After an hour pacing outside the OR in Chicago, I finally saw Dr. Olivia Brooks stumble out—hair a mess, eyes hollow. I snapped. “My dad’s dying and you’re calm? You’re the head of neuro—where the hell were you?” I grabbed her coat; she only whispered, “I’m sorry. I’ll do everything I can.” Two brutal hours later, she saved him… then walked away. I scoffed—until a nurse choked out the truth: Olivia had just signed to unplug her husband.
After an hour of pacing the surgical waiting area at a Chicago hospital, my legs felt like they didn’t belong to me anymore. The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead. The air smelled like antiseptic and burnt coffee. Every time the double doors swung open, I sprang up—hoping, begging—only to see a janitor, a nurse, anyone but…