**ng!**
The scalpel hit the floor with a sharp, metallic ring.
The anesthesiologist froze, syringe halfway to the IV.
Director Grant frowned, turning to the first assistant. "What''s going on?" The assistant looked startled, hands raised in protest. "It wasn''t me, I—" Suddenly, the anesthesiologist yanked out the needle. "It''s an earthquake!" Briony''s eyes snapped open.
Above her, the surgical lights flickered ominously. Her head spun, and the operating table beneath her rolled and shuddered.
A momentter, rms red throughout the hospital.
"Pause the surgery! Evacuate through the emergency exits-now!"
Briony, still dazed, was helped off the table by Ste and the anesthesiologist.
The operating room doors flew open. The hallway was a chaos of patients and staff, everyone pushing toward safety.
James spotted them and hurried over.
"Are you alright? Did the surgery-?"
"Let''s get out of here first!" Ste interrupted, steadying Briony as they made for the exit.
James nodded, his tall frame shielding them as they moved swiftly down the corridor.
Fortunately, the tremors subsided almost as quickly as they''d begun.
Now the emergency stairwell and hallways were jam-packed with people. Even though the shaking had stopped, everyone looked rattled, bracing for aftershocks. Then, finally, the hospital rms fell silent.
A few secondster, a gentle female voice came over the inte: "This is an update from the Seismology Bureau. At 10:45 this morning, a 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck the city. The immediate danger has passed. Medical staff, please escort patients safely back to their rooms, and check carefully for injuries..."
Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief.
The staff began guiding patients back to their wards.
"Bryn, are you okay?" Ste asked, searching Briony''s face.
Briony nodded. "I''m fine."
"Good thing I hadn''t started the anesthesia yet," Director Faust said, pausing to catch his breath. "Otherwise, we''d have had to carry you out unconscious." He managed a wry smile. "In all my years as a surgeon, I''ve never had an earthquake interrupt an operation."
"Earthquakes are rare here in Northborough," Ste added. "I''ve lived here all my life, and I''ve never felt anything like that.”
Director Grant gave Briony''s abdomen a thoughtful nce. "Regardless, we''ll have topletely re-sterilize everything if we continue. Ms. Kensington, please return to your room and wait for further instructions."
Briony lowered her eyes, instinctively cing a hand over her stomach.
Ste and James exchanged a look-each wanted to say something, but neither dared.
It wasn''t their ce to persuade her. If Briony kept the baby, she''d face all the responsibilities of single motherhood—a hard road, and they both knew it.
So, in silence, they escorted Briony back to her room.
Just as they reached the door, a nurse from the neighboring room burst out, breathless. "Dr. Joyner! The woman in bed 38-her incision''s opened up, she''s bleeding a lot, and Dr. Wace is stuck with another emergency. Can you help?" "Of course," Ste replied, giving Briony a quick squeeze before hurrying inside. From the doorway, Briony could see the patient: a woman, pale and trembling in bed, beside a crib holding a peacefully sleeping newborn.
Ste examined the wound, her expression darkening. "We''ll have to re-stitch. How did it tear so badly?"
The nurse sighed. "When the quake started, her mother-inw ran off on her own -left her and the baby behind. She tried to escape while holding her newborn, and the incision tore open."
"That''s just awful." Ste shook her head, then turned to the weeping new mother. Her voice softened. "Don''t worry, I''ll give you a local anesthetic before I start."
"I want to breastfeed," the woman managed between sobs. "Will the anesthetic affect my milk?"
Despite her pain, she was still thinking of her baby. Ste''s heart went out to her.
With a gentle smile, she reassured her, "It''s safe. You can breastfeed after a local."