The cry grew louder. It bounced off the tiled walls, a siren of life.
Karly wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. It came away red.
Dr. Vance stood frozen. His hand was still outstretched, inches from Karly's shoulder. He looked at the baby. He looked at the crude incision.
It was perfect. Dead center. No damage to the vocal cords. No nicked arteries.
"My god," Vance whispered.
Nurses swarmed in. They pushed Karly aside, tending to the baby, putting a proper oxygen mask over the face.
Security guards burst through the door. "Where is she?"
Hakeem stepped forward, phone still raised. "Her! My sister! She stabbed the kid! I got it all on video!"
The guards grabbed Karly's arms. They wrenched them behind her back.
"Get off me," Karly said. She was too tired to fight.
"Take her to the station," the head guard said.
"Stop."
Dr. Vance's voice cut through the chaos.
He walked over to the guards. "Release her."
"But Doctor, she-"
"She just performed a textbook cricothyrotomy with a utility knife," Vance said. He looked at Karly with a mixture of horror and awe. "She saved that child's life. The nurse was bagging a complete obstruction. She would have killed the patient."
The nurse in the corner went pale.
Hakeem's jaw dropped. "What? No, she's crazy! Look at the knife!"
Vance turned on Hakeem. "You. Get out of my hospital. If I see you here again, I'll have you arrested for interfering with a medical emergency."
Hakeem lowered the phone. He looked at Karly. She was covered in blood, hair messy, wearing a cheap uniform.
But she was smiling. A cold, shark-like smile.
"Delete the video, Hakeem," Karly said softly. "Or I tell the cops why you were really here."
Hakeem scrambled backward and ran.
"Come with me," Vance said to Karly.
In his office, Vance poured her a glass of water. His hands were shaking slightly.
"Who taught you that?" he asked. "That wasn't luck. You knew the anatomy."
"I watch videos," Karly lied. "I have a photographic memory."
Vance studied her. He didn't believe her. But he couldn't deny what he saw.
"You're wasted in high school," he muttered.
"My father," Karly said. "Surgery. Tomorrow."
Vance nodded. "I'll do it. Pro bono. I'll write it off as a teaching case."
"And the waiver my brother signed?"
Vance picked up the paper Hakeem had given him. He crumpled it into a ball and tossed it in the trash.
"What waiver?"
Karly stood up. "Thank you, Doctor."
She walked to the door.
"Wait," Vance said. "What's your name?"
"Karly."
"Karly. If you ever want a recommendation for med school... come find me."
Karly didn't look back. "I won't need it."
