Minami stood at the head of the operating table, the faint scent of antiseptic stinging her nose as she focused on the patient before her

The man in his late fifties, lay unconscious under the bright surgical lights. He had been admitted to the hospital with severe coronary artery disease and Minami had been tasked with performing the life or death surgery

It was a routine procedure, a coronary artery bypass graft or what they call CABG but the stakes were high

"Scalpel" Minami murmured, her voice calm but firm

The assistant handed it to her without a word. She had done this operation a hundred times before but today, despite her practiced hands and steady breath - something felt off

The sound of the heart monitor beeped steadily in the background, a comforting rhythm in the sterile, a high - tech environment

The nurses worked diligently, shifting their focus from one instrument to the next but Minami couldn't shake the unsettling feeling in the pit of her stomach

"Doctor, the heart rate is dropping!" Dr. Suzuki, the surgical resident called from across the room

Minami's eyes snapped to the heart monitor. The once stable line had begun to dip, faltering with each passing second she frowned

"Increase the oxygen flow now!!"

"Yes, Doctor!!" the nurse responded, quickly adjusting the equipment

The beeping quickened and her focus sharpened, the patient's vitals were slipping dangerously low

A flash of anxiety surged within her but she pushed it away

'Stay calm! You've done this a thousand times before! Focus!' she thought to herself

"Doctor!" Suzuki's voice rose again "The heart rate's too low!! We're losing him!"

She pressed her hands gently against the chest, feeling the subtle pulse of the heart.

The clock on the wall seemed to tick louder in her ears... time was running out.

"Prepare the defibrillator" She didn't even need to look up as the nurse rushed to gather the equipment

She could feel the sweat trickling down her back - the pressure mounting

"Charge to 200 joules" she ordered

The nurse complied but the desperation was evident in her eyes. Minami's hands were steady as she positioned the paddles on the patient's chest

She glanced at the monitor and his heart had flatlined

"Clear!" Minami shouted, stepping back as the nurse discharged the defibrillator, a violent shock pulsed through the patient's body but the heart remained still

A surge of panic gripped Minami's chest but she refused to let it show. She wiped her forehead and readied herself again.

"Again! Charge to 300 joules" Minami ordered

The nurse repeated the process and Minami repeated the shock. Once. Twice. But the monitor remained silent - the line flat

"Dammit!" Minami hissed under her breath, her pulse quickened and the weight of failure starts creeping in

The man's body lay motionless

The sterile smell of the room grew heavier and the monitors beeped steadily, not with the sound of life but with the hollow, unrelenting tone of finality

She froze, staring at the patient's chest. She had failed him

"Doctor… he's gone" Dr. Suzuki's voice cracked, the words lingering in the air like a bitter truth

Minami felt her chest tighten. A wave of guilt washed over her, suffocating her. The weight of that failure crashed down on her

Her breath came shallow and she finally stepped back, removing her gloves slowly

"Minami!" Dr. Suzuki's voice cut through her thoughts

She turned toward him but the world seemed distant. His voice felt like it was coming from far away, muffled by the growing storm inside her "You need to rest. We'll take care of everything from here"

She just stared at the patient and the silence was deafening

Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through Minami's chest. It was sudden and all - encompassing like a knife twisting deep inside her

She gasped, stumbling backward. She reached out for support but everything around her felt like it was spinning out of control

Her vision blurred and the sterile lights overhead turned into soft glows then streaks of color - her body felt heavy and she collapsed to her knees while clutching her chest

A strangled sound escaped her throat - part sob, part gasp - as she crumpled to the floor. She barely registered the footsteps running toward her, the frantic voices of the nurses and doctors shouting for help

The cold crept in around her, stealing the warmth from her limbs. She tried to scream but no sound came

And then everything went black