WAS I TOO LATE?

Eught years

Doctor Ariana! Doctor!"

The scream cut through the quiet morning, sending birds fluttering out of the trees. I looked up just in time to see a young boy sprinting toward the clinic, his face streaked with tears.

"Please! Grandpa Ben collapsed!"

My heart skipped.

"What?"

"He... he won't wake up!"

I didn't wait to hear another word.

Grabbing my medical bag from the counter, I rushed out of the clinic, following the boy through the narrow dirt road. Villagers were already gathering outside Grandpa Ben's small house, panic written across every face.

"Move!" I called, pushing through the crowd. "Give him some space!"

The moment I reached him, my stomach tightened.

Grandpa Ben lay flat on his back, his skin frighteningly pale. His walking stick rested beside him, and his chest barely moved.

"When did this happen?" I asked, kneeling beside him.

"Just now," Mrs. Martha answered, wringing her hands. "He was talking to us one minute, then he just... collapsed."

I placed two fingers against his neck.

Nothing.

My breath caught.

No... please.

I adjusted my fingers and searched again.

There.

A pulse.

Weak.

Far too weak.

I quickly opened my bag and pulled out my stethoscope.

"Someone bring the oxygen cylinder from the clinic!" I ordered. "Now!"

A teenage boy ran off without hesitation.

I tilted Grandpa Ben's head back and checked his airway.

His breathing had almost stopped.

"Grandpa," I whispered, pressing my hands against his chest. "Don't you dare leave me."

I started chest compressions.

"One, two, three, everyone had fallen silent, even the children stopped crying."

Thirty compressions.

Two rescue breaths.

Again, again, again, sweat trickled down my forehead as I fought to stay calm.

Not today.

You've survived too much to die like this.

The oxygen arrived just in time.

I fitted the mask over his face and watched every tiny movement of his chest.

Nothing.

Come on...

Please...

A cough suddenly broke the silence.

Then another.

Grandpa Ben gasped for air before his eyes slowly fluttered open.

A wave of relief swept through the crowd.

"He's alive!"

"Our doctor saved him!"

"Thank God!"

I sat back on my heels, finally allowing myself to breathe.

If I had arrived even two minutes later...

No.

I refused to think about it.

Grandpa Ben blinked at me before forcing out a weak smile.

"You... look awful."

Despite everything, I laughed.

"You're lucky I like you."

"If you didn't..."

He coughed.

"...I'd still be lying here."

"You'll be lying in bed for at least a week."

His eyes widened in horror.

"A week?"

"Yes."

"I'd rather die."

"You almost did."

That earned a laugh from everyone standing nearby.

The tension slowly eased.

"What's going on here?"

The familiar voice made several villagers step aside.

Officer Ethan Brooks walked through the crowd, adjusting the cap on his head before stopping beside me.

His eyes didn't go to Grandpa Ben first.

They came straight to me.

"Are you alright?"

I looked up, slightly amused.

"I'm not the one who collapsed."

"I know." His gaze swept over me anyway. "You're shaking."

Only then did I notice the slight tremble in my hands.

"I'm fine."

"You don't look fine."

"I'm a doctor, Ethan."And you're human."

I opened my mouth to argue before closing it again.

There was no point.

He'd always been like this.

Ever since we were children.

Always worrying, watching, making sure I got home safely after late shifts.

Grandpa Ben cleared his throat dramatically.

"If I didn't know better..."

"Oh no," Ethan muttered.

"...I'd say that boy is in love with you."

The crowd erupted into laughter.

"Ethan likes Doctor Ariana!"

"When's the wedding?"

I buried my face in my hands.

"Can everyone please stop?"

Ethan rubbed the back of his neck, clearly embarrassed.

"I came because someone reported an emergency."

"And the emergency is over," Grandpa Ben said proudly.

"Thanks to our doctor."

Ethan smiled.

"She always was the bravest person in this village."

His words made my chest tighten.

I quickly stood and dusted off my jeans.

"Come on, Grandpa. Let's get you inside."

Together, Ethan and I helped him back into the house.

After making sure Grandpa Ben was comfortable, I wrote down a list of medications and handed them to his granddaughter.

"He needs complete rest," I said firmly. "No farming. No carrying heavy loads. No sneaking out when nobody's looking."

Grandpa Ben looked offended.

"I would never."

"You tried to climb a mango tree three months ago."

"I was proving a point."

"You proved you have terrible judgment."

The room filled with laughter again.

For the first time that morning, I smiled without forcing it.

Maybe today wouldn't be so bad after all.

I didn't notice the man standing across the road.

Watching, waiting. His face disappeared beneath the brim of a black cap before he quietly turned and walked away.

I never saw him.

But someone else did.

Ethan's smile faded as his eyes followed the stranger until he vanished around the corner.

Something about him...

Didn't feel right, Either way, I couldn't shake the strange feeling settling in my chest.