003 An Unexpected Rescue

The peaceful morning was suddenly pierced by the shrill ring of a phone. Emily, groggy from sleep, fumbled to answer it. The news on the other end made her instantly alert.

"Emily, where have you been? I've been calling you for ages. Your grandma had a sudden heart attack yesterday. I called an ambulance and she’s now in the People's Hospital. She needs surgery urgently, please come back soon," her mother’s voice was filled with anxiety and helplessness. Every word seemed to slam into Emily’s heart.

Emily had been raised by her grandmother and mother. She knew firsthand the hardships they endured. Without a father, it had always been just the three of them, leaning on each other to get through the toughest of times. Now, hearing that her grandmother's life was hanging by a thread, Emily was overwhelmed by helplessness and fear. She quickly requested leave from work, packed her bags, and booked the earliest flight, desperate to be by her grandmother’s side.

As the plane flew high above the clouds, Emily’s thoughts were already at the hospital. She silently prayed, hoping that her grandmother could make it through this ordeal. Every minute felt like an eternity as she waited. Her mind kept recalling all the beautiful memories they shared, praying those memories could somehow give her grandmother strength.

Finally, the plane landed at her hometown airport. There was still a distance from the airport to the hospital. Emily rushed out of the terminal, got in a taxi, and told the driver to head straight to People's Hospital. But fate seemed determined to make her journey more challenging. As the taxi drove along a secluded country road, a sudden loud crash echoed ahead. A car had been involved in a severe accident, overturned on the roadside, smoke billowing from the wreck.

Inside the car was Alex, his head bleeding, trapped inside. If Emily had a bird's-eye view, she would have realized this was her second unexpected encounter with this man.

Though Emily was deeply concerned for her grandmother, she could not ignore the scene in front of her. Without hesitation, she chose to save the stranger.

The taxi driver slammed on the brakes, stopping at the side of the road. Emily instinctively shouted, “Quick, call an ambulance!” Without a moment’s hesitation, she leapt out of the car and rushed toward the accident site.

Alex, inside the car, was bleeding from his head and appeared dazed, the seatbelt holding him tightly in place. Emily did her best to stay calm. She ran back to the taxi, grabbed the first-aid kit, and worked with the driver to cut through the seatbelt and drag Alex out, moving him to a safe area by the roadside.

Though the man was barely conscious, he opened his eyes briefly as Emily pulled him out, his blurred vision catching a glimpse of her face.

Soon after, the ambulance arrived, the medics swiftly lifting Alex onto a stretcher and taking him away. Emily watched the ambulance disappear in the distance. She took a deep breath, only then realizing that her whole body was drenched in sweat. She returned to the taxi, exhausted, and said to the driver, “Please, continue to the hospital.”

Upon arriving at the hospital, Emily saw her mother anxiously waiting outside the emergency room. Her mother looked utterly drained, worry etched across her face, as if she had aged several years overnight. Emily's heart sank as she rushed over, “Mom, how is Grandma?”

Her mother’s eyes were brimming with tears, her voice heavy with concern, “The doctor said she needs immediate coronary bypass surgery, but it’s going to cost two hundred thousand...”

Emily's mother worked as a cashier at a supermarket. Her monthly salary barely covered living expenses and Emily’s education. They had no savings, nor wealthy relatives they could rely on. Just as Emily had endured emotional devastation, now, the weight of her family’s burdens bore down on her shoulders.

Emily told herself to stay composed—she couldn’t afford to break down. She bit her lip, forcing herself to remain calm. She knew that the most important thing now was to raise the money for her grandmother’s surgery. “Mom, you rest tonight. Don’t worry about the money. I’ll figure it out.”

Emily pulled out her phone and called her company’s HR department. She tried her best to keep her voice steady, though the urgency in her tone nearly burst through.

“Hello, this is Emily. I have an emergency at home. My grandmother needs immediate surgery, but I don’t have enough money on hand. I remember the company has a serious illness fund. I’d like to apply for it. Could you please tell me what procedures I need to follow?”

The HR representative on the other end of the line was clearly moved by her situation and responded quickly, “Emily, I’m very sorry to hear this. You do meet the criteria for the fund. I’ll prepare the necessary documents for you immediately. You can email us the medical proof and family relationship documents. We will expedite the process, but it might still take about a week for approval.”

After hanging up, Emily felt a glimmer of hope. She quickly gathered the required documents and emailed them to the company. She knew that this money could be the key to her grandmother’s survival. During the waiting period for approval, she would do everything she could to raise the funds. She believed that as long as she didn’t give up, she would find a solution.