Chapter 103

The paperwork went smoother than Vivian expected. Richard, perhaps sensing her desperation, didn't make any unnecessary comments as he signed the documents with brisk efficiency. But it wasn't until the property deed with her name officially printed in bold letters landed in her trembling hands that Vivian finally exhaled the breath she'd been holding.

Life had a cruel habit of testing her limits. Just as she was turning the key in her apartment lock, her phone blared with the hospital's caller ID - the one treating Eleanor.

"Ms. Hartley, your grandmother's condition has taken a turn for the worse." The clinical voice on the other end made her stomach drop. "We're moving her to intensive care immediately and adjusting her treatment plan. This will unfortunately require additional funding. Could you come in today to discuss the financial arrangements?"

The news hit like a physical blow. No matter how hard she ran, life always seemed to outpace her. Vivian changed clothes in record time, her fingers fumbling with buttons as she rushed out the door.

The sight that greeted her at the hospital made her throat constrict. Eleanor looked so small in the sterile white bed, swallowed by tubes and wires, the rhythmic beeping of monitors the only sign of life. This woman had raised her after her parents' accident, had been her rock through every storm. Memories flashed before her eyes - sticky fingers clutching melting ice cream cones, childish promises whispered between giggles.

"I'll take you everywhere when I grow up, Grandma! Fancy restaurants and beaches with white sand!" Little Vivian had declared with all the certainty of youth.

Now those promises felt like ashes in her mouth as she gazed at the frail figure before her. The strong hands that had once held hers so securely now looked skeletal, the skin translucent with age and illness. A network of bruises and needle marks decorated the paper-thin skin.

"Grandma?" Vivian forced brightness into her voice as she stepped inside, pushing down the lump in her throat.

Eleanor's eyes lit up despite the pain. "My darling girl! Don't look so worried - these old bones just need some extra care."

Vivian grasped her grandmother's hand gently, tears threatening to spill. The veins stood out like blue rivers under parchment, each puncture mark a battle scar in Eleanor's war against time.

"Don't cry, sweetheart," Eleanor murmured, her voice weaker than Vivian had ever heard it. "You've grown into such a strong woman. I know you'll be fine, even when I'm not here to see it."

"I'm hiring the best specialists," Vivian vowed, her voice cracking. "And when you're better, we're taking that Mediterranean cruise you always wanted." The words tasted bitter - equal parts promise and desperate prayer.

Eleanor gave a faint smile, her eyes shining with love. "I'll hold you to that, my dear."

Their moment was interrupted by the doctor clearing his throat in the doorway. "Ms. Hartley, if we could discuss the treatment adjustments? The patient needs her rest."

Vivian hesitated, unwilling to leave. "I should go, Grandma. Work is... complicated right now." The understatement of the century. "But I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Go, darling," Eleanor whispered, patting her hand. "Take care of yourself too. I'm in good hands here."

Vivian pressed a kiss to her grandmother's forehead before following the doctor out, her heart heavier than it had ever been. The fluorescent lights of the hallway seemed to mock her with their sterile brightness as she prepared to hear how much more her grandmother's life would cost.