Seven years ago, fourteen-year-old Adrian Blackwood sat outside the operating room, staring at the red light above the door.

His hands were shaking.

His mother had gone inside less than an hour ago.

The doctors had told him it was a routine procedure.

She would be fine.

She would wake up.

She would come home.

So why were they taking so long?

Adrian stood up when another doctor rushed past him.

“Doctor!”

The man stopped.

“Is my mother okay?”

The doctor hesitated.

That hesitation frightened Adrian more than any answer could have.

“She’s stable,” the doctor said quickly.

“Then why hasn’t the surgery started?”

The doctor glanced toward the operating room.

“There have been some complications.”

“What complications?”

“I can’t discuss the details with you.”

“I’m her son.”

“I know.”

“Then tell me what’s happening!”

The doctor lowered his voice.

“We’re doing everything we can.”

Adrian stared at him.

“That’s not an answer.”

Before the doctor could respond, another surgeon came out of the operating room.

He looked angry.

“This should have started twenty minutes ago,” the surgeon said.

The first doctor immediately turned toward him.

“Not here.”

“I don’t care where we discuss it. The patient has been waiting too long.”

Adrian's heart dropped.

“Waiting for what?”

Both doctors looked at him.

The angry surgeon's expression softened.

“Adrian, go sit down.”

“No.”

“Your mother needs us to stay focused.”

“Then focus!”

His voice cracked.

“Please.”

The surgeon looked away.

Adrian could see something in his eyes.

Fear.

And that was when Adrian knew something was wrong.

Something was very wrong.

Nearly an hour later, the red light above the operating room finally went off.

Adrian jumped to his feet.

The doors opened.

A nurse walked out.

She wasn't smiling.

Adrian ran toward her.

“My mother?”

The nurse stopped.

Her eyes filled with pity.

Adrian's stomach twisted.

“What happened?”

The nurse looked down.

“I'm sorry.”

“No.”

The word came out before he could stop it.

“No. You said she would be fine.”

“Adrian…”

“She was supposed to survive.”

The nurse didn't answer.

Adrian pushed past her.

“Let me see her.”

“Adrian, wait.”

“I want my mother!”

A doctor grabbed his shoulder.

“Adrian, please.”

“Let go of me!”

He pulled away.

“Why didn't you save her?”

The doctor froze.

Adrian's eyes burned with tears.

“You're doctors. You're supposed to save people.”

The doctor couldn't answer.

Adrian ran into the room.

His mother lay beneath a white sheet.

She looked peaceful.

Too peaceful.

“Mom?”

Nothing.

He moved closer.

“Mom, wake up.”

His voice trembled.

“You said you'd be home tomorrow.”

Nothing.

“Mom…”

He reached for her hand.

It was cold.

Adrian pulled back.

“No.”

A sob escaped him.

“No, no, no.”

He grabbed her hand again.

“Please wake up.”

Behind him, the doctors remained silent.

Adrian looked at them.

“Do something.”

No one moved.

“DO SOMETHING!”

The room remained painfully quiet.

Then Adrian saw one of the doctors pick up his mother's medical file.

The man's expression changed.

He flipped through several pages.

Then stopped.

“What is this?”

Another doctor walked over.

“What?”

“This page.”

He pointed at the file.

“It wasn't here before.”

Adrian wiped his face.

“What page?”

The doctor quickly looked toward the door.

“Where did this come from?”

“I don't know.”

Adrian stepped closer.

“What are you talking about?”

The first doctor opened his mouth.

Then the doctor looked shocked.

“Someone altered this.”

The second doctor grabbed the file.

“Keep your voice down.”

“Her surgery was supposed to begin earlier.”

Adrian stared at them.

“What does that mean?”

Neither doctor answered.

He stepped closer.

“What happened to my mother?”

The doctor turned the file slightly.

Adrian caught a glimpse of a page covered in notes.

Then the doctor looked toward the door.

“Where did this come from?”

“I don't know.”

Adrian stepped closer.

“What are you talking about?”

The first doctor looked at him.

Then his face changed.

“Someone altered this.”

The second doctor grabbed the file.

“Keep your voice down.”

“Her surgery was supposed to begin earlier.”

Adrian stared at them.

“What does that mean?”

Neither doctor answered.

He stepped closer.

“What happened to my mother?”

The doctor quickly closed the file.

“Adrian, you need to leave.”

“No.”

“Please.”

“What was on that page?”

The doctor said nothing.

A nurse suddenly entered.

“Doctor, the family is waiting outside.”

The doctor handed her the file.

“Take this to records.”

Adrian watched closely.

“What was on that page?”

The doctor ignored him.

Adrian followed the nurse into the hallway.

“Wait!”

The nurse stopped.

Adrian reached for the file.

“Let me see it.”

“I can't.”

“Why?”

“I was told to take it to records.”

“Who told you?”

The nurse looked nervous.

Before she could answer, the doctor appeared behind Adrian.

“Adrian.”

He turned.

“Give me the file.”

The doctor took it from the nurse.

Then he removed one page.

Adrian saw the doctor's hands trembling.

“What are you doing?”

