Chapter 4 - The Waiting Room Reckoning
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When I pushed open the double doors of the surgical waiting lounge, the room was dead silent.
Daniel sat on the edge of a vinyl chair, his face buried in his hands. Barbara was pacing back and forth near the window, her phone held to her ear, but when she saw me walk in wearing clean scrubs, she dropped her hand instantly.
Daniel sprinted across the room. “Emily! How is he?”
I offered a small, reassuring smile. “The repair was a complete success. We replaced the damaged section of his aorta with a graft. His vitals are stable, and we’re moving him to the ICU now.”
Daniel let out a broken cry and pulled me into a fierce embrace, burying his face in my neck. “Thank you... oh God, Emily, thank you.”
Over his shoulder, I saw Barbara standing frozen.
She took three slow steps forward, her posture slouched, all her usual elite confidence completely shattered.
“Is he... will he wake up?” she asked in a small, trembling voice.
“The next twenty-four hours are critical, but his neurological signs are strong,” I answered professionally. “He’s a very lucky man, Mrs. Reynolds.”
Barbara looked down at her polished shoes, her cheeks flushing with a deep red burn of pure embarrassment.
“Emily... I...” she stammered, unable to finish the sentence.
May you like
Daniel pulled back from me and turned to his mother, his eyes flashing with fresh anger.
“Don't bother, Mom,” Daniel said bitterly. “You spent six weeks treating the woman who just saved Dad’s life like she was servant class. You don't get to act like a caring mother-in-law now.”
