My mother-in-law got into a serious car accident on her way to buy fish—fish she wanted to make soup for her son.
A steel rebar had pierced straight through her chest. She was rushed to the ICU for emergency surgery.
This kind of operation required a specialist. Dominic Harding was one of the few surgeons in the city who could pull it off.
He was also my husband.
I called him, barely able to keep my voice steady. "Mom was in a car accident. She's in the ICU—only you can save her. You need to get back to the hospital. Now."
His tone was infuriatingly calm. "The hospital has protocols. Surgeries are scheduled based on urgency."
"And since she's my family," he continued, "I need to recuse myself. I can't abuse my position to jump the queue."
Then I heard it—a woman's voice cooing through the phone. Victoria Summers, the new surgical intern.
"Dominic, hurry! The puppy's in so much pain!"
I felt my stomach drop. "Are you serious right now? Your mother's life matters less than a dog?"
His voice turned to ice. "Enough. Your mother's life is a life—and so is a dog's."
That's when it clicked.
He thought it was my mother who was dying. That's why he was spouting all this "recusal" nonsense.
——
Dr. Chavez's voice cut through the chaos in the hallway. "The patient is critical. The rebar punctured near the heart—it could rupture any second. If we don't remove it immediately, we're looking at massive hemorrhaging and cardiac tamponade. After that, nothing can save her."
My knees buckled. I pressed both palms against the wall just to stay upright.
I called Dominic again. And again. And again.
After the thirty-third time he hung up, a text came through.
"Stop harassing me. I won't make an exception for your mother's surgery. I have to recuse myself. If you insist I operate, you can wait your turn in line."
I typed back frantically, trying to explain.
A red exclamation mark. Message failed.
He'd blocked me.
Shaking, I grabbed the nearest nurse. "Please—I'm Dr. Harding's wife. The patient is his mother. Can you contact him? Tell him to come back—"
Her expression shifted. She made the call immediately.
I waited, tears streaming down my face.
Dominic, please. Just come back. Save her.
The nurse put the phone on speaker. My husband's voice filled the hallway.
"Sara, are you done?"
"I told you—you can't use my connections to cut the line. This is a waste of medical resources. It's unfair to other patients."
"Dominic." My voice cracked. "That's your mother in there. I'm begging you. If you don't come, she's going to die."
He scoffed. "Still lying to me? I just called my dad. Mom's at the farmer's market buying fish. She's making me soup tonight."
"You'd actually curse my mother just to get your mom bumped up the list."
"She got hit on her way to buy that fish!" I screamed. "For you!"
"Even if it is my mother," he said coldly, "I still need to recuse myself. I won't abuse my authority. Give it up."
The line went dead.
Dr. Chavez rushed over. "Did you reach Dr. Harding? The patient's condition is deteriorating. We need to operate now."
The nurse's face had gone white. "Dr. Harding is at the pet hospital next door. Operating on a dog."
She swallowed. "He said not to proceed with this patient. She's family—he has to recuse himself. No special treatment."
Dr. Chavez stared at her. "The intern's golden retriever? This is absurd."
His jaw tightened. "He's abandoned his post."
