The treatment had been underway for a while.
Dr. Nate had gone in and out several times, fetching surgical and sterilizing tools, disposable supplies, and even wheeling a machine of unknown purpose into the exam room...
Mai Mingle sized him up, both openly and furtively, but she couldn't see anything different about him.
'If something had really gone wrong, he couldn't possibly be this calm, could he?'
She had no idea what she would see when the exam room door finally opened.
Mai Mingle wrung her hands together. When she heard footsteps approaching the door from inside, followed by the sound of it being pulled open—she squeezed her eyes shut.
Dr. Nate emerged, stood in the hallway, and called out to the three of them, "Hey, he's awake."
The three of them were startled. None of them had expected Ivan to regain consciousness so quickly.
