Arms of The Angels (Book II - Home (Jenlisa))

Chapter 28

The monitor had shown the flat line. Nevertheless, the lead surgeon had not stopped trying to give cardiac massage to her patient. The sweat had flown, wetting her eyes and mask.

"Dr. Manoban. . ." The resident touched her arm as he looked at her sympathetically.

"We can save this boy. We can. I have to." She said out of breath.

Unexpectedly, a pair of arms held her shoulder. "It's over. He's gone. Let him go, Lisa." The anesthesiology resident whispered softly.

"No-"

"There's no more blood for his heart to pump. Let him go."

Gradually, Lisa withdrew her hands off the organ. She looked at the boy's lifeless face blankly as the nurse covered it with the linen.

"You have to call it." Minnie touched the small of her back.

Lisa felt her whole body trembled. It shook with sadness and somehow, anger. She could've done better. He didn't have to die on her table. She could've-"

"Lis. . ."

"Time of death," She said slowly as she glanced at the clock, "2.36 a.m."

The residents then quickly cleaned everything up. Lisa sat on the floor with unrecognizable emotion. It could be the fear of telling the boy's family that he didn't make it. It could be a frustration over herself because maybe, she was not ready to go solo yet – or ever again.

"We're done here, Dr. Manoban. Should I inform the family?" The chief resident bowed respectfully.

"I'll tell them. It's the least I can do."

As expected, no one could ever accept the love one's death easily. Especially when it was a five years old boy with long and bright future ahead of him. His mother's brokenheartedly cry was enough to make Lisa guilty as hell. His family didn't say any malicious words to her. They ignored her, too busy mourning over their boy's death. They didn't notice Lisa had walked away with her own grief.

---

Lisa didn't even blink when someone opened the on-call room. Her mind was wandering to the dark place.

"You couldn't have done better."

"Yes, I could." She mumbled lowly. "I could've done something."

"He had lost so much blood already. There's not much option."

"Maybe it's because I'm not good-"

"Stop pitying yourself, Lisa. That's not you. You're better than this."

The cardio surgeon turned to see the other woman in the room. "Things have changes, Minnie. People change all the time. We just met a week ago. I'm not the same me you used to know."

"You've changed for the worse?" She folded her arms in annoyed manner.

"Not necessarily. I grow up, that's for sure. Wiser, maybe. More careful and-"

"Less confident?"

"Whatever you say." Lisa shrugged the went back staring at the ceiling.

Quietly, Minnie sat on the other bed. She exhaled a breath then lay down. "Let's just sleep it away."

---

Lisa woke up to the persistent buzzing her phone made. She narrowed her eyes at the caller ID.

"Hey." She greeted Jennie hoarsely.

"Where are you?"

"At the hospital. What time is it?"

"Nine twenty-"