ATHENA

I make the incision.

It''s clean and deep enough to expose the heart''s edge, but not enough to cause trauma.fn039b ???? ????s? ???????s ?? Find1Novel/fn039b

The nurses around me monitor the vitals, their faces masked but tense. No one dares to breathe louder than me.

I carefully expose the heart that''s still beating. Barely, but still holding on.

The regeneration serum is ready. My parents had been testing and perfecting it because of certain unstable reactions and near-fatal consequences. It wasn''t safe for regr people. But Alex isn''t regr.

He''s never been.

"Dose?" I ask.

"0.8 ml, as calcted based on his weight and cardiac rhythm.”

"Prep the syringe."

The metallic click echoes louder than it should. A part of me wishes I could stop time right now. Just keep him like this alive and still reachable.

But hope alone won''t restart a failing heart.

I take the needle and steady my breath as I insert it directly into the myocardium.

A split second of silence follows.

My heart pounds louder and louder, and we wait for a reaction.

Five seconds.

Ten seconds.

Thud. Thud thud. My heart beats as I keep my eyes on him without blinking. Everyone in this room knows what we''re doing is risky.

They''re all silent as we wait.

Then the monitors beep...

Beep.

Веер. Веер.

The beat quickens.

I exhale in relief.

"Looks good. Let''s-" Before I can get the words out of my mouth,

Everything explodes.

rms scream.

His heart rate spikes violently, pounding too fast and too hard. His blood pressure drops like an elevator cut from its cables.

"Code red! BP is falling! He''s seizing!"

"No, no, no!" I tighten my grip on the syringe and step back as his chest rises unnaturally.

He begins to jerk.

I grab the paddles.

"Charge to 150!"

I press them to his chest.

"Clear!"

Thump.

Nothing.

"200. Now!"

"Clear!"

Thump.

tline.

A long, high-pitched scream pierces the room.

"No..." I whisper, my fingers trembling now. "No. Come on, don''t fight it, Alex."

My mind races. He shouldn''t be reacting like this.

The form is pure, we double checked, the dose is correct. But his body is reacting as if it''s rejecting it.

Not medically.

Instinctively.

Like his soul is refusing to be saved.

"He''s coding! This drug''s not working! We need to call the seniors!"

"No," I whisper. "His body''s not the problem. He is."

"Dr. Athena now''s not the time to y hero. He will die at this rate, and I won''t go

to jail just because you''re too stubborn!" Mathew yells at me.

He rushes out, but the moment he does, I close the door.

I''m finishing this!

"If any of you open that door, I will fucking kill you myself!" I look at each and

every medical staff present.

"Dr. Athena. We trust you." Anna says and I nod with a small smile.

That''s all I need.

I look down at him and I''m so sure of it.

He''s fighting it.

Alex is fighting to die. He doesn''t want the drug to be used on him.

"I need adrenaline. Now."

"Doctor, we-"

"NOW!"

I m the shot into his chest.

Nothing.

Again.

Still nothing.

The nurses stare at me. Everyone''s waiting for me to give up.

But I won''t. He might want to die, but I''m not letting him.

This is payback for everyday he bothered me without letting me go. I will not let him go either.

"I don''t care if you hate me for thister," I mutter. "But I am not letting you go."

I press the defibritors again.

"300. CLEAR!"

THUMP.

A twitch.

"Again!"

"CLEAR!"

THUMP.

"Alex, please. Pleasee back. I love you." I finally confess the words that have

been sitting in my chest like a fucking load.

Everyone''s mouths hang open but I don''t pay them any attention.

"I always have. I''ve just been too stubborn to forgive you because I''ve been afraid you''ll wreck me. That''s how much love I have for you forgive you Pleasee back to us. Our son needs you. I need you! If you don''t, I''ll marry the first man I''ll see tomorrow morning ande with him to your funeral!" I threaten.  s

I notice a sudden jolt.

Then the monitor flickers.

Beep.

One slow beat.

Another.

Then another.

"His back!” I announce through my teary soaked face.

It''s not ethical for a surgeon to cry through surgery but try opening the heart of the man you love and see if the tears won''t fall. Besides, fuck ethics content belongs to s

I''m willing to burry my career if I must.

Sweat clings to my back as I snap into action. My gloves are soaked. The blood

pressure is still low.

But his heart is beating again.

My heart swells and I fight through another wave of tears.

His heart is beating again.

It almost feels like it''s beating for me.

Or maybe jealously. This possessive bastard heard I''d get married tomorrow and

said not on my watch!

A small smile slips my lips.

"Vitals stabilizing..." Nurse anna says in relief.

It''s almost as if life has been breathed into this room.

"Close him up,” I say breathlessly. "Gently. I''ll monitor from post-op."

Just then, hear themotion outside the locked doors. They must

have a spare key because the door

opens

as a number of Senior doctors walk in, anger etched on

their faces.

s

"Dr. Quinn, take over the surgery. Dr Dawson has somewhere to be and wille

with us willingly unless she wants to be dragged out of here!"

"You don''t have to do this while she''s in surgery. Can''t you wait?"n''s tone is

clearly irritated.

I smile at him, "Don''t leave his side. I''ll be fine."

The surgery isplete anyway.

So I walk out hoping nothing goes wrong while these sons of bitches hold me

captive for trying to save him all because they only care about their image!