Beep! Beep—!
The rhythmic sound of the cardiogram echoed loudly within the hospital room, each beep slicing through the heavy silence. I stood by the bedside, staring at the figure that lay within it.
Her face was pale, her lids closed, and her long black hair fanned out gently across the bed.
As her chest rose and fell in even rhythms, I held onto the metal railing of the bed while keeping a close watch on her.
The more I stared at her, the deeper the sense of guilt that I felt.
'At the end of the day, I'm responsible for this.'
I was the Squad Leader. Making sure that every single member of my team was healthy and survived was part of my job.
An injury or even death meant failure on my side.
I got lucky, but...
'...She may as well be dead.'
While a fracture wasn't as bad as death or a Cognitive Shard, it was still terrible. The doctors from the Guild all advised that she should retire. There was no way for her to continue.
