The Secret We Hold

12| Mother

It was 10:00 PM on a tense evening at that, here I am in Italy and then a sudden news came to me that needed my skills importantly. Here I am finding myself in a high-stakes meeting with the head doctors back at my hospital in France, discussing a complex surgery on a twenty-five-year-old male patient James Hill who just so happened to be the son of the prime minister's sister.
Despite my hospital's third-place ranking, I was the undisputed number one doctor for brain and heart surgery, with a particular expertise in brain surgery. And this case was no exception - a craniectomy, one of the riskiest and most delicate procedures in the medical field, was on the table. This involved the removal of part of the patient's skull to relieve pressure on the brain, a procedure that required utmost precision and skill.

As I listened intently to the discussion, I noticed one of my colleagues, a brilliant radiologist Riley Willis, had ear pods in her ears, her eyes fixed on the screen in front of her. She was reading from her tablet about that kind of surgery and what every one needed to know, she then showed us a  documentary who was from a well known Doctor that had done this surgery almost fifteen years ago, sadly he died five years after.  Specialist Dr. Blake from Hilton Hospital,America was talking about how he felt before,during and after the surgery, and the steps he carried out.  After some time we turn our attention back to Dr. Riley who was reading from her tablet from the results that showed the scans of the patient.

I asked her, "What does the x-ray say? What are the findings from the brain scan?" The room fell silent, awaiting her response, as the fate of our high-profile patient hung in the balance.

The radiologist's eyes narrowed as she focused on the screen, her brow furrowed in concentration. "The brain scan indicates a significant amount of pressure on the brain, likely caused by a subdural hematoma," she said, her voice steady and calm. "The x-ray suggests a fracture in the skull, which is compressing the brain tissue."

I nodded, my mind racing with the implications. A craniectomy was now more crucial than ever, but it was a high-risk procedure. One wrong move could result in permanent brain damage or even death.

"I agree," I said, turning to the other doctors in the room. "We need to move forward, complete more tests, I'll contact others do tors and seek information about what they know. Let's get the patient prepped and ready for surgery as soon as possible."

The team nodded in unison, and we quickly got to work. The next few hours were a blur of activity as we worked tirelessly to save the young man's life.

I knew that this was what I had trained for. This was what it meant to be a neurosurgeon – to make life-or-death decisions, to take risks, and to save lives.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Wrapping up the meeting I looked at the time seeing how late it was, my brows furrowed at people talking mainly to Alexander's voice I didn't even know he came back home. As I approached the front door, I overheard a conversation that piqued my interest.

"Thank you, you can have the rest of the week off and start back on Monday. She'll not be going to school until Wednesday"

My curiosity was sparked, and I asked, "Do you have a child?"

The elderly woman and Alexander turned to face me, their expressions a stark contrast. She looked surprised and shocked, while Alexander's emotionless mask barely concealed his underlying anger. He refused to answer, instead bidding the woman a curt goodnight. She, however, offered me a warm smile before departing. Her familiarity lingered, but I couldn't quite place her.

Alexander gathered the remaining bags and dismissed me with a brusque, "We'll talk in the morning." He left me standing there, questions swirling in my mind, but I knew they would have to wait until morning. I returned to the kitchen, gathered my belongings, and retired to my room, preparing for a day of answers. Tomorrow was the Christmas dinner party, and I was determined to uncover the truth.