In the operating room, someone announces a blood pressure reading that sounds better than the previous one. Another voice says "stabilized." Time becomes a thicker rope again. The light doesn't change, but its temperature does.

"We're closing in stages," says the lead surgeon. "The next forty-eight hours are critical."

***

The clock in the hallway marks a time that no one remembers ever experiencing. The swinging door opens. A tall doctor with tired eyes and immaculate hands removes his mask as