"What do you think you're doing???!!!!"
The words exploded in the sterile space, echoing off the tiled walls and stainless steel surfaces with a force that made the air vibrate and hang heavy for a moment.
Heads turned instantly in surprise as scrubbed nurses paused mid-prep, their gloved hands hovering frozen over instrument trays lined with gleaming scalpels, forceps, and clamps.
Residents froze with retractors or sutures in hand, eyes widening above their masks in a mix of shock and curiosity.
The steady hum of monitors and ventilators suddenly seemed louder in the abrupt hush that followed, the beeping of Harlan's heart rate a constant, urgent reminder of the life hanging in the balance on the table.
Grant's face flushed a deep red above his mask, veins bulging at his temple as anger and protectiveness surged through him like a wave.
