Doc The basin before me was a dark, pinkish hue, thick and viscous, like the last glow of sunset smeared across the water. I reached in, wringing a rag out with a slow, deliberate motion, feeling the resistance of the deep stain. It’s funny—this routine, mundane as it sounds, somehow felt like a ritual. A cleansing for what I’d just done, and a quiet acknowledgment of the darker things I’d tolerated in myself. I turned my attention to the tools, each one laid out with a clinical precision that masked the tremor beneath my fingertips. The scalpel gleamed freshly sharpened, its edge catching what little light there was. I took a breath, steadying myself, and carefully wiped away the smears of blood and dirt. “Perfect again,” I muttered softly, almost mocking the phrase as I slid the blade into a clean cloth. Next was the dental spreader, the cold steel feeling heavier in my hand than it should. I remembered Shelby’s voice, sharp and unwavering. “You’ll need discipline, Doc. If you d
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