The air was thick with tension, like the moment before a storm breaks. Max’s bark reverberated through the silent ward, a sound so fierce and protective it cut through the usual sterile calm of the hospital.
Everyone’s eyes were fixed on the dog, whose barks were aimed directly at the surgeon—a man regarded as one of the best in the field. Yet here he was, retreating from a small, seemingly harmless pet.
The ward’s atmosphere shifted as the staff paused, unsure how to react to this unexpected disruption.
The surgeon, a tall man with a reputation for being both brilliant and brusque, seemed genuinely rattled. His face flushed with anger and embarrassment, but there was an undercurrent of something else—fear.
