Page 28 of Sweet Heart

“That’s it. Close him up and move him to the trauma floor for monitoring.”

I peel off the bloody gown and gloves, toss them into the bio bin, and march away to scrub out. This resident is more than capable of finishing on her own. I like it that way.

The smell of burning tissue is still in my nose when I dry off my hands and reach into the pocket of my scrubs. My phone buzzed twice while I was in the OR. Carmen. I almost put it back when my eye catches the preview.

… La rubia…

I frown. What does she have to say about her now?

07:11 a.m. – Carmelita

Kitty Cat, you are wanted in the break room. La rubia is here.

Wait, what? I blink and stare at the words again while a rush of air leaves me. Unease twists through my stomach, and my mouth runs dry. Why is she here? What if she has spoken to other people? She has already spoken to Carmen.

This is highly unprofessional.

“¡Joder!” I curse under my breath.

Why hasn’t Carmen sent her away? She is supposed to be on my side. If anybody knows how this can reflect on me, it’s her. As head nurse, she’s seen it happen plenty of times. Dios…

I grit my teeth and stride down the corridor. The cool blue light bounces off the white walls, echoing the cold that is now gripping my heart. Several heads turn while I make my way down to the break room even faster than I normally walk. My heart is thudding against my ribs and my nails are digging into the palms of my hands. This is not happening. This can’t be happening.

When I reach for the door, it swings open and Nurse Wilder steps out. She narrows her eyes but nods at me regardless. She knows... ¡Coño! She knows! I feel my breath catch somewhere in my lungs, but I ignore her and push past her into the room, the laughter of Carmen and Mary already enveloping me.

“Oh, there you are!” Carmen beams up at me.

She looks pleased with herself. Pleased that she finally got to talk to la rubia. But I don’t have eyes for my friend. All I can do is stare at Mary, and I feel my heart skip a beat.

Mary tears her gaze away from my best friend, and her eyes instantly find mine. They are gleaming and soft. God, she is so gorgeous. Her face breaks open into a smile, and she opens her mouth. Something in my chest tugs, and I feel myself moving toward her. No. No! She can’t be here. If anyone sees her here, if anyone connects the dots…

“What are you doing here?” I snap before she can even say hello.

Her beautiful smile falters, and I feel my intestines twist. Carmen frowns and looks from me to Mary and back to me again. I ignore her. My jaw hurts, and I struggle to keep my breathing even, but my eyes never leave Mary’s.

“Cat… she just came to bring you co—”

I raise my hand to cut Carmen off. For the first time ever, she instantly goes quiet.

“What. Are. You. Doing. Here?”

Mary flinches, and something flickers in those big blue eyes of hers. Shame? Pain? Fear. Then she swallows, presses her lips together, and lifts her chin. She rises from the couch, slow and controlled.

My breath is shaky, but I will myself to hold her stare as she drags her gaze over me once, calculating. I see that same flash in her eyes, and I feel the bile rise from my stomach. This is hurting her. You are hurting her. I remain frozen in place.

“I was bringing you coffee,” she answers, her voice eerily stable. “But it just became abundantly clear that I misread the situation.”

Mary pauses for a moment, giving me time to respond, but the air is stuck in my throat. I can’t. My career, I—

She glances over her shoulder toward Carmen, giving her a warm but slightly sad smile. One that doesn’t reach her eyes. I feel my breathing speed up and my heart hammer against my chest. Wrong choice, Katherina. I want to reach for her, but I can’t move. I can’t speak. Maria’s voice drifts toward me as if she is speaking underwater, and I blink to bring my focus back to the present.

“It was nice to meet you, Carmen. Perhaps we’ll see each other again.”

Carmen smiles back and nods softly before Mary turns around. Her head dips as she passes me.

“Doctor Durand.”

The title hits me like a blade, square between my ribs, punching all the air from my lungs. I still can’t move, but my fingers twitch at my sides of their own accord. If you let her go, you won’t see her again. The door closes behind her, and it feels as if my breath is cut off. It’s over.