The doctor folded the page.

“Nothing you need to worry about.”

“Why are you hiding it?”

“I am not hiding anything.”

“You're lying.”

The doctor stared at him.

For one second, Adrian saw fear in his eyes.

Then the doctor walked away.

“Wait!”

Adrian chased after him.

But the doctor disappeared through another door.

Adrian stopped.

His chest was heaving.

Behind him, another doctor spoke quietly.

“Adrian, your mother's death was caused by unexpected complications.”

Adrian turned.

“Unexpected?”

“Yes.”

“Then why was that doctor scared?”

The doctor didn't answer.

“Why was there a missing page?”

“Adrian…”

“What happened to my mother?”

The doctor looked away.

“We did everything we could.”

Adrian stared at the operating room.

He didn't believe him.

But he was fourteen.

And nobody would tell him the truth.

Seven years later.

“Clamp.”

Adrian held out his hand.

The nurse placed it in his palm.

“Pressure dropping.”

“How much?”

“Seventy over forty.”

“Keep the blood flowing.”

The monitor began beeping faster.

A nurse looked at him.

“Doctor Blackwood, we’re losing him.”

Adrian didn't blink.

“Then don't lose him.”

The room went silent.

“Doctor, his artery is torn.”

“I can see that.”

“What do you want us to do?”

“Nothing.”

The nurse stared at him.

“Nothing?”

Adrian's eyes remained fixed on the surgical field.

“Let me work.”

His hands moved with precise control.

“Forceps.”

“Here.”

“Retractor.”

“Here.”

“Pressure.”

“It's dropping again.”

Adrian's voice remained calm.

“Thirty seconds.”

The nurse looked at the monitor.

“Doctor…”

“Twenty seconds.”

The heart monitor screamed.

“Ten.”

Adrian made one final movement.

“Clamp.”

The bleeding stopped.

The room became still.

Then the monitor beeped steadily.

A nurse exhaled.

“His pressure is coming back.”

Adrian stepped away.

“Close.”

The nurses immediately moved into action.

One of the surgeons beside him smiled.

“You did it.”

Adrian removed his gloves.

“Good.”

“You saved him.”

Adrian looked through the glass window.

“I did my job.”

The surgeon laughed softly.

“You really don't know how to accept praise, do you?”

Adrian walked toward the door.

“There's nothing to praise.”

“Nothing?”

The surgeon followed him.

“That was one of the most difficult surgeries we've handled this year.”

Adrian stopped.

“Then the patient is lucky.”

“You're unbelievable.”

Adrian ignored him.

He stepped into the hallway.

Doctors and nurses looked at him with admiration.

“Brilliant surgery.”

“Blackwood really is the best.”

“Dr. Blackwood never misses.”

Adrian kept walking.

Never misses.

The words followed him.

Then, without warning, the hallway disappeared.

He was fourteen again.

A red light.

A closed operating room.

His mother's cold hand.

Please wake up.

Adrian stopped walking.

His breathing tightened.

“Doctor Blackwood?”

He blinked.

The hospital hallway returned.

A senior doctor stood in front of him.

“Are you all right?”

Adrian straightened.

“I'm fine.”

“You've been standing there for almost a minute.”

“I said I'm fine.”

The doctor studied him.

“You've been different lately.”

Adrian's expression hardened.

“Different how?”

“More distant.”

“I have patients.”

“You also have a life.”

Adrian gave him a cold look.

“My life is fine.”

“Is it?”

Adrian said nothing.

The doctor sighed.

“You're an exceptional surgeon, Adrian. But sometimes you operate like you're fighting something.”

Adrian's jaw tightened.

“I'm not.”

“You don't have to lie to me.”

Adrian looked away.

“I don't need therapy.”

“I didn't say you did.”

The doctor paused.

“You're afraid of losing control.”

Adrian's eyes hardened.

“I'm afraid of making mistakes.”

The doctor looked at him carefully.

“Because of your mother?”

Adrian's expression changed.

“Don't mention her.”

The doctor nodded.

“Fine.”

Adrian turned and walked away.

But the memory had already returned.

His mother's face.

The missing page.

The doctor who looked frightened.

Seven years.

Seven years of wondering what really happened.

Adrian reached his office and closed the door.

His assistant had left several documents on his desk.

He ignored them.

Then his computer chimed.

A new hospital notification appeared.

Adrian almost dismissed it.

Then he saw the name.

ELIZABETH BLACKWOOD.

His mother's name.

His fingers froze over the mouse.

He opened the notification.

The screen displayed a message he had never seen before.

Adrian read it once.

Then again.

His face slowly changed.

At the bottom of the notification were the words:

“Medical records for Patient Elizabeth Blackwood have been permanently sealed.”

Adrian stared at the screen.

“Sealed?”

He leaned closer.

Seven years.

He had searched for those records.

He had requested them.

He had been told they were unavailable.

But nobody had ever told him they were permanently sealed.

His eyes narrowed.

“Who sealed them?”

For the first time in seven years, Adrian felt something stronger than grief.

Suspicion.

Someone had hidden his mother's records.

And now he needed to know why.