They would coordinate all available resources to recover the chip as soon as possible, instructing the team to hold their position and await further orders.
After hanging up, Danielle let out a long sigh of relief. As she stepped out of the communications room, she ran right into Alexander, who was walking toward her. He was holding a coat, which he draped over her shoulders without a word. “It’s windy. Don’t catch a cold.”
Just as Danielle was about to thank him, her phone rang. It was Rebecca. The signal was choppy, but her voice came through clearly. Danielle stepped away to take the call.
“Danielle, how did you get a signal?” Rebecca's voice quickly grew somber. “How is Alexander? He told me he was coughing up blood?”
Danielle paused, glancing at Alexander before moving further away and lowering her voice. “He’s much better now. He’s not coughing anymore. Rebecca, what exactly is his condition? Why would he be coughing up blood? Depression doesn't do that.”
There was a moment of silence on the other end before Rebecca’s grave voice replied, “It’s chronic cardiac damage. He’s been managing it with medication for years. In Antarctica, the physical exertion and the cold triggered a flare-up of his old condition. Coughing up blood is a sign that the damage is getting worse.”
Danielle’s heart sank. So this was the pain he had been enduring all these years.
Hanging up, she took a deep breath to quell the ache in her chest and walked toward Alexander’s room. When she pushed open the door, she froze. Alexander was sitting at his desk, a thick stack of blueprints spread out before him.
“The signal is back for five minutes and you’re already working?”
Alexander didn’t look up. “The chip is a top priority. This is a national project, and it can’t be delayed because of my personal issues.”
“But you haven’t fully recovered.” Danielle walked over to him, frowning at his pale face.

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