Day Zero / Season 1, Episode 5
Blood on Her Hands
Nina’s hands tremble as she presses the gauze tighter against the teenage boy’s chest, the fabric already soaked through with a dark, warm stain that seeps between her fingers. The air in Houston Methodist’s ER bay reeks of iron and antiseptic, the sharp tang cutting through the stale heat that clings to her skin. The generator’s hum has turned erratic, a low stutter that vibrates through the floor, and the fluorescent emergency lights flicker above, casting jagged shadows across the boy’s pale face. His breaths come in shallow, wet rasps, each one a countdown she can’t stop hearing in her head. “Stay with me, kid,” she mutters, her voice rough, barely above a whisper. She doesn’t even know if he can hear her. His eyes are half-lidded, pupils dilated to black pools, and his skin feels clammy under her touch. She glances at the empty IV bag dangling from the stand—saline’s gone, and they’ve got no more in this bay. Jamal’s supposed to be back with supplies, but he’s been gone too long, and the shouts echoing from the hallway aren’t the kind that mean help’s coming. “Reyes!” Dr. Patel’s voice cuts through the haze, sharp and frayed at the edges, as she shoves through the curtain separating their bay from the next. Her scrubs are streaked with sweat and...