Horror Game Developer: My games aren't that scary! Chapter 624: Surgery [2]

Beep! Beep—!

The persistent beeping from the heart monitor refused to fade from my awareness, though I'd strangely adapted to it, that unwavering rhythm serving as a lifeline while my hands worked automatically.

"....."

A subtle prickling sensation slithered up the back of my neck as I sliced downward, my back snapping straight for an instant.

Steering the blade lower, I parted the tissue with deliberate slowness, and each stroke sent a piercing tingle racing across the right side of my skull, causing my sight to blur momentarily.

Occasionally, I'd pause, my fingers twitching oddly as I fought to maintain my concentration.

"Doctor, stay focused. This is critical. Get that growth out fast. We can't leave the brain exposed too long."

The nurse murmured into my ear, her hand extending to suck up the blood mixed with transparent cerebrospinal fluid.

"H-ha."

"Keep at it."

Tick. Tick—

Tick!

The clock's relentless ticking seeped into my ears, so I steadied my scalpel, halting briefly while eyeing the pulsating lump of tissue ahead.

That throbbing mass mesmerized almost, its tangled veins and twisting patterns pulling at my attention as I battled to concentrate, gulping back the bile surging in my throat and soothing my roiling gut.

I'd convinced myself I was numb to the gruesome sights, but clearly, that was a lie. Maybe it hit harder because I sensed it with every cut, but a wave of nausea built from my depths, ready to erupt any moment.

Grinding my teeth, I zeroed in on the 'growth' and resumed carving it away. Normally, this surgery dragged on for hours, but time was not on my side.

Slicing deeper once again, I winced as my right eye squeezed shut.

"Doctor..."

Simultaneously, the nurse's familiar tone rang out.

"Time's short. Extract the growth and seal it up. We must speed this up."

"I... require more time. The pat—"

"Three minutes left."

The nurse cut in once more, her voice now intimately near, brushing my skin as her warm breath tickled my right ear, freezing me solid with a shiver racing down my spine.

"...Handle it swiftly. No need to panic."

I shut my eyes tight, struggling not to lash out and end the nurse right there. Naturally, mid-surgery, that was out of the question. The patient's fate was linked straight to mine.

"Doctor?"

"Got it."

From the edge of my vision, I locked onto a spot where shadows pooled darkly. I stared for a second before averting my gaze.

In this moment, I remained bound by the scenario's script.

This cut both ways.

Positive because sticking to the script meant escape. Negative because I danced to the 'fan's' tune, making me utterly foreseeable.

One tiny deviation could flip everything upside down.

A shift like...

Still, it was just a minor worry. Gates followed strict rules, and after watching closely, I knew he couldn't feed me outright lies. Otherwise, I'd be gone already.

So the error was on me.

His aim was probably to nudge me toward a fatal blunder. That's why focus was everything. I couldn't afford a single lapse.

Drawing a steadying breath, I pressed on with the surgery.

The scalpel settled firmly in my grasp, even if faint shakes lingered.

I shifted my hold, coaxing my fingers to loosen instead of clench. Stiffness only worsened it. I understood that well. The edge moved smoother when I eased my iron grip.

The quivering tissue ahead heaved in a regular pulse.

Another tingle prickled my scalp's base as a gradual cutting feeling crawled over it, like the tissue was splitting apart. My body quaked, tiny shivers coursing through as I strained to ignore it and concentrate.

But talking was cheaper than doing.

Each tiny action felt like ghostly fingers trailing inside my skull, a soft but intrusive touch wrecking my focus. The ache was milder now, yet more disturbing, every contact reverberating through me inescapably.

It was almost like I was probing my own brain.

"Hoo."

Inhaling deeply, I shoved the feeling aside while eyeing the growth. As I slashed down, I readied myself to feel it hit.

Yet...

The agony struck fiercer than anticipated, almost yanking the scalpel from my hand while my gut twisted, a fierce wave of nausea rushing up my throat.

"———!"

Even so, I pushed on. Gritting my teeth, I forced myself to finish the operation. Completion was so close.

Tick! Tick—

Only a handful of minutes remained.

I was nearly finished.

"Suction."

I kept cutting into the tumor, my actions precise yet tense, perspiration sliding along my cheek as I held my breath throughout, terrified that any tiny distraction might ruin everything.

Tick!

The clock's relentless beat lingered in my mind, every tick weighing on my concentration while I directed the scalpel to excise the last bit of flesh. It all appeared to proceed without issue, or so it seemed... until then.

Right when the edge approached the target, my head snapped sharply, my body acting independently.

"Uekh!"

Clank!

The scalpel veered off course, missing the precise location and slashing into an unintended section.

In that instant, my eyes flew wide open.

"O-oh, shit."

***

Chaos reigned everywhere. Since exiting the elevator, she had plunged straight into pandemonium, with events unfolding far from any normal path.

"Nurse! Over here, nurse!"

"We need help over here!"

"We need urgent help in this area! Please come quickly!"

As crowds surged toward her, Zoey scanned right and left, her pulse racing. Blood coated the floors and walls in splatters, prompting her to dash into a close room. Her sight locked onto the operating table, where doctors hunched over a patient, hurriedly sewing wounds closed.

The instant Zoey touched the patient, her face changed, her frame rigidifying as an odd chill rippled unnervingly down her spine.

She went rigid, scarcely suppressing a moan while the feeling grew stronger.

Glancing about, her eyes fixed on the doctors, but upon doing so, she froze solid. They lifted their heads together, faces devoid of emotion, pivoting to stare directly at her.

Zoey gulped anxiously yet kept her cool, moving next to them to start sucking away the blood. The device's gentle whir filled the space steadily, while that eerie crawl traced her back again, tightening her muscles.

Beads of sweat formed beside her face, yet she contained it, silencing any noise as she concentrated on her duty.

Moments passed, and the doctors at last sealed the patient's injuries.

Yet for Zoey, the ordeal was nowhere near finished.

No sooner had one case wrapped up than a nurse seized her arm, hauling her to another room without pause for breath.

"Ah, wait..."

Worn out, Zoey tried to object, but as her lips parted, the nurse halted. Her head swiveled toward Zoey, a grin blooming on her features.

"What’s wrong? Are you tired?"

Shock gripped Zoey as she realized the nurse's hold was shockingly firm, resisting any attempt to break free.

Moreover, under that piercing stare, Zoey felt deeply disturbed, swallowing hard while eyeing the clock nearby.

Then—

"No, I... can keep going. I can keep going."

The time read 7:45 P.M.

Roughly seven more hours stretched ahead until her shift concluded.

Precisely 7:45 minutes, in fact.

Her shift wrapped at 12:00.

Tick Tick—

Tick!