Chapter 213: Liam’s Kindness

Liam stayed in Room 412 for almost an hour.

Lily made him color a stegosaurus with her, then critiqued his work with the brutal honesty of a seven-year-old art director. ("Stegosauruses aren’t purple, Liam." "How do you know? Were you there?" "...Fine. You can keep it purple.") Mr. Chomps and the unicorn, who Lily had named Princess Thunderhoof, were seated side by side at the foot of the bed like two bodyguards.

Ray barely stopped smiling the entire time.

Eventually, Lily’s eyelids started drooping. The nurse came by to check her vitals, caught Liam’s eye over the clipboard, and gave him the smallest nod toward the hallway.

Liam stood and stretched. "I’m gonna grab a coffee. You want anything, Ray?"

"Nah, I’m good." Ray looked up at him. "Seriously, man. Thank you. For all of this."

"Don’t thank me yet," Liam said. "I still have to beat her at Tic-Tac-Toe."

"You’ll lose," Lily mumbled sleepily into her pillow.

"We’ll see about that."

He stepped out, walked past the nurses’ station, and took the elevator down to the second floor.

-

The Patient Financial Services office was tucked at the end of a quiet corridor, past a row of chairs where a young couple sat clutching a folder of paperwork between them. The woman’s eyes were red. The man had his arm around her shoulders, staring at nothing.

Liam knew that look. He’d worn it himself, not too long ago.

Liam looked away and stepped up to the counter.

The woman behind the glass was in her fifties, with reading glasses on a beaded chain and a nameplate that said Gloria. She looked up with the tired patience of someone who delivered bad news for a living.

"Hi. How can I help you?"

"I’d like to make a payment toward a patient’s account," Liam said. "Lily. Room 412. Her father’s name is Ray."

Gloria’s expression shifted into careful neutrality. "Are you the guarantor on the account?"

"No. I’m a friend of the family."

"I see." She typed something, then paused. "I’m sorry, sir. I can’t share any account details or balances with anyone who isn’t authorized. Privacy laws."

"I understand. I’m not asking for details." Liam leaned his forearms on the counter. "I just want to pay it."

Gloria blinked. "Pay... the balance?"

"All of it. Whatever it is. And whatever’s still coming. If she needs more treatment, more tests, more days here, I want it covered."

Gloria slowly took off her reading glasses and looked at him properly for the first time.

"Sir," she said, choosing her words carefully, "I don’t think you understand. This isn’t a small amount."

"I’m sure it isn’t."

"Without telling you anything I’m not allowed to," she said, "I’ve been doing this for twenty-two years, and I can tell you that a pediatric nephrology stay of this length is... significant."

Liam pulled out his card and set it on the counter.

"Then I’d like to make a significant payment."

For a long moment, Gloria didn’t move. Then she picked up the card, studied it, and looked back up at him.

"Can I ask why?"

Liam thought about Ray drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. About Lily rolling her eyes and saying I’m a strong girl. About the couple sitting ten feet behind him with red eyes and a folder of papers.

"Because I can," he said.

Gloria didn’t say anything for a second. Then she nodded, slid her glasses back on, and started typing.

"I can process a payment toward the account and set up a credit for future charges," she said. "Any remaining credit would be refunded to your card once she’s discharged and everything has been billed."

"Perfect."

"Would you like the family to be notified of who paid?"

"No," Liam said immediately. "Anonymous. Please. Just tell them the account’s been taken care of."

Gloria paused mid-keystroke and glanced at him over her glasses again. Something in her expression softened.

"Of course," she said quietly.

She ran the card. The machine whirred and printed a receipt. Gloria folded it neatly and slid it under the glass.

"It’s done," she said. "The account is clear. And there’s a credit on file for whatever comes next."

Liam’s phone buzzed in his pocket. A bank alert. $94,750.00. He let out a slow breath, then calmly put the phone away without letting his face change.

Nearly ninety-five thousand dollars, all at once.

He’d spent more on less.

Liam half expected something else to happen. A chime. A glowing panel. Some notification from the system calculating a rebate for his selflessness.

Nothing came, which he expected but it was a fun thought to have nonetheless.

Of course it didn’t. Lily wasn’t a target, and neither was Ray. The system had no interest in sick kids and tired fathers. There was no reward for this. No bonus. No return on investment.

And for once, Liam didn’t care.

"Thank you," Gloria said. Her voice was steady, but her eyes weren’t.

"You have no idea how rarely I get to say this. But that family won’t get another bill from us."

"That’s the best thing anyone’s told me all week." Liam said with a smile.

He tucked the receipt into his pocket and turned to leave. As he passed the young couple in the chairs, he slowed for half a second.

Then he kept walking.

"One at a time," he told himself. "You can’t fix everything today."

Outside, the afternoon air was cool and bright. Liam stood on the sidewalk outside the main entrance, under the smiling cartoon whale, and pulled out his phone.

He texted Ray first.

[Liam: had to run. tell Lily the purple stegosaurus stays purple. I’ll come back and lose at Tic-Tac-Toe soon.]

The reply came within seconds.

[Ray: she says ur on. thank u again man. for everything]

Liam smiled to himself. Ray had no idea what "everything" meant yet. He’d find out the next time he stopped by the billing office, and Liam hoped he’d be far away when he did.

He scrolled through his contacts.

Mrs. Harriet’s name sat near the top, her missed call still unanswered. He hovered over it for a moment.

"Not today."

He scrolled down further and tapped a different name.

It rang exactly twice.

["Liam?"] Vanessa’s voice, crisp and a little surprised.

["This is unexpected. Did your parents leave already?"]

He winced. He’d completely forgotten that lie. "...Yeah. About that."

["Mm-hmm."]

"Are you free right now?"

A pause. ["Depends. Why?"]

Liam looked up at the clear sky, his legs aching, his chest strangely light.

"Come see something," he said.