So I gave in, letting the rhythm pull me under, losing myself in the blur of movement and responsibility.
I was like a machine until I found myself standing against a wall, my hand on my chest, trying to calm my racing heartbeat. I hadn’t stopped or sat down for five hours. I almost broke down.
“Here,” I heard a familiar voice beside me. It was Caroline. She handed me a cold bottle of sweet tea from the vending machine, then stood next to me, mirroring my stance. “You need to drink, and sugar will help give you energy.”
I took it, mumbling, “Thank you.”
“Listen,” she began, when I had already taken a big gulp of the drink. “You know that I’m not good with this kind of thing. And I know it’s awkward for you too... but,” she paused, her gaze fixed on nothing before her, “I want you to know that I’m here for you. For anything you need.”
That’s when she finally turned her gaze to me. “Okay?”
I nodded, smiling at her. “Okay.”
“Okay,” she muttered to herself, then walked away.
I took another big gulp of the drink, and then a tall figure appeared before me.
“Sloane.” Gabriel’s deep voice rumbled, his smile wide and mesmerizing.
“Gabriel,” I replied with a small smile.
He glanced at my drink and scrunched his forehead. “They sell that in this hospital?”
“It’s from the vending machine.”
“There’s tons of sugar in that—not very healthy.”
I frowned at him. “I love this. Please don’t take it away from me.”
He chuckled, revealing a perfect set of white teeth. Crossing his arms over his chest, the muscles flexed, and my eyes were instantly drawn to them.
“No,” he said softly. “But it’s good to know what you like.”
“Yeah... I love sugar,” I said with a wry grin. “Even if it’s my slow undoing.”
He shook his head with a slow smile. “Nah, sugar won’t break you. I have a feeling you’re strong enough to handle way more than that.”
I didn’t know how to respond, so I asked, “How do you like working here?”
He shrugged. “So far, okay.”
I raised an eyebrow. “That’s it? Only okay?”
He chuckled. “Orthopedics here isn’t as busy as my last hospital. No idea why.”
“How many surgeries did you usually do in a day there?”
“Four to five, sometimes more.”
“And here?”
“Today I only have two scheduled.”
I studied his face. “You miss the rush?”
“Of course,” he said.
I straightened and looked up at him. “I need to sit down. Would you like to join me at the cafeteria? I could use some coffee and snacks.”
