Chapter 2: The Death Certificate

For several minutes after Sean's heart stopped, the emergency department continued moving around him.

Doctors shouted instructions.

Nurses rushed between rooms.

Machines beeped.

But no one knew that the young man they had left unattended had already taken his final breath.

Then a junior nurse entered the treatment area carrying a chart.

"Doctor, the patient's condition has suddenly deteriorated."

The attending physician stopped.

"Which patient?"

"Sean Goodman."

The doctor immediately hurried toward the emergency bay.

He saw Sean's pale body lying motionless beneath the sheets.

A monitor displayed a flat line.

"No pulse," the nurse whispered.

The doctor checked again.

Nothing.

"When was he last seen?"

"About ten minutes ago."

The doctor looked toward the operating rooms.

His face darkened.

"How long has he been like this?"

The nurse lowered her head.

"We don't know."

He closed his eyes briefly.

"Start resuscitation."

"Yes, doctor!"

The team worked desperately.

They tried everything they could.

But Sean's heart had been damaged too severely.

After nearly twenty minutes, the doctor finally stepped back.

"Time of death... 8:47 p.m."

The words echoed through the emergency room.

My soul stood beside the bed.

I watched them cover my face with a white sheet.

There was no fear anymore.

Only an empty sadness.

I had spent my final minutes hoping my mother would come.

Now I realized she never would.

Across the hospital, my mother remained beside Felix.

She had no idea that I was already dead.

Felix was sitting up now.

His injuries were so minor that he could walk.

"Mom," he whispered.

"Shouldn't we check on Sean?"

My mother sighed impatiently.

"Don't worry about him."

"He'll come crawling back when he's done pretending."

My father nodded.

"Let him learn a lesson."

Felix lowered his head to hide the satisfaction in his eyes.

Then a nurse rushed into the room.

"Ms. Blanchard..."

My mother turned impatiently.

"What?"

"I'm sorry."

"There's something you need to know."

"Sean Goodman has passed away."

Silence.

My mother stared at the nurse as though she had spoken another language.

"What did you say?"

"Sean is dead."

My father's face immediately went pale.

"That's impossible."

Felix's eyes widened.

For the first time, the false innocence disappeared from his face.

"Dead?"

The nurse nodded.

"His injuries were too severe."

"He needed emergency surgery."

"The operating room wasn't available in time."

My mother suddenly stood.

"No."

"That can't be right."

"I spoke to him less than an hour ago."

"He was only trying to get attention."

The nurse looked at her in disbelief.

"He was bleeding internally."

"His heart was severely ruptured."

"He repeatedly asked for his mother."

My mother's face drained of color.

"He... asked for me?"

"Yes."

"Several times."

Her hands began to tremble.

"No."

"He isn't dead."

"He's pretending."

"He has to be pretending."

She rushed toward the emergency department.

My father and Felix followed behind.

The moment they entered the emergency bay...

My mother stopped.

My body lay beneath the white sheet.

A death certificate rested on the nearby table.

"Sean?"

She stepped closer.

"Sean, get up."

Nothing happened.

"Sean!"

She pulled the sheet away.

My face was pale.

My eyes were closed.

There was no movement.

"Open your eyes," she whispered.

"Stop pretending."

She touched my cheek.

It was cold.

"No..."

"No, no, no."

Her voice broke.

The nurse quietly said,

"I'm sorry, Ms. Blanchard."

My mother stumbled backward.

My father stood frozen.

Felix stared at my body.

He looked frightened for only a second.

Then he lowered his eyes.

"Mom..."

"Maybe Sean really didn't mean to..."

My mother suddenly screamed.

"Don't!"

Everyone in the emergency department turned toward her.

"Don't say his name like that!"

"He was alive!"

"He was talking to me!"

"He couldn't just die!"

The doctors remained silent.

My mother grabbed the attending physician's coat.

"You knew he was in danger!"

"Why didn't you save him?"

The doctor stared at her.

"We tried."

"But he should have been taken into emergency surgery much earlier."

My mother froze.

"What do you mean?"

"His condition was critical when he arrived."

"We repeatedly requested access to the operating room."

"But the available surgical team was assigned elsewhere."

My mother looked toward the operating room.

"Felix..."

Her voice became weak.

"We were treating Felix."

"Yes," the doctor said quietly.

"And Felix's injuries were not life-threatening."

The words shattered whatever remained of her denial.

She looked back at my body.

I had begged her to save me.

She had thought I was fighting for attention.

Now there was nothing left to save.

My father stepped toward the bed.

His anger was gone.

His face was filled with disbelief.

"Sean..."

He reached for my hand.

"Son..."

It was the first time in years that he had called me that with tenderness.

But I couldn't hear him anymore.

My soul watched silently.

Felix stood behind them.

His face was unreadable.

Then his phone vibrated.

He looked down.

A message appeared.

"Is he dead?"

Felix quickly deleted it.

But not before a nurse noticed the expression on his face.

The nurse looked at him carefully.

Something was wrong.

And for the first time...

Someone inside the hospital began wondering whether Sean's death had really been an accident.