A loud monitor tone grazed silence again. She stood, nails biting her palms. A janitor pausing with a mop watched her pace. “They’ll do all they can,” he said gently. She nodded, unable to answer.
Time warped. She stared at a poster of rescued sea otters three times before realizing she’d memorized the hotline number. Her phone buzzed once—spam call. She silenced it, afraid of missing news. The surgical door swung open; Dr. Hallett leaned out, eyes tired.