Dying For The Blood She Condemned

Summary

On the morning my life came apart, I was sitting under the hum of fluorescent office lights, reconciling fourth-quarter budget spreadsheets. At nine sharp, my phone buzzed against the laminate desk.

"Is this Rachel Miller?" The woman on the line spoke in the measured, urgent tone of someone used to delivering high-stakes news. "I’m calling from the National Marrow Donor Registry in coordination with Northwestern Memorial. Six months ago, you registered during a corporate blood drive. Do you remember?"

I hesitated, my fingers hovering over the ten-key pad. "Vaguely, yes."