The man stepped behind Madison’s curtain.
He was inside for forty-one seconds.
That was all.
Forty-one seconds.
Then he left.
Seven minutes later, Madison’s blood pressure crashed.
Her surgical drain filled with bright red blood.
Her heart rate shot above 140.
An ICU resident called a rapid response.
Lauren was three floors away when her phone rang.
She should not have answered.
She did anyway.
“Dr. Cole, it’s Melissa. Madison’s bleeding.”
Lauren was already standing.
Hannah blocked the door.
“No.”
“She’s bleeding.”
“You’re not her surgeon anymore.”
“She shouldn’t be bleeding.”
“Lauren.”
“I closed every vessel myself.”
“You’re thirty-one weeks pregnant.”
Lauren looked at her.
“Then come with me.”
Hannah swore.
They reached the ICU as Madison was being stabilized.
Lauren did not touch the patient.
She stood outside the room and reviewed numbers.
INR.
PTT.
Platelets.
Hemoglobin.
Something was wrong.
The clotting values had changed too fast.
