In Her Order, There Was No Place for Me

Lucretia James had a severe order obsession.

As a surgeon, she'd set an iron rule.

Every surgery ran on the schedule. No one got her to break it.

The day my father was dying, I begged her to come in half an hour early.

She refused, her voice flat.

"The surgery's slotted for three. One minute early and you've broken the process."

But the moment she turned around, Julian Simmons said his chest felt off, and she scrapped her schedule and rushed to his side.

This was the third time.