Unexpected Encounter

After her evening rounds, Crystal went to the vending machines in the lobby for her break to grab her usual espresso. Hot cup of coffee in hand, she trudged back toward the elevators.

“Evening, doc.”

A smile spread across her face as she heard the familiar voice. She turned around and greeted, “Dr. Yejin.”

 Pyo Yejin was Crystal’s fellow general surgeon and a long-standing colleague.

“How was your day?”

 Crystal chuckled. “Today was like yesterday. Tomorrow will be like today. How was yours?”

Dr. Yejin rubbed her eyes tiredly while yawning. “Not so great. I’m absolutely beat and I still have a surgery scheduled for seven tonight. You—”

“Good evening, ladies!” A voice interrupted.

As the man normally inserted himself into conversations, Crystal didn’t even turn around as she heard him approach.

“Evening, Dr. Alex,” greeted Dr. Yejin.

Seeing Alex waiting impatiently for the elevator, Crystal raised her eyebrows as she gave him a sarcastic smirk.

“Late, huh?”

He nodded as he repeatedly pressed the elevator button. “Very, but I’ll talk to you about it later. I’ll have to fill you in on Anne’s sports anyway. Man, she was amazing!”

“Sounds good and thank you again.”

As soon as the elevator doors opened, he nodded with a proud smile on his face and hastily made his way inside.

Yejin looked curiously at Crystal. “Why don't you marry him? He is so perfect and you both work well together.”

 “Of course we do. He is my best friend, but that’s it.” She paused and narrowed her gaze at her colleague. “Didn't you say you had a surgery? You know that it’s near seven, right?”

 Yejin glanced at her watch and her eyes instantly widened. “Holy shit! It is seven?!” she shouted, slapping her forehead. “Sweets, I have to make a run for it, but will talk later, yeah?”

Crystal shook her head and heaved a deep sigh as she watched Yejin head toward the nurses’ station. When her elevator finally opened, she pressed the button for the second floor. As the doors closed, she heard a huge commotion coming from the entrance of the hospital and she watched as a group of bodyguards and reporters rush towards the ER.

Wow, a high class patient must be here.

Arriving at her office, she immediately started checking her patient reports. Ten minutes had passed when she heard a knock on her door.

 “Come in,” she called without looking up.

 “Dr. Crystal, the CEO has requested your attention for an immediate operation. Are you free?” asked Mickhel in a breathless voice.

The patient must be in critical condition if Mickhel ran all the way to her office from the ER. Without hesitation, Crystal stood up and grabbed her medical gown. As they walked to the operating room, Mickhel filled her in on the details of the patient.

“He suffered from an internal hemorrhage caused by a gunshot wound. The bullet was a 9 mm hollow point so the hole in his gut expanded. The paramedics did all they could to stop the bleeding, but he started going into shock.”

“Have you started any fluids? What about imaging? Also, get his blood type and after the surgery immediately start him on a blood transfusion.”

“All of that has been done per prior instruction. He is currently stabilized and is prepped for surgery.”

“Who will assist me?”

Stopping in his tracks, Mickhel turned and gave me a serious look. “Anyone who was available was called in and they are waiting for you.”

Crystal looked at her assistant with wide eyes. “Well, this is a first,” she mumbled. She couldn’t remember a time when the hospital showed this much proficiency toward one patient.

 Mickhel chuckled at her puzzled expression. “He’s the son of our CEO. I think that's why.”

  “I didn’t even know our CEO had a son. Honestly, I wasn’t even aware that she was married.”

Washing her hands she stepped into the operating room where the nurses helped her put on gloves. George, her assistant, was already there and came towards her with a solemn face.

 “His blood pressure is very low, but there hasn’t been any major damage.”

She nodded.  “First, we need to make an incision to remove the bullet and patch up any nerve damage. Have you checked to x-rays to see if there were any breaks upon impact?”

“No breaks. Not even a fracture.”

  Glancing at the monitor, she observed the patient’s oxygen levels and heart rate.

 “Instruct to have a few bags of blood ready for a transfusion after the surgery is complete.”

 George nodded to one of the nurses on standby. She hastily left to gather the needed supplies.

“Alright, gang. Let's start,” she said as she approached the table. But seeing the patient, she instantly froze.

Rayan! It was really him!

She clenched her hands into fists as her heart rolled with emotions. How the fuck was this even possible? She stood there staring down at him and her body began to shake as tears pricked her eyes.

She glanced down at the gaping wound in his stomach and felt nauseous. Her heart was thundering in her chest and she found it difficult to breathe. She never thought that she would ever see him again, let alone like this. Gripping her hands, she tried to control the involuntary shaking. This had never happened before. She was always in control and never let her emotions interfere with treating a patient.

“Um, are you okay?” George asked as he eyed her warily.

Upon hearing his voice, Crystal snapped back to the present moment and nodded.

“Of course. I have to be.” Her voice sounded shaky. Inhaling a deep breath, she gave one last glance at his face before she focused solely on the wound. “Scalpel,” she instructed. You can do this. You're a doctor, Crystal. Be the strongest stone. Come on. Be professional.

She set to work. This was nothing new. Crystal was used to patching up patients since as a general surgeon, she was very good at her work. Of all surgeons, people want her to treat them. When patients come to her, she would always tell herself that she needs to heal them and she can do this.

Patients get anxious when they see doctors in the operation room. They get anxious about death, about life. 

 

"I will not kill you. You'll be able to murder me if the operation goes wrong." With that she had been always assuring the several types of patients she met daily.

 

But today, the person she wanted to forget every day was one of her patients now. Once she loved this man, more than anything. More than everything. She was healing his wound now whereas she was the one who had a deep wound created by this man a long time ago.

Calming herself, she started the first incision. There is no way in hell she was going to let him die. He had made her suffer so much. There was no way in hell that she was going to let this stupid bastard die off so easily. He was going to live, even if she had to resurrect him herself.