Chapter 386

Hayden had just taken a sip of water when the operating room doors burst open. Retta rushed out, her expression serious. "Who's the patient's family?" She was assisting Nate in surgery today.

"I am!" Hayden jumped up so quickly he almost lost his balance. I caught his arm and walked with him toward Retta. "What's happening?"

"There was major bleeding during the surgery. You need to prepare yourselves." She handed him a consent form. Her words hit us like a ton of bricks, freezing us both.

"How bad is it? What's happening now?" Lena, still in scrubs, approached. She wasn't scheduled to be here but had filled in at the last minute.

"We're performing blood transfusions and trying to locate the source of the bleeding," Retta explained, giving another form to Hayden. He remained motionless, his hands frozen with fear.

Unsure what to do, I glanced at Lena, who silently signaled me to take the form. But before I could, Hayden snatched it. He looked at Retta. "Is there a risk of... complications?"

"There is, but Professor Neumann and I are doing everything we can. Please sign quickly—we don't have time to waste," Retta said, her voice steady but urgent.

I squeezed Hayden's hand. He glanced at me, then signed the form. "Thank you for your hard work," Lena said to Retta as she turned to leave. Retta nodded curtly and hurried back into the OR.

Once the door closed, Lena turned to us. "Don't panic. It's just a formality. Professor Neumann's got this."

Hayden paced restlessly, and I stayed close, matching his steps. Two hours crawled by. Finally, the OR light went off. For a moment, it felt as if the world held its breath. Lena had remained with us the entire time, never leaving our side. We stared at the door, as if our whole world resided behind it.

Finally, it opened, and Nate and Retta emerged, still in their surgical attire. They looked like heroes stepping into the light. Hayden and I rushed over. "How did it go?"

Nate smiled. "The surgery was a success." His eyes flicked behind us toward Lena, but we were too focused on Yuna's condition to notice. "When can my sister come out?" Hayden asked, his voice tight.

Nate glanced at Retta, who stepped forward. Lena approached, hands in her scrub pockets, her eyes shining as she looked at Nate. "Thanks for all your hard work, Professor Neumann," she said, her tone teasing.

Nate smirked. "Well... Dr. Lane, aren't you going to say something more?" He offered her his hand. Lena laughed and walked into his arms.

Right there, in front of us, they embraced, naturally and easily. It wasn't a dramatic display, but pure, uncomplicated affection—a partnership on equal footing. Their embrace felt genuine and happy.

Nate and Retta's exit had conveyed a sense of efficient teamwork, lacking warmth. Nate and Lena, however, were different. Their hug, in their scrubs, was real, raw, and human. Retta seemed more like a professional colleague, while Lena was clearly a life partner.

I smiled and leaned into Hayden.