The Alpha’s Surgeon

6

The next morning, sunlight streamed through the curtains, warm and familiar. I stretched and sat up, listening to the muffled sound of dishes clinking downstairs. The smell of bacon and coffee drifted up, making Rae groan from where she was cocooned in blankets on the floor.

“Your mom is an angel,” she mumbled. “If she makes pancakes too, I’m never leaving.”

Delaney sat up on the other side of the bed, hair sticking out in soft waves. “You already weren’t leaving, Rae. Don’t lie.”

We all laughed, and a few minutes later, we shuffled downstairs in pajamas. Mom had outdone herself—scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, and a plate of her chocolate chip cookies still on the counter from last night. Dad was reading the paper, pretending not to hover, while Aspen sat politely at the edge of the table, waiting for crumbs.

“Morning, Sass,” Dad greeted. “Sleep well?”

“Yeah,” I said with a smile, pouring myself some coffee. “It actually feels… good to be back.”

After breakfast, I went upstairs to get dressed, pulling on a soft blouse and black pants—professional but not too stiff. Today was just paperwork at the hospital, nothing major.

When I came back down, Del was already dressed and tying her sneakers. She wore dark leggings, a white tank top, and a lightweight hoodie. Rae was stretching, hair tied high, lacing up her running shoes.

“Well,” Rae said, smirking, “while Sass buries herself in paperwork and forms, we’re going to get our blood pumping. Run around town, scope out the streets, check if the coffee shops are still alive—basically, urban recon.”

Delaney grinned, tugging on her ponytail. “And try not to get into too much trouble while we’re at it.”

I raised an eyebrow, gripping my coffee mug. “You’re both going for a run? Right now?”

“Yep,” Rae said cheerfully, grabbing her water bottle. “Consider it preventative chaos management. And no worries—Aspen’s coming with us. I’ll keep him from causing mayhem.”

I shook my head, trying not to smile. “Fine. Just… stick to the streets, not the woods, and no one sets off any alarms.”

“Scout’s honor,” Del said, giving me a mock salute, while Rae added, “Mostly.”

With that, the two of them bounded out the door, Aspen trotting proudly beside them. I watched them go, their laughter fading down the street, and took a deep breath.

One more signature—and now I’m officially a trauma surgeon for my hometown. The HR director welcomed me warmly and said she couldn’t wait to see what I would bring to the hospital.

I made my way down the hall toward the ER. For being a small-town hospital, Bayou Hospital was a decent size, with six patient rooms and a hybrid OR where we could jump straight into surgery without scheduling—especially in serious cases.

A warm voice cut in. “Remington?”

I turned to see Maggie, the ER charge nurse, coming over. She was in her mid-forties, with auburn hair pulled back in a bun, bright hazel eyes, and that calm, no-nonsense energy all good charge nurses carried. She reached out and pulled me into a quick hug.

“Welcome back, honey. We are so glad to have you here,” Maggie said. “It’s not every day we get one of our own back—especially with your skill set.”

“Thanks, Maggie,” I said, smiling. “Feels a little surreal, but it’s good to be here.”

Maggie’s eyes lit up as she shook my hand. “Well, if Dr. Remington Carter—sorry, Sass—is sticking around, you might as well keep her out of trouble. Heaven knows she’ll keep us all busy enough.”

I laughed and rolled my eyes. “Great, teaming up against me already.”

Maggie chuckled and gave my arm a squeeze. “You’ll fit right in again. Don’t worry.”

Maggie gestured for me to follow her, and I fell into step beside her as she led me through the ER. The hum of activity was reassuring—monitors beeping, nurses moving with purpose, patients being tended to. It felt like stepping into a second home I hadn’t realized I’d missed.

“This is the main triage area,” Maggie said, stopping near a cluster of nurses at the counter. “You’ll recognize a few faces, I think.”

I scanned the room and instantly spotted a few familiar colleagues from my earlier rotations and summer internships back in high school.

“Remington! Is that really you?” called a nurse with dark hair tied in a bun, her eyes lighting up. I hadn’t seen her in years—her name tag read Sasha.

“It’s me!” I said, grinning. “Feels strange to be on this side of the counter now.”

Sasha laughed, shaking her head. “I can’t believe you’re really back. The hospital’s going to be lucky to have you. We all knew you were destined for big things.”

As we moved down the hall, I passed by Nate, a paramedic who always had a sarcastic remark ready, even in the middle of chaos. “Well, well, if it isn’t Sass herself,” he said, raising an eyebrow. “Finally gracing us with your presence. Don’t get too comfortable—our messes are worse than ever.”

I smirked. “I’m ready for it, Nate. Don’t worry.”

Maggie smiled, clearly proud as she continued the tour. “Here’s the trauma bay, hybrid OR, and prep rooms. You’ll find everything you need. And don’t worry—we’ll make sure your first shift back goes smoothly. You might notice a few new faces, but the core team hasn’t changed too much.”

I took it all in, feeling a mix of excitement and nervous energy. The ER had always been a place of controlled chaos, and now it was mine to navigate again.

Even with the looming weight of returning to a town ruled by the Carters, for the first time in years, I felt… ready.