You’re lying in a hospital bed, your hands clasped together.

The room smells of disinfectant and that typical sterile hospital smell that immediately fills your senses.

The pain in your abdomen is strong, a dull, pulling ache on the left side that brought you to the hospital a few hours ago.

Everything happened fast. Too fast.

Examinations.

Blood tests.

Ultrasound.

Doctors talking to each other while you’re trying to make sense of what’s even happening.

The door opens again.

The doctor comes back into the room, a tablet in his hand. His face is kind, but serious.

“We have the results." He says calmly. “You have gallstones.”

You nod slowly. Then comes the next sentence. “We need to operate. As soon as possible.”

The room goes quiet for a moment. You feel your stomach tighten, not from pain this time, but from nerves.

Immediately.

Surgery.

You swallow. Beside you, Lando shifts beside you. He steps a little closer to the bed, his eyes fixed on you.

He hasn’t said much the whole time the doctor was speaking.

The doctor explains more, about the procedure, the anesthesia, the risks. You try to listen, but your thoughts keep circling back to a single word.

Surgery.

When the doctor finally leaves, the door closes softly, and the room falls silent. You keep staring at your hands.

“I’m scared.." You say after a few seconds. Your voice comes out thinner than you wanted it to.

Lando slowly takes your hand and looks at you. “Hey, you’ve got this. The doctor said it’s just a small operation. A routine procedure.”

He doesn’t let go of your hand. His thumb brushes over your fingers, slow and steady.

You exhale shakily. “Routine for them.” You murmur. “Not for me.”

A small, barely visible smile crosses his face. “Then we’ll just pretend it’s routine for you too.”

You let out a quiet breath, more air than actual laughter. “That doesn’t work.”

“It does. You go in there, fall asleep for a bit…and that’s it.” He says calmly.

You look at him. He seems so certain. So calm. Like there’s no doubt everything will be okay.

A knock at the door interrupts you. Two nurses enter, friendly but efficient.

One of them smiles at you. “We’re going to get you ready for surgery now, okay?”

You nod automatically, even though your stomach tightens again. Lando steps back slightly, only letting go of your hand when he has to.

The nurses help you change carefully. Everything suddenly feels very real, the rustling of fabric, the cool air on your skin.

Once they’re done, you’re asked to lie down. The bed is prepared, the brakes released. “Ready?”

The moment is here.

You nod slowly and glance at Lando. He leans down toward you, and without thinking much, you pull him a little closer.

His lips brush yours. Brief, gentle, then a second kiss on your forehead. “I’ll be here when you wake up.” He says softly.

You nod, even though your throat feels tight. Then the bed is wheeled out of the room.

It feels like a moment. Just a blink. A short, deep sleep. And then sounds. Quiet voices. Footsteps. A distant beeping.

You feel your body first, heavy, slow, like everything is lagging behind.

Then you open your eyes. Everything is still blurred. The ceiling above you is the same as before.

You’re back in the room. “It all went well.” A voice says somewhere. You blink, trying to orient yourself.

And then you see him.

Lando is sitting in the chair next to your bed. The moment your eyes open, he’s already on his feet.

“Hey.” His voice is soft.

It takes you a moment to speak. “Hey…”

His hand finds yours, gently. “The doctor said everything went well.”

You blink slowly again. The exhaustion pulls you down a little.

“How do you feel?” He asks softly, his hand briefly brushing your cheek.