THE ROOMMATES WE BECAME

"Look, he’s back… Senior Ethan." The whole school buzzed, students rushing to the windows while I sat frozen in my seat. “Aria, look at him...God, he got more handsome!” My classmate grabbed my arm, dragging me forward to stare at the newest talk of the entire school. My eyes lit up the moment I saw him walking with his friends, a black bag hanging casually around his arm like it belonged there. “Wow…” My jaw parted slightly as I watched him like some lost hunter who finally spotted a gem. “Aria!!” My teacher’s voice cracked through the noise. I blinked sharply, everyone was already back in their seats. I was the only one still standing… and worst of all, still admiring a guy. Heat shot up my neck. “I’m...I’m sorry” I mumbled, fingers fidgeting as I hurried back to my chair. But I couldn’t help it… I looked back one last time. And then— God. He saw me. --- “Aria!” My thoughts snapped clean off as I saw Matilda sprinting toward me in the hallway. She was panting. “Patient B... was shot. He’s losing a lot of blood. He’s presenting with neuralgia, myalgia and diplopia. Ward 101B,” she rushed out, already turning. I shot to my feet immediately, coat slung over my shoulder as I fastened my mask. “Oh goodness...scalpel” I ordered, stepping into the operating room. “Here, ma’am.” “Forceps!” The room blurred into movement. “He’s losing too much blood” I muttered, keeping my voice steady even though my heart thudded hard. We worked as fast, precise and focused as we could. ____ “Doctor!” I stopped, turning sharply. A little girl stood there, eyes swollen and glassy with tears, her small hands trembling as they clutched at mine. “Is my daddy going to be okay?” she cried. My chest tightened. I knelt to her level, cupping her cheeks softly. After removing my mask, I pressed a gentle kiss to the top of her head. “Your dad is fine sweetheart. He’s safe” I reassured. Her face brightened just a little, enough to make my heart ease. “But… where’s mummy?” I asked, noticing she was alone. She hesitated, then slowly lifted her tiny hand and pointed upward. “Daddy said she’s up… a star.” I felt my heart pang as I realised the girl’s mom was no more. For a moment, I paused, trying to swallow the ache that rose in my chest. “Who wants some candies??” Matilda’s bright voice broke the heaviness. She appeared with two cotton candies, waving them like magic wands. “Here, sweetheart, go over there…” She pointed toward the reception. “She’ll show you where dada is, okay?” The little girl’s face lit up instantly. “Byeee…” she chirped, flashing her tiny milk teeth before skipping off. Matilda exhaled and folded her arms. “When will you learn how not to mix emotions with your profession?” she scolded playfully as we began walking back to our offices. I rolled my eyes, chuckling. “I didn’t mix anything.” “Oh please.” She nudged me. “Thinking about him, huh?” I stopped mid-step. “Who?” I asked, even though I knew exactly who she meant. Matilda pushed open the door for us. “Who else? The unfinished love story of our princess.” She teased, wiggling her brows. I sighed dramatically and sank into my chair. “You’ve started with your nonsense again.” She laughed as I removed the stethoscope from around my neck. “You know exactly what I’m talking about” she said, pointing two fingers to her eyes and then at me. “I have an appointment with a patient downtown. I should get going,” she said finally, grabbing her files. I nodded, reaching for my phone. Hey babe:) Meet you at 7? A small giggle slipped out. I checked the time. It was already past six. “Shoot.” I scrambled my things into my bag, grabbed my keys, and rushed out of the office. “Doctor Aria!” A nurse shouted from down the corridor. “A patient just came in—heart attack. Ward 22. Now!” I dropped my bag instantly. My heartbeat quickened, but my steps were steady as I hurried down the hall. Maybe that’s the cost of being a doctor. You save people’s lives… but sometimes you end up losing pieces of your own. “No… no… no!” I exclaimed, voice trembling. “He’s slipping into a coma,” Dr. Ann muttered as she worked to stabilize him. “s**t!” My fists tightened. “Move him to the ICU, hurry!” The nurses rushed past me, pulling the patient onto the stretcher. “Call Dr. Vivian now. We mustn’t lose this patient” I ordered sharply. The nurse nodded and hurried toward the reception. “Aria, you go. We’ll be fine” Ann urged. I shook my head firmly. “Nah. I’m staying. Let’s go.” We ran into the Intensive Care Unit. “CPR!” “Now!” The defibrillator charged, the electrical hum filling the room. “Clear!” The shock rippled across the theatre walls. We waited. “Negative” I said. Another shock. “Negative.” The beeping monitor flatlined. My steps faltered. My throat tightened. “He’s dead” I whispered. “We lost him.” Ann exhaled sharply and stormed out of the room, frustration etched across her face. Tears stung my eyes as I stared at the still body. Every loss felt like a fresh wound, no matter how many times I saw it. “Aria, tell his family we lost him, okay?” Mason said softly, tapping my shoulder before leaving. I loosened