Chapter 7 - The Failure
The heart-lung machine let out a terrifying, grinding mechanical screech.
Black smoke billowed from the back of the console.
The perfusionist screamed, jumping back as sparks showered the floor.
"Power failure in the main pump!" he shouted in panic.
The monitor above Thomas's head instantly flashed red.
His blood pressure was plummeting to zero.
The machine had short-circuited just as we were transitioning him off bypass, effectively stopping the blood flow to his brain.
"Manual circulation, now!" I roared.
I lunged forward, plunging both of my hands directly into Thomas's open chest cavity.
I grasped his heart with my bare, gloved hands.
I began manually squeezing the muscle, forcing the blood out of the ventricles and into his body.
Squeeze.
Release.
Squeeze.
Release.
It was exhausting, terrifying work, and I was the only thing keeping his brain alive.
"Get a backup pump in here immediately!" the anesthesiologist yelled into the intercom.
"It will take ten minutes to transport one from the other wing!" a nurse cried out.
Ten minutes.
I could not maintain perfect manual circulation for ten minutes.
My forearms were already burning with lactic acid buildup.
Through the glass above, I saw Dr. Wells pounding his fists against the window, helpless and terrified.
My father was completely pale, staring down at my bloody hands keeping a man alive.
"Dr. Claire, his oxygen levels are dropping," the anesthesiologist warned.
"I know!" I gritted my teeth, forcing my hands to compress faster.
Sweat poured down my forehead, stinging my eyes, but I couldn't blink.
I was physically holding a life in my hands, feeling the slippery, muscular tissue fight against me.
"Five minutes!" a nurse shouted.
My fingers were beginning to cramp.
If my grip slipped, if I squeezed too hard, I could bruise the myocardium and cause irreversible damage.
Suddenly, the OR doors slammed open.
It wasn't the backup machine.
It was Dr. Aris, accompanied by two armed Baltimore City police officers.
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"Step away from the table, Dr. Claire," Dr. Aris commanded, his face twisted in panic.
"The hospital legal team just found out you bypassed security. You are committing aggravated battery."
