Straight From Heart
written by Harsha Jean Chase
Arizona, USA, 1947.
Last Updated
05/31/21
Chapters
3
Reads
397
Chapter 3
Chapter 3
Dr. Beck did indeed pull it off. The operation went just fine and after two hours the ribs were separated. The tricky part was over and the surgeon sighed with relief as he carefully sewed up the wound. Then, without warning, Arya's heart stopped beating. The unconscious boy gave a gentle sigh as his life ebbed away.
There was no time to think - only seconds to act.
"Cardiac arrest!" yelled Dr. Beck, grabbing a scalpel and slicing through the stitches holding the side of the wound. There was just one thing he could do, one terrible option. He pulled aside the bone and muscle and grabbed the boy's heart. It was quivering like a hot bloody jelly.
"Ventricular fibrillation!" he snapped. Already he was gently squeezing the heart in his hands - willing it to start pumping blood on its own. Willing the boy to come back to life. For 35 minutes the surgeons frantically massaged the heart between shots of drugs designed to stimulate the muscle - but he knew that he was only buying time. There was just one hope.
To be continued....
