Chapter 7 - The Operation
The surgery lasted seven hours.
Outside the operating theater, the rain that had started in Cleveland continued to fall over Boston. Daniel sat in the corner of the surgical waiting room, a paperback book tucked uselessly into his coat pocket. He didn't read. He stared at the floor, counting the seconds in his head.
Amelia remained in the waiting room with him. She didn't press him to talk. She handled work calls quietly from the hallway, pushing back quarterly reviews and rescheduling board meetings, clearing her entire calendar for the week.
At 3:15 PM, the double doors at the end of the hall swung open. Dr. Monroe stepped out, pulling off her surgical cap.
Daniel stood up so fast his chair scraped loudly against the linoleum.
Dr. Monroe pulled a mask down around her neck and smiled. "The malformation has been completely isolated and repaired, Mr. Carter. There were no complications, no bleeding, and no disruption to the surrounding neural pathways."
Daniel closed his eyes. The breath he seemed to have been holding since April finally left his chest.
"Can I see her?" he whispered.
"She’s in recovery," Dr. Monroe said. "She’ll be sleepy for the next few hours, but you can sit with her."
May you like
Daniel turned to Amelia, his voice choking in his throat. "Thank you."
"Don't thank me," Amelia replied quietly, her own eyes bright with rare emotion. "Go be with your daughter."
