Chapter 764

"The family gave up on treatment long ago, didn't they?" The chief physician adjusted his glasses.

The head nurse sighed. "Her situation is complicated. Her husband and only son died in a car accident three years ago. The compensation money was snatched by relatives. She's been paying hospital bills by selling her jewelry."

"I heard her nephew visits the ward daily, waiting for her to die so he can inherit her property," an intern added quietly.

Silence fell. Such cases weren't uncommon in hospitals, but each one still weighed heavily on their hearts.

Vivian Laurent suddenly spoke. "What does the patient herself want?"

"She's tougher than anyone." The head nurse's eyes reddened. "Takes her medication on time, never complains even when the pain makes her sweat. Once during a high fever, she kept murmuring about living for her husband and son."

A scalpel twirled between Vivian's fingers, catching the light in a silver arc.

"Prep the OR." She shrugged off her lab coat, revealing surgical scrubs beneath.

The live chat exploded:

"Scripted! No way this is real!"

"Just check the medical records! Faking documents at a top-tier hospital is a criminal offense!"

"Dr. Laurent's right! If the patient hasn't given up, who are we to decide for her?"

"Pfft. All those specialists already declared it hopeless. Why is she showing off?"

Ethan Roscente gripped Vivian's wrist. His frown deepened at the clammy chill of her skin. "You just vomited."

"Vitals are stable." She pulled free. "The patient can't wait."

The camera captured her walking toward the OR. Sweat darkened the back of her scrubs, yet her steps remained measured—precise as if drawn with a ruler.

Ethan suddenly addressed the lens. "She's had a fever since morning."

The comment ignited the chat:

"Operating while sick?!"

"True dedication! How do the haters feel now?"

"Fake heroics! Who takes responsibility if the patient dies?"

As the OR light blinked red, Vivian wiped her scalpel with alcohol swabs. The steel reflected her pale lips.

"Anesthesia ready." Her quiet command made every spine straighten.