Jaws hung open, eyes darted wildly, and hearts pounded like war drums as the weight of the Chief’s words sank in. This wasn’t just a decision..I was a death sentence, and everyone knew it.
A brain stem tumor removal? Now?
There was no logic, no sense, no possible justification for this. Vivian barely had time to process her own breath before the murmurs started…
A slow, creeping wildfire of disbelief and horror, words whispered behind trembling fingers. Interns glanced at each other with wide, unblinking eyes, their minds whirling with the implications.
Someone—anyone—needed to say something.
“Chief…”
Mercy was the first to find her voice, though it wavered as she took a hesitant step forward. Her lips trembled, her hands clutched together like she was trying to hold herself together
