Chapter 3
Adam smiled.
This was exactly what he'd been waiting for.
In my previous life, when I took the controls, he accused me of power-grabbing.
This time, when I didn't, he called me cold-blooded.
I closed the logbook.
"Adam is the pilot-in-command for this flight. If I take over without him being incapacitated or without clearance from the tower, that's overstepping my authority. If something goes wrong, who's going to answer for it?" I said.
The mother didn't understand any of that. She only caught one thing.
"So you're going to let your rules waste time while my daughter's leg is at risk?" she shouted.
She lunged at me, trying to grab my clothes.
The nurse tried to hold her back, but the mother shoved her so hard she hit the cabin wall.
Claire immediately called out, "Ma'am, please calm down. Summer's sticking to the rules. That's how she is. She always keeps things black and white, never blurs the lines."
Adam didn't step in.
He watched me, as if he was waiting for me to give in.
The cabin shook.
A warning light on the left side of the instrument panel flickered on for a moment, then went out.
I saw Adam's hand pause for half a second.
He knew it too. The milk tea had splashed somewhere it really shouldn't have.
But he didn't dare say a word.
Claire was still crying and stirring things up.
"It's all my fault. I shouldn't have come. If only Summer had helped out, nothing would have happened to the kid," she said.
The mother gripped the stretcher's railing, her eyes burning with hatred.
"If my daughter loses her leg, I'll make sure every single one of you pays for it," she spat.
I looked out the window.
I could already see the roof of State General Hospital.
But our descent was agonizingly slow.
Adam, trying to make up for lost time, chose the most dangerous short approach.
He thought he could pull off a perfect landing.
But of all days, the wind was completely different from how it was in my last life.
When we touched down, the plane jolted hard.
The stretcher's wheels jammed at the cabin door, and the nurse almost went down with it.
The orthopedic team from State General Hospital rushed over to take over. The doctor glanced at the clock, and his face fell.
"Who signed off on the takeoff time?" he demanded.
Adam took off his helmet and pointed straight at me.
"The co-pilot's log is with her," he said.
Everyone turned to look at me.
I passed the logbook over.
The doctor leafed through a few pages, his brow furrowing.
"Twenty-nine minutes late?" the doctor said, his voice tight.
The mother's legs buckled, and she had to grab onto the stretcher to stay upright.
"Is there any hope for her leg?" she asked, her voice trembling.
The doctor didn't answer.
That silence cut deeper than any words could.
As the child was wheeled into the operating room, the mother dropped to her knees.
"Please, she's my only daughter," she pleaded.
Claire stood behind Adam, her voice barely above a whisper. "Adam, I'm scared."
Adam draped his jacket over her shoulders.
"Don't be scared. It's not your fault," he said.
The nurse laughed sarcastically, unable to hold back her frustration. "Not her fault? If she hadn't gone for milk tea, would we still be running late?"
Claire's eyes welled up with tears instantly.
"I told you, I wasn't buying milk tea. I was grabbing something. Why are you all pushing me like this?" she cried.
Suddenly, she jabbed her finger at me.
"Summer, you could've requested an emergency takeover. Why didn't you? Were you hoping I'd get yelled at?" she accused.
The mother suddenly rushed up to me.
She slapped me across the face before I could react.
The slap rang out loud in the hallway.
"You're all caught up in your petty drama, using my daughter's leg as leverage?" she screamed.
I turned my face away, tasting blood in my mouth.
Adam didn't move.
Claire covered her mouth, acting scared, but her eyes betrayed a hidden smile.
The security staff from State General Hospital rushed over and gently escorted the mother away.
Only then did Adam speak up.
"Summer Hughes, apologize to the family," he said.
I looked at Adam. "Why is it me who has to apologize?" I asked.
Adam lowered his voice.
"Do you have to make a scene and embarrass everyone? You're pregnant. Don't push me to say something I'll regret right here," he said.
When Adam said "child," it was like a scar being torn open in my gut.
In my last life, my baby never lived to see the world.
This time, I pressed my hand to my belly.
'Everything was still calm inside me,' I thought.
Adam saw my gesture, and for a split second, his eyes softened, then impatience took over again.
"Claire just got back. She can't afford any trouble at work. Just write an explanation, and I'll make it up to you," he said.
The nurse stepped forward.
"Captain White, you're out of line. Everyone here knows who really caused the delay," she said.
Adam looked at her.
"What's your name?" he asked.
The nurse gritted her teeth. "Lisa Rhodes."
"Fine. I'll remember your name," Adam said.
Lisa's face drained of color at those words.