my scrub slightly, trying to steady my breathing, but the moment I saw his family in the hallway. Sobs filled the room, two were pacing, and the rest, waiting. I felt my chest collapse. “Doctor!” A middle-aged woman rushed toward me, gripping my hand. “Tell me my husband is fine. Please…” Her eyes were full of fragile, desperate hope. That look... It was too familiar. Exactly like the day I lost my father. “I…” My voice failed. I couldn’t form the words. I couldn’t destroy her world with my mouth. “We’re sorry. We tried our best” another doctor said gently from beside me. The woman’s knees buckled as she collapsed, wailing. I dropped instantly, wrapping my arms around her, holding her as she shook. “Don’t cry” I whispered, fighting back my own tears. “Let’s go, Aria.” Dr. Jacob grabbed my hand, bowed respectfully to the family, and guided me away. Once we were down the hallway, he snapped. “Aria, what the hell is wrong with you? What was that?” His voice was harsh and angry. I stared at the floor, silent. “You are a doctor, not a saviour. The next time you repeat that misconduct, you’ll have yourself to blame.” He shot me a stern look before walking away. “Doctor, don’t let anything happen to my husband!” My mother’s scream echoed in my head as I watched the nurses rush my father into the emergency room, his shirt drenched in blood. A ghastly accident that snatched everything away and my family, broken. “I’m sorry. We did our best…” Those words... That line, It’s what we’re trained to say. But do we ever think of what they’re forced to hear? My throat tightened. “I might not be a saviour, Jacob” I snapped suddenly, “but I’m a human… unlike you.” The words escaped before I could stop them. “What did you just say, Aria?” He turned slowly, anger burning in his eyes as he stepped toward me, fists clenched. “I said what I said.” My legs trembled, but I stood tall. I couldn’t let him see fear. “A human, huh?” he scoffed. “I think you’ve forgotten who you’re speaking to.” Reality slapped me right in my face. He wasn’t just my superior, He is the Chief Medical Officer. The Director of the entire hospital. And I… I had just barked at him like a madwoman. “You are suspended” he declared coldly. “Till further notice.” My jaw dropped. “Sir, wait… Dr. Jacob, please...” I hurried after him, but he stormed off without looking back. My mouth hung open. Wow, Aria. Beautiful. Very nice. Career-suicide speedrun. I snatched my bag and checked my phone. Minutes after nine. "God, Zade must’ve waited" I rushed into my Bentley and drove out of the hospital. But he is probably home. It was too late for a date. I turned toward his house instead, stopping briefly to buy dinner, anything to salvage the disaster that was my night. Then...ping. A notification. My suspension letter. “That hen Jacob...” I muttered, hitting the steering wheel, blasting the music louder just to drown my thoughts. My whole life was a circus today. Should I call Zade? What if he’s not home? What if he’s upset? I dialed his line. “Hey Zade, I’m so, so sorry” I gushed the second he picked up. “Oh, hey babe… it’s fine” he chuckled. Guilt pinched me. “I’m com—are you at home?” I asked, turning into his street. A brief silence followed, long enough to feel strange. “Er… Mia, no… I… I am... I’m in the office. Got a last-minute meeting. You know… work stuff, right?” Zade stuttered. “Oh… too bad. I...” I swallowed. “You know what? I don’t want to distract you. I’ll talk to you later… bye.” I hung up. Zade at work at this hour? God. He really pushed himself too much sometimes. “Hey, Mia” I called his secretary immediately. “Hi, Miss Aria” she replied in her usual bright, friendly tone. She was always sweet, one of my favorites in the office. “I got food for Zade. Would you mind if I come by so you can give it to him?” I asked. “Oh, no, ma. Mr. Zade left an hour ago.” I froze, tilting my head as confusion washed over me. “Er—no, Mia, you must be mistaken. I just called him and he sa...” “No ma’am” she cut in gently. “Mr. Zade isn’t in.” I mumbled something under my breath and hung up. But Zade said— I stepped out of the car, grabbed the food, and shut the door behind me. If Zade was annoyed about me missing the date, he could’ve just said it. Why act like a child? I walked up to his door, pulled out the spare key he’d given me months ago, and unlocked the apartment. The living room lights were on. His bedroom lights were off. Strange. Zade never left his room dark unless he was asleep. And he wasn’t the type to sleep early. I slipped off my heels, dropped my keys on the side table... Then I heard it. A sound...A strange, disturbing sound coming from his room. My breath hitched. Did someone break into the house? With the food still clutched in my hands, I crept toward his room, the door dark. The sounds… they weren’t just sounds. They were moans. My ears must be playing tricks on me. Today had been exhausting, my mind was frayed. That had to be it. I reached the door, fingers brushing the handle. My heart thudded violently in my chest. Gently, I pushed it open, reaching for the light switch. Zade?