The charge nurse looked at Marguerite and said calmly, “Mrs. Whitmore, Dr. Adeline is the chief of cardiothoracic surgery.” Nobody spoke. Nathan closed his eyes for a second, almost relieved that the truth was finally out. Marguerite stared at me as though she could somehow rearrange the previous six weeks in her mind. Before she could apologize, I explained that Warren had a life-threatening aortic dissection and needed surgery immediately. This was not the moment for embarrassment or family drama. I offered to have another qualified surgeon take over because of my personal connection to the family, but Warren was conscious enough to understand his options and asked for me.
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