The wail of sirens cut through the early morning air, jolting people awake.
Nathan Fletcher knelt outside the operating room, his clothes stained with blood. They were damp, sticky, and reeked of iron.
Nurses bustled back and forth past the operating room door, their steps hurried, not one of them sparing Nathan Fletcher a single glance.
BEEP!
The light above the operating room went out.
Nathan Fletcher immediately shot to his feet.
He had been kneeling for too long. His legs were numb, causing him to stagger and lurch forward.
The lead surgeon, who had just stepped out, caught him.
"Sorry..." Nathan Fletcher's lips trembled as he struggled to speak. "My parents..."
"Luckily, they were brought in just in time." The doctor helped him stand straight and took off his mask. "We'll move them to the ICU for two days of observation. If there are no adverse reactions, they'll be transferred to a regular ward."
Nathan Fletcher mumbled and nodded, his face a mask of lingering fear.
