16. Xavier's ICD surgery

AT THE SAME TIME

XAVIER'S POINT OF VIEW:

Xavier’s fingers fidgeted with the corner of his jacket as he watched Terrence leaf through the stack of papers on his desk. The sharp tang of antiseptic filled the clinic, mingling with the hum of the overhead fluorescent lights.

"Alright, Xavier." Terrence said, setting the papers aside and leaning back in his chair. His tone was calm, reassuring, but his eyes sharp and observant as a doctor should be. "Let’s talk about the ICD."

Xavier straightened in his seat.

"Yeah, about that... what exactly is it? And how does it work?"I asked.

Terrence clasped his hands together.

"ICD stands for Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator. It’s a small device, about the size of a stopwatch, that we implant under the skin, usually near the collarbone. Its job is to mo……