CHAPTER FOUR: COLLATERAL DAMAGE
1395 Words
Ethan POV
The door slams.
And suddenly, Serena’s voice fills the room.
“WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!” she screams, her tone jagged with rage.
PRETEND! I SAW YOU! I SAW YOU KISSING HER!”
“DON’T EVEN DARE
Heat and panic spike through me. My hands shake—my pulse pounds like a war drum. I don’t
know whether to flee or stay frozen in disbelief. She’s screaming. She’s really screaming.
From the corner of my eye, I catch the movement: a few nurses peeking in, drawn by the
commotion. One by one, more footsteps clatter toward the room. Oh God. This is happening.
This is really happening.
I hadn’t realized how inappropriate this was until she was on the wall, moaning. And even then, I
couldn’t get myself to stop. That’s how hooked I am on her.
I shake my hands, trembling, and instinctively grab my stethoscope from the floor, holding it like
a shield. My mind is spinning a thousand miles an hour. Maya, on the other hand, seems—oddly
calm. Her hand covers her face, her body slumped against Adrian’s bed. She looks exhausted,
weak, but in her own quiet way, composed.
Not me. I’m a storm contained by a single thread. I know that this could cost me my job, my
license even, and that scares me more than anything.
“What’s going on?!” a nurse calls, peering into the room. Her voice is urgent, confused, tinged
with alarm.
Maya lifts her head slightly, voice trembling but firm.
“Nothing! Nothing is happening. I don’t
know what’s wrong with her,
” she says, gesturing toward Serena.
Serena, however, isn’t finished. She points a shaking finger at me, fury in her eyes.
YOU. I CAUGHT YOU KISSING HER! DO YOU THINK THIS IS OKAY?!”
“I CAUGHT
I step back instinctively, trying to measure my words, trying to stay grounded.
“It—it wasn’t—
” I
start, but my voice catches. My hands are still trembling despite my best efforts to compose
myself.
“Silence!” A new voice cuts through the chaos. Stern, commanding, heavy with authority. The
door swings wider, and in walks Dr. Margaret Hollingsworth, the hospital’s Chief of Staff. Her
sharp eyes sweep over the scene like a hawk.
“What is going on here?” she demands, her tone brooking no argument.Serena’s outrage boils over.
inappropriate! It’s—
”
“I saw him! I saw him kissing her! It’s wrong, isn’t it? It’s
Dr. Hollingsworth’s gaze snaps to me, assessing, calculating, and I feel my stomach knot. My
hands grip the stethoscope like a lifeline. My heart is hammering, and suddenly, everything feels
surreal. Am I actually going to get fired? Is this the end of everything I’ve worked for?
Maya’s voice interrupts, quieter but steady.
“No! That’s not true. Nothing happened. I swear. She
didn’t see anything. We were not doing anything inappropriate.
”
Serena freezes, incredulous.
“You’re lying! You think I wouldn’t see—
”
Maya raises a hand, cutting her off.
“I’m telling the truth! She saw nothing! I—swear, nothing!”
I want to speak, to defend myself, but every word feels inadequate, a confession waiting to
explode. I feel the weight of my choices crashing down on me. I glance at Maya again—her
exhaustion, her honesty, her desperate attempt to protect both of us. How is she not trembling
as much as I am?
Dr. Hollingsworth steps closer, her eyes cold and piercing.
being escorted out.
”
“Ethan Cole, step aside. Now. You’re
“Wait!” I try, my voice cracking.
“This isn’t what it looks like—
”
“No arguments,
” she snaps.
“Follow the nurses.
”
I comply, my hands still trembling, my stethoscope clutched like a lifeline. Each step toward the
door feels like walking through fire. My head is spinning with panic, guilt, and the remnants of
desire that are now tainted with fear.
Maya calls after me, her voice firm but gentle.
anything. I’m fine!”
“Nothing happened! You don’t have to explain
I glance back, heart aching, seeing her seated on Adrian’s bed. She looks vulnerable, her hand
covering her face, exhausted, but resolute. I want to rush back, to hold her, to reassure her that
none of this changes how I feel—but I can’t. It’d be unreasonable to confess my feelings at a
time like this.
As we exit the room, a couple of nurses whisper, one of them shaking her head as Doc.
Hollingsworth mutters.
“This is highly inappropriate. You need to go home. We’ll discuss this
later.
”
I nod numbly, barely able to breathe. The hallway stretches endlessly in front of me, each step
weighted with shame, fear, and confusion.
By the time I reach the parking garage, my hands are still trembling. I fumble for my keys, my
mind in a storm. What the hell just happened? How much did Serena actually see? How muchwill she say? How much has Maya already had to endure, and does that mean her relationship
with Adrian is over?
I slide into my car, slamming the door, trying to gather myself. The silence inside the vehicle is
deafening. I grip the steering wheel, knuckles white. I can’t believe this. I can’t believe I let it
happen. I can’t believe she saw.
Then, my phone buzzes.
It’s an unknown number.
Hesitation freezes me. My thumb hovers over the screen. Finally, I answer.
“Ethan Cole?” The voice is sharp, professional, clipped.
device—now.
”
“We need you online. Immediately. Your
“Online? What…?” I stammer, glancing at the streetlights glinting off the dashboard.
“Now, Doctor,
” the voice insists.
“It’s urgent.
”
Something cold settles in my chest. I obey, pulling my laptop from the passenger seat. Hands
still shaking, I log in to the call. The video screen flickers to life.
And then I see it.
A recording was posted a few minutes ago.
A clip that makes my stomach twist, my pulse spike, and my head swim. My heart drops into my
gut. My body goes rigid.
It’s me. Or at least, it appears to be me. In the hospital room. With Maya.
There had been a camera in the room all the while. Someone had planted a camera in the
room, and Maya probably had no idea. Who could have done this? Mrs Blake? Serena?
I’m frozen, watching myself on screen, trapped in a kiss that I can barely remember from mere
hours ago—but every detail is there. Every touch. Every forbidden moment.
A wave of cold panic hits. This isn’t just a misunderstanding. This is evidence. Proof. Something
that could ruin my career, my life, and—God help me—Maya’s.
“Ethan, do you see it?” The voice on the call pierces through the chaos, calm and deliberate.
“It’s so unbelievable.
”
I want to ask who the f**k is talking to me, but I can’t speak. Words fail me. I can barely
breathe.I glance at the screen again, watching the replay, over and over. The knowledge that someone
captured everything, and the whole world can now see it, shakes every single nerve in my body.
My hands are shaking so violently that I can barely type a message. My mind races. What do I
do? How do I fix this? How do I protect Maya? How do I protect myself?
And then, almost instinctively, I realize: nothing I can do now will erase what’s already been
seen.
My license. My career. My future.
But worse—Maya. Her face, her name, her reputation. All of it was dragged into the fire
because of me.
The replay loops again on my screen, the grainy footage of our kiss, Serena’s shadow in the
doorway, the kind of scandal headlines that are built on. It’s not just a mistake anymore. It’s
evidence. Proof.
I slam the laptop shut, chest heaving, sweat slicking my palms. For the first time in my life, I
have no control. No way out.
And then my phone buzzes again.
A notification lights the screen.
Video uploaded: Doctor Caught With Patient’s Partner – FULL CLIP
My blood runs cold.
The whole world has seen it. It’s over.
- Writer
