She decided to do a cut-down. Making a small incision just above the crook of the elbow, she searched for the vein. It was difficult to find, but at last she managed to identify it. She isolated it by passing a ligature below it. Then she made a tentative V-shaped cut in the vessel, and shrank back in horror as blood spattered onto her glasses. Momentarily she panicked and the ligature slipped, making matters worse.
“Call Vivek,” she yelled to the duty nurse. She hoped he hadn’t left for breakfast. He couldn’t have; it was just getting on for seven o’clock. Without a word, the nurse ran to obey.
Zahi looked at the mess, and wished Vivek would hurry. Blood was all over the place. The green towels she had used to mop it up were getting soaked, and she knew she couldn’t do this alone.
Just
