Hearts That Flatline

Part One

"We're ready! Let's go!" the Nurse announced as the breaks of the gurney were lifted and they were able to wheel her out of the Trauma Unit and over to an OR immediately. Mattie was a few steps ahead, wanting to get into the scrubbing room as quick as he could but he heard Mizuki's fearful voice calling his name as though he was abandoning her.

He turned around and waited for the medical team to catch up to him as he began to walk quickly alongside the gurney. "It's alright, Mizuki. I promise we'll make you feel better soon. We're going to a new room where we'll swap your mask for a better one! And it'll help you sleep so that when you wake up, you won't feel pain anymore. Does that sound good?"

His voice was light and cheerful to avoid scaring the poor child with the seriousness of the situation. The child had been stuck in a car accident for god knows how long until helped arrive, probably crying out for her Mom who wouldn't be responding because she died on impact, now being whisked away from her mother in a noisy ambulance, in pain, only to be surrounded by a bunch of faces peering down at her and bustling around her. It was already scary enough for her as it is!

Mattie smiled down at her as she nodded at his plan. "Good. Now, the lovely nurses are going to take you to the new room with your new mask. I'll be there shortly. I have to wash my hands first, okay? But I'll be back, okay?"

Another small nod from the girl, who's eyes never left Mattie's the entire time. It seemed he was her focus point for the pain. Most kids come in screaming and crying and complaining of pain (rightfully so) but Mizuki had been rather quiet for the most part. Probably one of the bravest kids he's ever met.

Giving her a small squeeze to her tiny hand, he gave her another smile before he left her side to enter the scrubbing room where he spent the next five minutes preparing to enter the OR.
He sent a quick text to his boyfriend,
'𝙷𝚎𝚢. 𝙴𝚖𝚎𝚛𝚐𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚢 𝚜𝚞𝚛𝚐𝚎𝚛𝚢. 𝙳𝚘𝚗'𝚝 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎 𝙸'𝚕𝚕 𝚋𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎. 𝙸'𝚖 𝚜𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚢.'
Before he put his phone back in the pocket of his medical coat and hung the coat on the hook.

Dressed down to his green scrubs with the Nurse on standby to help him into the surgical gown, he didn't realise he had received a text in reply from his boyfriend,
'𝙸𝚝'𝚜 𝚘𝚔 𝚋𝚊𝚋𝚎. 𝚂𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚕𝚢. 𝙶𝚘𝚘𝚍𝚕𝚞𝚌𝚔. 𝙻𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚡'
He was supposed to be having a family dinner with his boyfriend's family. He knew those moments were few and far between with how busy TJ's family was, so he'd really hate to miss it.
"Has someone informed Paed's that we have a kid in surgery?" Mattie asked as the Nurse as she finished tying up the last string to his surgical gown.
"Yes. They said they'll be here as soon as they can."

Taking a deep breath, Mattie walked through the doors that separated the scrubbing room from the operating theatre, and peered over the table to see frightened eyes glance up at him, only to soften in relief as the young patient recognised his eyes.
"Hey." Mattie murmured, "I got a mask too!" he said as he pointed to his own mask. "Ready to put yours on?" Mizuki nodded and Mattie pointed his finger at the Anaesthetist, who was sitting by Mizuki's head, and then down to Mizuki, quietly signalling for the mask to be placed upon her.
"Just breathe, Mizuki. The pain will be over soon." He murmured as he placed a hand on her shoulder and he watched as the mask was placed over her face. Her own eyes never left his as they slowly fluttered closed and the surgical team waited a moment or two before the Anaesthetist gave the all clear.

Taking his hand off her shoulder, he straightened up and his softened features were pulled tight as a gloved hand as held out, ready for the first instrument. "Scalpel."
Pressing the blade of the sharp instrument against Mizuki's skin to make an incision, he began his work.

As he worked, he had absolutely no idea the amount of trust this little girl had in him. He had no idea that he was the first person, out of the whole medical crew, that had taken the time to talk to her. Properly. Not just to seek out information of her condition, but to actually talk to her. Reassure her. No one else had bothered to do that. Granted they were busy trying to save her life, but Mattie had managed to talk to her while doing his job at the same time. If only he knew that those little arms wanted to reach up and hug him. If only he knew that she didn't feel scared when he was around. If only he knew how much his mere presence calmed her. If only...

"Her BP's dropping!" came the frantic announcement from the Nurse who was monitoring Mizuki's levels.
Mattie was elbow deep in Mizuki's stomach trying to locate the last bleeder so he can clamp it down. Dammit! Where the hell was Paeds!?
"Suction." He ordered as the nurse removed the constant pooling of blood with the suction instrument. With the clock ticking, the machine beeping, time was running out – and fast! If he didn't find that bleeder and clamp it off in time...
Working quickly, he poked and prodded through her organs, carefully lifting and moving to check for any holes. The tension was evident in the room as everyone held a hush silence in watching and waiting for the Doctor to find the last bleeder.
And then he found it! "Clamp! Clamp!" he ordered quickly, a bloodied glove reached out with impatient fingers wiggling for the instrument to be placed in his hand. The moment he felt the cool of the metal through the warmth of being soaked in Mizuki's blood, he wasted no time in clamping the instrument down onto the hole to prevent it bleeding further.

𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠. 𝙂𝙤𝙙.

The sigh of relief that had been sucked in, ready to exhale, caught in his throat.
The sound that haunted every Doctor's ears echoed in Mattie's ears like it was the loudest thing he ever heard. One heart stopped beating in the room while his own heart began beating harder against his chest.

The sound of the EKG monitor flatlined.

Brown eyes widened as he watched the line run across the screen that was letting out one endless 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐞𝐞𝐞𝐞𝐞𝐩.

... 𝑵𝒐 ... !