The operating room

Jackson's motionless body lies on the operating table with a heart-lung bypass machine and an epidural set up on his body.

There was a team of surgeons standing over him, wearing scrubs, shoe covers, masks, caps, eye shields, and gloves.

The door opened, and the cold air from the air condition escaped the room before the door got shut.

"Dr. Daniel, what did the patient's family say?" one of the surgeons asked the man who had entered the room.

"Papers have gotten signed, and the surgery is a go." He said as he joined his team around the table.

A few seconds later, the bright light from the bulb shone on Jackson's face as he was getting injected with a dose of general anesthesia.

Then Jackson got positioned on his side. A surgeon removed some of his ribs to reach his lungs. Jackson's affected lung was deflated with a ventilator so the surgeon could work on it.

After the procedure was performed, the surgeon reinflated Jackson's lung by placing temporary tubes in his chest to drain fluid, blood, and air that may have been collected around his lungs during the surgery.

When they finished, Jackson's ribs were repaired, and the wound was closed with sutures.

However, that wasn't the only surgery done on Jackson. He had open surgery performed on him for a broken thighbone.

His thigh was cut open. Then a combination of metal wires, pins, screws, rods, and plates got used to fix his bones in place.

They placed nails to sit inside Jackson's bone, while the screws and metal plates got attached to the surface of it. Then the wires got used alongside the screws and plates.

But this was only the beginning for Jackson as doctors tried to keep him alive by executing complex operations on his body.

The wall clock's hands struck twelve o'clock when Steven heard the operating room door open. He quickly jumped from his sleep and stood up. Hours had passed, and this is the first time a doctor had left the room.

"Dr., please wait up," Steven utters as he rushes after the doctor.

Dr. Daniel stopped and waited for Steven to catch up.

"How's my brother doing?" Steven asked when he reached the Doc.

"Oh, are you the young man in there relative?"

"Yes, please tell me how he is now. I can handle it."

"Well, nothing is for sure since he has a fifty-fifty chance. If you can pray, do so because that young man needs all the prayers he can get."

Steven felt tears falling for his eyes as he watched the doctor walk away. He walked to the corner of the room and got down on both his knees.

"Dear God, I know that I don't talk to you a lot, and I am sorry about that. But I need you now because I can not handle this situation on my own. Please lend me your strength to be strong for my brother. I pray that you heal him and give him a second chance. Please, God." Steven said.

He rested his head against the wall and bitterly wept. Steven then sensed a hand on his shoulder, and when he turned his head, he saw the entire family on their knees, praying alone with him.

Early that morning, the lobby of the West Wing was full of heartfelt prayers.

A few hours had passed, and the sun had risen. Jackson was still in the operating room. Doctors and nurses when in and out of the room. But no one had any promising information to give. Everyone sat quietly in the lobby, waiting for some good news.

A few minutes later, Mr. and Mrs. Harper decided to go home and freshen up before returning to the hospital.

After her parents had left, Rose approached Julie, then sat by her side, giving her a slight smile. The two ladies sat in silence for a while as they gazed at Steven's torn expression as he stood against the wall.

"Jul, I think you should carry Steven home to get some rest. I don't want both of my sons in terrible condition. He may not listen to me when I tell him, but he will leave with you if you insist." Rose said as she gently squeezed Julie's hands.

"I will give it a try," Julie stated with a smile.

She then got up from her seat and approached Steven, who had been pacing back and forth, waiting for any news.

"Babe," Julie said, tapping Steven on his shoulder.

"UMM," Steven answered, turning around to face her.

"We should go home so you can take a shower and have a proper rest."

"What if something happens and I am not here for him? I can't leave him alone."

"Jackson is not alone. He has Rose and Chris here, and his father will soon be here too. Jennie also said she's on her way. See, there are a lot of people here. If anything happens, we will come back to the hospital in no time."

Steven stares with doubt in his eyes at Julie, then at Rose, and she gives him a smile of approval. Chris also gave Steven a slight smile to show his support.

