"Hey there," Lauren replied, her voice breaking through the palpable tension that hung in the air of her office. Her face appeared wrought with worry upon hearing the news from the caller. Without hesitation, she abruptly ended the call and hastily made her way to the door, leaving her bewildered people in her office behind.
Concern etched on their faces, the Benneth sisters spoke in unison, their voices filled with worry. "What's happening?" they asked simultaneously.
"The patient in the private ward is about to code," Lauren responded, her voice filled with urgency, before darting off. Derek and the others followed in her footsteps, propelled by the urgency of the situation.
With a determined force, Lauren flung open the door to the private ward and hurried towards the unconscious patient. As per the nurse's phone call, the patient lay still, devoid of consciousness.
With practiced expertise, Lauren swiftly assessed the patient's condition using her stethoscope, while Derek monitored the vital signs displayed on the nearby monitor.
"Her blood pressure is plummeting rapidly. We need to prepare the defibrillator now," Lauren commanded in an instant, simultaneously applying a thin layer of lubrication on the patient's chest to ensure a smooth process.
Damien, Damon, Vanessa, Ariana, and Alanna held their breath, their eyes fixed on Lauren as she fought valiantly to revive the woman.
Gazing at the monitor, which now displayed a discouraging flat line, Derek let out an inward sigh. Their nana's chances of survival were dismally slim.
"Lauren, it's time to stop," Derek interjected calmly as the flat line remained unbroken. "There's nothing more we can do."
"Just give me a few more seconds. I can bring her back," Lauren pleaded, shifting the defibrillator to the side and utilizing her hands in a desperate attempt to restart the woman's heart.
Derek offered a gentle reason, his voice laced with a hint of sorrow. "It's been over twenty minutes. I'm afraid there's no possibility of resuscitation."
"You did everything you could" derek said.
However, clouded by her overwhelming emotions, Lauren refused to acknowledge reason. "Did i?" she trembled, her voice filled with uncertainty.
With that, she stormed out of the ward, the concerned sisters hurrying after her. Damien felt the urge to follow as well, but Damon stopped him, whispering, "Give her some time."
The deceased patient was respectfully covered with a sheet before being transported to the seaside for cremation, in accordance with her final wish while she was still alive. Damien, the DeMarco brothers, and Venessa concluded their presence at the hospital a few minutes later after attending to the necessary paperwork.
Inside the confines of Lauren's office...
Lauren sat on one of the sofas, her head buried in her hands. The weight of pain hung heavy upon her, for she had never before experienced the loss of a patient. This was her initial medical case since discovering her supernatural identity. Never did she anticipate that her journey at the hospital would commence with the death of a patient.
The magnitude of the pain she now endured suffocated her deeply. Lost in her thoughts, a gentle knock interrupted her solitude, followed by the opening of the door. Lauren raised her head to find her cousins stepping into the room.
"Hey," Ariana greeted with a calm tone as she approached Lauren, taking a seat beside her. Alanna settled on the opposite side of her.
"Hey," Lauren responded weakly.
Ariana reached out and clasped Lauren's hands, offering a gentle squeeze, causing Lauren to look up at her.
"What happened earlier was destined to occur. There was nothing more you could have done," Ariana uttered solemnly.
"How can you be so sure? Perhaps if I hadn't panicked upon seeing Derek and the others, just maybe the patient would have undergone surgery sooner and had a chance," Lauren retorted, the pain in her voice palpable.
"When I entered the ward, I sensed an aura - an aura of death. It was her time to depart this world. Even if you had entered the operating theater an hour earlier, she would not have survived. And the pain you carry now would have been even more unbearable. You see, the theater is your playing field , where you pour your heart and soul. But ultimately, balance must be restored, and those destined to pass away shall," Ariana explained, searching Lauren's face for understanding.
"How did you manage to see that darkness... I mean, what you were talking about?" Lauren inquired, her curiosity piqued.
"Well, hello? I'm a witch, duh," Ariana responded, an airy chuckle escaping her lips. Her voice possessed a melodious quality that effortlessly lifted the somber atmosphere in the room.
Lauren smiled in response, her understanding evident as she nodded.
"So it wasn't my fault, then. That's good to know," Lauren expressed, a sigh of relief escaping her as her mood noticeably brightened.
"It definitely wasn't your fault, alright" Alanna chimed in, her smile warming and comforting as she gently squeezed Lauren's shoulders.
Glancing down at her injured finger, a rush of memories flooded Lauren's mind, reminding her of Damien. With a determined stride, she made her way to her desk and dialed a number on her telephone.
"Hello, has the deceased patient been transferred to the morgue?" Lauren inquired, her voice composed yet concerned.
"No, Dr. Lauren. The family members requested that she be cremated at the seaside today," the nurse on the other end of the line replied. Lauren's surprise was evident, for she was certain that the patient's family had not been present earlier.
"May I ask who these family members are?" she questioned, her voice laced with a sense of bewilderment.
"Dr. Derek DeMarco, Mr. Damon DeMarco, Miss Venessa DeMarco, and Mr. Damon Voltorie," the nurse answered, her words causing a brief moment of speechlessness to wash over Lauren.
"Hello, Dr. Lauren, are you still there?" the nurse's voice inquired, breaking the momentary silence.
"Yes, thank you," Lauren replied, finding her voice once again before ending the call. Letting out a sigh, she returned to her seat behind the desk, contemplation weighing heavily upon her thoughts.