her hand tightly. "I'm already getting tested for a match." Erika's eyes welled up right away. "Don't do it." "If it saves your life, I'd give up anything," David insisted. "No, I don't want you to give up part of your liver for me," Erika sobbed, clutching David's clothes. "And I don't want Hazel to suffer watching you go through that." At the mention of my name, David finally turned to give me a look. It was a heavy, complex gaze, almost accusing me of being heartlessly calm. Erika reached under her pillow and pulled out a small notebook. The cover was worn and faded, with a sticky note stuck to the front. It read: [My Bucket List.] She flipped to the first page, murmuring, "Got the photos done today." She took a pen to draw a check mark next to the item: [Take a beautiful picture.] Then she turned to the next page. "I want to visit a chapel to say a prayer. When we were little, an old woman outside the orphanage told me that if your heart is sincere enough, a prayer can grant you extra time on earth." She gave a fragile smile. "I'd like to try it." David remained silent for a long moment before finally nodding in agreement. I stood in the doorway, resting one hand against the wall for support. My phone vibrated in my pocket. It was an alert from the hospital. [Ms. Hazel Pratt, please check into the hospital before eight tomorrow morning. Your pre-procedure preparation for pregnancy termination has been confirmed.] I stared at those few lines of text, my fingers slowly clasping. Noticing my silence, Erika asked softly, "Hazel, do you not want to go?" I looked up. "Not really. I just have something to take care of tomorrow morning." The light in her eyes dimmed bit by bit. "Hazel, am I becoming a burden to you?" A sharp pang pierced my heart. "No, of course not." "I only have a few wishes left," she whispered. "If you don't want to come, it's okay." David glared at me, his voice dripping with frustration. "She just wants you to go with her to say a prayer. Is that so hard?" I locked my phone screen and forced a smile. "Not at all. I'll go with you." Chapter 3 The next day, we went up to a quiet mountain chapel. David carried Erika on his back the entire way up the trail. I lagged behind, waves of throbs pulsing through my lower abdomen. With every few steps taken, I had to stop just to catch my breath. David only turned back to look at me once. The chapel wasn't very busy. A priest watched Erika and sighed. Erika let out a soft laugh. "It's fine." David's face turned thunderous. "Why did you sigh?" The priest shook his head and said nothing. Just then, the priest glanced at me and smiled. "Peace, smooth paths, and everlasting blessings." My fingertips trembled softly. That was my blessing for my unborn child. David said urgently, "Thank you for your well-wishes for Erika." Erika froze. "But this belongs to Hazel." Only then did David turn his gaze to me. "You don't mind, right?" I looked at Erika's bloodless face. If this blessing really possessed any power, then let it protect her. Later, Erika asked the priest to pray for her love and marriage. "I can only pray for the same person once in a lifetime," the priest cautioned. Erika took a step back. "In that case, save it for you and Hazel." David reached out and held her hand steadily. "Don't worry about it. If you want it, go ahead." The priest read aloud, "Bound together through life and death. A deep bond impossible to sever." Bystanders nearby whispered that it was a sign of a beautiful match. Standing off to the side, I suddenly felt a wave of warmth spread across my lower body. I looked down and saw a spot of blood staining the hem of my dress. I gathered my jacket to hide it and stayed silent. On the way down the mountain, the trail felt even longer than the climb up. David walked ahead with Erika on his back. Resting on his shoulder, Erika asked softly, "Where is Hazel?" David glanced back and found I was standing several flights of steps behind them. "She is slow," he said. "We'll wait for her at the bottom." I tried to keep walking, but the unbearable pain in my abdomen flared up again. A warm rush surged down my legs. Finally, unable to hold out any longer, I turned around and headed back inside the chapel grounds. Off to the side of the main hall was a small first-aid room. The woman on duty was a gray-haired lady. She immediately helped me lie down and administered basic first aid. "You need to get to a hospital right now," she urged. "Any longer, and your life could be in danger." I grabbed her hand tightly. "Please, don't tell anyone." By the time David found his way back, I was just sitting up. He pushed the door open, relieved to see me fine. But then, his face darkened. "Why are you hiding here? Look, I'm sorry about taking your blessing earlier. I'll come with you again to pray as long as you want. Erika has little time left. Can you just humor her for now?" I looked him in the eye and nodded weakly. "Okay." Chapter 4 David helped me down the mountain, his phone buzzing nonstop along the way. Erika sent texts every few minutes. [Did you find Hazel?] [Is she mad at me?] [David, don't snap at her.] ... Glancing at his screen, David murmured to me, "Remember, just humor her." Once we returned to the city, I went straight to the inpatient ward. The doctor hesitated. "You're scheduled for the liver donation surgery tomorrow, but operating in your current condition carries immense risk." I closed my eyes. "I know, but please, I beg you to proceed." That night, David called me three times, but I didn't answer. When he sent text messages, I didn't dare open them, eventually turning my phone off altogether. The next morning, news reached Erika's room that a matching liver donor had been found. David rushed to the doctor's office almost immediately. Through the door, I heard his voice clearly. "When is the surgery?" he asked eagerly. "The donor has already checked into the hospital, and all pre-op screenings have passed," the doctor replied. "I can compensate them—money, real estate, whatever they want," David said. The doctor shook his head. "That won't be necessary." ... That morning, a nurse wheeled me out for the final round of pre-op checks. As we passed through the hallway, I overheard David on the phone. "I still can't get hold of Hazel. Ever since we came back from the chapel yesterday, she's been acting strange." Erika's voice sounded frail over the line. "Go look for her." David hesitated. "Not until your surgery is finished. She's a grown woman; nothing's going to happen to her." The nurse pushed my gurney into the elevator. Right before the doors slid shut, I caught sight of David looking in my direction, as if catching a glimpse of the hem of my hospital gown. Just as he took a step forward, the elevator doors closed. In the afternoon, David brought fresh fruit and health supplements to the donor ward. I heard him asking the nurse outside, "Can I just take one look? I just want to say thank you on Erika's behalf." The nurse stopped him. "The donor needs to rest." He paused in the doorway. I lay with my back turned to the door, my hair splayed across the pillow, not daring to move or turn around. Through the crack in the door, his voice dropped slightly. "She looks like someone I know." My fingers slowly gripped the bedsheet. The nurse offered a gentle smile. "Mr. Frazier, you're just being too anxious. The surgery going smoothly is all that matters." David finally walked away. I relaxed my grip, my palms drenched in cold sweat. On the day of the surgery, Erika was wheeled into the operating room first. Lying on another gurney, I was pushed through an adjacent corridor by the nurses. Across the short distance, I saw David leaning down to tuck the blanket neatly around Erika's shoulders. Three hours later, Erika's procedure proved a resounding success. When the doctor stepped out to deliver the good news, David was leaning against the wall. His eyes rimmed red as he choked out, "Great! She made it!" A second later, another nurse came sprinting out of the surgical unit. "Who is the immediate family of Hazel Pratt?" David froze, his voice trembling. "Are you sure you didn't make a mistake? I'm a family member of Erika McKnight. How could Hazel be in the operating room?" The nurse was frantic. "There's no mistake. The donor is Hazel Pratt. She just underwent a pregnancy termination before entering liver donation surgery. "Her vital signs are dangerously unstable right now. We need her family to sign the emergency consent form immediately."