"Okay, but we will not take long, right?"

"Of course. We will soon be back."

After giving into Julie's request, Steven hugged Rose and left with his girlfriend, leaving Chris alone with Rose.

Ten minutes had gone by without any word about Jackson's status. Rose frustratingly rested her head into her palm.

"Should I get us some coffee to boost our energy?" Chris asked.

Rose lifts her head and gazes at him with a weak smile.

"That would be nice. Thank you." She replied.

Chris left the West Wing and headed to the hospital's main lobby. When he got to the coffee machine, a man and a lady were already ahead of him.

"Why do you have to drag me to such a disturbing place like this?" The man harshly said.

"As I told you, today is the day set for my Intrauterine insemination appointment with doctor Christina." The lady said calmly.

Chris placed his hand in his pocket as he waited for the man to finish pouring his drink. But the couple continued their argument without caring that they were blocking others' way.

"If this is about you, why am I here? Plus, isn't that kind of procedure expensive?"

"Because you are my husband and your sperm is needed. I have also been saving up for this since I decided that I wanted to get pregnant."

"Why are you keeping money to use it on useless ideas? If you have nothing to do with your money, you can give it to me to spend. At least I won't use it up on a worthless thing like a baby."

"Lucas! I cook, clean, work, and provide financially for both of us! All I am asking you for is your semen. Is that not a small price for you to pay to make me happy?"

Chris looked the other way after he saw the rage in the woman's eyes. He felt awful listening to their private conversation, but it was their fault for having such a discussion next to the coffee machine.

"Wasting money? Is that what makes you happy?"

"If you were not regularly smoking your manhood away and making it difficult for us to have a kid the natural way, I wouldn't be wasting money, as you said."

"Miya! I swear to God."

Chris heard the anger in the man's voice, then looked their way and saw his hand fold in a fist. Chris wanted to step in, but the woman spoke.

"What? Are you going to hit on me in public? Does the want you do at home not sufficient for you?"

Chris could hear the aching sadness in her voice, and he knew this was an abusive marriage for her.

"Miya and Lucas Sánchez." A nurse called.

"Yes," Miya answered, wiping the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand.

She then gazed at Chris, and he felt uncomfortable that she may think he was a jerk for listening in on their conversation. But when she smiled at him, he knew he was overthinking things.

Chris watched Miya walk away with Lucas right behind her. His eyes remained fixed on them until they disappeared into the hallway with the nurse.

Chris gazes at his watch before he hastily pours two cups of coffee, seals the lid, and hurried back to the west wing lobby.

"I am so sorry for staying so long. The line got stuck, and I had to wait." Chris told Rose when he reached her.

"It's okay." She said with a worried expression and accepted the drink from him.

"Any news yet?" Chris asked as he sat next to Rose.

She shook her head before taking a sip from the cup with watery eyes and a tear-stained face.

"Beep!" "Beep!" "Beep!" The Electrocardiogram sounded as Jackson lay still on the operating table.

"We are losing him. We need more hands in here!" Dr. Daniel stated.

It wasn't long after Rose had taken her second sip of coffee when a bunch of medical teams rushed through the lobby door. When Rose saw these doctors rushing towards the operating room, the cup dropped from her hands and spilled to the floor.

"Excuse me?" Rose said when she got a hold of one of the doctors.

"I am sorry, madam. But the patient in there needs my attention." The lady replied.

"I know, and he's my son. Can you please tell me anything about his surgery? I am begging you."

"Among other surgeries, a Microsurgical Testicular Sperm Extraction is being done on him."

"Why does my son need his sperm extracted? His reproductive condition is fine."

"Madam, I know this is hard to hear. But the accident caused severe damage to some of his organs that made your son infertile. Even if he recovers from these surgeries, your son can't have kids the usual way. I am sorry."

"No! No, no." Rose cried as she watched the doctor rush into the operating room.

Chris approached Rose, helped her back to her seat, and kept his hand around her until Rose could stop shivering.