Chapter 1
My boss, Howard Jones, said his daughter had gotten into a car accident and urgently needed AB-negative blood.
I happened to be the only person in the entire company with the same blood type, so I rushed to the hospital.
I rolled up my sleeve and donated a pint.
However, when I got back to the office, HR informed me that because I had left without submitting a leave request, my monthly bonus would be docked by 600 dollars.
I was furious and went to confront Howard.
Without looking up, he said, "Rules are rules. No exceptions for anyone."
That was harsh.
I gave my notice that same day.
Three months later, my phone rang nonstop all day.
Howard called me 175 times, but I didn't answer a single one.
*****
My phone rang while I was scrambling to double-check a quarterly report.
Brynn's name flashed across the screen. She was the head of HR at our company.
I picked up.
She said, "Nora, you need to come to Altaris General Hospital immediately. Now."
Brynn's voice came through sharp and strained with urgency, nothing like her usual easy tone.
I paused for a moment. "What's going on, Brynn? I can't leave right now."
The report was due later today, and I still had a ton of numbers to go through.
She said, "Forget the report. This is serious. Mr. Jones's daughter, Sasha, was in a car crash. She's bleeding badly and needs blood right now."
She was referring to Howard Jones, the owner of our company.
My heart tightened. "Then give her blood. Why do you need me?"
She replied, "She has AB-negative blood. The blood center is running low. Out of everyone in the company, you're the only one who matches."
Brynn's words hit me like a sudden shock.
AB-negative blood was an extremely rare blood type, something I had always seen as more trouble than anything else. I never imagined it would matter like this one day.
"Send me the address. I'll be there right away." I hung up without hesitation, grabbed my jacket, and ran out.
People around me shot confused looks my way, but I didn't have time to say anything.
This was about saving a life.
I dashed downstairs and flagged down a cab. "Altaris General Hospital, please. As fast as you can."
The driver saw how pale I was and hit the gas.
*****
Half an hour later, I burst into the hospital's emergency center.
The smell of disinfectant filled the hallway, and the tension in the air felt suffocating.
Brynn stood at the door with several senior executives, all waiting anxiously. Next to them was a middle-aged couple. The man wore a sharp suit, and the woman was dressed neatly, but both looked pale, their eyes red from worry.
It was Howard and his wife, Rebecca Jones.
"Nora, you're finally here." Brynn hurried over and grabbed my arm like I was her last hope.
Howard and Rebecca both turned to look at me. Their expressions were tense and impatient, with a hint of expectation that felt almost entitled, like they weren't seeing me as an employee, but someone who could provide blood.
"Quick, doc. This is Nora," Brynn shouted to a nurse nearby.
The nurse immediately led me away for an emergency crossmatch test. "Don't be nervous. Relax."
I nodded.
The ten-minute wait felt like it dragged on forever.
Rebecca held her hand over her mouth, quietly crying, while Howard kept staring at his watch with a tense expression.
No one spoke to me. Not a word of thanks.
"The results are in. It's a match." The nurse's announcement eased the tension in the hallway.
Howard finally relaxed his frown and walked straight to the doctor. "Start drawing the blood. Take whatever amount you need. Save my daughter."
I was led into the blood collection room.
A cold needle pierced my arm, and warm blood flowed steadily through the tube into the collection bag.
The nurse asked, "Is it okay if we take 1 pint? Emergency patients need a larger amount."
"Sure." I nodded.
1 pint was basically the maximum amount an adult could donate at one time.
As I watched the bag fill with blood, I thought that giving this much was worth it if it meant saving a young life.
After they finished drawing the blood, I started feeling dizzy, my face paler than before.
The nurse helped me into a chair and handed me a bottle of milk and a few cookies. "You're way too thin. After donating this much blood, you need to rest well and make sure you eat properly."
I murmured a quiet thanks.
After resting in the blood collection room for twenty minutes, I finally started to feel a bit better.
When I walked out, Howard and Rebecca had already gone to the surgical waiting area, while Brynn and a few executives were still outside.
As soon as I stepped out, Brynn walked over in a very official tone. "Nora, thank you. Mr. Jones is busy. He asked me to let you know the company appreciates your help."
She paused, then added, "Go home and get some rest. We'll treat today as paid work leave."
I nodded and walked out of the hospital, feeling a bit weak on my feet.
*****
By the time I got back to the company, it was already four in the afternoon. My coworkers immediately gathered around me.
"Nora, where have you been? I heard something happened to Mr. Jones's daughter."
"You look pale. Are you okay?"
I briefly explained what had happened.
They were all blown away and full of admiration.
"Whoa, that's such a rare blood type. Nora, you saved Sasha's life."
"Mr. Jones is definitely going to give you a huge bonus."
I smiled and kept quiet.
I wasn't doing it for the bonus.
I sat back down to finish the report when Brynn called again. "Nora, come to my office."
Her voice was calm again, but there was a hint of detachment in it.
I walked into her office.
Brynn was sitting in her chair, pointing to the seat across from her. "Sit."
She pulled a form from her drawer and slid it in front of me.
It was a disciplinary notice.
She said, "Nora, according to Article 7, Chapter 3 of company policy, any employee who leaves work without authorization or takes leave without approval will be penalized."
I looked at her, a bit confused. "Brynn, I—"
She raised her hand to cut me off. "I know it was an emergency, but rules are rules. You left the office this morning without filing any leave request. That counts as being absent without permission."
I couldn't help thinking how absurd this was. "You were the one who called me and told me to go to the hospital immediately."
Brynn nodded, her face blank. "Yes, I notified you. I was only passing on information. As an employee, you should have submitted a leave request before leaving. A backdated one would have been acceptable."
My heart kept sinking. "So, what now?"
Brynn picked up a pen, signed her name on the notice, and stamped it with the HR department seal.
She slid the notice back to me. "We'll deduct your monthly bonus and apply a fine. Your performance bonus is 600 dollars, and the penalty will come out of that."