The rest of the team watched in amazement as Amelia accelerated instead of retreating, her hands moving with impossible steadiness while the warning beats intensified. Catherine stood nearby with silent precision, counting down the seconds in a low voice. Two minutes. She passed each instrument without being asked. No one shifted or spoke. Every breath felt suspended, every sound sharpened.
The rhythm of the monitor quickened in sharp bursts. A young assistant glanced at the clock and then at Amelia, but she never looked up. Her focus was absolute. The other surgeons exchanged glances, awe and disbelief tightening their expressions as the final seconds pressed down like a weight.
Just as they might have pulled back, Amelia made a final adjustment with a confidence that silenced every doubt.
"Done," she said, voice steady. "We are past the danger zone."
