Part 71 # The Savior
With hurried steps, Andre parted the crowd in the ER, following the rolling bed that carried Lara and Mahya into the bustling corridor. “I’ll take over this patient!” Andre exclaimed as he followed Lara’s bed.
“Understood, Doctor!” replied the ER doctor. In his heart, he was thankful that the senior doctor was willing to take over their patients. The situation in the ER was chaotic! Many patients needed immediate attention.
“Prepare the operating room! Quickly!” Andre commanded with authority.
“B-but, Doctor, the operating room is full!” replied the surgical assistant who was also running.
Andre growled, but didn’t stop there. He immediately shouted with absolute authority in the emergency situation. “Use my private room!”
“Yes, Doctor!” The assistant quickly ran to Doctor Andre’s private operating room, which had previously been nothing but a myth.
As the former sole owner, Andre had a special room for his studies. His private operating room, which had always been tightly locked, was finally opened for Lara!
Some time ago, Andre had decided never to use the room as a form of protest against the management’s lack of attention to the doctors’ needs.
The management of Andromeda Hospital was not only controlled by him but also by his future father-in-law. Andre’s authority was greatly diminished, so he didn’t have full control to optimize the hospital’s function as a healthcare center.
His father-in-law saw the hospital as a business unit. Therefore, any spending related to facility upgrades but without any resale value would certainly be drastically cut.
“Lara… please, hold on,” Andre murmured, holding back his anxiety and tears. He didn’t know what had happened to Lara. But, Andre was determined to save his beloved woman.
With hurried steps, Andre entered the dimly lit operating room. “All for you, Lara,” he whispered.
The doctor’s heart was filled with love and decisions made for the woman he loved. Lara would surely survive!
***
The operating room, which used to be a place of study and protest, now became a battleground against time to save Lara. Although the ER was chaotic with patients needing immediate attention, Andre’s focus was fully on Lara’s life.
“Alright, let’s start the surgery now. Suction, please,” Andre instructed his surgical assistant.
“Suction, ready.”
The assistant immediately assisted the surgeon in performing his tasks.
Andre checked the monitor displaying Lara’s heart rate. He tried to hide his anxiety. His strong personal feelings presented a challenge to remain objective as a doctor caring for Lara.
“Help me dissect the skin layers. Scalpel and retractor, maintain this surgical area.”
“Scalpel and retractor, ready, Doctor!”
With a heavy heart, Andre began to incise Lara’s skin, trying to maintain calmness amid the thrilling situation.
“Suction, please! Clean the blood immediately! Don’t let us lose visibility!” Andre ordered firmly.
The surgical assistant quickly suctioned the blood, ensuring optimal visibility as the doctor examined the organs that needed assistance.
“How’s the electrocautery?” Andre asked, referring to the electrical tissue burner. Everything had to be perfect and at normal temperature to prevent complications.
“Electrocautery active, temperature normal, Doctor.”
“Okay.” Andre continued the surgical procedure, trying his best to repair Lara’s internal injuries.
Andre focused his attention on the organs affected by the accident. Further examination revealed damage to internal organs such as the lungs and abdomen. Every step was taken carefully, ensuring that the surgical procedure proceeded according to the patient’s needs.
“Provide sutures. Let’s close this wound.”
“Sutures ready, Doctor.”
Carefully, Andre began to suture the surgical wound, giving signs of hope with each thread that reconnected Lara’s once-open body.
“Hemostat! Make sure there’s no bleeding left.”
“Hemostat ready, Doctor,” the surgical assistant said confidently.
After all the efforts exerted, Andre and his team began to close the surgical wound carefully. They hoped everything would go smoothly and without complications.
“Do a final check. Make sure everything is clean!” Andre ordered after completing his task.
“Everything looks good, Doctor,” said the surgical assistant, followed by nods from the others.
As the head doctor, Andre finally left the operating room after a long struggle. Although the surgery was over, the challenge for Lara’s recovery had just begun.
***
“Doctor, how is that patient doing?” Bi Yani suddenly asked.
“Bi Yani?”
“Ah! Doctor Andre?” Bi Yani only recognized Andre after the doctor removed his mask.
“Yes, it’s me.”
“H-how is Mrs. Lara, Doctor? Was the surgery successful?” she asked nervously. She seemed worried. Beads of cold sweat appeared on her wrinkled forehead, unbidden.
“Relax, Bi. Everything is fine,” Andre said with a smile.
“Thank God!” Bi Yani immediately kissed the ground, prostrating herself in gratitude because her employer had apparently survived that fatal accident. “The news was so sensational, Doctor! I almost had a heart attack when the hospital called!”
“Bi Yani was called by the hospital?”
“Yes. Before, I used to accompany Mrs. Lara here. Maybe, the data is still there,” she reminisced. Andre just remembered that Lara no longer had a husband. But to confirm it through Bi Yani, Andre still hesitated.
“Doctor…”
“Ah, yes?! Can I help you with anything else?” Andre asked nervously. He had just thought to ask about Lara’s status. Was… she still someone’s wife, or was she free and entitled to start a new life as a single woman?
“Mrs. Lara no longer has a husband. So, I was the one contacted by this hospital. Mr. Seno’s phone is inactive. Mrs. Lara also has no family.” Bi Yani seemed to be able to read Andre’s unspoken question. She spoke willingly.
Of course, Andre was stunned.
“Seriously?”
“Yes, Doctor. I’m very sad for her fate,” Bi Yani said, wiping her tear-streaked face.
Andre took a deep breath, then murmured, “Good.”
“G-good?” Bi Yani was surprised and tilted her head. “Did I hear you wrong, Doctor?” she asked again.NôvelDrama.Org owns © this.
“No, Bi. You didn’t hear wrong.”
“Why is the doctor talking like that? Doesn’t the doctor have any empathy?” Bi Yani didn’t intend to mock Andre, but her attitude was really outrageous. How could he be pleased with someone’s suffering?
“Good, Bi! Because this is a good opportunity for me to advance to take over Lara’s husband’s position!”
**
Meanwhile, Mahya’s patient underwent a longer surgical procedure. She was handled by Doctor Miriam, Andre’s fiancee and also an enemy in disguise that he was unaware of.
“So tired,” Miriam said when she had just finished the operation for Mahya. Unlike Lara, Mahya’s condition was worrisome.
“When will the patient regain consciousness, Doctor?” asked the assistant as they drank coffee after the long surgery was completed with satisfactory results.
“The patient’s recovery will be very long. We also have to monitor the damage to the head.”
Miriam glanced at Andre, who was sitting on a bench in the cafeteria. She really wanted to greet him, but… Andre seemed to be having a serious conversation with a middle-aged woman.
“Who is it?” Miriam didn’t recognize her. She stepped closer, trying to eavesdrop on their conversation. And, her ears caught a name she really disliked. Lara.
“So, the Doctor will approach Mrs. Lara, right? I support you, Doctor!”