Chapter 7

N O E L L E

“The operation is successful.” The patient’s relatives sighed in relief as they cried in happiness. My heart feels warm every time I save lives. I can feel the joy radiating from them. “We will transfer him to the ICU in an hour. You may visit him once he regains consciousness.” I informed them.

“Thank you, Dr. Lewis. We owe you our son’s life. Thank you so much.” The patient’s mother said with full of gratitude. I want to tell her that I was just a tool in saving his son’s life, but it’s actually our God’s doing. Miracle does happen every day.

I flashed a warm smile to all of them before going back to the operating room. I remind the resident doctors to monitor the patient thoroughly to check possible changes in his condition.

I collected my phone and my white coat as I headed back to my office. I will make my rounds in fifteen minutes, and I am starving. I am craving spicy food. I hope Maxwell ordered something for me.

When I entered my office, a smell of ramyeon lingered in my nose, and I couldn't help but get excited. Maxwell smiled at my reaction. “I knew you would like it.” He stated.

“You know me well. Thank you! I love ramyoen!” I get the chopsticks and start eating them. I need to fill in my stomach in fifteen minutes. Maxwell put a few dumplings on my ramyeon, and my eyes twinkled in happiness.

“Is the CEO bothering you?” Maxwell suddenly asked while preparing a cup of coffee.

I shake my head while eating. “No,” I answered.

“I’m glad to hear it.” It’s been two days since he became the new CEO, and I’ve never seen him since then. He probably realized that he could not do whatever he wanted just because he was the CEO. “Tomorrow is the weekend. Are we going to visit Noah?”

“Probably we will visit him next weekend. I’m still worried about Levi’s return. He might be checking information about me for the past six years.”

Maxwell nods in approval. “Let’s just call him once we get home to inform him and mom.” He said, and I agreed.

I finished a bowl of ramyeon, and I hurriedly made my rounds with other resident doctors. The emergency room called me exactly right after my rounds because of a motorcycle accident. The driver was not wearing a helmet, so I immediately requested a CT scan and MRI to check his head. It seems that the patient has severe TBI or Traumatic Brain Injury. He was bleeding heavily and unconscious.

We execute an emergency operation to save his life. We removed clotted blood or hematomas, and we also repaired his skull fractures. It took us a few hours to stop the bleeding. I met his parents outside the operating room and explained the details in the simplest way I could.

Severe TBI is not a joke. The patient may require rehabilitation because I’m afraid it affects his motor skills to do day-to-day work. His parents seem devastated by the news, but I assure them that the operation was successful. We just have to wait for the patient to wake up.

They understood the situation and thanked me over and over again for saving the patient’s life. I hope he recovers soon.

A few minutes have passed, and another emergency operation came in. Accidents are usually at night these days. I wonder what they were doing not to get hurt, or it was their fate.

“Let’s go home, Zombie Noelle.” Maxwell snatched my bag as he teased me. We were walking in the hallway when we saw the other two neurosurgeons that looked like a corpse. They were busy the whole night too. I wonder if they got a chance to eat.

“They look worse than I am,” I said as we passed them. Maxwell chuckled at my remarks. “You don’t look tired,” I commented.

“I did not have surgery last night. I just monitored the babies in the pediatric ward.” He explained.

“Good for you,” I commented as I massaged my nape. “I never thought you love babies and children that much that you even chose to be a pediatric surgeon.”

“It all started with Noah. He’s the reason why I decided to dedicate my life to babies and children.” I smiled at him. It warms my heart every time he says how he loves Noah.

“By the way, have you talked to your manager about your return?” He received a call from his former manager regarding his comeback in the music industry. He had stopped performing when we entered medical school.

He groaned in frustration. “I don’t think I can make it. I still love singing, but my hands are full now. I cannot be a singer and a surgeon at the same time.”

“Then just tell him your decision.”

“I will.” We were about to exit the hospital when a bouquet of white tulips suddenly appeared in front of me. I instantly halt on my track as I look at the man holding the flowers.

I looked at him in confusion. “What are you doing?” I asked Levi as he uncomfortably looked at me. He must be feeling awkward around the people looking at us.

“I’m…” He looks away as he gulps. His ears are red, and he’s sweating. “I’m sorry, Noelle.” He finally said, and I could not help but chuckle.

“For what?” I asked as I looked at Maxwell, who shook his head in annoyance.

“I’m sorry for everything.” I sigh as he says those words while looking intently into my eyes. He really means it, but I hope words can change everything in just a snap of a finger. He has no idea what he has done.

“Please stop wasting your time and effort, sir. We are in the hospital. You cannot just do what you please.” I grab Maxwell’s hand and drag him out of the hospital.

“I’m not gonna lose to Maxwell,” Levi said with greeted teeth as he looked at our hands.

“You already lose the game the moment you choose your woman, sir,” I said before leaving him behind.

Maxwell was chuckling when he suddenly raised our hands, clasping them together. “I’m not gonna lose to you too, Levi!” He shouted as he laughed.

I laughed at him. “You are such a tease.”

“He deserved it for challenging me.” He said as he smirked.

The next day, Maxwell and I received a memo about changing our work schedule and day off. It was signed by none other than the great CEO.

“It has already begun,” Maxwell said as he stared at the memo.

“What?” I asked as I tried to suppress my anger.

“The war has already started, but we are not going to lose, Noelle.” He said, and it eased my mind somehow.