I killed a man, and have never told anyone (not even my wife). And I would do it again.

I know the title sounds a little over the top, but I assure you, it’s the only way to describe it.<br>I (30M) am an anesthesiologist, and at the time of the incident, I was a resident.<br>Wife is also a resident in cardio, we met in med school and have been together ever since (7 years now)<br>She will be finishing her residency this year. I’m still 3 years away, but all in all, we’ve made some good memories, despite having to deal with all sorts of shit.<br>This incident, however, is something I’ve held onto for the past 4 years. I wrote it, but I have never spoken about it to anyone, and when I told this story to my best friend, he asked me to post it on Reddit as well, in the off chance it reaches someone like the one in the story.<br>So here it is;<br>It happened when I was an intern, about 4 years ago.<br>On my first day, they gave me a small tour of the hospital, as well as a small crash course on have to do everything, like how to take calls, run some tests, etc.<br>One of the older residents assigned to me a nurse to help me with my shift.<br>After my first 3 patients, I was getting pretty tired, but the night was still young.<br>Around 3 am, I’m sitting there, and one of the older residents (let’s call him Tom) comes to me, looking absolutely distraught.<br>In my half-awake haze, I see a gurney being wheeled into the emergency room.<br>Tom comes to me, and in tears, he tells me that it’s his fiancé, Laura.<br>She was on her way home from work when she was struck by a drunk driver.<br>Tom was a wreck, and I knew I had to be the voice of reason.<br>Laura was in critical condition, she had a severe brain hemorrhage as well as a fractured skull.<br>The ER doctor told me that he didn’t think she was going to make it.<br>I see Tom basically catatonic, and I tell him to go to the locker room.<br>He wails, having lost all composure as I tell one of our residents, Sarah, to go to Tom.<br>The ER doctor then tells me that Laura’s parents are on the way as well, and that I’ll need to inform them of the situation.<br>I tell the parents exactly what the ER doctor told me, that she most likely wasn’t going to make it.<br>Now, I don’t know the parents very well, but from the way Tom talks, I know they aren’t the greatest people, and would absolutely blame Tom for this.<br>And that’s exactly what they did, they started yelling at Tom, saying that if only he could provide he would’ve never had to work the night shifts, and Laura would still be alive.<br>I lose it at this, and in my best impression of a calm doctor, I remind them that this isn’t the time or place, and that we’ll do everything in our power to save their daughter.<br>Laura is wheeled into the O.R., and a young woman comes in to help me.<br>I ask her who she is, and she just tells me that she’s one of Tom’s friends, and that she’ll help me in any way she can.<br>The woman that comes in was (I assume) the anesthesiologist, so I relate Laura’s injuries, as well as the situation, hoping that she’ll help me save Laura’s life.<br>She listens to every word, and tells me exactly what to do, and what she needs me to do, as she’s preparing everything.<br>The whole thing took maybe 10 minutes, and in that time, I saw this woman who I had never met before, as a guardian angel.<br>She was so calm, so collected, so professional.<br>She helped me save a life that night.<br>Laura survived, and although she had brain damage, she was able to recover.<br>She and Tom got married last year, and Tom and I are still close friends.<br>That night, I thanked the woman who helped me, but she just smiled, and told me that it was all in a days work (I assumed she was one of the residents as well).<br>I never saw her again, until about a year after the incident, one of my patients recognized me, and told me that I had saved his wifes life.<br>He thanked me, telling me that she was able to see their children grow up, and that without me, none of that would’ve happened.<br>I thanked him, but told him he was mistaken, that it wasn’t me who had saved her, but rather the woman who helped me.<br>He looked at me confused, and I described the woman to him.<br>He looked even more confusing, telling me that no one matching that description worked there.<br>He then told me that I was the only anesthesiologist on duty that night.<br>That I was the one who had saved her life, and that I should be proud of myself, and all that I had accomplished.<br>I was taken aback, I had never thought that I was capable of doing something like that;<br>Of saving someone's life.<br>I asked him who the woman was, but he just told me it was probably the angel of death.<br>In all honesty, that’s what I think as well.<br>She was an angel, and I have absolutely no doubt that she would do it again in a heartbeat, and I would do it again as well.<br>I know this is probably just the sleep deprivation talking, but I thought I’d share the story nonetheless.