I contacted the First Affiliated Hospital by phone, reserved a hospital bed and operating room, notified Gillian to transfer there, and arranged for several indicator tests to be done.
The next day, Andres Hayes, the hospital director, called me and asked me to visit his office.
Andres was also my doctoral advisor.
He had once advised me not to relinquish my medical career for Nicolas three years ago.
Back then, I was completely obsessed with Nicolas and didn't heed his advice.
Now, I felt ashamed when I stood in his office.
"Professor, I'm sorry. It was my mistake to make such a choice, which has led to my current situation."
The reprimand I anticipated was absent. Instead, Andres poured me a glass of apple juice. It was my favorite drink from school days.
"Lorna, you've always been my most outstanding student," he said, patting my shoulder. "You must have endured a lot these past few years."
His warm concern broke down my emotional defenses.
The grievances and feigned strength I had been holding onto crumbled under his kind words. Tears started falling uncontrollably.
With a deep sigh, Andres said, "I never liked Nicolas back then. His overly self-serving nature made me strongly oppose your relationship with him."
I sighed, "So you saw his true colors all along."
"If he truly loves you, he wouldn't ask you to give up your career just to serve him. You are such a good doctor," Andres continued.
"I think I understand that now."
True love didn't require sacrificing others or oneself.
"Don't be too upset. It's not a bad thing to end an unhealthy relationship. Let's take a look at the patient you've just admitted." Andres handed me Gillian's test results. "Her condition is extremely complicated, with a high risk of surgical failure. Are you sure you want to proceed with her surgery? This will be a great challenge."
I hadn't anticipated that Gillian's condition would deteriorate so rapidly within a month.
Andres repeatedly asked, "Are you really going to operate on Gillian? You must know that no other doctor is willing to take on this surgery. If the patient dies on the operating table, it could severely damage the doctor's reputation."
Andres gently suggested, saying, "If you need money, I can help you. You're an exceptional doctor, and you can return to work at the hospital anytime you wish."
"But now, this issue isn't about money for me," I replied, looking at Andres. "You just mentioned that no doctor is willing to perform this surgery. If I also back out, Gillian will be dead, won't she?"
Andres nodded and said, "According to her current condition, she has only two months left if surgery isn't performed soon."
"Then I'm willing to take on this challenge," I said firmly and met Andres's gaze. "Regardless of Gillian's identity or how much I dislike her in my life, she's now my patient. You always emphasized treating patients with equal compassion and dedication. A doctor's mission is to heal the patient. Reputation will always come second to me."
Andres looked at me with bright eyes. "Lorna, I'm proud of you."
"Really, Professor? Am I still worthy of your pride?" I said despondently, "I've made a mess of my life and career."
"Lorna, everyone makes mistakes in their youth. It's not something to fear, and there's no need to deny yourself because of it," Andres said seriously. "I'm always confident in you."
I felt reinvigorated.
I spent the night meticulously studying Gillian's test results and medical records and quickly devised a treatment plan.
Two days later, I operated on Gillian.
My assistant surgeon was Jase Wallace, a fellow student and an experienced medical doctor.
Even with the entire team having abundant clinical experience, and despite our lengthy discussions on potential risks and issues before the surgery, the operating room fell silent when I opened Gillian's abdominal cavity.
Gillian's condition was more severe than we had anticipated. A non-viable fetus remained in her abdomen.
Due to her condition and health, the fetus couldn't grow. But it hadn't been expelled. It was actually attached to her like a fibroid.
This rare situation made the surgery extremely complex.
Just then, an assisting nurse urgently shouted, "The patient has lost her heartbeat."
