“Stop the bleeding. Clamp it fast!”
“Right away!”
“Seal the vessel! And get the blood bank on the line! We need units urgently!”
“Understood!”
“Doctor! Pressure’s crashing! Oxygen levels aren’t registering at all!”
“Increase the oxygen pressure! Start pushing fluids at full force!”
“Doctor, his heart rate just dropped below forty!”
Just outside the operating room, Phillips stood alone, finally catching a breath. Reaching into his coat pocket, he retrieved his phone and unlocked the screen. He tapped out messages to Hadley without hesitation.
“Hadley, something happened to Mr. Scott. He collapsed at the airport. We rushed him back to Srixby, and he’s now in surgery.”
“Before he blacked out, he asked me to let you know immediately.”
“Please message me once you read this—or call. If you’re coming home, tell me when you’ll land. I’ll be there to get you.”
Once the messages were sent, Phillips stared at the screen, hoping for a reply. There was nothing left for him to do now but wait. Prineville was far. Getting there would take time.
Phillips held onto a quiet hope that Hadley would read his message and come back without delay.
Every passing minute felt too long.
Suddenly, Hadley’s eyes flew open. A sharp inhale filled her lungs as if she had surfaced from deep water. It was the kind of breath someone took after escaping a dream that clung to the skin like fog.
The details of that dream slipped away the moment she woke. She didn’t remember anything specific, but something about it left her unsettled—like waking from a nightmare she couldn’t name.
Sweat clung to her back, cold and clammy against the fabric of her shirt. Her heart pounded fast, and a strange hollowness settled in her chest.
Surveying her surroundings, she saw passengers reaching for their luggage from the overhead bins. A calm announcement began playing over the intercom.
“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Prineville. Kindly collect your belongings and prepare to exit the aircraft…”
The announcement confirmed it—she had landed.
Hadley folded the blanket neatly before setting it aside, then stood to grab her bag from the overhead compartment. Without delay, she joined the slow-moving stream of passengers exiting the plane.
Her hand slipped into her coat pocket, fingers brushing against her phone. She paused. Eric’s messages flickered in her memory like a warning she wasn’t ready to face.
Instead of turning the device on, she slid it back into her pocket without checking anything.
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Message from Noa: I hope you enjoyed the new chapters, dear ones. Today, we also have a newly completed novel. God loves you, and Noa wishes you all the best. (? ? – ? ) ?
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