Medical Center. Emergency Room.
"Help! Help! Help!"
A frantic string of cries for help echoed from the entrance.
"Doctor! Please save my daughter!"
A middle-aged man burst into the hospital, cradling a little girl in his arms. "My daughter's dying!"
"What happened?"
Adam dashed forward like the wind, passing Susan and reaching the man first. He gently took the child from the father's trembling arms.
"She fell into the lake!"
The girl's father wailed in agony. "Molly! Molly!"
"She's drowning—her body's frozen stiff."
Adam shot a quick glance at Susan before sprinting toward the treatment room with the girl.
"She's not breathing. Start pulmonary suction!"
While directing the nurses, Adam pushed back the father, who was hovering over the bed, refusing to leave. "Step outside—take him out!"
"It's all my fault! Molly, please don't die! I'm not leaving—I'm staying with her!"
The father stumbled as he was pushed but immediately lunged back, shoving a nurse aside and practically throwing himself over Molly.
"Do you want Molly to die?"
Adam grabbed the man by the collar, lifting him off the ground with one hand and pinning him hard against the wall. "If you don't, get out now and stop interfering with her treatment!" he barked.
"Doctor, please save her!"
After struggling helplessly, the father finally snapped out of it, his eyes pleading as he looked at Adam.
"We'll do everything we can. Now go!"
Adam released him with a stern shout and returned to the resuscitation.
"Laryngoscope!"
"5.5 endotracheal tube—intubate her!"
"It's in! Suction the water out and attach the ventilator!"
"Connie, get her bloodwork—coagulation levels—and a chest X-ray!"
Adam worked methodically, racing against time to save her.
Molly's father couldn't stay away. He crept back in, tears streaming down his face as he watched Adam fight for his daughter's life. This time, he didn't rush forward to interfere.
"What exactly happened?"
Adam finally had a moment to ask.
"I took her fishing. Molly was so excited—she ran ahead and fell through a hole in the ice."
The father sobbed, guilt-ridden. "It's my fault! Why did I take her fishing?!"
He slapped himself hard across the face, the force leaving half his cheek red and swollen.
"How long was she underwater?"
Adam ignored the self-inflicted punishment, pressing for details while continuing the resuscitation.
"I don't know!"
The father cried out in torment. "I smashed the ice like crazy to pull her out—maybe five minutes or so."
Adam glanced at the man's swollen, bleeding hands. "Carter, go treat him."
"No!"
Molly's father waved Carter off. "I'm fine—I need to stay with her!"
"Treat him here, then," Adam ordered.
"Blood pressure's 30, pulse is faint."
"Bradycardia—heart rate's 32."
"Body temp's 27."
A nurse called out the stats.
"Heating blanket!" Adam snapped. "We've got to warm her up, or we'll lose her!"
The nurse rushed to grab one and draped it over Molly.
"Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus…"
Molly's father ignored Carter entirely, clasping his hands together and praying desperately for his daughter. His voice broke as he wept. "God, please don't take my daughter—please don't take her…"
"The heating blanket's not enough. Switch to humidified, heated oxygen!" Adam directed.
"Yes, Doctor!"
The nurse sprang into action.
"Lydia, grab two 36-gauge chest tubes for closed pleural drainage. We're doing a pleural lavage to warm her heart directly."
"Right away, Doctor!"
"Cardiac arrest!"
A nurse shouted.
"Epinephrine—now!"
Adam began chest compressions, his hands steady on Molly's tiny chest.
"Oh, God!"
Molly's father's legs gave out, and he crumpled to the floor, hands clasped tighter as he prayed harder.
Everyone's eyes were glued to the flatline on the monitor.
Adam kept up the steady rhythm of CPR.
The room was silent except for the monitor's relentless beep and the father's murmured prayers.
Ten minutes later—
"She's got a heartbeat!"
"She's alive!"
A nurse, who'd been watching the monitor like a hawk, couldn't hold back her excitement.
"Good girl!"
Adam exhaled in relief, brushing Molly's slightly warmer cheek. "Now let's keep it going and get that warm pleural lavage done."
"Doctor, Molly's clotting factors are normal," Connie reported, holding the test results.
"Great."
Adam nodded and started the lavage.
Molly's father, hearing the incredible news, scrambled to his feet, staring at Adam with desperate hope.
"Come here," Adam said, giving him a nod.
"Doctor, is Molly okay now?"
The father finally dared to step closer, his voice trembling with anticipation.
"So far, things are looking up," Adam explained. "But she's not completely out of danger yet. We need to keep warming her. There's still a risk of rewarming shock, brain damage, or other complications."
The father clapped a hand over his mouth, fighting back more tears.
"Your hands need treatment. How are you going to take care of her when she wakes up if you don't get them fixed?" Adam pointed out. "Carter!"
"Yes, Dr. Duncan," Carter replied, stepping over to tug at the father's arm.
This time, he didn't resist. He shuffled aside, holding out his battered hands for Carter to bandage, his eyes never leaving Molly.
Half an hour later—
"What's her temp now?"
"Up to 36 degrees. Blood pressure's stable."
"Molly? Molly!"
The father, hands now wrapped in gauze, had been glued to her bedside. He was the first to notice her eyelids flutter.
"Hey, kiddo, what's your name?"
Adam stepped over, checking her pupils while asking gently.
If she was awake and her vitals were stable, rewarming shock was off the table. Now the big worry was brain damage.
"Molly, it's Daddy," her father whispered softly.
But Molly didn't respond.
"Schedule an ECG and an MRI," Adam said with a quiet sigh.
After the tests—
Adam relaxed a bit and turned to the father, who was staring at him anxiously. "ECG's normal, and the MRI shows no brain damage. Physically, she's fine. She's probably just in shock. Stay with her, talk to her—I'll check back later."
An hour later—
"Thank you, thank you, Doctor! You saved my daughter! I'm Dante Valanio—I'll never forget what you've done for us today!"
When Adam returned, Molly's father rushed over, grabbing his hands with overwhelming gratitude.
"She's talking?" Adam asked with a smile.
"Molly, this is Dr. Duncan. He's the one who saved you," her father said gently, leading Adam to the bedside where little Molly lay blinking up at them.
"Dr. Duncan," she murmured in a soft, fragile voice.
"Hey there," Adam said, ruffling her hair with a grin. "Don't be scared, kiddo. You're safe now, and everything's going to be okay."
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