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T H I R T Y T H R E E
"Time of death, 15:30."
My father was barely heard as he announced the time while we all surrounded the operating table, frozen, trying to process what had just happened.
I could feel all the surgical nurse students' eyes on me, waiting for me to give them instructions, but I couldn't even get myself together to react.
"Okay— guys, let's start closing her up." Liam said, giving me a quick look before he proceeded to teach his students and mine.
Feeling like I was about to pass out, I desperately took off the gloves, yanked off the blood-soaked disposable gown, and shoved everything in the trash bin on my way out of the operating room.
As I ran down the hospital hallways to find a place to hide, all I could still see was the infinite amount of blood covering all of us as we tried to control the bleeding to no avail.
The kid was dead even before we tried our best to save her.
We were all well aware that the liver resection surgery was a risky one. Even two hospitals refused to do it due to the lack of training, but I was confident that my father and Liam could do it, mainly if they worked together. I've seen them perform endless surgeries, which made me hopeful that everything would turn out okay.
Hell, my father performed surgeries on the battlefield, he was more than experienced and capable of making this surgery successful, yet we still lost the little girl.
The thought alone of how that little girl on the operating table could've been Maia made me feel more nauseous.
At this moment, I couldn't even bear the thought of the pain those parents would feel the minute my father and Liam went out to inform them about the loss.
Between the long six hours of that surgery and the emotional toll it took, I felt both physically and mentally exhausted. All I wanted to do right this moment was to go home to Maia and Evan.
I opened the door to the surgical supply closet and locked myself inside it. Taking in the room's silence, I leaned against the door and slid down to the floor, allowing myself to feel everything I was holding before.
With shaky hands, I took my phone out of my pocket and called the only person that could make me feel better just by saying my name.
"Hey. Sorry, Bobby just finished cooking, and you know how everyone gets excited about his food." Evan said. His voice was barely audible due to the laughter and loud conversations that could be behind him.
