Chapter 17

Jeffrey rushed to Southbay Hospital later that afternoon with Joyce's parents, Walter Marlow and Grace Olsen. Grace was overcome with grief when she saw Joyce lying unconscious in the hospital bed. Joyce was exceptional—making associate chief physician at such a young age. How could Grace ever bring herself to tell Joyce that she'd never return to the operating room when she woke up? But they couldn't avoid the truth, no matter how painful it was. A week later, Joyce finally woke up. The moment she opened her eyes, she saw Walter, Grace, and Jeffrey by her side, but the one person she was desperate to see wasn't there. "Dad… Mom… Have you seen Ni? Did he… come to see me?" Joyce's breathing was uneven, and her words were slow and broken as she fought through the effects of her injuries. Walter and Grace were upset by her question but held back from showing it before her. With tears in his eyes, Jeffrey leaned over Joyce's bed and showed her Nigel's latest Instagram posts, his voi