It was a routine stop to check for drunk drivers—the traffic police often patrolled the area since it was within the entertainment district.
And Zachary still reeked of alcohol
"Sir, would you please step out of the vehicle?" The traffic officer beckoned.
Zachary was speechless, but had no choice other than to leave his car cooperatively.
He had no idea how much he drank—it had been an entire night.
The breathalyzer inevitably detected a sufficient blood alcohol level for the traffic officer to arrest Zachary for drunk driving, and they impounded his car.
That also meant points deducted off his driving license, and he was sent to lockup pending bail.
…
At the hospital, Irene transplanted the artificial heart into the patient with a congenital heart defect.
After all, she was the only person in the country who had ever performed that surgery. No other doctor was confident enough to do it, and they were also concerned that they would bring trouble down on their own heads, since the artificial heart was still a recently developed technology.
Though Irene did not want to, the patient and their family met her through Finn's liaison and pleaded for her help.
Unable to refuse because of the Hippocratic Oath, she returned to the surgical table no thanks to Finn.
The surgery lasted five hours, and Irene was better at it now thanks to the experience she gained from the last time.
The patient was young and met all the requirements for such a major surgery.
The surgery was a success too, and things looked good for him.
As Irene left the operation room, the patient's parents quickly approached her. However, they appeared too nervous to ask, seemingly afraid that it would be bad news.
Though they were only in their forties, they already had white hair—probably from the stress of their child's condition.
Still, Irene told them, "The surgery was a success, and he's been sent to the intensive care unit. The next 24 hours can be risky, but he will most definitely be fine if nothing comes up."
"Really?" The couple grasped her hand in excitement. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," Irene replied. She then arranged for them to visit the patient, albeit from behind a glass screen.
Still, being able to see their child would grant them some extent of relief!
With that done, Irene left the hospital with Finn in tow.
"Thank you very much for this," he suddenly said. "I'm sorry I brought you so much trouble."
"It's not your fault," Irene replied. "I can't turn them down anyway."
She was a doctor, and that patient had all the right conditions to receive an artificial heart transplant. All they needed was her surgery, and they would have hope to live.
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