Chapter 8 - The Crucible of Friday
The morning of the surgery arrived with a sky the color of dirty pewter.
The waiting room of the pediatric surgical wing was a quiet, sterile desert of green vinyl chairs and outdated magazines. Julian sat next to Claire, their shoulders touching, their fingers locked together so tightly that their knuckles were white.
Marcus stood by the entrance doors, his eyes scanning the corridor. The news of Julian's live broadcast had exploded across the globe overnight; the hospital lobby downstairs was currently surrounded by dozens of news vans, but Julian’s private security team had locked down the entire floor. No one was getting in.
"I'm scared, Julian," Claire whispered, her head resting against his shoulder. It was the first time she had allowed herself to show weakness since they met. "What if... what if the patch doesn't hold? What if his heart is too weak?"
Julian turned and kissed the top of her head, the sweet, familiar scent of her shampoo instantly taking him back to their early days in Bellevue.
"Leo is a Vance, Claire," Julian said softly. "He has your strength and my stubbornness. He is going to fight. Dr. Chen is the best in the world. He's going to make him whole."
At 10:00 a.m., the double doors of the surgical suite opened.
Dr. Chen stepped out, his blue scrubs stained with sweat, his surgical mask hanging loose around his neck. He looked exhausted, but there was a faint, warm smile on his face.
Julian and Claire stood up instantly, their hearts in their throats.
"He's done," Dr. Chen said, his voice quiet but clear. "The patch is in place. The pressure in his right atrium normalized almost immediately. His heart is strong, Claire. He's in the recovery room now, and we expect him to wake up in about an hour."
Claire let out a loud, shuddering sob and collapsed against Julian’s chest. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her so tightly he could feel the frantic, relieved beating of her own heart. He closed his eyes, a silent prayer of gratitude rising from his soul to the gray Seattle sky.
"Thank you, Doctor," Julian choked out, his eyes wet with tears. "Thank you."
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"He's a tough little guy," Dr. Chen smiled, clapping Julian on the shoulder. "He looks just like you, Julian. Make sure you take care of him."
"I will," Julian said, looking down at Claire, who was looking up at him with a soft, beautiful light in her eyes that he hadn't seen in five long years. "I'll take care of all of them."
