Heartbeat | 18+

Pulse Point Hospital

1234 Willow Creek Lane

Silver Ridge, CA 90210

Margrette Qualley as Margo Bennett

Alexander Skarsgard as Dr. Julian Maddox

Eiza Gonzalez as Valentina Martinez

Michael. B Jordan as Malik Johnson

Jacob Elordi as Noah Carter

Darren Barnett as Kian Park

Kiara Barnes as Alicia James

Lana Condor as Dr. Rachel Lee

Ryan Destiny as Tasha James

Mikey Madison as Hazel Brooks

MARGO BENNETT

The sirens are deafening. I don't remember how we got here, only the rush-adrenaline surging through my veins. I step into the ER, and I'm hit with the smell of antiseptic, the harsh lights, the urgent beeping of monitors.

The hospital is a blur of motion. Bodies everywhere, running, shouting. But the only thing that matters right now is the girl on the stretcher.

She's barely breathing, her body a mess of blood and torn fabric. Five stab wounds. One to the chest, another to the abdomen, two on the left leg, and one deep in her shoulder. The gash on her chest is the worst-blood is seeping through the gauze, soaking the sterile sheets beneath her.

I can hear the paramedics still shouting behind me. "Teenager, female, roughly 16. Stab wounds from a party gone wrong. Losing a lot of blood, trying to stabilize.

My heart races. This is why I'm here, in this chaotic place where life and death collide. I'm a doctor. I'm supposed to save them, all of them. But tonight... I'm not sure I can.

"Dr. Lee, get the blood ready. We'll need two units of O-negative immediately," the head trauma surgeon, Dr. Rachel Lee, shouts as she pushes the stretcher toward the trauma room.

I follow her. My mind drifts for a split second. The girl's face is pale, eyes fluttering open then shut. I don't even know her name yet, but I already feel the pressure of trying to save her life.

The whole ER feels like it's holding its breath.

A sharp voice snaps me back into focus.

"Hold pressure here, Dr. Bennett!" Dr. Julian Maddox's commanding tone rings in my ears as he instructs me to apply firm pressure to the wound on the girl's chest.

I don't hesitate. I feel the warmth of her blood soaking through my gloves, my fingers slipping. This is real. I've dealt with trauma before, but this-this feels different. The weight of it.

The blood.

The fear.

"Get the chest tube," Julian continues, his hands already moving swiftly.

"Rachel, you're on airway. Get her intubated." I nod, pushing aside the gnawing doubt and fear building in the pit of my stomach.

The teenager's blood is everywhere-on me, on Julian, on Rachel. The room smells like iron, like a visceral reminder of how quickly things can go wrong. My own breath feels shallow, but I push the panic away.

"Come on," Rachel mutters under her breath as she struggles to insert the breathing tube down the girl's throat.

"Don't you dare die on me."

I meet Julian's gaze across the room. His face is a mask of concentration, but I can see the shadows behind his eyes. He's been here before. He's seen this too many times.

His voice cuts through the noise, pulling me back into focus.

"Margo. Focus." I blink and take a deep breath, shaking off whatever dark thoughts are clouding my mind. This is what I signed up for.

I hear the paramedics outside the trauma room, but all I can focus on is this girl. What if we don't make it? What if I fail? The door slams open, and the paramedics bring in another supply of blood. Rachel immediately starts the transfusion.

"Her name is Emily," the paramedic says, stepping away, as if the momentary glance of the outside world is suddenly a blip in my consciousness.

"Emily Moore. 16. She was at a party. Got into an altercation with some kids. They... stabbed her. Multiple times."

I try not to react, but something inside me cracks. I can't even imagine what kind of hell this girl must have gone through before we found her. I close my eyes, but the image of her pale, lifeless face doesn't fade.

I glance at Julian. He's already moved on, his focus laser-sharp on the procedures. There's no room for sentiment in this of work. I know that.

But it's hard not to feel the weight of it. I shake my head, trying to focus. We're not done yet. We need to stabilize her completely, get her through the worst of it.

Julian is barking orders, moving with precision. His voice is steady, but there's an edge to it I can't ignore.

"We need to prep her for surgery. Dr.Lee, let's go." My hands are shaking as I assist with preparing the tools for surgery, adrenaline coursing through my veins, my mind racing with the uncertainty of the outcome.

"Do you think she'll make it?" | ask Julian in a low voice, my fingers trembling as I scrub in.

Julian's gaze sharpens. "I'm not sure. But we're going to try."

Time slows, and the world outside the trauma room fades away. Everything narrows into the girl on the table, the constant beeping of the monitors, the feeling of pressure building in my chest.

Suddenly, I feel a hand on my shoulder.

It's Elias.

"Breathe, Margo," he says quietly, his voice a little too calm for the chaos around us. Elias Hart. A reckless, passionate surgeon who always seems to know how to ground me when I feel like I'm about to break.

I turn to face him. His expression is focused, but his eyes soften as they meet mine.

"We've got this," he adds, his hand still on my shoulder. "she's a fighter. We'll he fine "

But I'm not sure. I've been here before, lost patients before, and the haunting feeling of failure always lingers.

I take a breath, trying to steady myself.

Elias is right. For now, I can't let my demons get in the way. I can't afford that.

I watch as the surgical team continues to work. The blood is still flowing, but the rate has slowed. Emily's vitals have dipped again, and her pulse is barely perceptible.

I hear Julian's voice, crisp and commanding. "We're prepping for immediate surgery. Margo, stay with her. Elias, get ready to assist."

Elias nods and moves to my side, his movements quick and efficient. The tension in the room is palpable as we prepare for the next step.

But then, as if the universe is reminding us how quickly things can go wrong, Emily's heart rate drops again.

I meet Julian's eyes.

"This is it," he mutters. "We either go in now or lose her."

The decision is made in an instant.

I glance at Elias, our eyes meeting for a fraction of a second. Without words, we both understand what's at stake. He steps up beside me, his hand on the scalpel, and I place my fingers on Emily's chest, ready for the next phase of the fight.

We're in this together.

But will Emily make it?

I close my eyes, pushing everything else out of my mind.

For now, all that matters is Emily's life.