Chapter 44 of 50 in the Under Deepspace arc
Characters across this arc
Main Character Xavier Zayne Tara Rafayel Caleb Jenna Josephine Radio Host Hunters Association President
Other chapters in this arc
Under Deepspace · Under Twilight · 04-05
Waiting
The Main Character arrives at Akso Hospital for her scheduled follow-up, but Dr. Zayne is tied up in an emergency surgery (an elderly male patient requiring cardiopulmonary bypass prep) due to the surge in emergency cases from recent Wanderer attacks. The two only manage a brief moment of eye contact before parting again. Zayne's professional bio is revealed: specializing in complex congenital heart defect corrective surgery, Evol-based aortic valve regeneration and repair, atrial septal defect repair, and heart transplants; he studied at Skyhaven University Medical School (2035–2043), published over 30 first-author papers in journals with an impact factor above 9.0, and now serves as Chief of Cardiac Surgery at Akso Hospital. It's only once she's alone that the Main Character realizes exhaustion is about to overwhelm her. Only a Nurse appears alongside the Main Character in this chapter, painting a picture of a Zayne consumed with saving others while the Main Character silently endures her own grief; it continues from the pain of 04-04 and leads into the memory-dream of 04-06.