Chapter 72: Dennis Surgery

Chapter 72: Dennis Surgery
As the door to the surgery room swung open, Lydia, Melissa, Julia, and Detective Philip rushed toward the doctor in a near panic.

"Doctor, where's Dennis? How was the surgery?" Lydia asked, her voice trembling, barely able to hold herself together.

The doctor, still wearing his surgical cap and gloves, looked up wearily. His eyes were tired, as if they had seen too much already in just one day. "Are you related to the patient?"

"We're his friends," Melissa quickly replied before Lydia could speak again.

The doctor glanced at Detective Philip for confirmation. The detective gave a silent nod, signalling that the girls were indeed close to the patient.

Taking a deep breath, the doctor began. "Well, thankfully, the first surgery was successful."

Lydia blinked rapidly. "First surgery? What do you mean first? Are you saying Dennis still needs to undergo another surgery?"

"Yes, miss," the doctor said gently. "As you may have heard from the officer, the patient's condition is quite serious. The surgery we just completed was to stop internal bleeding and stabilise his vitals. Unfortunately, there are multiple bone fractures that also require surgical attention. But in his current state, putting his body through more trauma would be too dangerous."

Lydia’s hands flew to her mouth as tears began to well up in her eyes again. Her body swayed slightly. Melissa placed a hand on her shoulder while Julia gently rubbed her back, both of them trying their best to keep her grounded.

"So what happens now?" Julia asked, stepping forward.

"He'll be moved to the ICU, where we’ll monitor him closely," the doctor explained. "Once his body is strong enough, we’ll schedule the second surgery. Right now, the goal is to let his system recover from the shock and regain enough strength."

"Will he be conscious?" Melissa asked, glancing between the doctor and the doors behind him.

"Not yet. We’ve sedated him to keep his body calm. But if all goes well, he might regain consciousness in a day or two."

Just then, Detective Philip’s phone began to ring. He stepped aside to answer it, giving the girls a little space.

"Hello, David," he said, recognising the number.

"Detective, we’ve been able to reach the victim’s parents. They’re on their way to the hospital right now," Officer David reported on the other end.

"Got it. Thanks," Philip replied before ending the call.

He turned to the group. "Dennis’s parents are on their way. They should be here any moment."

The girls nodded, relief mixed with anxiety on their faces. They didn’t know what Dennis’s parents would say or how they’d react. None of them had ever met them before. Lydia had always wondered about them, but Dennis never really talked much about his family. Now, they were finally going to meet, but under the worst possible circumstances.

A few moments later, several nurses and two orderlies emerged from the operating room, pushing Dennis on a rolling hospital bed. His body was mostly covered by a sterile white drape, but his head was visible. An oxygen mask rested over his nose and mouth, and there were bruises around his forehead and jaw. Tubes were connected to his arm, and machines beeped softly beside him.

Lydia’s heart sank. Her feet moved instinctively toward him. "Dennis! Oh Dennis, why are you like this?" she cried out, her voice cracking as she followed the bed, her legs moving faster than her thoughts.

She tried to follow the nurses into the ICU, but the doctor quickly blocked her path.

"I’m sorry, but you can’t go in right now. Only medical staff are allowed until we settle him in. Please give us a moment," the doctor said, placing a firm but understanding hand on her arm.

Melissa and Julia held onto Lydia as she broke down completely, her cries filling the hallway. She slumped to the floor, her sobs echoing against the white-tiled walls. The once brightly lit hospital corridor now felt like a tunnel of dread and helplessness. Everything around them slowed down. Even the people walking past seemed to tread more softly, as if the weight of the moment reached out to everyone.

The doctor gave Lydia a small, understanding nod before turning away to assist his team. The doors to the ICU swung shut behind him, sealing Dennis away once again.

Minutes felt like hours.

The girls sat on the benches outside the ICU ward, their eyes fixed on the double doors. Every time they heard a sound or footsteps, their heads snapped up, hoping it would be someone with an update. But nothing came. No updates. No news. Just the faint buzz of hospital lights and the occasional beep from a machine in the background.

Detective Philip stood quietly a few feet away, arms crossed, his face unreadable. He checked his phone once or twice but mostly stayed silent, giving the girls space. In moments like this, there wasn't much to say. Everyone was waiting for the same thing—some sign of hope.

Suddenly, the quiet of the corridor was disrupted by the sound of rushed footsteps. A man and a woman came running into the hallway. They looked completely out of breath, their clothes dishevelled, eyes wide with panic. The woman was clutching her bag to her chest, and the man kept glancing around, as though he wasn’t sure where to go.

"Where is he? Where’s our son?" the woman asked frantically, her voice cracking with emotion.

Detective Philip stepped forward. "You must be Mr. and Mrs. James. I’m Detective Philip. Dennis was brought in earlier today after a traffic accident. He’s currently in the ICU. The doctors just completed the first of two surgeries."

The woman gasped. Her knees buckled slightly, and the man quickly held her up. She leaned into him, her breathing uneven. "Two surgeries? Oh God," she whispered.

"They stopped the internal bleeding for now," the detective continued, keeping his voice steady. "But he still needs another surgery. The doctors will wait until he’s stable enough."

Mrs. James clutched her chest, struggling to breathe. She was trying to stay strong, but the tears were already running down her cheeks. Her husband held her tightly, his own face pale and tense.

Lydia stood slowly, hesitating for a moment before walking up to them.

"I'm Lydia," she said softly. "I’m Dennis’s... girlfriend. I came here as soon as I got a call that he was in an accident. I’m so sorry this happened."

Dennis’s mother looked at her, eyes glassy and red. She blinked, and for a moment, her lips parted as if to say something. But instead, she just nodded weakly. "Thank you for being here."

Lydia nodded back. She didn’t know what else to say. There was nothing she could offer them except her presence—and maybe the truth that Dennis hadn’t been alone.

Melissa and Julia stood behind her in quiet support, and even Detective Philip seemed to let his shoulders drop slightly. In the heaviness of the moment, the weight was shared.

They all stood there in the hallway, strangers bound by the tragedy of the moment, each one silently wishing for the same thing — that Dennis would pull through.

The tension in the air was heavy, the future uncertain. But at least for now, they weren’t alone. In this sterile corridor filled with pain and fear, they had each other.

And just like that, the ICU doors closed once more, hiding Dennis behind them.