The Wedding Game That Cost Him Everything Chapter 57
Later, the hospital put me in charge of a new surgical team.
The first time I walked into the operating room as the lead, one of the younger doctors was so nervous her fingers had gone white.
“Dr. Blake, I’m afraid I won’t do this well.”
“It’s normal to be afraid.”
I adjusted the placement of the instruments for her.
“Follow the steps you’ve trained.”
She nodded.
The surgery went smoothly.
Afterward, she let out a long breath.
“Do you never get nervous?”
I pulled off my gloves.
“I do.”
Only now, I no longer hand that fear to someone else to decide for me.
My hand still aches sometimes when the weather is wet.
And it isn’t true that I never again hear the sound of that balloon exploding.
The things harm leaves behind do not disappear entirely just because the ending looks good enough.
But they also haven’t stopped me from picking up my instruments again.
When I got off work, Peace sent me a photo.
She had tied the blue ribbon she took from the service point onto her backpack.
There was also a tiny bottle of nail polish beside it.
“When you’re on vacation, I’ll paint your nails again.”
I replied: “Tighten the cap first.”
She sent back an indignant emoji.
Then, a moment later, added:
“Got it.”
I put away my phone and walked out of the hospital.
The final version of the three-party alliance rules Sierra had sent over had already been archived publicly by Safe Return.
At the bottom of the last page were three names signed side by side.
Moretti, Ferraro, and Bellandi.
They had once used protection to decide who was allowed to speak.
Now, the rules made one thing perfectly clear.
No one’s plea for help needed their permission first.