Chapter 278 Alive!
"Envy me?" Jennifer echoed, her voice hollow. "What is there to envy?"
Harmony offered a wan smile, her eyes filled with a profound sadness. "I envy that you were his wife, that you shared his life, that he loved you."
Jennifer's composure, so carefully maintained throughout the ordeal, wavered. She stared at Harmony, a strange sense of dissonance washing over her. She had known this woman for years and had shared meals, secrets, laughter, and tears. Yet, at this moment, Harmony seemed like a stranger, her usual carefree demeanor replaced by a raw vulnerability that both frightened and fascinated Jennifer.
Yes, there was sorrow in Harmony's eyes, a deep, aching sorrow, but beneath it, Jennifer detected a flicker of envy, so pure, so intense, that it took her breath away.
"Harmony..." she began, unsure how to respond to this unexpected confession.
Harmony met her gaze, her smile tinged with a heartbreaking bitterness. "It's ironic, isn't it?" she murmured, her voice barely audible. "Someone like me, falling for a man like James..."
Jennifer, despite her own grief, couldn't help but offer a wry smile. "I destroyed that love with my own hands," she confessed, her voice thick with regret. "If only I had trusted him more..."
The words lodged in her throat as the anguish of her loss threatened to engulf her.
Harmony reached out, her hand engulfing Jennifer's. Their fingers intertwined, their shared coldness a testament to the fear that bound them together. They looked at each other, really looked, and in that moment, a strange understanding passed between them.
They were rivals in love, yes, but there was no animosity, no bitterness, only a shared grief, a profound empathy that transcended their complicated feelings for the man who lay fighting for his life just a few feet away.
They had been friends first. Their bond was forged in the crucible of shared experiences, late-night study sessions, and whispered secrets. Now, their shared love for James, however unexpected, had added another layer to their relationship, drawing them closer than ever before.
And so, they began to talk, their words tumbling out in a torrent of shared memories and regrets.
Jennifer discussed the evolution of her sentiments towards James, the incremental dissolution of her preconceptions, and the moment of realization that she had profoundly and irrevocably fallen in love with him. She held nothing back, her voice thick with unshed tears as she confessed her doubts, her insecurities, and the mistakes that had driven a wedge between her and the man she now realized she couldn't live without.
Harmony, in turn, bared her own soul, sharing her own journey of falling for James. She spoke of their first encounter, of her initial embarrassment, of the gradual awakening of her feelings, fueled by his kindness, his strength, his unwavering belief in her.
They laughed together, recalling humorous anecdotes, their voices echoing softly in the deserted hallway. They cursed his name, their shared frustration a testament to the depth of their feelings.
As the night wore on, their conversation turned to the present, their earlier levity replaced by a somber acceptance of the situation.
"Jennifer," Harmony asked softly, her voice heavy with unspoken fear, "you're a doctor. Do you think… do you think he'll be alright?"
Jennifer hesitated, her gaze drawn to the operating room door, her professional facade crumbling under the weight of her emotions. "Unless a miracle happens..." she began, her voice trailing off.
There was no need to elaborate. They both understood the unspoken truth.
Harmony closed her eyes, her back sliding down the wall until she was sitting on the floor, her shoulders slumped in defeat. "If there's no miracle," she whispered, her voice firm despite the tremor in her words, "I'm going to become a nun."
Jennifer's body shook with a sob, her own whispered response lost in the quiet hum of the hospital. "Me too."
Inside the operating room, the atmosphere was a stark contrast to the quiet despair that had settled over the waiting area. Three surgeons, their faces illuminated by the harsh glare of the overhead lamps, worked with a quiet intensity, their every movement a testament to their years of training and experience.
They had all heard of Dr. James Smith and had marveled at his skill and his dedication to his patients. Now, faced with the daunting task of saving his life, they felt a renewed sense of purpose, a determination that transcended their usual professional detachment.
But James' injuries were horrific, his body ravaged by the fire's relentless heat. Despite their best efforts, his vital signs continued to decline, the rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor slowing, each beat a fragile echo of life fading away.
"His heart's stopped," one of the surgeons announced, his voice heavy with defeat.
The lead surgeon, his hands still inside James' chest, paused, his eyes fixed on the monitor as the once-steady line flattened into a chilling silence. He let out a long, weary sigh, his shoulders slumping as he finally acknowledged the futility of their efforts.
"What a tragedy," he murmured, his voice filled with a rare note of sadness. "To think of all the lives he saved, only to..."
"Perhaps," another surgeon interjected, his voice tinged with a hint of wonder, "if it had been Dr. Smith himself operating..."
The lead surgeon nodded slowly, a flicker of agreement in his eyes. "Perhaps," he echoed, reaching for the white sheet to cover James' lifeless form. "Prepare him for transport. And someone inform his family."
Outside, the red light above the operating room door finally blinked off, its green replacement sending a fresh wave of dread through Jennifer and Harmony. They rose to their feet, their bodies stiff and sore from hours of sitting, their hearts pounding a frantic rhythm against their ribs.
The lead surgeon emerged, his face etched with exhaustion and sorrow. He removed his mask; his eyes filled with profound sadness as he met their anxious gazes.
"Doctor?" Jennifer choked out, her hand flying to her mouth to stifle a sob. "How is he?"
The surgeon hesitated, his silence speaking volumes.
Jennifer swayed, her legs threatening to buckle beneath her. Harmony, setting aside her own sorrow momentarily, extended her hand to steady Jennifer, her grasp on the latter's arm being the sole support that maintained their balance.
"Doctor," Harmony pressed, her voice surprisingly strong despite the tremor in her words. "Was the surgery... Unsuccessful?"
The surgeon nodded grimly, the weight of their loss heavy on his shoulders. "I'm so sorry," he began, his voice heavy with regret. "His burns were simply too extensive, too severe. We did everything we could..."
His words were cut short by a shout from behind him, a voice filled with disbelief and elation.
"He's alive! He's alive! Come quickly, his heart is beating again!"
The words, echoing through the silent hallway, were like a jolt of electricity, shocking them all out of their grief-stricken stupor.
The surgeon whirled around, his eyes wide with astonishment.
Jennifer and Harmony stared at each other, their faces a mixture of disbelief and dawning hope. Then, as the reality of the situation sunk in, they were both engulfed in a wave of relief so profound that it brought them to their knees, their shared tears a testament to the miracle that had unfolded within the sterile confines of the operating room.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
