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Chapter 21
The Breaking Point
Hector took the week off both to give his hand time to heal and to get mentally back in the game. Officially, he called the laceration on his hand a ‘cooking accident’ and I was the only one who knew the truth.
I thought it would feel dirty, to have a secret with him again, but it didn’t. It felt natural, as if that were the order of the universe.
We didn’t see each other outside of work, either. We worked on writing and revising the paper we were submitting to the medical journal via email, and we texted constantly. At first, it was so I could check up on him, but it turned into a playful and welcome distraction.
Hector:Just sent you the first revision. Please check.
Me:I’m about to see a patient.
Hector:This is more important.
Me:Nothing is more important than my patients.
Hector:Please clear your schedule. We have to publish this before it gets out.
Me:I’ll get to it.
Hector:I’m not above going to the hospital and carrying you over my shoulder to my office.
Me:Please don’t. Keach will have a field day. I promise before you wake up tomorrow, you will have a second draft.
Even if I knew it would bring the rumors back, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t tempted. The vision of Hector storming into the hospital and picking me up in those strong arms was a welcome one.
A fantasy followed, of me in his office, taken there by force, and thrown on top of his desk—concentrate, Carolina.I shook it off and reread my next patient’s chart before going into the exam room.
I was nearly keelingover with exhaustion, but I managed to address all of Hector’s comments on the first draft. I almost cried when I saw all of his edits and comments. I swear, there were more red corrections than my original text. But I got it done.
He didn’t receive the email until three in the morning, so I wasn’t expecting the texts I got starting an hour later.
Hector:This is good, Carolina.
Hector:Wait, am I allowed to call you Carolina outside of work again? You never said.
Hector:Just sent you the second draft.
Hector:I’m sorry. I just realized you are probably sleeping.
Hector:What are you dreaming about? Tell me when you wake up.
Hector:I hated not seeing you this week. Even when we weren’t speaking, I at least got to see you from afar.
I woke up at eight in the morning, ready to meet Sara for the run I promised her. A smile drew on the corner of my lips at the sight of the flurry of messages from Hector.
This was going down a dangerous road. I felt deceptive, somehow, not having told him how I felt about him.
Me:I dreamt about medicine.
Hector:Really?
Me:No. You are not privy to my dreams.
Hector:Noted.
Hector:What am I privy to?
