Chapter 6 Soaked in Disinfectant and Drained of Blood
A pungent chemical smell shot straight into Sophia's nose.
She gasped and coughed violently.
The icy liquid rose past her neck. Every inch of her skin screamed in pain.
The bloody holes from the snake fangs soaked in the highly concentrated chemical, making her flesh curl.
Though she was alive, the pain surged through her—worse than the snake bites.
She struggled to lift her arms, splashing the liquid.
"She's awake."
A deep male voice came from above.
Sophia trembled and forced herself to look up through the pain.
Joshua stood at the edge of the huge tank.
He wore a well-tailored black suit with the cuffs rolled up, a half-burned cigarette between his fingers. Smoke swirled around him.
She was soaking in the giant tank filled with some unknown liquid.
Sophia opened her mouth, but only a hoarse sound came out. "What is this..."
Joshua flicked his ash, his tone flat. "High-concentration disinfectant."
Sophia froze.
Joshua stubbed out the cigarette and tossed it into the tank. It sizzled and went out next to her face.
"You're too dirty." He grabbed her chin, forcing her to look up. "You've been touched by so many men, and you rolled around in that snake pit. Without soaking you in disinfectant for days, how can we wash the filth off your cheap bones?"
Sophia bit her lower lip. The taste of rust filled her mouth.
"Joshua, just kill me."
"Want to die?" Joshua sneered and shoved her head into the disinfectant.
The pungent liquid rushed into her mouth and nose. Sophia clawed wildly at the edge of the tank.
A few seconds later, Joshua grabbed her hair and yanked her out.
Sophia gasped, coughing up clots of bloody water.
Just then, the heavy sliding door opened.
Rainey walked in wearing an oversized hospital gown, her face deathly pale.
She stopped beside Joshua.
"Joshua," Rainey tugged at his sleeve, her voice weak. "Stop torturing Sophia. Cough, cough, cough—"
She coughed violently, pressing a handkerchief to her mouth. When she pulled it away, there was bright red blood.
Joshua bent down and scooped Rainey up, blanket and all.
"Doctor, what's going on?"
A middle-aged man in a white coat rushed in with a medical kit, checking Rainey's eyelids while sweating.
"Mr. Thomas, Ms. Ward's blood-forming function is weakening, and her organs are showing signs of failure. We suspect leukemia." The doctor wiped cold sweat from his forehead.
Joshua's jaw tightened, his eyes full of disbelief. "What can we do?"
The doctor said, "Only a bone marrow transplant can save Ms. Ward's life."
"Take hers." Joshua pointed without hesitation at Sophia in the tank.
The blood drained from Sophia's face.
The doctor followed Joshua's finger, and his face went pale.
"Mr. Thomas, Ms. Hernandez's physical condition is extremely poor. She just had a miscarriage with massive bleeding, severe lacerations, and snake venom in her system. Drawing blood and bone marrow now would kill her outright."
"What do I care if she dies?" Joshua strode to the tank, grabbed Sophia's arm, and dragged her out of the disinfectant.
Sophia's body hit the hard tile floor. She curled up in pain.
Water dripped from her chin, pooling into pale red puddles on the tiles.
"Joshua..." Sophia gripped the edge of his shoe with both hands, her nails nearly breaking. "I didn't cheat. That child was your flesh and blood. You—"
Joshua kicked her hands away.
"Still lying."
The impact made her internal organs shift. She vomited several mouthfuls of disinfectant mixed with blood clots.
Rainey weakly shook her head, looking haggard.
"Joshua, forget it. Sophia is so pitiful. How could I take her bone marrow to save myself? It doesn't matter if I die, as long as you're all okay—"
"Shut up!" Joshua turned and roared at the doctor. "Get on with it! Do I need to teach you how to draw blood?"
The doctor trembled and quickly opened his medical kit, taking out thick needles, blood bags, and a bone marrow puncture needle.
Several strong bodyguards rushed forward and pinned down Sophia's shoulders and legs.
Sophia struggled desperately.
"Let me go! Let me go!"
She tried to fight, but the bodyguards easily held her down.
Joshua stepped forward and stomped on her struggling right hand.
Her bones creaked, close to breaking.
Sophia let out a piercing scream.
"Do it." Joshua furrowed his brow and pressed down harder.
The doctor held the needle, his hands shaking badly.
He tied a tourniquet around Sophia's arm, found the shriveled vein, and jabbed it in hard.
Dark red blood flowed through the tube into the bag.
Sophia's body convulsed.
As the blood drained, the warmth left her bit by bit. Her already pale face lost all color, her lips turning ash gray.
The first bag filled.
The doctor looked at Joshua hesitantly.
"Mr. Thomas, we can't draw any more. If we continue, Ms. Hernandez will go into hemorrhagic shock."
"Continue." Joshua didn't blink.
Rainey sat nearby, and beneath the handkerchief covering her mouth, her lips curved into a faint smile.
She leaned in and whispered so only Sophia could hear. "Your blood, your marrow. Soon? All mine. And there's not a damn thing you can do about it."
Sophia stared hard at Rainey's hypocritical face. Hatred churned in her chest.
She wanted to lunge forward and tear Rainey's face off, but her body was too heavy to lift a finger.
"Prepare for bone marrow puncture." The doctor's voice trembled.
The bodyguards roughly flipped Sophia over. Cold iodine was smeared on her lower back.
Sophia stopped struggling and let them hold her down.
The thick bone marrow needle pierced her skin, went through the periosteum, and drove straight into her bone.
Excruciating pain shot through her entire body, making her scream.
But soon, she couldn't make any sound.
Cold sweat soaked through her hospital gown, already drenched in disinfectant.
The doctor extracted the bone marrow fluid, sweating. The red liquid filled the syringe.
Only then did Joshua lift his foot from Sophia.
Sophia's hand fell limply onto the tile floor.
Her vision blurred. The sounds around her grew more distant.
Until darkness swallowed her completely.
