Episode 16: The Clock is Ticking

Talent Reborn – Season 2

Episode 16: The Clock is Ticking

Haruto pressed his fingers to the patient's wrist, feeling for a pulse. Weak. Irregular. The beeping of the monitors confirmed what he already knew—the man was fading fast.

The specialists around the bed murmured in frustration. Some suggested increasing medication, others debated calling in another department.

Ayaka's voice cut through the noise. "We don't have time for debate. If we don't act now, he won't survive the hour."

Haruto took a deep breath, letting his mind sharpen. He had copied countless medical skills, performed surgeries others deemed impossible—but this was different. This wasn't an ordinary disease.

He turned to Renji. "You said this isn't natural. What do you mean?"

Renji's eyes flickered. "I've seen something like this before."

Haruto's hands clenched into fists. "And?"

Renji hesitated, then exhaled sharply. "There was a patient, years ago. Same symptoms—organs shutting down without a clear cause. The doctors called it a 'mystery illness.' But it wasn't an illness."

Ayaka's brows furrowed. "Then what was it?"

Renji's gaze darkened. "A test subject."

The room fell silent. Haruto's stomach twisted.

Before he could ask more, the patient convulsed violently. The monitors blared an alarm. Cardiac arrest.

Haruto snapped into action. "Move!"

The team rushed into position. A defibrillator was wheeled in within seconds. Haruto grabbed the paddles, his mind working faster than ever. A normal cardiac arrest protocol might not work. This wasn't just heart failure—something deeper was shutting the body down.

Renji stepped beside him. "Haruto, listen. If this is what I think it is, normal treatment won't be enough. You need to—"

Haruto didn't wait. He pressed the paddles to the patient's chest and shouted, "Clear!"

A shock pulsed through the man's body. The monitor flatlined for a second—then, a faint beep.

A pulse.

The room exhaled in relief, but Haruto wasn't done. He turned to Ayaka. "Prep for immediate exploratory surgery. We need to find out what's happening inside him."

She nodded, already barking orders.

Renji leaned in. "You're making a gamble."

Haruto met his eyes. "No choice."

Minutes later, the patient was in the OR. Haruto scrubbed in, his mind a whirlwind of calculations. If Renji was right, then this wasn't just an illness. It was a message.

And whoever sent it wanted them to know—they were running out of time.

To be continued…