Chapter 3Two Hearts Pledged

The surgery began, a tense and focused dance of scalpels and sutures. Hours later, Kitty lifted a heart from my chest. Without a second glance, she rushed it into Jason’s operating room.

My chest was a gaping wound. My body lay alone and forgotten on the cold metal table.

Suddenly, the piercing shriek of the heart monitor jolted the attending physician awake.

“He’s dead? I thought he had two hearts.”

One of Kitty’s colleagues sounded confused. “You actually believed that story Dr. Evans told? It was just a joke.”

“Serves him right,” another one muttered. “Trying to seduce Dr. Evans while her husband was dying. He got what he deserved.”

“So, what do we do now?”

“He’s dead. Someone will come for the body eventually. If not, the morgue will deal with it.”

With that, they all left.

Kitty, meanwhile, was completely absorbed in Jason’s surgery. It was her first heart transplant, but she was confident. After several grueling hours, she finished, the procedure a success.

Exhausted but triumphant, she followed Jason to the recovery room. Only after he was settled did a thought of me cross her mind.

As she was heading back to the OR, she ran into a colleague from the surgery.

“Where’s my husband?” she asked.

The colleague thought for a moment. “Isn’t he back in his room already? Don’t worry, someone’s watching him. The nurses in the department will take good care of your husband.”

The odd phrasing didn’t register with Kitty. She figured her colleague was right. With her position in the hospital, the nurses would be sure to look after him.

So, she went back to her office and got back to work.

A day later, Jason woke up. Kitty was right there by his side.

“Jason, you’re finally awake.”

Seeing her, he burst into tears.