An elderly woman is living her final hours, with only a young nurse by her side, when something unexpected catches the nurses eye.
The old woman lies in a hospital bed, her breaths shallow and laboured. Over the last few weeks, her condition has worsened daily, and hope has nearly faded. Doctors have been bluntshe doesnt have days left, only hours.
She can no longer eat, barely reacts to her surroundings, only occasionally opening her eyes to gaze slowly around the room. No relatives have visitedthere simply arent any. She is entirely alone.
The only person who comes to see her each day is a young nurse. She isnt entirely sure why shes grown so attachedperhaps because the woman reminds her of her own grandmother, or simply out of pity.
The nurse tries each day to lift the patients spirits, changing the sheets, bringing fresh water, sometimes reading aloud short newspaper snippets.
Tonight, the womans breathing is so strained the nurse knowsthe end is near. She sits beside her, taking the frail, cold hand in hers, and whispers softly:
“Dont be afraid. Ill stay with you till the end.”
The old woman stirs slightly, as if trying to speak, but no words come. The nurse cant hold back any longershe leans forward and hugs her tightly. Tears well in her eyes, but she fights them, refusing to show weakness.
As she stands, the nurse casts one last glance at the monitors, then at the bedside table. Shes about to leave when something entirely unexpected draws her attention.
She spots a folder of old MRI scans on the nightstand. Shes seen it before, but today, by chance, her eyes fix on the last page.
Something seems off. She steps closer, flips through the images, scrutinising themand suddenly, her heart clenches.
Among the dark shadows, theres an area marked inoperable in the report. But now, after weeks of observation and reading medical articles, the nurse realisesthis growth could still be removed.
Theres a clear boundary. A chance to save her still existsit just hadnt been noticed before, dismissed as hopeless.
The nurse grips the folder so tightly her knuckles whiten. Thoughts racemaybe this woman doesnt have to die tonight.
She looks at the barely breathing patient, and a wave of desperate determination crashes over her. The nurse rushes from the room, straight to the doctors station, clutching the scans to her chest.
“Emergency!” she calls out as she reaches the nearest physician. “Look at this, please! She can still be operated on!”
The doctor takes the folder skeptically, studying the imagesthen his expression shifts.
“Wait” he says, sudden urgency in his voice. “You might be right.”
Meanwhile, behind the closed door, the elderly woman lies alone, unaware that at the final hour, a new chance might still open for herone she had long stopped hoping for.
