[The Legacy Series] REDAMANCY - Love's Timeless Path

35th Note

CW // Medical trauma, grief, and emotional distress.
This chapter includes scenes set in a hospital environment and depicts the emotional impact of a high-risk pediatric heart surgery. It also explores grief, self-blame, burnout, and exhaustion within a medical profession context.

TW // Child death (non-graphic), collapse due to stress, and complex family conflict.
There is a detailed depiction of the death of a child during surgery and the surgeon's emotional response afterward. The chapter also involves family pressure, emotional breakdown, and references to physical collapse from fatigue. Reader discretion is advised.

*****

Me

How is Haira doing?

11.09

Pradipta Hardana

She is getting busier and the pressure from the family is getting bigger

Just now, Mbak Haira's proposal was thrown by her uncle

You never know how bad her big family is

11.13

Me

Please keep informing me with her update

Thank you, Dip

11.13

I bit my bottom lip and was busy wriggling with my fingers as I read the message. There was a feeling of displeasure when I found out that her extended family was so harsh on Haira. I knew Oom Danu would definitely protect her, but I also knew how professional he was.

Sending messages to Pradipta was the only way, since I called her many times, sent messages, and did everything I could to get news from her, but she kept ignoring me.

I banged my desk gently and then sipped a glass of hot tea that one of the hospital's office guys had made. I felt like my body wasn't getting enough rest because of the endless operations, lack of sleep, and excessive stress hitting my mind.

"Ugh."

I groaned as a soft knock came from my door.

"Please come in."

A familiar face peeked out from behind the door. "You okay?"

"Hey Nad." I smiled and said, "I am okay."

My colleague raised his eyebrows. "But you don't look fine." She crossed her arms. "Do you want to reschedule the operation?"

I shook my head. "I'm okay; besides, his family has repeatedly asked us to continue the operation..." I trailed my words. "Whatever the risk."

Nadia smiled. "Then, are you ready?"

I nodded before following her to the operating room.

Maybe for now, I should put aside the Haira matter for a moment.

I read the patient notes handed to me before putting on my surgical gloves. *Aortic valve stenosis, diagnosed at birth, had finally taken its toll on the tiny heart. Despite my advice to postpone the operation, this patient's family still insisted on surgery.

I took a deep breath before reciting a prayer in my head and starting today's surgery.

"Scalpel," I muttered, accepting the gleaming as the fluorescent lights overhead cast a harsh glare on the expanse of pale flesh I'd exposed through the median sternotomy.

The operation was somewhat more difficult than usual due to the patient's condition.

"You okay, doc?" Nadia asked me in a slightly worried tone.