Tick! Tick⎯!
7:48 P.M.
I thought I’d be a goner the mont I ssed up the surgery. I really thought there was no way back for as the scalpel slipped past the brain tissue, and my mind went completely blank.
For a mont, the entire world went black.
I lost all control over my arms and legs, the scalpel falling to the ground with a soft ’ting’ as I nearly stumbled over the chair.
My entire world spun as currents of electricity seed to run down my spine, the sensation leaving my entire upper half numb and unresponsive. I drew in deep, unsteady breaths, my chest rising and falling unevenly as I struggled to stay rational, a sharp, constant ringing echoing in the background that refused to fade.
’...This is pretty bad, isn’t it?’
To make matters even worse, I could hear the shifting of sothing coming from next to .
"D..."
The words were drowned by the constant ringing sound, but amidst monts of brief clearance, I was able to hear the words clearly.
"Doctor... you only have two minutes left."
Ah, shit.
I wanted to curse out loud, but my lips refused to move as my stomach churned violently. Lifting my head, the harsh glare of the light above t my gaze, forcing to squint as it felt sharper than before, almost blinding.
I tried to look away, to move sowhere, anywhere, but the mont I shifted, a hand clasped around my wrist. Her voice followed, close to my ear, soft enough to tickle as she whispered, "Doctor... ti is running out."
Tick. Tick—
Tick!
The steady tick of the clock returned, cutting through the constant ringing that echoed in the background until it faded away.
It echoed softly at first, then grew louder with each passing second, until I nearly clutched my head with both hands, the noise so intense it felt as though my skull was splitting apart.
’Ah—’
I clenched my teeth, lifting my head to stare at the pulsing organ before my eyes.
Extending my hand, the nurse handed a new scalpel, her soft voice whispering next to my ear once more, "Ti is running out, doctor, you must hurry."
Despite this, her voice carried no urgency. If anything, it sounded almost amused as her stare sharpened, her lips slowly curling as though she were waiting for to fail. In that mont, I saw sothing shift within her.
Her skin turning paler, her cheekbones sinking further in. Catching a glimpse of her, my entire body shuddered, and I forced my attention back to the patient.
Tick! Tick—
As ti dragged, the change beca more and more apparent.
’Hurry. I...’
I stared at the growth before . With the scalpel in hand, I moved toward it, but as I did, my entire arm trembled, my control slipping as my body threatened to give out just like before.
’D-damn it!’
Thinking about how I ssed up, I wanted to curse myself, but there was no ti.
Tik! Tick—
I had less than a minute.
I needed to get rid of the growth before then.
"Haa... Haa..."
Trying to steady my breathing and my hands, I lowered myself toward the growth. There wasn’t much left, and as I reached it, I carefully worked to remove what remained. It should have taken more ti, but I didn’t have that luxury.
I could feel sothing shift next to as my heart pressed against my chest, my movents hurrying.
I cut through the growth in one swift motion, imdiately followed by a sharp tingling sensation that surged through my entire body.
At the sa ti, I heard soft, distinct creaking sounds coming from beside , a shadow slowly stretching over the space I occupied.
Ba... Thump! Ba... Thump!
The presence seed to grow with each tick of the clock, the sound echoing louder in the background as I pressed my lips together, a deep sense of urgency settling in my chest.
’Co on! Co on!’
I didn’t know how much ti I had, but I knew that I couldn’t afford to care about anything else.
My entire arm shook in my hurried movents, the scalpel nearly cutting the flesh before my eyes again, but I just barely managed to keep it tight in my grasp as I pulled it back and looked at the nurse.
Tick! Tick!
Ti seed to have stopped in that mont, my gaze still locked onto the nurse.
She looked exactly the sa as before, her head tilted to the side as she just smiled at .
As she smiled, she held onto a tal tray before .
"Congratulations, doctor."
I plopped the growth on the tal tray.
"...You’ve succeeded in the surgery."
Staring at her and that smile, I dropped back onto the chair, my breathing ragged as I forced my gaze toward the distant clock. As I did, a sudden wave of nausea hit .
I nearly gagged when I realized there was still ti left before I could leave.
’I don’t want to continue. I... don’t want to.’
I was ntally exhausted, and thinking about all the pain and sensations I had endured, I felt myself nearing my limit. I wanted to stop, but I couldn’t, and as sothing seed to rise in my throat. I barely managed to hold back whatever was forming, my hand reaching for my lips.
"Alright."
The nurse beside clapped, her cheerful voice taking on sothing almost demonic as I looked at her.
"Onto the next patient."
Ah, no...
But despite my protests, the next patient was brought in. The injury was different, but the circumstances remained the sa.
I was forced by the nurse to handle everything under a strict ti constraint. As I began the surgery, there were monts where I nearly slipped up again, the exhaustion weighing heavily on my mind. It was then that I finally realized the true goal of that so-called "fan" of mine.
Perhaps, there was no real trick to make fail.
He didn’t need a trick.
The exhaustion from all the surgeries and pain was enough to make fail.
But despite this, I persisted.
I didn’t stop.
In fact, at so point, I started to ignore the pain and the sensations. Thinking back to the ti that I had spent in hell, this was nothing. I had gone days without eating, drinking or sleeping. I had gone days where I would sacrifice a new part of each day.
Compared to that, this was absolutely nothing.
And thus—
Tick! Tick!
"Haa..."
Ti continued to pass this way.
This persisted until—
Putting the scalpel down and staring at the clock as it struck 10:00 P.M., I finally slumped back into the chair, letting out a long, shaky breath. Parts of my body began to tremble uncontrollably, my mind spasming as the ringing grew louder, swallowing everything else.
The lights above turned harsher, and I could barely make out anything beyond a few shifting shadows. Likely the nurses moving, or trying to say sothing to .
I tried to pay attention, but my mind refused to listen to .
I remained in this sort of state for what felt like hours, only for to realize it had barely been a couple of minutes as everything started to clear up and I barely managed to force myself up.
’It’s over, right?’
I looked at the door.
For so reason, it felt different comapred to the past.
Blinking slowly, I began to walk toward it. Each step felt heavier than the last, the exhaustion deepening as I moved closer and closer to the exit.
Then, stopping just before it, I looked back at the room, blood seeming to cover everything. I gave the place one last glance before turning to the door and stepping past it.
Light blinded once more, though only briefly. As it cleared, I was t with the familiar sight of a hospital corridor.
Only that...
"Huh?"
"Please make way."
Ding! Ding!
"If you have an appointnt, please head for that room."
"Yes, how may I help you?"
I was back in the hospital. This ti, however, it was no longer deserted. People filled the space in every direction. I looked around a few tis, blinking slowly letting out a quiet sigh of relief
’It’s over. I’ve cleared it.’
I nearly stumbled back on the spot, just barely stopping myself as I continued to look around, wondering where Zoey and Rowan were. But I didn’t have to wait for very long as the door next to the one I was in opened, and two figures walked out.
’Good, it looks like they both made.’
I smiled. Although our relationship was a little strained, it was always good to see that they were doing fine.
I went to greet them.
"It seems like you both managed to cl..."
The words died the mont I approached them, my attention catching on Zoey’s gaze as she turned toward . The instant our eyes t, an intense chill ran down my spine, and I stopped dead in my tracks.
At the sa ti, I turned my attention to Rowan, noting his extrely pale expression and lifeless eyes. My gaze shifted between the two, and as I took in Zoey’s deathly glare, I instantly understood that sothing had happened.
My heart sank.
’...I have a feeling that this is going to be extrely troubleso.’
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