The ambulance's sirens wailed through the streets of Seladang City, cutting a desperate path toward the hospital. Inside, the air was thick with tension. Jiang Han lay unconscious, his breathing shallow, his body battered and bloodied.
Adrian Yong monitored his vitals, his jaw clenched as the heart monitor beeped irregularly. "He's losing too much blood."
Mikhail Darmawan sat rigidly across from Jiang, fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white. "How much longer?"
Colonel Yusof, still on the line with the hospital, barked into his comms. "ETA four minutes. The surgical team is prepped."
Mikhail let out a frustrated breath. "That's too long."
Elisa Tan, seated near the ambulance doors, gave him a sharp look. "They're the best team available. We get him there alive, they'll do the rest."
Mikhail wasn't convinced. Not when Jiang was slipping away right in front of him.
---
The moment the ambulance screeched to a halt outside Seladang General Hospital, the emergency team sprang into action. The doors burst open, and a swarm of doctors and nurses descended.
"We need a transfusion, now!" one of the doctors shouted as they moved Jiang onto a stretcher.
Colonel Yusof stepped forward, gripping the lead surgeon's arm. "Save him. Whatever it takes."
Dr Amir Rahman, the hospital's chief surgeon, gave a firm nod. "We will." Then he disappeared into the operating theatre with Jiang.
Mikhail started forward, only for Adrian to stop him with a hand on his chest. "There's nothing we can do now. Let them work."
Mikhail exhaled sharply, running a hand down his face. "He's going to make it."
It wasn't a question. It was a demand.
No one dared to disagree.
---
The waiting room was suffocating. The walls felt like they were closing in, every second stretching into eternity.
Jiang's family had arrived—his father, Jiang Wei, his mother, Lian Hui, and his younger brother, Jiang Rui. Their expressions were tight with fear, but they maintained their composure, waiting for news.
Colonel Yusof stood near the entrance, arms crossed, his presence unwavering. He was used to battlefields, to strategy and control. But this? This was an enemy he couldn't fight.
Sophia Liew sat with her laptop, working tirelessly despite the exhaustion in her eyes. "I'm keeping tabs on external chatter. If anyone tries to take advantage of Jiang's condition, we'll know."
Mikhail didn't respond. He simply stared at the double doors of the operating theatre, his mind replaying the moment Jiang had collapsed in the ambulance.
Elisa placed a hand on his shoulder. "He's strong, Mikhail."
Mikhail swallowed the lump in his throat. "He has to be."
---
Inside the operating room, it was a fight against time.
Dr Amir and his team worked relentlessly, battling through complication after complication. Jiang had sustained severe internal injuries, two fractured ribs, and a deep laceration dangerously close to a major artery.
"He's going into shock," a nurse warned.
"Push another unit of blood," Dr Amir ordered. "We're not losing him."
The room was tense, the sound of machines beeping in erratic rhythm. Every second mattered. Every stitch was the difference between life and death.
And then, after what felt like an eternity—
"The bleeding has stopped," Dr Amir finally said.
The tension eased. The heart monitor stabilised.
"He's not out of the woods," Dr Amir warned, "but he's alive."
---
Fifteen hours after it had begun, the surgery was over.
Dr Amir stepped into the waiting room, exhaustion evident on his face. The moment the team saw him, they were on their feet.
Jiang's father, Jiang Wei, was the first to speak. "Doctor?"
Dr Amir exhaled, then gave a small nod. "The surgery was successful. He lost a lot of blood, and there were some close calls, but he pulled through."
A collective breath of relief washed over the room.
Mikhail closed his eyes for a second, releasing a tension he hadn't realised he was holding.
"But," Dr Amir continued, his voice firm, "he's still in critical condition. The next 48 hours will determine his recovery."
Silence followed his words. The relief was there, but so was the uncertainty.
Mikhail nodded. "Can we see him?"
Dr Amir hesitated. "One at a time. He's unconscious and heavily sedated."
Jiang Wei looked at his wife, then at Mikhail. "You go first."
Mikhail blinked in surprise. "Are you sure?"
Jiang Rui, Jiang's younger brother, spoke up. "If not for you, he wouldn't be alive. Go."
Mikhail swallowed hard and nodded. Then, without another word, he followed Dr Amir into the recovery ward.
---
Jiang Han looked impossibly small in the hospital bed.
The machines beeped softly, the only sound in the otherwise silent room. Tubes and wires ran from his body, his face pale against the white sheets.
Mikhail pulled up a chair beside the bed, rubbing a hand over his face. "You look like shit, Han."
Silence.
Mikhail let out a breathless chuckle. "Not that I look any better." He leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees. "You did it again, you idiot. Jumped in front of a bullet for me."
He shook his head, his voice thick with emotion. "How many times are you going to do this before you let me be the one to save you?"
The machines continued their steady rhythm, offering no response.
Mikhail exhaled sharply. "You better wake up, Han. We're not done yet."
He sat there for a long time, watching over the man who had saved his life.
And he waited.
---
Back in the command centre, the team was already preparing for the next battle.
Sophia's voice was tense as she typed furiously on her laptop. "Something's not right."
Adrian frowned. "What do you mean?"
Sophia pulled up a screen showing a financial transaction. "There was a second payment made to the mercenaries who took Jiang. But this one wasn't for the kidnapping."
Colonel Yusof leaned forward. "Then what was it for?"
Sophia's expression darkened. "A contingency plan."
The room fell into silence.
Mikhail, who had just returned from the hospital, narrowed his eyes. "Someone's still moving against Jiang?"
Adrian exhaled sharply. "And they're not finished."
Colonel Yusof's voice was cold. "Then neither are we."