Chapter 6

"Dr. Henderson, are you ready?" the nurse asked as she handed me the surgical gown. I nodded and pushed the door open. Joel was already waiting inside. He was my assistant for the surgery. "Have all the pre-op checks been completed?" I asked. "Yes. Everything is normal." Once the surgery began, everyone devoted their complete attention to the procedure. This level of understanding between us brought back memories. Back then, Joel and I often performed surgeries together. During the most critical moments, he would always provide exactly the help I needed. But now, this was the final time for us to share this teamwork. Halfway through the operation, an unexpected complication arose. The patient's heart rate became unstable. "Prepare the defibrillator!" I commanded at the top of my lungs. Without missing a beat, Joel had already placed the defibrillator in my hand. For that brief moment, our coordination was seamless—just like before. Three hours later, the surgery was a suc