Chapter 6 - The Longest Hour
Two hours passed. The sun slowly rose over Lake Michigan, casting a pale, golden light through the high windows of the surgical waiting area.
Andrew sat on the low couch, his wool coat discarded on the floor, his shirt sleeves rolled up. Lauren was sitting beside him, her small blue Bible open on her knees. She was turning the pages with great care, pointing to the faded gold letters she couldn't quite read yet.
“Look, Daddy,” she said softly, pointing to a verse. “Mommy drew a little heart here.”
Andrew looked down, his eyes softening as he recognized Mary’s elegant handwriting in the margin of the old book: Faith is the substance of things hoped for.
Suddenly, the heavy pneumatic doors of the surgical suite hissed open. Dr. Catherine Vance walked out, her green scrubs stained with water, her surgical mask hanging loose around her neck. Her expression was completely unreadable.
Andrew stood up so fast his chair scraped violently against the floor. Lauren grabbed his thumb, her little body tense with anticipation.
“Catherine,” Andrew gasped, his voice trembling.
A brilliant, exhausted smile broke across Dr. Vance’s face. She wiped her brow with the back of her wrist. “The surgery was a complete, textbook success, Andrew. We managed to evacuate the hematoma without causing any secondary tissue damage. The pressure dropped instantly. Her vitals are stronger than they’ve been since she was admitted.”
Andrew let out a long, ragged breath, his shoulders collapsing as a wave of profound relief washed over him.
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“Can we see her?” he whispered.
“She’s in the recovery suite,” Dr. Vance smiled, reaching down to gently pat Lauren’s cheek. “She’s still groggy from the anesthesia, but she’s awake. And she’s already asking for her daughter.”
