Chapter 123

NOAH I’ve been busy these past few days. The hospital never really quiets down—not even during the holidays, when most people are supposed to be resting. Around noon, there was an emergency consultation that escalated almost immediately into surgery. I assisted Dr. Martin in performing an aortic dissection operation, one of those procedures that leaves no room for distraction or error. The surgery lasted nearly five hours. By the time we finished, my body was already exhausted, but there was no pause. I continued working almost nonstop until after ten in the evening, ending the day with a laparoscopic surgery. It was one case after another, the hours blurring together under bright operating lights and the steady rhythm of monitors. Fortunately, everything went smoothly. After a period of close observation in the ICU, the young girl was finally transferred to a regular ward. “Dr. Morgan,” Dr. Martin said as we walked out, sounding half-amused and half-incredulous. “What’s gotten into yo