Page 131 of Interion

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After leaving the attacked facility, the general traveled through the shadows, and the moment he stepped onto the outer wall, his phone started ringing.

“Yes?” He answered on the first ring.

“This is Ana from Interion Central Hospital. We have news about your men, General.” The woman's voice sounded robotic on the other end, and Zion held his breath.

“Go ahead, I'm listening.” His chest was tight. He knew there was a good chance this call meant bad news about one of his men, but it would be even worse if it was about his friend.

“All twenty soldiers are stable. Five of them underwent complex surgeries and are recovering well.”

Zion drew a deep breath, as if he'd been drowning and could finally surface after hours of desperation. He walked along the wall, and the only reason he didn't let himself collapse to his knees was the guards staring at him.

“How is Kaori Yamamoto?” he asked, still unable to believe it. He'd left her practically dead, and the news that she was okay seemed unreal. He felt relieved but afraid his ears were playing tricks on him.

“Stable. They just sent her to the CT scan room. If everything looks good, they'll take her off the sedative soon.” Zion simply couldn't believe it—there was no way Kaori was okay.

“Have they said anything about lasting damage?” he asked, somewhat reluctantly.

“No, but the doctors are staying positive, and the patient is no longer intubated. She's breathing on her own, which is a miracle—the surgery only had a ten percent chance of success.”

The general ran a hand through his hair, still unable to believe the woman's words. A ten percent success rate was a new medical record. Zion still remembered when Ambrose had pulled off a surgery with thirty percent odds, earning the attention of the entire continent and a medal of honor from the medical council. No doubt journalists would swarm the hospital again like bees around honey.

“Tell Ambrose I'm very grateful for what he did. I'll stop by the hospital to thank him.”

The attendant went silent on the other end, then cleared her throat.

“I'm sorry, but it wasn't Ambrose who performed the surgery,” the girl replied, a hint of uncertainty in her voice.

Zion was confused. Ambrose was Interion's greatest neurosurgeon, Lorenzo specialized in cardiac surgery, and Selene in general surgery and obstetrics...

Then he remembered. Ambrose was Kyller's mentor. His heart skipped a few beats.

“Was it Kyller?” he exclaimed, practically shouting. He couldn't even name what he was feeling, but his chest swelled with something warm—pride and relief intertwined.

“Yes, she performed the surgery. It lasted fourteen hours, and there were several complications, but everything went well. Kyller just left the hospital, sir.” She sounded proud of the feat too, and Zion found himself marveling at the level of skill Kyller must possess. A ten percent chance of success was nearly impossible—with this surgery, she had surpassed Ambrose before even graduating.

“Ana, thank you so much for the information. If there's any change in Kaori's condition, please let me know,” he said, already preparing to transport himself again.

“We'll keep you informed. Goodbye, General.”

Zion was already on his way home when the call ended. He was desperate to see his partner and had no idea how to even begin thanking her. Damn! He wanted to lay the world at that girl's feet. He hurried back to her.

To his partner.

Chapter 33

When I left the hospital, Yoshihiro's security guards were waiting for me—they'd overheard Lorenzo looking for someone to drive me home and had offered to do it. It was 8 p.m. by the time I finally walked through the door, and apparently, I'd missed the entire afternoon training session. Kiara was waiting for me on the living room rug, her expression cheerful, tail wagging excitedly. I closed the door, hung my bag on the hook, and went over to her, giving her head a scratch.

“Hey, girl.” She flopped down and rolled over, exposing her fluffy belly. I crouched and gave her a little scratch, playing with the fur just below her neck. Her hind leg started kicking in the air, and I laughed to myself, watching her squirm from the ticklish spot.

“Zion hasn't come back yet?” I asked, glancing around. I couldn't catch his scent anywhere. She ignored my question and made room for me to lie down beside her.

“I'm not rolling around on the rug with you today—my back can't handle it,” I complained, gesturing to my aching spine. She looked at me curiously, her sky-blue eyes shining. Then she got up and nudged my butt with her nose, pushing me toward the stairs.

“Yeah, I know I stink—you don't have to tell me,” I joked, heading upstairs. My skin reeked of the hospital.

I climbed the stairs with Kiara in tow. I put on some calm music and, while soaking my sore muscles in the bathtub, started recounting the whole afternoon. I kept my eyes closed, a thick layer of cucumber mask slathered on for my dark circles, but I knew Kiara was watching me. She probably didn't understand half of what I was saying about the surgery, but she listened anyway, and that alone was comforting.