Page 78 of Under His Guard

“Perfect. Thank you, Helen.”

I take them, glad she did leave me time in the schedule. Valve replacements are tricky, lengthy surgeries, and I know we’ll be in the OR for a while.

Going through them, I scan the names and diagnoses to buy time while I wait to go scrub in.

Mostly, it’s the same old, same old, but one of the patient names stops me. Callum King.

King. The patient we lost, the man who started all this, was Dante King.

I hurry over to the bed where the man is set up. I’m not sure what I’m looking for, even.

I just want to see if he looks similar to the other patient. If he’s…a Cobra.

My shoes squeak against the tile floor as I skid to a stop in front of bed nine.

King looks up from his phone.

Blond hair, blue eyes. Not related to the other man. He’s also free of tattoos and is using a hands-free headset.

From what I can tell, he’s giving instructions to someone. I look down at the chart; he’s there for an appendectomy.

Simple surgery. I’m just there to help because Dr. Lewis is out.

“Dr. Stewart?” I turn, seeing Linda come down the hall. “You get lost?”

She chuckles, and I look around myself, not really sure where I am all of a sudden.

“Elevators are that way.”

Flicking my eyes to the opposite end of the hall, I sigh, shaking my head.

“I…Yes, sorry. I was…just checking on something.”

Linda walks up, putting a hand on my shoulder with her brows furrowed. “You all right? You need to be on your game for this.”

I shake my head again, meeting her stare with a confident smile.

“Of course. I’m fine.” Nodding once, I walk with her past the nurse’s station again and drop off the clipboard. “I’m perfect.”

“All right, then.” Linda smiles. “Let’s do this.”

* * *

“Hey, doc. How was work?”

Luke smiles at me from the driver’s seat, and I slip inside the vehicle. I’m quiet as he pulls away from the curb.

“Clara.” Luke reaches over across the console, taking my hand. “You okay?”

“He died on the table. His heart just…it was done.”

I’m not even really aware of what I’m saying. Words are just falling out of me like vomit or something.

“Hey.” Squeezing my fingers, Luke rubs his thumb across the back of my hand. “I’m sorry. I’m sure you did everything you could.”

“Yeah.”

We hang in silence for the rest of the drive until Luke gets us home. Security thoroughly inspects us and the garage before he pulls inside and parks.

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