Chapter 35: Terms of Preservation

By Tuesday morning, Mo's blood had stopped gathering inside him. Dr. Desai did not consider this good news. "It means your body sealed the leak before surgery could be scheduled," she said. "That is not the same as being fine." Mo sat against the raised hospital bed. Clear tubing entered his left arm. The county medical center had given him a private room, two officers outside, and a machine that objected whenever he slowed his heart below forty beats. "I did not require surgery." "You required it when I ordered it." "The injury changed." "Yes. While I was looking at it." She pressed the ultrasound probe into his side. On the screen, the fine lattice around the old tear had thickened overnight. New vessels curved around the place the severance lock had opened. Desai pointed at the image. "Adult vessels do not form overnight. These did." "Mine had time." "A…