A Thousand Ways To Say I Love You

CHAPTER XVI

Isabella rushed into the emergency room, her heart pounding with urgency as the paramedics wheeled in the patient. The scene was chaotic—nurses shouting, the sound of medical equipment being prepped, and the sterile smell of the hospital filling the air. The patient had been in a severe car accident, and his condition was critical.

She quickly assessed the situation, her training kicking in as she saw the extent of the injuries. Deep cuts and bruises covered the patient's body, and there were signs of internal bleeding. The heart monitor beeped erratically, and his breathing was labored.

“Prepare for an emergency thoracotomy,” Isabella ordered, her voice calm and steady, though her mind was racing. She knew this was going to be a difficult case, but she had no time to second-guess herself.

The team worked like a well-oiled machine under her direction, prepping the patient for surgery. As the chief resident on duty, Isabella had done this before—countless times, in fact. But each time, the weight of the responsibility never faded. A life was in her hands, and she had to remain focused.

The surgical team quickly transferred the patient to the operating room, and Isabella scrubbed in, her mind already calculating the steps she’d need to take to save him. As the anesthesiologist stabilized the patient, Isabella glanced at her team, her resolve strengthening.

“Let’s begin,” she said, her voice steady as she made the first incision.

Time seemed to blur as the surgery progressed, each moment filled with critical decisions. The patient’s condition was worse than they’d initially thought—internal bleeding was extensive, and his lung had been punctured by a broken rib. Isabella worked tirelessly, her hands moving with precision and care.

At one point, the patient’s heart rate dropped dangerously low, sending alarms blaring in the room. Isabella didn’t panic. She remained calm, issuing instructions to her team.

“We’re not losing him,” she said firmly, her eyes locked on the patient.

After what felt like an eternity, the bleeding was finally controlled, and the patient’s vitals began to stabilize. Isabella let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. The surgery had been successful, but the patient still had a long road to recovery.

As she stepped away from the operating table, exhaustion washed over her, but there was also a deep sense of accomplishment. She had done what she set out to do—saved a life.

Isabella removed her gloves and mask, wiping the sweat from her forehead. The adrenaline was still coursing through her, but now that the immediate crisis was over, the physical toll of the day’s work hit her. She leaned against the wall for a moment, closing her eyes, grateful that the patient was going to make it.

As she left the operating room and headed back to the main ward, Isabella couldn’t help but think about how this was her life—one emergency after another, lives constantly hanging in the balance. It was rewarding, but it was also exhausting. There was little time for anything else. Yet, even in the chaos of her work, her mind wandered to Matteo, and she wondered if he had thought about her too during this long, hectic day.

But for now, Isabella pushed those thoughts aside. There would be time to think about Matteo later. Right now, her focus was on her patients and making sure they all made it through the night.

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Isabella stood in the operating room, her hands trembling slightly as she assisted the lead surgeon in a high-stakes operation on an elderly woman. The patient was in critical condition, her body weakened from years of illness, and the surgery was their last attempt to save her. The atmosphere in the room was tense, filled with the gravity of what was at stake.