Chapter 173: Hope

In the operating room, the doctors worked tirelessly. The nurses helped wipe their sweat. They were all focused, never letting their eyes close even a wink. The head doctor in particular worked like his life depended on it.

Even if they didn't know this woman, they felt the need to help her. The machines beeped continuously, oxygen mask fastened to her nose. The doctor sighed in relief after a while. He stepped back, sighed, and said.

“She's a fighter. Stitch her up, I think we are g—”

Suddenly the machines started beeping crazily. The doctor turned sharply to the sound.

“Doctor, pressure dropping.” a nurse called out in panic.

The lead rushed back to her side. He put on new gloves and began the operation again but this time, none of her vitals were stable.

“Stay with me. Come on—” he said.

Another doctor brought the machine. He rubbed them together.

“Clear.” he cried out as he pressed it against her chest. Her chest rose and fell but nothing changed.

The doctor rubbed the machine together again.

“Clear.”

They did this three times but there was no change. Just when they were about to go in for the third one...

Flat line.

All the doctors stopped. The lead doctor stared at the monitor for a second longer than necessary.

Hoping for something. But nothing happened.

He exhaled slowly. Then he said solemnly, in a low and tired voice.

“…Time of death, 1:03 a.m.”

No one spoke. A nurse wrote on her pad.

The machines were turned off one by one. The doctor stepped back, pulling off his gloves slowly, his movements lacking the agility and urgency they had when he started.

He turned to look at the body, a nurse had already begun cleaning away the blood, revealing more of her features.

And that only made him feel worse.

“…She was beautiful,” one of the nurses whispered softly, tears gathering in her eyes.

The lead doctor looked away, he raised his head to stop the tears from falling.

“Yeah,”

The doctor stepped out. He urgently craved a smoke. Seeing the lifeless body on that table made him start questioning life. He decided at that point to start living right and living well.

He shook his head.

“What do you mean?” a voice screamed beside him. He jumped and turned to see a man charging towards him. He took a step back ready to bolt when his eyes met the other man’s.

The man grabbed him by the shirt.

“What do you mean,” he repeated, slowly sounding out each word this time.

The doctor then realised he was acting about the woman’s condition. He suddenly felt very heavy in his heart. Guilt weighed down on him.

“I'm sorry,” he said with so much effort. “But we did all we could.”

Desmond could not believe his ears. He pushes the doctor away.

“No. “ he shook his head slowly. “You're lying. Tell me you’re lying.”

The doctor looked away.

Desmond's knees buckled. “She can't be gone. We were happy. Just this morning, she—”

He turned to the door and bolted in before anyone could stop him. The nurses and lingering doctors were all startled. Desmond ignored them as he reached Kalyssa’s side.

“Baby. Baby wake up. We have to go home.” he said quietly. As if she were just sleeping and he didn't want to startle her.

The people in the room looked at each other.

“Baby please wake up. I'm sorry I shouldn't have let you use the car. It's all my fault. You can blame me but just…wake up.” he reaches out. His hands are shaking. His vision blurry. He touched her face.

“Wake up!” his voice rose but the woman in the end did not move.

“Wake up and I'll get you anything you want. You're scaring me.” Desmond didn't know what he was thinking but to him…

She was just sleeping.

‘She had a small smile on her lips. The same smile she had when she was ranking him. That was all Desmond was thinking of.

“Baby!” he called out but no answer. He stopped and frowned. Then it slowly began to dawn on him. She wasn't joking.

“KALYSSA. WAKE UP!” he screamed shaking her face.

“Kalyssa you can't do this to me. You can't leave me here. I can't go on without you. Kalyssa baby, get up.” he screamed as he shook her. Tears fell on her body, and he wiped it off.

“Kakyssa no. Please..” Desmond slowly sank to his knees.

He raised his head to look at the ceiling. “WHY DID YOU TAKE HER FROM ME?! WHY DID YOU TAKE THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERED TO ME?”

The doctors outside all looked away, some couldn't hold their tears, some pinched themselves to retain composure.

A man steps into focus. When the doctors and nurses noticed him they all jumped in fear. When they realised themselves they rushed forward to help him. The man avoided their hands, he limped his way to the operating room door.

He looked inside and the wretched desperate cries assaulted his ears. Andrew stood there, his clothes were disheveled, stained with dirt and streaks of blood, his face marked with bruises that hadn’t fully formed yet.

The doctors glanced at him warily, unsure, unsettled by the way he just stood there, leaning heavily on one leg.

But Andrew didn’t notice them.

Didn’t care.

His eyes were fixed on the door. Listening. Something inside him twisted. He knew at that moment that he could never. Never love Kalyssa as Desmond loved her.

He was such a fool.

What had he been fighting for? He was doing fine on his own, but why did he go ahead and ruin everything?

And now the only woman he ever loved was dead. Killed by him.

He swallowed hard, his chest tightening as tears welled up in his eyes despite himself.

“I…” he exhaled shakily. “I didn’t…”

He didn’t finish.

Because there was nothing to say.

Nothing that could undo this.

Inside the room. Desmond cried his heart out, he was wheezing, breathless but nothing could take away the pain he felt. He kept seeing her smile, her face behind his eyelids when he closed his eyes.

She had been perfect, and now she was gone.

“Why?” he whispered, raised his hands and beat down hard, unintentionally. Her skin was cold she didn't move.

He beat down once, twice. He raised his hands again when—

A sound echoes faintly in the room. The doctors at the door froze.

A beep.

Everyone stopped to listen. The doctor’s eyes snapped to the monitor.

“…Wait,” he breathed.

Desmond hadn't realised yet. One of them stepped forward instinctively, ready to pull him away.

When he was pulled, Desmond was ready to snap when he heard it.

Another beep.

He looked towards the monitor, The line moved.

Desmond froze.

“…Kalyssa?” he whispered.

The sound was unmistakable.

The doctor rushed forward. “Get the defibrillator back—move!”

The room exploded back into motion. Desmond was pushed aside, his mind struggling to catch up with what was happening.

His hands still shook. His tears hadn’t stopped.

But now—

There was hope.