The hum of machines filled the surgical ward. For Susan Wheeler, the hospital was supposed to be a place of healing. But tonight, she couldn’t shake the chill in her bones.
Susan (To Herself)
Three patients. All young. All healthy. All in coma after simple surgeries. That’s not coincidence.
She flips through charts in the dim light of the resident lounge. A hand suddenly closes the file shut.
Max
You’ll drive yourself crazy, you know that?
Susan Wheeler
*Smiling despite herself*
Or maybe I’ll save someone’s life.
He leans closer, his breath warm, teasing but protective.
Max
Or maybe you’ll ruin your career before it even begins. Come on… you’ve been at this all day.
Susan Wheeler
*pulling away, mock serious*
Don’t distract me.
But when he brushes a stray hair from her cheek, she doesn’t stop him. For a heartbeat, the mystery fades, leaving only the two of them in that quiet room.
Still, when Susan looked back at the charts, her pulse raced.. not from Mark’s touch, but from the subtle pattern she was starting to see: all three patients had their surgeries in the same operating room...
A detail that seemed minor at first, but nagged at her curiosity.
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