Some kind of gas flooded through my nostrils and into my lungs. My consciousness dissolved completely.
When my eyes opened again, my right hand was chained to a table. In the dim light, I could barely make out the silhouette of the figure standing before me.
"Nellie!"
The hand gripping mine went rigid.
I was strapped to a chair. I thrashed wildly against the restraints.
"Nellie! It's you! I know it's you!
"Whatever you're planning, we can talk about this! Please... let me go. I saved Chad's life!"
The figure in front of me paused.
When she spoke again, all that came out was a sigh.
"No. You may have spared him from Edna Henson's punishment.
"But you still left him looking incompetent and dishonorable.
"I'm sorry. If you truly want to help him, you'll have to lose a hand.
"That way, no one will think you performed the surgery. They'll believe the one who pulled off that miracle was Chad.
"I'll handle the colleagues. I'll delete your surgical records too. Thomas, just this once... do this for him."
My eyes went wide. "Nellie!"
The cleaver rose high above me. I fought against the chains with everything I had.
"I'm a surgeon! If you take my hand, how am I supposed to live?!"