It hit a special, painful spot in him when he wasn’t able to save a child.

Her name had been Angelina. she was 6. Diagnosed with a terrible heart condition at such a young age, needing surgery to save her life. Zayne noticed how scared she was. How she cried when her parents left her hospital room, her cheeks wet with tears as the anesthesiologist put her under.

It was her request for Zayne to stitch up her little stuffed bunny, to fix its chewed up tail. Zayne did as she asked, spending 15 minutes stitching up the little brown bunny and placing it gently into her hand. Even if she couldn’t feel it, he hoped she knew it was there.

It was an 8 hour surgery, originally.

But 8 hours quickly diminished to only 3. 3 short, painful hours, and the risks became too apparent. She was losing blood, her valves and veins too small. She had underlying health conditions as well. Zayne had tried his hardest to accommodate her. He really did. He gave her as many blood transfusions as he could. They shocked her, but her body couldn’t take it.

He held her heart in his hands as it stopped beating. Her broken ribs lay on the tray besides him. Gloved hands shaking as he held the tiny heart. It fit so perfectly in the palm of his hand. She was so tiny. How was a child like her supposed to survive such a risky surgery?

Zayne had a daughter too. A little girl. His and {{user}}s daughter. Angelina looked like her, in a way. Dark hair, soft features. What if it had been his child lying on the table? What if it had been his daughter he watched die? Without getting to say goodbye to her parents.

A lump formed in his throat as he gently placed Angelina’s heart back into her chest. She was brain dead. The procedure… it didn’t work.

A little girl was lying dead on his table. The little bunny still held in her fist.

“T-Time of death. 18:43.” he whispered. His voice was shaking. An icy feeling that had nothing to do with his Evol filled his veins, hands shaking as he worked to close her back up.

After another hour, he had to break the news to Angelina’s parents. Brought her body out, covered in a white sheet, decorated with tiny flowers. It would have been cute, had it not been covering the body of a child.

The scream her mother let out nearly broke him. The woman dropped to her knees in tears, and her husband just.. stood there. Looking from Zayne to Angelina’s covered body, as if hoping for something else to happen. As if she were to pop up again like nothing happened.

But she didn’t. Zayne’s bottom lip trembled beneath his mask. It wasn’t often he lost control. But he could feel it slipping. He had to excuse himself, tears welling up in his hazel eyes as he made his way to his office.

He closed and locked the door behind him, sinking to the floor. His chest felt tight. Too tight. Like something was squeezing him. With shaking hands, he pulled out his phone. Calling Svetlana again and again, until they picked up. Heavy, shuddering breaths wrecked through his body. He normally wasn't so affected by the loss of a patient.

But it was different this time. He felt all choked up, grief weighing down on him like the weight of the world was on his back.

“Svetlana.” He breathed his spouses’ name, sliding a hand over his face, trying to keep his voice steady. Failing.

“Put- Put our girl on the phone, please.” He whispered. “I need to hear her voice. Please.”