SWNOVELS Chapter 849
Flora rolled up her sleeve just enough to show the bandage on her wrist, the white gauze already tinged with red. Despite her calm demeanor, she was clearly pushing through the pain!
As the competition neared its end, the countdown began. Ten, nine, eight, seven... Flora's surgical procedure was also wrapping up. Three, two, one... In the nick of time, Flora set down her scalpel, becoming the first to complete a pancreatoduodenectomy-and in just ten minutes. The scoring system kicked in. Soon, the results were announced. The scores were cumulative; you got twenty points for inserting an IV, the same for a pancreatoduodenectomy, and so on. Most competitors aced the IV insertion, scoring the full twenty points, but the pancreatoduodenectomy stumped many, with the highest score being a mere seven points.
The leaderboard was scrolling, the top score sitting at twenty-five points. Flora's results, however, were still pending. The room buzzed with anticipation, everyone expecting her score to be between thirty-five and forty points, given her flawless surgery. "Flora's score! It's out!" someone shouted. The scrolling stopped, and Flora's name lit up the screen. Team Austenberg, Flora, perfect score. The bold letters were dazzling, like flames that seemed to make everyone's eyes burn.
The crowd was floored. How could Flora have a perfect score when the two procedures only totaled forty points? And with more rounds to go, what did this mean for her future scores?
The host stepped up to clarify, "Flora's remarkable performance was unanimously recognized by the judges, earning her a perfect score. As a rare exception, she's exempt from the remaining rounds!"
No one protested. Everyone had
seen Flora in action; there was no contest. Her perfect score was surprising yet well-deserved, especially considering she pulled it off with an injury. She might just be the first in the competition's history tearn such an honor.
"Flora, is your hand alright?" Back with team Austenberg, Mr. Tanner's priority wasn't celebrating, but checking on Flora's hand. She'd used her injured hand during the surgery, and he was concerned. "I'm fine," Flora assured, giving a small shake of her head.
"I don't buy it." Felene's expression was stern. "Roll up your sleeve and let us see!"
Flora raised an eyebrow, "Getting a bit bossy, aren't we?" Felene huffed, looking away in annoyance.
Mr. Tanner insisted on checking Flora's hand. Once he confirmed it was just minor bleeding, he relaxed and let her sit down to rest. With Flora's perfect score, the suspense in the competition vanished, and team Austenberg was clearly headed for victory.
The competition carried on, but without Flora's electrifying presence, it felt lackluster. An hour and a half later, it concluded. Team
Austenberg, with Flora's perfect score, Felene's 72, Joy's 60, Debra's 54, and Luiz's 61, clinched the championship with a commanding lead.
The team from the U.S. came in second, trailing team Austenberg by forty points. The reigning champions, a once-dominant medical organization, had to settle for third place.