Chapter 6 - Shadows in the Operating Room
Midnight brought a sudden surge of emergency cases, testing the newly minted clinic to its absolute limits. Clara was deep into a complex tendon repair when the emergency generator flickered and dropped to low power. The overhead surgical lights buzzed and died, plunging the room into an eerie amber glow from the backup batteries.
Before panic could ripple through the junior staff, the heavy doors swung open. Victor Kaine stepped into the room, flanked by two armed men carrying industrial portable lighting rigs. He didn't interrupt her; instead, he stood quietly at the edge of the sterile perimeter, holding a flashlight at the exact angle Clara needed to see the severed tissue.
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Working together in the silent, tense room, Clara completed the delicate suture just as the main power surged back on. She straightened up, wiping sweat from her forehead, and looked at Victor. There were no words exchanged, but the unspoken alliance between the former trauma surgeon and the city's most feared kingpin had just been forged in blood and light.
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