Pronounced Dead, Then He Woke

I pronounced my patient dead at 2:47 AM. His wife collapsed in my arms.

Then his monitor beeped. I had already called it. The family was grieving.

My attending was filling out paperwork. But that heartbeat was real. I had sixty seconds

to restart compressions or admit I made the biggest mistake of my career. His eyes opened.

Everyone froze. I chose to act. We brought him back. Nobody knows I hesitated. That moment haunts

me every single shift.