Chapter 10

The operating room's lights at the end of the hallway glowed stubbornly. Alder's knuckles were pressed tight against the cold walls as he listened to his heart pounding in his ears. He had no idea where the restlessness came from, but it felt like something important was slipping through his fingers. He'd rubbed the cigarette pack in his pocket so many times that its metal case had crumpled slightly. It was only when the third cigarette rolled out that he realized his fingertips were trembling. As a flame flickered to life, the sharp sting of nicotine in his lungs made him frown. Suddenly, a memory struck him out of nowhere. His fingers, holding a cigarette, froze under a lady's annoyed glare. She wore a white dress. There was a smudge of cream on the ends of her hair, as if she'd just exited a bakery. "You're smoking again, Alder!" Her voice was laced with both frustration and concern as she frowned. He looked up and was met with a blurry yet oddly familiar face. Her lips move