The woman understood, of course. She grabbed her arm, nearly falling to her knees as she pleaded, "Doctor, you have to save him. If he's gone, how will I go on?"
Erin Lowell removed her mask. Her features were clean, but a drop of blood clung to the corner of her eye, lending her a certain cold beauty. "We medical professionals will do everything we can."
"Thank you, thank you, Doctor. You're miracle workers. You can definitely save my son…"
The woman pressed her palms together, bowing her head again and again as she pleaded, placing every last shred of hope in the hands of the doctors.
The patient's prognosis was not optimistic. Erin Lowell couldn't accept such praise, but she completely understood the mother's feelings. She wanted to offer some comfort, but the words were caught in her throat, and she couldn't say a thing.
It was a sharp-eyed, quick-thinking nurse at her side who broke the silence. "Ma'am, please try to calm down."
'She couldn't bring herself to say what the woman wanted to hear, either.'
The woman sank to the floor, her cries turning into choked sobs.
Erin Lowell gave a few instructions and patted the nurse's shoulder. "I'll leave her to you. I'm going to change."
The surgery had lasted four hours. By now, the sky outside had completely darkened. The world beyond the window was a swathe of black. Though the overhead lights were on, the empty corridor still felt cold and gloomy.
The scrub room was just down the hall from the OR. Erin Lowell turned into it, tossed her mask and sterile scrubs into the trash, and walked to the sink. She took two sterile wipes and began cleaning the bloodstains from her face in the mirror.
The face in the mirror was one blessed by the heavens, but her lips were deathly pale, a stark contrast to the scarlet drops near her eye.
She rarely wore makeup. Fortunately, with her naturally good features, she didn't look too haggard even when barefaced.
Once her face was clean, Erin Lowell braced her hands on the sink. Her lashes were pressed low, the long, thick strands casting a trembling shadow over her eyelids.
KNOCK KNOCK.
A nurse knocked on the door. "Dr. Lowell, are you in there?"
The sound pulled Erin Lowell from her thoughts. "Yes? What is it?" she answered.
The nurse pushed the door open. "Dr. Lowell, we just got a call. There's been a major multi-car pile-up on the outer beltway. The ambulances are on their way. Dr. Reeves already left for the day, so the chief wants you to take on one of the surgeries."
Erin Lowell pulled her phone from the pocket of the fresh lab coat she'd just put on. A few missed calls from Ian Sheffield were on the screen. "How long until the ambulances get here?"
The nurse, Lucy Lockhart, was quick-witted. She'd already asked all the right questions when she took the call. "Fifteen minutes or less."
She shoved the phone back into her pocket, pulled the door open, and started running. "Let's go down to the lobby and wait."
「In a hospital room on the third floor.」
Cian Sinclair was lying in his hospital bed. The wound on his abdomen had just been stitched up, and he was awake now, though still a bit weak.
Zane Jennings leaned against the doorframe, dressed in work clothes with his arms crossed. He looked at Mason Quincy, whose head was bowed so low it nearly touched the floor. "What happened?"
"Stab wound."
Zane Jennings shot him a glare. "Am I fucking asking you that?"
His voice wasn't loud, but it was laced with a rare, potent anger.
Mason Quincy glanced at Cian Sinclair, then lowered his head, his voice barely a whisper. "After you left… Julian Donovan came back with a few guys and started causing trouble at the shop. That knife was meant for me. Cian took it for me."
"Pathetic." Zane Jennings's fists were clenched tight. His gaze shifted to Cian Sinclair. "I'm heading out. I'll be back to check on you later."
Zane Jennings didn't have many virtues, but he was fiercely biased. He could never treat things with an even hand. It didn't matter who was right or wrong; if someone touched one of his boys, they were going to pay a price.
Mason Quincy guessed what he was about to do. "Zane, I'm coming with you."
Zane's face was cold as he pushed him back into the room. "You're not going anywhere. You stay here and look after him."
'His fury was clearly at its breaking point.'
They all knew that Zane Jennings didn't like starting trouble and rarely got physical. But if someone crossed his line, he wouldn't hold back.
In the first-floor lobby, the sky was pitch black now, and the clock on the wall pointed to nine.
There weren't many patients, but a number of medical staff were gathered.
Zane Jennings stepped out of the elevator. He walked with his head down, his jacket slung casually over his shoulders. He pulled out a cigarette, the picture of languid indifference.
Just as he was about to light it, the sound of two people talking drifted over. The voices weren't loud, but they were intensely familiar.
Zane Jennings froze. After a long moment, he slowly raised his head, looking toward the source of the sound. The lobby lights were bright, but not as bright as the light that flared in his eyes.
"Dr. Lowell, is Brindleton as beautiful as they say?"
Lucy Lockhart had come to the hospital for her internship right after graduation. The young woman was completely focused on her work and had no time to travel to a foreign country for fun.
At the mention of Brindleton, a faint smile touched the corners of Erin Lowell's eyes. "Yes. The wine is great, and the scenery is beautiful."
'It was so free, without all these constraints. The wind on the mountaintop against your face would blow all your worries away.'
Lucy Lockhart glanced at the woman standing with perfect posture, her hands tucked into the pockets of her lab coat. 'When she smiles, she's prettier than any celebrity on TV,' Lucy thought, 'but I've never seen her smile in a crowd.'
'She was always so cold. Didn't talk much, didn't smile, and never joked around with anyone.'
'It was like she lived in her own little world.'
She sighed, then replied sweetly, "I'll definitely have to go see it someday."
"You should, if you get the chance."
The ambulance hadn't arrived yet, so the two of them continued to chat back and forth.
Zane Jennings stood there for a moment, then stuffed the cigarette back into his pocket. He took two steps forward and called out to the pair standing side-by-side, "Erin Lowell."
His voice was even, carrying a hint of probing and a hidden trace of joy.
Erin Lowell turned. Their eyes met, and for a moment, time seemed to stand still as they both stared, momentarily lost.
Few people in the hospital called doctors by their full name, so out of curiosity, Lucy Lockhart turned around as well.
The person who had called out was a man standing a few feet away. He was tall with sharply defined features, the handsome, dashing type. He was dressed all in black, his hair falling over his left brow, and a roguish smile played on his lips.
Erin Lowell's breath hitched. 'It's been a month… I can't believe I'm running into him here.' A guilty panic washed over her. He had saved her, and in return, after making a solemn promise, she had completely stood him up.
Lucy Lockhart was already swooning. "Dr. Lowell, who is that?"
Outside, the urgent wail of sirens grew closer, one after another.
Erin Lowell looked at Zane Jennings, her eyelashes fluttering. "I… don't know." She started toward the entrance. "Let's go check on the patient."
Lucy's question was quiet, deliberately hushed, and masked by the approaching sirens, but Zane Jennings's hearing was excellent. "Me?" He arched an eyebrow, answering for Erin. "I'm your dear Dr. Lowell's romantic fling from Brindleton."
Lucy Lockhart blinked a few times, looking stunned.
Zane Jennings let out a laugh, then hurried her along. "Work comes first. Go on, save some lives."
A patient was unloaded from the ambulance. He was the most critical from the pile-up. His white shirt was dyed completely red with blood. A gauze pad was pressed to his abdomen, but none of the original white was visible anymore.