Page 91 of Sweet Heart

Her voice breaks, but she quickly shakes her head and squares her shoulders. She clears her throat and tries again.

“They won’t refer it to the board.”

I hear the words, but they seem to float in my head like a swarm of bees. Loud and everywhere all at once.

“What does that mean?”

She smiles weakly at that and nudges me to walk with her, away from this room, away from this panic.

“It means they won’t take any further action.”

“But that is a good thing, right?”

Her lips tick up.

“Yes and no. On my record, it would seem like nothing ever happened.”

“But,” I insist after she stays quiet for a beat too long.

“But my reputation—"

People always talk.

You still brought me.

Yes.

My heart shatters.

Chapter 33

Cat

For the first time since I started working here, the hallways feel foreign to me. The smell unfamiliar, the sounds new, the atmosphere unknown. I feel like a little girl visiting my new school for the very first time, having to find out which kids are bullies and which kids I want to befriend. It’s not that far off from the truth, either. Even though these meetings take place behind closed doors and are private, the walls have ears. And some people have big mouths. The rumors will already have spread.

I can only imagine the whispers. Did you hear about the Chief? She slept with a patient. She only got away with it because Abbott likes her, but if you ask me… the ice queen has fallen. A chill runs down my spine, and I shudder.

Daniel’s intervention came as a complete surprise. I thought that he was sitting in to put an end to my career, but he wanted to exercise his speaking rights. To defend me. No. To defend Mary.

“I’ve met the woman in question at the gala,” he said, smiling. “To me, she seems far from a woman bending to an unwanted power dynamic. If anything, she seemed self-assured and confident enough to be herself around Doctor Durand. Even in the moments when Durand might not agree with her.”

He had not said much, but any more would have been unnecessary. Perry had made it no secret that they wanted to add a note to my file and keep me under observation for two months, but Abbott’s statement had convinced them otherwise. It solidified their belief that Mary was not pressured into this relationship, and that I had not abused my position.

But now she walks silently beside me, with her head bowed and her usual spark dimmed. Her hands are pressed against her sides again, fingers curled inward. And I can see her shying away from the glances and cold whispers of my co-workers. Nurses bend their necks, and surgeons keep their gazes straight ahead but regard her through their lashes. And she shrinks a little more with every step.

I reach for her hand and lace my fingers with hers, tugging slightly until she raises her chin. Her eyes find me, and I see the hint of that soft smile break through.

“It will get better,” I murmur.

And it’s true. They will scrutinize me for a while, talk about me behind my back, maybe even try to avoid working with me, but things will return to normal within a few months. Mostly, anyway. I guess I’ll always remain the doctor who slept with her patient, but that will be the worst of it. Dios mío, that will be the worst.

We enter the ER, and the moment we step through those doors, the screaming of children and the droning of voices fill the air. Mary shrinks a little more, but I just smile. I love this place. Always have, and always will. It’s not for everyone, but it is for me. The thrill of it, the promise that I can make a difference, gets to me every single time.

But today I’m just visiting, just passing through. I let my hand glide to the small of Mary’s back as we navigate through the packed hallways. We step out into the intake bay when a sharp gaze catches my attention.

Wilder stares at me from the desk. Her dark and cold eyes remind me of a shark, and I wonder if she smells blood. She says something to the nurse beside her and then tilts her chin in my direction. The nurse, a new guy, frowns and rakes his eyes over us. He slowly shakes his head and says something to the surgeon behind him. Wilder just grins as the three of them stare us down. Stare me down.

¡Basta!