Chapter 2 Doctors from other departments rushed over when they heard the commotion . I snapped sharply , my voice cutting through the chaos . " The duty roster clearly shows that you were the one assigned to last night's surgery , not me ! " " Yes , I should've noticed my phone had died . But the one truly responsible for this procedure is the doctor who signed that roster - Dr . Quinn , not me ! " Vanessa's face went pale . " Life and death don't care about schedules ! You always keep your phone on , except last night . What a coincidence . Lillian , you can target me all you want , but you can't gamble with a patient's life ! " Her righteous outrage was so overblown that some of the patients nearby began whispering . They speculated that I had purposely ignored the calls , deliberately letting the mess fall into Vanessa's hands so I could watch her fail and humiliate herself . But before I could answer , my colleagues couldn't hold back any longer . " Vanessa , shut your mouth ! Do you even realize Dr. Hayes pulled off three major surgeries yesterday , barely surviving on an energy bar and a glucose drink ? " " That's right ! While you sit comfortably in your office and push your rounds onto us , you have no idea how hard Dr. Hayes works ! " " She didn't get home until midnight . Her phone had been dead all day , and she collapsed into bed without charging it . That's hardly some sinister plot ! " Even the family of the patient I had saved yesterday spoke up in support . " Dr. Hayes already did her duty during her shift . Last night wasn't even her responsibility ! " The crowd of onlookers finally understood . Even the surgeons who had operated alongside Vanessa that night could no longer watch in silence . " Enough , Dr. Quinn . It really wasn't Dr. Hayes's shift . If you want to blame someone , blame our bad luck . " Vanessa staggered backward and dropped to the floor , her lips drained of color . " What is all this noise ?! " Dean Whitaker's furious voice boomed across the hall . Behind him strode Adrian Cole , his face dark with fury . 1 opened my mouth to speak , but he brushed right past me . He went straight to Vanessa , gently helping her up . " Easy now . Don't worry I'll find a way to protect you . Nothing's going to happen to you . Under the dean's authority , the crowd dispersed quickly . 1 , however , was summoned to his office . The moment the door shut , his stern mask collapsed into sheer panic . " " Lillian ! I know this isn't your fault , but you have to save that patient . She's Nathaniel Graves's sister ! If she dies in our hospital , none of us - including you will ever survive the fallout ! " 1 exhaled slowly . The truth was , the reason I'd dared to switch off my phone was because I knew my colleagues were capable of keeping the patient alive Crouter 2 W WebNovel 4.3 FREE Google Play OPEN Anyone can find their favorite manga on Wahtieweil until I arrived . Even if I came in late , there was still a chance to save her . That way , when it came to negotiations afterward , I'd have leverage . I fixed my gaze on the dean . "This disaster isn't just Vanessa's fault . Adrian shares the blame as well . " The dean froze . I handed him a signed document . " This reckless ' one - handed delivery ' was personally approved by Dr. Cole . All of us carried that risk for the sake of those two . So yes , I'll clean up this mess . 31 " But the punishment cannot fall on Vanessa alone . " I pressed my palms against his desk . " If Adrian isn't dealt with , disasters like this will keep happening . And next time , I can't guarantee I'll be able to save the hospital . " The dean's expression turned grave . Adrian had been his mentee since med school , but when the hospital's survival was at stake , not even that bond could protect him . Especially not when the patient was Juliette Graves- the sister of Ravensport's most dangerous tycoon . " That stupid bastard ! He dares to pull stunts like this just because I promoted him ? " He slammed the agreement down on the desk . " Fine ! His Rising Star grant will be denied . His promotion file will be shredded . " " From now on , he'll be stuck doing grunt work at the bottom . He'll never touch a core position in this hospital again ! " I let a smile curl across my lips . I signed my name at the bottom . And just like that , the brilliant career path Adrian Cole had enjoyed in my previous life - his meteoric rise from Rising Star to celebrated medical leader - was shattered before it could even begin . WebNovel