"Mr. Hayes," Dean Nash said, his voice tight with urgency as he stood in the doorway of Evelyn's office. "We need your help. There's been a terrible accident."
I looked up from the documents I'd been reviewing, noting the hospital director's disheveled appearance. His usually pristine white coat was wrinkled, and there were dark circles under his eyes.
"What kind of accident?" I asked, keeping my tone neutral.
"A seventeen-year-old girl was hit by a truck. Multiple spinal fractures, internal bleeding, and severe compression at the L2 and L3 vertebrae. Our best surgeons say she has less than a five percent chance of avoiding permanent paralysis."
Evelyn gasped from behind her desk. "That's horrible. The poor family."
Dean Nash stepped closer, his eyes fixed on me with desperate hope. "Mr. Hayes, after what you did for Victor Reed, I believe you might be able to help where conventional medicine has failed."
"Who is the patient?" I asked.
