Chapter 7
1164 Words
I tried to mask my surprise when I saw her ready to assist with the surgery. She was dressed as if she were prepared to perform the surgery herself. Despite having plenty to tell her, I decided to remain silent—unlike her.
"No one told me that Erin would be here as well," she said, her voice for the first time grating on my nerves. I couldn’t help but picture her with Kevin on the bed we had shared for years.
"Of course, Erin is here. How could a difficult surgery be done without her?" one of the nurses chimed in as she approached me with some documents in her hand. "She is the best, isn't she? I was happy to find her already on duty; otherwise, I would have had to call her in, even if it meant waking her up from bed." She smiled, and I smiled back, even though I was screaming inside at the thought of how many times I had slept in the same bed where Kevin and Zoe had s*x during the day.
My stomach still hadn’t recovered from last night, and thinking about this made me feel nauseous instantly, so I forced myself to stop dwelling on it and focus on my duties.
I took the records from her and began to review them, but Zoe interrupted me.
"Erin, stop checking those results. It’s a Thoracic Aortic Dissection Repair. We must start immediately; otherwise, we will lose the patient."
I guessed that the nurse's praise greatly annoyed her, but I didn't know how far she would go to prove she was better.
So, I was taken aback when I realised she wanted to start the surgery. She held the scalpel poised to cut open the patient’s chest when I shouted, "Stop!" She tensed for a moment, then straightened up and narrowed her eyes at me, clearly forgetting to consider the dire implications of what she had almost done.
"Since when are you my boss?" she asked, and at that moment, I had had enough. Since their secret has been revealed, I understand why she disliked me so much during the years we had worked together. But in the hospital, especially in the operating room, she couldn't afford to play the offended she-wolf. We were there to save lives, not to hash out our personal issues.
"I’m not your boss, Zoe," I replied firmly, "but there's a reason why they asked me to perform the surgery and you to assist. A single mistake could cost him his life."
She rolled her eyes as she turned toward me. "Erin, I’m only trying to protect your reputation. If you go through with this surgery, how will you face the werewolf's family afterwards? They're waiting outside, anxious for news about their loved one. If you fail, it will tarnish the new Luna's future reputation."
Her mockery made me sigh nervously. "The only thing that will jeopardise my reputation is this patient's life. He is at risk of dying, Zoe, and he will die if we continue this conversation instead of starting the life-saving surgery."
As a nurse helped me put on my goggles, Zoe continued, "I still believe the future Luna shouldn't be doing this. You’re risking your and your Alpha's reputation. This patient is a member of the pack's elder committee. If you fail, the entire pack will know. I wonder how you plan to become Luna if you don’t even know the members of your future pack."
Mentioning how I would ruin Kevin's reputation only annoyed me more, but I tried to hide my feelings and stay calm.
"Zoe, I don't care about reputation," I replied firmly. "Being a doctor and performing a difficult surgery has nothing to do with being the future Luna. This patient needs immediate surgery. I won’t distinguish between an elder Alpha and an Omega; to me, they are equal if their lives are at risk. Being a doctor is about saving lives, no matter what."
"Oh, you are so kind and good-hearted," she said sarcastically, as if rooting for me. But then her expression changed, and she looked at me as if I were the one lacking common sense. "You should wake up, Erin, if you want to be a good Luna of the Red River Pack," she scoffed. "But don’t say I didn’t warn you."
Knowing what kind of relationship she had with Kevin, I couldn’t resist teasing her. Despite her being his fated mate, he still wanted me to be his Luna, as only my power and knowledge would make him a strong Alpha. "What does that have to do with you anyway? I’ll be the Luna, so this will all be my problem when the time comes. I appreciate your concern, but I can manage my life. You don’t need to worry about it, Zoe."
Her expression changed, and I realised I had stirred something in her, like a latent jealousy ready to surface. For a moment, the envious she-wolf appeared, eager to protect her claim over Kevin.
"Lily, please escort Miss Morris out of the operating room. I'm okay with you assisting me only."
Lily was my good friend. We had worked together for a long time, and I liked how her warm brown eyes lit up whenever I mentioned Zoe, like she finally had a partner to gossip about someone she found really annoying.
For a brief moment, I considered involving Lily in my plans, but I hesitated, knowing her temper was so different from mine. I worried she might lose control and accidentally reveal my intentions in her struggle to deal with Zoe.
"What? Who do you think you are to make me leave?" Zoe shouted, her anger palpable as I looked at her unflinchingly.
"Zoe, this operation is complicated and requires high-level skills and experience, which you lack. I have a good reason for asking you to leave the room. Additionally, I already asked you to stop talking and focus on the patient, but you keep mentioning how I will ruin my reputation if I fail. I've had enough. I need to concentrate on the patient," I replied firmly. Before she could respond, I nodded at Lily.
Lily moved towards Zoe, reaching for her arm. "Don't touch me!" Zoe screamed, shaking off Lily's grip. "I don’t need your assistance," she said, turning her glare towards me. I could sense her fury, but with so many people around, she likely wouldn’t dare say something she might regret. She knew that any words that could damage Kevin’s plans could push him further away.
I wished I could tell Zoe that she had nothing to worry about—that I wouldn’t be Kevin’s Luna.
"I’m back," Lily said, rolling her eyes. "Are you ready to start this, Erin?" Lily asked, scalpel in hand as she looked at me. I took the instrument from her and nodded.
"Yes, let's begin," I said, making the first cut into the patient's chest.
- Writer
