Chapter 115 Protective Instinct

In the Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery's office, Emily skimmed through a thick chart, her finger tracing the lines as she read it. The diagnosis was Tetralogy of Fallot with pulmonary atresia. The patient was only three years old, so the surgery would be difficult, and the risks were high. Suddenly, a knock at the door broke the silence. Arthur then stepped in with another folder. "Dr. Sterling, I've prepared an operative plan. Could you take a look?" He spread the pages across Emily's desk. Vessels and key steps were highlighted in different colors, and he had even mapped out three potential intraoperative complications along with corresponding contingency plans. Emily's eyes lit up. Arthur hadn't just lightened her workload—he'd given her a fresh perspective. "Thanks, Arthur," she said. "Come on," he said with a quick smile. "We're a team." ... The operating room lights stayed hot for seven straight hours. When the red light above the doors finally went dark, the whole un