Shroud: Jinn

20 - Heinous

"Dr. Lim! I'm glad you're here!" A much senior doctor greeted me with a voice filled with so much urgency that his anxiety rubbed off on me. He placed his good arm on my right shoulder, the slight tremors instantly snapping me out of my thoughts.

The moment Dr. Renard whisked me away towards his office, Inspector Harun and Sub-Inspector Javin turned their heads around and narrowed their eyes at me, their intense stares burning onto my back. As soon as Dr. Renard closed the door behind us, both of us exchanged looks that mirrored the other - fear. The tall man paced across the room with unfocused strides, rubbing his lips with trembling fingers. His shaky movements were borderline apprehensive and made me more nervous. His usual calm composure was overridden with a mixture of exhaustion and utter helplessness. It was the first time I saw him so vulnerable and defeated.

Dr. Renard rested his sombre eyes on me and said solemnly, "In light of the current situation, the hospital's barring incoming deliveries. So our services might extend to other hospitals or house calls."

"Say when and where and I'll be there."

"I need you to fill in for a case in Kuala Lumpur. "

"Wait. That's not in Singapore. That's- that's in Malaysia," I raised my eyebrows in surprise.

Dr. Renard stopped pacing and fixed his blue eyes on mine as soon as he sensed my hesitation, "This is a special case as the patient's a good friend of mine. She lives in Malaysia, yes. But she comes for her prenatal check-ups here. Her baby's a breech. She's determined to have a pro-natural birth. I would personally deliver the baby myself if I could," he sighed helplessly as he gestured his head towards his right arm that was wrapped in a shoulder cast. "You and I both know how delicate such cases can be." I nodded in understanding at the vexing predicament that Dr. Renard was in.

"First birth?"

"Second. She had her first baby in Singapore. There will be a doula and a midwife with her in the same room. She wants the baby delivered by VBAC."

My eyes immediately shot up to him, "A VBAC? You're asking a lot from me, Doctor-" My mind was instantly flooded with all the potential risks and complications involved in a vaginal birth after a caesarean.

"That's why I'm entrusting you with such a case. You're the first person that came to mind."

"But...a breech-"

Dr. Renard raised his good arm to stop me mid-sentence, "You've handled breech babies before." The weight on my shoulders did not decrease even when Dr. Renard spoke those words. Truthfully, I felt like I was being dragged underwater with anchors wrapped around my shoulders, pulling me deeper into a bottomless pit.

"Never a VBAC."

"Just because you've never done it before, doesn't mean you won't be great at it. There's always a first for everything." He came closer towards me, relaxed his hand on my shoulder and levelled his eyes with mine. "Look, Dr. Lim. You fought for pro-natural when other doctors could only see a caesarean as the only way out in many similar circumstances before. I have a lot of respect for you as an obstetrician and I trust your expertise. Now, for me to utter those words as your senior, that speaks a lot. "

"But-"

"It's Dr. Wang's case," he interrupted and bit down on both of his lips. He added sadly, "Sorry, I meant...the late Dr. Wang. The patient's well aware that the late Dr. Wang was your mentor and that you worked closely with him during your residency."

"I-" my voice got stuck at the back of my throat and we both knew why. I coughed lightly to keep the tears at bay, "I-I'll do it."

"Good. I'll leave the travel arrangements to Samad. Earliest train to Kuala Lumpur is at one o'clock. You're leaving in a few hours." In less than a second, he was already on the line with Samad, his personal assistant that doubled up as a hospital clerk.