Being a doctor, Tom had already rescued more lives than anyone could imagine. However, he could easily tell that it was Patricia's case that made him feel worse among them all. Mixed emotions caused him nervous the whole time when he was operating her and he couldn't even tell why he was so nervous. All he knew was that he would never have the guts to face her or himself anymore if ever he failed.
"Dr. Qin, the patient's hemoglobin is going down." Tom's assistant looked at him with wondering eyes. It wasn't normal for the prestigious doctor to be this uneasy. Thus, he thought, 'This is weird. I have never seen Dr. Qin this anxious before. Why?'
"I know. Stem the bleeding immediately, and check the plasma supply." Tom was holding a scalpel in his blood-covered hand. It was winter now but he was sweating badly. The nurse who was standing next to Tom hadn't stopped wiping his sweat away. Everyone in the operating room knew that this surgery was important to him.
"Okay." The assistant immediately began to stem the bleeding. They always learned a lot every time when they did surgery with Tom.
More chaotic hours passed by. It was already passed ten hours when the light in the operating room finally went out and Tom came out.
"How was Patricia's operation? Did it work?" Leena stood up as soon as she saw Tom. She wanted to run to him but she couldn't since her legs went numb because she sat there for too long.
"I really cannot tell yet. It will be up to her if she will make it or not." Tom's face looked drained and tired. He hoped he could tell everyone that everything was fine but he couldn't. He was not even sure if she would survive.
"Thank you, Tom. I know you tried your best," said Concordia in a thankful tone. She knew that Tom was an excellent and kind doctor. He would not just give up on anyone he wanted to save.
"You're welcome, Mrs. Bai. I will do everything I could to save Patricia. We are friends, right? You should trust me." After saying that, Tom scanned everyone who was waiting outside the operating room. He then fixed his eyes on Leena and frowned.
"I will always remember what you did for her. Thank you, Tom," It was Concordia's sincere words that took his attention from Leena. The old woman had always been a kind and polite person. The situation they were in might be sad now but she just couldn't stop herself from expressing her gratitude.
"Auntie, don't worry. I believe Tom will save Patricia. She will be fine," said Leena with a forced smile. Although she was upset by Tom's vague answer, she still tried to comfort Concordia. She then turned to Tom and stared at him questioningly as she wanted to know more about Patricia's state.
"In addition to the minor wounds, Patricia is suffering a broken left leg, severe visceral damage, and severe head impact. She is in danger now," said Tom gravely with a frown.
"She'll be all right, won't she?" Scared, Leena's feet automatically took a few steps back. She almost fell down when her legs suddenly lost their strength. Luckily, Kevin got his arms around her just in time before she hit the ground.
"It's really hard to say. It depends on her own resistance." Helplessness was washing Tom. He didn't know how to answer their questions in a way that would make them feel better. He just couldn't lie.
"Then when can we see her?" Concordia asked anxiously. She rarely cared about Patricia but Patricia was still her daughter no matter what. It was unavoidable for her to feel as anxious as she was.
"Not now. I will let you know when Patricia is better." As much as possible, Tom was unwilling to rescue people he knew. It was because he just couldn't stop feeling miserable for them. Little did anyone know but he had been under a lot of pressure these days because he kept running into similar things.
"Tom, you have to save her. Please." Leena blinked her tears away and looked to Tom in the eyes. She was really hoping for a positive answer from him.
"I..." Tom was at loss for word. Leena's trusting gaze was making him feel extremely helpless. He didn't know what to say because Patricia's injuries were very serious.
"You're not forcing me to eat?" Leena smiled through tears like a child. She became more and more dependent on Kevin, which was why she acted so capricious in front of him.
"Yes. You little fool. How could you laugh right now when you were crying just seconds ago? You are such a baby." Kevin shook his head resignedly. He was tolerant of her temper because he wanted her to treat him like her brothers. He meant no platonic affair but what he really wanted was to get closer to her than anyone else.
"Hmm! I am not a fool!" said Leena as she glared at Kevin. She was just pretending to be angry as she knew that Kevin loved her so much. She wouldn't tell him directly but God knew how much her heart was melting right now with the sweetness she felt.
Although Kevin and Leena had been separated from each other for a long time, they were both not in the mood to enjoy this tender moment. They were too worried about Patricia. Thus, they both forgot about their teasing words earlier that day.
On the other hand, Tom was having the toughest night. It was given that Patricia was not Tom's type and that was why he turned her down multiple times. However, staring at Patricia as she lying on her hospital bed was driving Tom crazy. He was sad beyond words. He was honestly wishing that she could quarrel with him as before. 'God, what's wrong with me? Why am I feeling this way?' he thought.
A soft sigh escaped from Tom's chest as his hand moved by itself to touch her cheek. He was only seconds away from caressing her face when he suddenly withdrew his hand, as if he was burned. He felt like there was a beast inside him and he was trying his best to control it. He just couldn't allow himself to fall in love with her.
Patricia suffered several cardiac arrests that night and it was fortunate that Tom was beside her to rescue her the whole time. The night was particularly exhausting for Tom. He was both mentally and physically getting tired.
"Do you need a break, Dr. Qin?" A paramedic in the intensive care unit advised Tom to take a rest. He had been operating on Patricia for so long during the day and had been saving Patricia for the rest of the night. Everyone in the intensive care unit knew how tired he was.
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