Wise Decisions

Dr. Kim glanced at Dr. Kang, his eyes filled with empathy, as they meticulously washed their hands. "Rowan, there's nothing you could've possibly done differently."

Although Rowan had already scrubbed the blood off his arms and hands, he continued scrubbing even harder. Ryan let out a weary sigh, knowing it was futile to reason with him. Rowan took every accident that occurred under his watch personally.

Ryan turned off the water and dried his hands with a disposable towel. As he discarded it, he opened the door to leave but not before offering some words of comfort. "The patient's husband made the agonizing decision to prioritize the babies' lives over hers. I know this is incredibly difficult for you, but try to see it this way—we did manage to save three lives, even if one of them is currently in a coma." Rowan kept scrubbing his hands, unaffected by Ryan's words. Ryan shook his head sympathetically and reassured him, "I'll go talk to the twin's father and family. If you're not ready, don't worry—I've got you covered."

With that, Ryan left the room. As soon as the door closed behind him, Rowan stopped scrubbing his hands. He looked up at the ceiling and let out a heavy sigh. Opening his eyes, he turned off the water and stared at his reflection in the mirror.

"I saved three lives," he repeated silently in his mind, attempting to cling to a positive outlook. However, a weighty realization settled in his gut, overshadowing his attempts at optimism. "But one of them is now living with a tube down their throat. That's not really living."

Rowan briskly pulled open the door, stepping into the corridor without even bothering to dry his hands. As he walked out of the surgery pod and headed towards the ICU waiting room, his heart sank as he witnessed a grown man sobbing beside Ryan, who comforted him with gentle pats on the back.

Before Ryan could turn around and notice Rowan's intense gaze, Rowan quickly averted his eyes and hurriedly headed towards the main nursing hub. He pushed open the doors, causing the nurses to step aside, feeling the strange aura radiating from him. Aware that they were watching, he increased his pace as he pushed through the doors labeled 'Maternity and Women's Health.' He needed to ensure the well-being of the twins.

Navigating through several turns and encountering people who moved out of his way, Rowan finally reached the nursery. He didn't muster the courage to enter, so he observed from outside. However, shock washed over his face when he noticed that none of the beds held a single baby. For the first time in a long while, tears threatened to well up in his eyes. The babies couldn't possibly be...

Just as he was about to enter the nursery in a panic, he spotted Evelyn inside, cradling a baby in her arms. Instant relief flooded Rowan, and shortly afterward, another nurse emerged, also carrying an infant as if her life depended on it. Rowan couldn't see her entire face due to the mask, but her striking honey-brown eyes met his gaze. He instinctively looked away, puzzled by his uncharacteristic aversion to eye contact.

Stubbornly, he glanced up again, but both the nurse and Evelyn had disappeared. Rowan approached the nursery doors, which swung open to reveal two incubators, each carrying a baby. Upon closer inspection, he recognized them as the twins. Two nurses pushed the incubators past him.

Then Abby, wearing a mask, emerged from the doors. She locked eyes with Rowan and halted in front of him. Almost mechanically, Rowan took a step back.

"If it weren't for Lily, Evelyn, and Dr. Thorne, those babies would never have made it. You and Ryan need to ensure that your team knows what to do—and what not to do—with babies, especially preemies. And what occurred today is definitely not the way to handle it." With those words, Abby stomped away in her heels, following the path of the incubators. Rowan pondered two things: just how grave was the situation, and did she mention Dr. Thorne, the new doctor?

Soon, Evelyn and Dr. Thorne emerged from the nursery, engaged in a conversation. Upon catching a glimpse of Rowan from the corner of her eye, Evelyn tapped Dr. Thorne and gestured towards him, speaking a few words. Dr. Thorne nodded before Evelyn walked over to Rowan, removing her mask in the process.

"So, how are the twins?" Rowan inquired.

"When they left us, they were considerably warmer than before," Evelyn sighed. "But what happened today must never happen again."

"What exactly happened? Abby mentioned some things, but I don't think she told me everything because she was angry."

"And she has every right to be," Evelyn replied. "Two surgeons—probably residents—brought the babies to the nursery. Those two numbskulls should've known that preemies are taken to the NICU first!"

Rowan groaned. "So, that's why they were leaving the nursery in incubators? The twins have been here without proper care?" The guilt he already felt over the twins' mother intensified, and the mere thought of losing both boys made his head throb.

"Exactly. And it gets even worse. They left Lily, a first-year resident—or rather, it's practically her first week—alone with both babies! Just imagine, she had to handle them one at a time. What if she accidentally dropped one? Moreover, she couldn't leave the nursery either. She had the presence of mind to be concerned about the twins' health. What if someone in the hallway sneezed while she passed by without the babies? Their fragile lungs and bodies aren't equipped to handle that, especially as preemies!" Evelyn's voice began to rise again, catching the attention of Alaynah, who looked over at them with concern.

Rowan noticed the new pair of eyes on them, prompting him to try and calm Evelyn down. "Can you tell me who was responsible?"

"No, Lily left. She was so traumatized that I gave her the day off. And how could you not know who had the babies? They were the only ones walking around with blood-stained hands!"

Alaynah decided to intervene, not wanting Evelyn to bear any more stress than necessary. "Evelyn, let's return to the office. I think you need to rest."

Evelyn closed her eyes and took deep breaths. Instinctively, Alaynah offered her support, holding onto her gently. "Michael doesn't pay me enough to handle this," Evelyn complained.

Alaynah chuckled, and for a brief moment, Rowan's eyes lingered on her before he grumbled and turned his attention back to Evelyn. "Dr. Kang, I presume. Nice to meet you. If you don't mind, could you help her back to the office? I'll go ahead and fetch a few patient files for the upcoming appointments."

Evelyn opened her eyes quickly. "I haven't even briefed you on the patients yet."

Alaynah patted her back. "And you will, but right now, I'm playing doctor and insisting that you sit down. You don't look well enough to continue training me." Evelyn hesitated for a moment, gazing at Alaynah before finally nodding in agreement. "See, the easy part is over. Doctors usually don't like being told what to do."

Evelyn let out a snort. "If I weren't so exhausted, I'd definitely argue back."

Alaynah laughed once more. "And I can't wait for that. But let's get you to the office first. Maybe then you can scold me." Rowan approached Evelyn, placing one arm around her waist, while Alaynah gently placed the other arm around him.

Alaynah glanced at the clock, searching for one until her eyes settled on it. "Your next appointment is in thirty minutes. Since it's noon now, and you have about two hours left, I'll clock in and cover for you until my shift starts at two. Take this time to rest."

"Alright, good call."

"Great. After I grab the files, I'll see you in about an hour. I also want to familiarize myself with this wing during the next fifteen minutes." Evelyn, too exhausted to speak, nodded her head. Alaynah gave a grateful smile before turning her attention to Dr. Kang again. "And I know you're a surgeon who needs to return to the ICU, but could you please check her blood pressure and heart rate?"

"No problem."

Alaynah smiled in appreciation, realizing that her mask was still on. She pulled it down and smiled again. "Thank you for your help." Rowan simply nodded as Alaynah hurried off to gather more information about the next patient.

Dr. Kang remained frozen in place until Evelyn opened one eye and glanced up at him. "Interesting," she remarked, before closing her eyes once more.

Rowan blushed slightly, grumbling to himself before slowly guiding her to the office. "Evelyn, I can hear your mind racing. Whatever it is, the answer is no."

"But—"

"No."

"Fine, you're such a boring person."

"I am not."

"You are too."

"I am not."

"You are too, and that's final," Evelyn said with a hint of firmness.

Rolling his eyes, Rowan replied, "Whatever."