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“Not personally,” he replies like it’s the most casual thing in the world to have your own helicopter. “But my father’s company has a few. I’ve rented them a couple of times to get around the city a little quicker.”
“Let me guess, you can fly them, right?”
“I’ve got a license, yes,” the doctor replies. “And it’s always handy to have a helipad in case anyone wants to visit.”
“Yeah, it’s good to know for when I next visit,” I retort. “I’ll park my own helicopter just here, then. Perfect.”
“You’re a funny girl, Emma.”
We head back to his very, very impressive kitchen.
“Wine?” he asks me.
“Yes, please.”
“Come and help me pick out a bottle.”
“What do you mean?”
“See it for yourself.”
Of course he has his own cellar room.
“I can’t believe this,” I mutter as he shows me the racks of different alcoholic beverages he’s got stored down there.
“Well, you better believe it,” he replies. “Go and choose a bottle, then.”
I pick out a nice French white wine, which August tells me is an excellent choice. It’s a lucky guess from me - I’ve only ever gotten the cheapest wine when I’ve been to the store.
We share the bottle as we watch the sunset from his floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city. I take a moment to just breathe it all in. The wine is cool against my fingers.
This is incredible...
But I can tell something is wrong.
“You look sad,” I remark, staring at the doctor. “Something’s troubling you.”
“It’s not you,” he replies. “Don’t think it is.”
“I’m glad it’s not. What is it, then?”
August sighs and puts down his empty glass of wine on the balcony table.
“I’ve got to perform a serious operation tomorrow,” he says. “And it’s plaguing my mind. I can’t relax. I keep running through it over and over.”
“It’s tomorrow?”
“Yes. It’s something that I’ve never done before, on a kid who I’ve grown to love. It’s going to be one of the riskiest things in my career, and I don’t know if I’m up to the task.”
“You don’t think you are? But you’re so famous, August. You were fast-tracked through medical school. You’re one of the best pediatricians in the whole country. You can do this. I believe in you.”
August sighs again.
“This one is particularly risky, Emma.”
“How risky?”
“Very,” he replies softly. “Look, I’ve seen kids pass away before on the operating table, and it’s the saddest thing you can experience, especially as a doctor. My heart breaks every single time it happens, and it is something that will never leave you. And I love this boy, Emma. Like Irina, I know I’m not supposed to have favorites, but Ethan really is one for me. And this operation is his only hope. I’ll never forgive myself if something were to happen by my hand tomorrow. It’s going to destroy me.”
