The explosive panic that had previously consumed the room ebbed away, replaced by a silence far more terrifying. One by one, the medical staff ceased their aggressive movements. They stood frozen, shoulders slumped in resignation, staring fixedly at the body on the operating table. The surgeon, who had been working the hardest, could only bow his head and offer a weak, almost imperceptible shake, a signal of surrender.
Leo, peeking through the narrow gap of the slightly ajar door, felt a premonition strike his chest like a physical blow. That small shake of the head was the answer to everything. He understood the meaning of the simple gesture instantly, without needing to hear a single word.
