"Look at this."
Matthew thrust the phone toward Gideon and showed a burning house, fire roaring high as if trying to lick the sky. Thick smoke rolled out from the windows.
Gideon's stomach plummeted. His body went weak as he watched the angry sparks of the flame. His knees gave out as he stumbled backward, hitting the glass wall. He felt as if every ounce of his strength had been sucked out all at once.
"The firefighters are trying to control it, but it's too late. According to the neighbors, the family members are still trapped inside. There is almost no chance of survival."
"No, no…" Gideon shouted. "It's not true. She can't be dead. She won't leave me like this. I-I'll go find her myself."
Shoving the phone back to Matthew, he ran away. 'Summer, I'm coming. Wait for me.'
Matthew hurried after him.
Within minutes, they arrived at the site. Gideon jumped out of the car before it could even stop properly, his eyes dazzling as he looked up at the raging flames that devoured the entire house. It was terrifying, but the fear and reason meant nothing to him at that point. The only thing he wanted was to reach Summer and save her at any cost.
"Summer." He lurched forward, heart filled with panic. He then ran toward the house.
"Stop…" Matthew caught him before Gideon could cross the safety line. "You can't go in. You will die." He encircled his arms around Gideon's waist tightly, using all his strength.
"Let go of me," Gideon exclaimed in a frenzy, twisting against his hold. His eyes were wide and wet. "I need to save her."
Matthew's face was pale from fear. "She might have been dead already. I can't let you kill yourself." He tightened his hold even more.
"Leave me," Gideon barked, twisting even more violently. "Or I'll kill you."
"Even if you kill me, I won't leave you." Matthew's muscles were straining from the struggle, but he didn't loosen his grip a bit.
The neighbors clustered around them, their faces grim from fear and shock. The firefighters wrestled with the hoses relentlessly, but all their efforts seemed wasted against the blaze.
Gideon cried helplessly, tears streaming down his cheeks. Finally, the strength in his body gave up. He dropped to his knees. "Why, Summer? Why did you leave me?" He broke into sobs. "What will I do without you?"
A sudden pain in his chest took his breath away. He gasped, clutching his heart. He had the feeling that an invisible hand was crushing it from within. He could barely breathe, his face flushing.
"Sir, what's wrong? What is happening to you? Mr. Woods…" Matthew shouted, his voice cracking.
But Gideon could barely respond. His body went numb, his hearing dimming. He collapsed, and the world around him faded into a blur. Even at that moment, all he could remember was Summer.
'I'm coming to you, Summer,' he thought. 'Wait for me.'
His hand fell onto the ground limply.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
"No, don't leave me," Gideon mumbled incoherently in sleep, sweat trickling down his temples. His chest heaved, his breathing uneven. "No, no…wake up…you can't leave me. Summer…"
With a strangled cry, he jolted upright. His eyelashes flew open. His hands shook as he tried to steady his breath.
The same nightmare again. For six years, it had haunted him every night, each time replaying the same unbearable image of Summer's lifeless form in his arms. It felt too vivid and real to be a dream. But Gideon refused to accept that she was already gone.
He believed she was still alive, hiding somewhere – Maybe waiting for him to find her. Wiping the sweat beads from his brow, he reached for his phone and dialed a number.
"Matthew," he rasped. "Please tell me you found something about Summer."
"You had the same nightmare again." Matthew sounded worried.
"Don't dodge my question," Gideon grunted out, rubbing his throbbing temples. "Tell me something."
"No, sir. There is no update about her."
Gideon let out a weary sigh, frustration and sorrow weighing down his chest.
"It's been six years," Matthew added. "Maybe it's time to stop searching."
"No," Gideon snapped urgently. "She is still alive. I can feel it. She is just hiding from me. Keep looking for her."
He believed Summer didn't die in that fire six years ago. The bodies were charred beyond recognition. Besides, the rescue team hadn't found any trace of a baby's body.
Gideon hoped Summer had somehow escaped with her daughter. He believed she was fine somewhere else, and he would find her even if he had to search her all his life.
"Okay, I get it. I'll keep looking for her." After a moment of pause, Matthew added, "The acquisition process has completed. Your trip has been scheduled. The jet is ready. We'll leave tomorrow."
"I know." Gideon ended the call and tossed the phone aside, wiping his face in frustration. His chest caved the next moment.
"Where are you, Summer?"
At another city…
"Doctor, save my child," Summer cried as she rushed into the hospital. Her arms ached as she clutched her unconscious daughter tightly to her chest, but she didn't care. Panic and horror of losing her child almost numbed her senses.
"Please, help…"
Her heart sank further as she felt her daughter's body frighteningly cold, her face pale except for the streaks of blood under her nose.
The doctor and nurses rushed over and took the girl into the emergency room.
"Save my child," Summer pleaded, clutching the doctor's hand. "She had nose-bleeding again. Then she passed out."
"Let me check her first." The doctor put a steady hand on her shoulder. "We'll do everything we can." He entered the emergency room.
As the door swung shut behind him, Summer's legs gave out. The world seemed to blur around her. She staggered and dropped onto a nearby chair, her body shaking.
"My baby girl," she sobbed as she looked at her blood-stained fingers, Hope's unconscious form refusing to leave her mind. "So much blood! Why is this happening?"
Minutes crawled by like hours. Every second felt like eternity until the door opened and the doctor emerged.
Summer hopped toward him. "How is she?" she choked out, barely able to form a word. "Is she awake?"
The doctor shook his head slowly, his face downcast. "She is stable for now. But her condition is deteriorating. An immediate bone marrow transplant is needed."
Summer's throat closed.
Hope had been diagnosed with advanced blood cancer a few months ago, and the doctor had told her the same thing before. She knew this moment was coming, but hearing it again tore at her heart. She had already tested, hoping she would be her daughter's match, but fate was cruel. Her blood group didn't match Hope's.
"Where is your husband, by the way?" the doctor asked. "His daughter is so sick, but he has never come to the hospital. Why don't you ask him to come here and test for compatibility?"