It was close to two in the morning when the emergency doors burst open violently.
The sound of wheels, broken shouts, and the smell of fresh blood…
— "Penetrating abdominal wound!"
— "Blood pressure is dropping!"
— "We need a doctor immediately!"
She entered with steady steps, her white coat neatly fastened, her hair tied up without a single strand out of place.
— "Age?"
— "About thirty."
— "Pulse?"
— "Unstable."
She leaned slightly, examining the wound with sharp eyes.
— "Operating room. Now."
One of the older doctors hesitated.
"But the report says his condition is already too late…"
She interrupted calmly:
"Sir, the report is ten minutes late… and he doesn't have them."
There was no harshness in her voice, and yet…
Everyone moved immediately.
Inside the operating room, she was different.
Her hands were unnaturally steady.
The patient was choking.
The pressure was collapsing.
Time was running out.
— "Suction."
— "Scalpel."
— "Now."
The instruments moved between her hands with precise smoothness, as if she knew the patient's body by heart.
One of the nurses whispered in amazement:
"How did you notice the internal bleeding? It didn't appear in the scans…"
Without lifting her eyes from the wound, she replied:
"The swelling indicates fluid retention… and that means there is internal bleeding."
Heavy minutes passed.
One second…
Two seconds…
Then—
The steady sound of the heart monitor returned.
Beep… Beep… Beep…
Silence.
Then a collective exhale.
Outside, the doctor who had objected earlier stood watching her with admiration he didn't try to hide.
He approached her with a slight smile and said:
"You truly surprise me every time with your precautionary diagnosis. Even though I'm ten years older than you, I feel in front of you as if I'm still a trainee doctor. You truly are Dr. Martin's daughter."
She smiled slightly as she removed her gloves.
"We are one team… I only did my duty, and I still have a long road ahead to learn."
Then she added calmly:
"He is alive now, and that is enough."
When she left the operating room, the young nurse was waiting for her.
Sara… her friend.
"Dr. Ruby, the administration asked for the complete case file under your name."
She stopped for a second.
"...Under my name?"
"Yes, they said it's a procedure because the patient's injury was intentional."
She nodded without comment.
After a long, exhausting day, Ruby finally returned to her apartment.
She closed the door quietly behind her and leaned her back against it for a few brief seconds, as if leaving the weight of the world outside.
The apartment was quiet and carefully organized…
A simple and elegant place, but once it had been a home for a happy family, filled with warmth and affection.
Her fingers brushed the edge of the table unconsciously, then she headed to her room, changed her clothes, and quickly surrendered to sleep.
The next morning…
Ruby sat at the small kitchen table, calmly eating her breakfast, a cup of coffee beside her.
Everything was going peacefully…
Until the phone rang.
Her hand froze halfway.
She looked at the screen.
The name that appeared made her features stiffen.
She immediately closed the call and put the phone back on the table, then continued eating as if nothing had happened.
It rang again
She sighed deeply.
She slowly reached out and answered:
"Yes?"
A familiar voice came from the other side:
"Ruby… how are you, my daughter?"
She replied coldly:
"I'm fine. Please, don't call this number again. I'm going to end the call."
"Wait, please…"
She hesitated for a moment.
"…What?"
"Actually, your sister's birthday is tomorrow, and she really wants you to attend and—"
She cut her off immediately:
"I'm very busy tomorrow. I won't be available."
"Please, Ruby… I postponed the party to the weekend just so you could attend."
Ruby let out a short laugh, empty of joy.
"Really? And is my presence that important?"
"Yes… your sister loves you very much, and she was the one who asked to delay the party so her sister could come."
A moment of silence followed.
Ruby sighed deeply, as if fighting something inside herself.
Then she said quietly:
"…When and where will the party be held?"
The woman's voice instantly changed to a joyful tone:
"Tomorrow afternoon. You can come anytime, my daughter. Thank you for accepting the invitation."
"Alright… goodbye."
And she ended the call.
She placed the phone aside and stared into space for long seconds.
Then she picked it up again and called another number.
"Hello, Sara…"
Her friend answered with a smile in her voice:
"Good morning, our heroic doctor."
Ruby said calmly:
"I have other plans tomorrow… let's postpone our outing to another day."
"Really? What a pity, I was very excited for us to go out together. Alright, no problem. Tell me when you're available."
Ruby smiled lightly as she looked out the kitchen window.
"Thank you for understanding, Sara."