All Chapters of BENEATH THE SURGEON’S BLADE: Chapter 11 - Chapter 18

The air inside the hospital carried a familiar chill, one that Marcus had long grown accustomed to. The sterile scent of antiseptics lingered in the corridors, blending with the faint hum of medical equipment. It was a setting he navigated daily—unfazed by the cold, unaffected by the rigid environment. His white coat, a symbol of his profession and dedication, fit him like second skin as he walked with steady purpose. In his hands, he held a patient’s chart, his sharp eyes scanning the details with quiet focus. He had checked on this patient the previous day, making sure that his recovery was progressing as expected. The man in question was no ordinary patient—he was a well-known businessman, a figure of influence, and someone whose life now rested in the careful balance of medicine and healing. Three days had passed since Marcus had performed a bypass surgery on him, and now, it was time to assess how well his body was responding to the procedure. When he reached Room 307, Marcus pu

As soon as the doctor stepped out of the ER, Celeste and Eva surged forward, their voices overlapping in urgency. “Doc!”The weight of their desperation hung heavy in the air, their breaths uneven as they searched the doctor's face for any sign of hope. But instead of reassurance, they were met with a somber expression—one that sent an icy shiver down Celeste’s spine. She tightened her grip on Eva’s hand, her heart hammering inside her chest, as if bracing for a storm she wasn’t prepared to face. The doctor exhaled sharply before delivering the words that made Celeste’s world tilt on its axis. “The patient’s condition isn’t good.”The bluntness of the statement cut through her like a dagger, leaving her momentarily frozen. Her fingers, which had been gripping the fabric of her blouse, suddenly felt numb, her palms growing cold and clammy. A sinking feeling coiled in her stomach, making it hard to breathe. She wanted to scream, to demand an explanation, but the words lodged themselves

Even though the room was cold, it wasn’t enough to ease the heaviness pressing down on Celeste’s chest. The air carried a stillness so profound that it felt suffocating, wrapping around her like an invisible weight. The silence was deafening, making her acutely aware of every breath she took, every anxious thought racing through her mind. It was as if time itself had slowed, trapping her in this moment of uncertainty. Yet, amidst the quiet, one sound persisted—the steady, rhythmic beeping of the monitor connected to Salvador. It was a fragile melody of life, a mechanical heartbeat that tethered him to the world, and in turn, anchored Celeste to the fragile hope that he would endure. The sound of the monitor was more than just a medical device doing its job; to Celeste, it was a ticking clock, marking each second that her grandfather still clung to life. Every soft beep reassured her that he was still here, still fighting, but at the same time, it served as an ominous warning. If the

PRESENT DAY… Once again, Marcus’s heart was weighed down with the heavy burden of regret and longing, all because of that haunting memory. It was as though his mind could never truly escape it. Each day, no matter how much time had passed, he found himself drawn back to that painful moment, reliving it as though it had only happened yesterday. Even though it had been ten years since that fateful event, it felt as though the wound was still fresh, as if the emotional scars were as raw and tender as they had been in the beginning. Time had done little to ease the pain, and no matter how much he tried to move forward, the shadow of the past lingered over him, like an inescapable cloud.The years may have slipped by, but the suffering he and his family endured during that time was so deep and profound that it seemed to engrain itself into his very being. It wasn’t just the loss of security or comfort, but the violent shattering of a life that once seemed so full of promise and stability.