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Stacy
As Ethan had come to the conclusion that my only reason for opening my heart to him and sleeping with him was so I could help my failing family hospital recover, I decided to abandon my first plan of learning anything from him and instead tried to fix my hospital using whatever tricks I had picked up.
My heart was still aching after what happened. I found myself almost going back to Ethan's hospital or unblocking his number and apologizing for hitting his face. But I kept reminding myself of what he did. I was probably a dime a dozen and the moment I left, he would have already found someone to replace me.
I just wanted to go home. When I arrived home, my neighbors were excited to see me. It was a close neighborhood back in Glen Allen, so I knew most of them. I arrived at my family hospital and maybe because I had been away from home for too long, but the facility looked much older than I remembered. I noticed some patients leaving and entering, so there was slightly more activity going on.
I hadn't gotten to my house; I just wanted to see this place first before going anywhere else. My grip on my bags tightened as I walked into the building. I found my father giving instructions to the nurses. He turned and saw me, dropped whatever he was doing and ran to embrace me. I hugged him back, squeezing him as hard as I could.
"You're back much earlier than you said you'd be," he said softly but didn't break the embrace. "You're also with too many bags for someone who might just be visiting for the weekend. Also it's Tuesday. What happened?"
"I… "
I remembered everything and the hand I slapped Ethan with started to hurt again. My heart clenched as I remembered what he said to me. I had been able to stop crying; but, I was with my father, and it was okay to be vulnerable around him. I broke down into tears, sobbing heavily.
"It's okay," he said softly as he stroked my hair and gently caressed my back. "Daddy's here for you, sweetie."
"I shouldn't have left…" I said softly. "I shouldn't have opened my heart."
"Oh, a broken heart. There, it might take time, but it will heal," he assured me. "Just breathe, okay?"
I nodded repeatedly as I struggled to catch my breath. My nostrils were blocked because of the tears.
"Are you better now? Can you stand?" he asked.
I nodded again and he let me go. He wiped my tears with his handkerchief and held it against my nose. "Blow."
I blew out the phlegm and he wiped my nose clean.
"Thanks, Dad," I said softly as I let out a sigh of relief at my ability to breathe again.
"It's my job," he said. "Now go drop off your things, and let's get to work, if you don't mind."
"I don't mind at all," I said as I let a smile form on my face.
I was back and ready to work again, helping patients was therapeutic in a way. I was able to focus on other people's troubles rather than the affairs of my own heart.
"How was it downtown?" a patient asked me as she had her regular checkup.
"It was great," I replied. Conversations like this were most of what I faced as I came back from Richmond.
"I heard you worked at Sullivan's hospital. Which one of them was it?" she asked with excitement in her eyes.
I didn't want to talk about it but sometimes you just need something to help you communicate with your patients to make things less awkward, especially if you're prodding in their private lives.
"I worked with Ethan Sullivan. His hospital was a great place to work in," I replied. "Lots of kind staff who couldn't wait to help each other out."
"What about Ethan? What's he like?" she asked.
I frowned. "He's an arrogant, clumsy, careless, and scatterbrained idiot who thinks anyone who's trying to help him make sense of his mess of a life, is after his money."
"Uh, sorry I asked," she said nervously.
"No, I'm sorry," I apologized.
I thought I was over this at this point but clearly not. The pain I felt was slowly turning to anger and that wasn't a good thing for me especially.
*****
