Rebirth Into My Second Chance

It felt like once I picked up the scalpel, there was no putting it down again.

After finishing the elderly lady's surgery, a steady stream of patients, young and old, kept coming in. It was a non-stop marathon of surgeries, feeling like time and hunger had been forgotten.

It wasn't until darkness enveloped us and the rumble of the generator kicked in, lighting up all the lights above the tent, that I completed the last surgery. Only then did my body feel utterly drained, a wave of dizziness hitting me as I leaned against a bed and slowly slid down to the ground.

"Dr. Floyd, you should clean up," a nurse said, helping me off with the blood-stained gloves and surgical gown, then handing me a bottle of glucose water. "Food's scarce. Have this for now. It'll keep you going."

I downed the glucose water in one go, and the sweetness was overwhelming. That was when I remembered Max, who often had glucose after performing surgery. I wondered how he could stand it.

Looking around for him, I saw he had removed his surgical gown, and a nurse was handing him a bottle of glucose, which he drank without hesitation. Backlit, his Adam's apple worked as he swallowed.

I bit my lip. It was no wonder Max earned the nickname Grim Reaper. He was harsh on himself but gave his all for his patients.

finishing his glucose, Max looked around, seemingly searching for something.

was unclear, but his

glucose bottle against mine,

understood the meaning of

have you been

frowned slightly, thinking. "Lost track. I've been here since the day

he didn't ask

to the electronic ankle monitor on my leg, and his previously relaxed

did it?" His tone lost its usual detachment, and

and walked out of the tent in front of all the medical staff. We reached a solitary tent, where he laid me on a cot. "This is my tent. Stay here, and don't go anywhere," he instructed

Kon

someone in tow, who immediately knelt by my ankle to inspect the electronic monitor. "If we force this off, there could be an electric shock