Two
1359 Words
"Don’t you think it’s about time you take a break?" Dr. Harper asked, resting her hands on my shoulders. Her concerned gaze bore into me.
I forced a smile, my eyes following as my last patient of the day was wheeled away. My hair clung to my damp forehead, my chest rose and fell, and my head felt light, like I might topple over any second. Overworking myself after a heartbreak probably wasn’t the smartest decision, but it was a distraction. A necessary one. It made me forget, even if just for a moment.
"I am fine," I replied, my voice shaky as I struggled to catch my breath. "Just a little tired, but that’s normal. I have been working hard, after all."
"You have been overworking yourself, Dr. Olivia," she countered, her eyes scanning my face like I was her next patient. "You look hypoglycemic to me."
I scoffed and rolled my eyes. "Don’t you think you are being dramatic? I am just tired, Harper. That’s all."
Her tone shifted. "I am not being dramatic. Look at how pale you are." She sighed, her voice softening as she added, "Okay, let’s not jump to conclusions. How about a blood test, just to be sure?"
I sighed, knowing there was no winning against her when she got like this. Harper always cared too much about everyone. It was part of what made her the sweetest person I knew, but also the most persistent. Reluctantly, I agreed. If it would get her off my back, then fine. At least it gave me a moment to sit and relax.
But here’s the thing about relaxing, it leads to thinking. And thinking meant diving headfirst into memories I wanted to bury. Memories of my divorce, of the way my husband had cruelly walked out on me. On my birthday, no less. That’s why I threw myself into work to escape the pain. To drown out the noise.
While waiting for the results, I distracted myself by flipping through channels on the TV, desperate for something mindless to keep my thoughts at bay.
"Interesting," Dr. Harper’s voice suddenly broke the silence, her eyes fixed on the papers in her hands.
"What?" I asked casually, my eyes glued to the TV as I got pulled into the show.
"Your hormone levels, they are way too high," Dr. Harper said, her words interrupting through my distraction. That caught my attention. My body stiffened, and the smile I had from watching the comedy show faded.
"What are you talking about?" I asked, confused. She extended the papers toward me.
"See for yourself."
I snatched the papers, my eyes scanning the test results. High hCG levels? That usually meant one thing. Pregnancy.
"I am... pregnant?" The words felt foreign in my mouth, like they didn’t belong to me.
"That’s not possible," I muttered under my breath, my mind racing. I always used protection. I never missed a pill. How could this happen? It didn’t make sense.
"Come with me," I said, my voice shaking as I rushed out of the break room, dragging Dr. Harper with me. We headed straight to the obstetrics section of the hospital, but the doctor in charge wasn’t there.
Without hesitation, I lay down on one of the hospital beds. "Please check," I whispered, my voice barely audible.
Dr. Harper didn’t waste any time. She got to work, her hands steady as she performed the ultrasound. The room was silent except for the faint sound of the machine.
Then, there it was, a tiny embryo, barely visible but definitely there, nestled in my uterine wall.
“Looks two months old" Dr. Harper said softly, her eyes glued to the screen. "Considering how thin your uterine lining is, it’s rare for a pregnancy to implant this well. It’s nothing short of a miracle."
A miracle? Can I even call it that? Pregnant? At the worst possible time? I can’t even have this child, he wouldn’t let me. He’s as stubborn as Grandpa.
Memories of that night rushed back. He had been drunk, his usual defenses crumbling. It was... beautiful, in a way. A rare moment of softness. But that moment of tenderness had thrown my life into even more chaos.
"Please, promise me you won’t tell anyone about this, Dr. Harper," I pleaded, my voice trembling with panic as my mind raced for solutions.
Dr. Harper looked at me, clearly confused but still reassuring. Before she could respond, someone burst into the room.
"There you are, Dr. Olivia! You have a new patient who specifically requested you."
"I don’t think that’s a good idea right now..." Dr. Harper started, but I cut her off.
"I will do it!" I said, climbing off the bed and hurrying down the hall before she could protest. I needed to distract myself again and work was the perfect distraction.
I rushed to prepare for the procedure when snippets of a conversation between nurses caught my attention.
"Are you serious? Dr. Olivia will be treating Jessica, the model?" one of them exclaimed, almost bouncing with excitement.
"Yeah! That’s our patient today. I can’t believe I will get to see her in person, she’s like a mini Miranda Kerr!" another one squealed.
Jessica? My ears perked up at the name, curiosity flickering despite myself.
"I heard she got a knee scrape during her first U.S. fashion event. It’s nothing serious, but the organizers panicked. They rushed her here to get treated by the best, especially since rumors say she has a powerful, insanely rich boyfriend. They didn’t want to risk upsetting him. So, of course, Dr. Olivia was called in to treat her."
A powerful boyfriend? The gossip had me interested at first, but then I rolled my eyes. Surely, this wasn’t that Jessica. There were plenty of Jessicas in the world.
Fully prepped, I made my way to the surgical room. The first thing I noticed was her smile, a breathtaking smile from possibly the most stunning woman i had ever seen.
She had ocean-blue eyes that seemed endless, a perfectly defined face with sharp cheekbones, and golden-blonde hair that flowed like silk down her back. Her tall, slim figure practically screamed high fashion. She looked like she had stepped straight off the cover of Vogue, and for a moment, I couldn’t help but stare.
"Oh, you are here, Doctor," she said, her voice sweet, her smile warm.
I smiled back, my gaze dropping to her leg as I walked towards her. The injury was minor, barely a scrape that needed disinfecting and maybe a small bandage.
"I heard you were on a break," she said softly. "I am so sorry to call you in for such a small emergency. I just... wanted the best."
I raised my head to meet her gaze, flashing her a polite smile. "It’s nothing. This is my job." It was all I could think to say. I wasn’t in the mood for small talk, I had far too much on my mind.
Within minutes, I had cleaned her wound, disinfected it, and wrapped it neatly.
"All done. Good as new," I said, stepping back.
“You are such a lifesaver. With an expert like you handling this, i am sure it will heal perfectly. My boyfriend hates scars on me, he goes crazy when he sees me in pain. I am sure he will be here soon, and when he sees you, he will soften, knowing I am getting treated by the best…”
I smiled weakly at her, unsure of how to respond. Just as I was about to speak, she interrupted.
“Oh, look, my boyfriend’s here already,” she said, her face lighting up with a loving smile as she glanced behind me.
I turned quickly, a smile on my face that vanished the moment I saw who it was. My heart dropped, the sudden pain seizing me as the treatment tray I was holding slipped from my hands, making a loud metallic clunk as it hit the floor. My eyes locked with his.
The words slipped out of my mouth before I could stop them: “Theo?”
- Writer
