Amelia’s POV
The moment my eyes landed on him, the air caught in my lungs. My heart betrayed me as it thundered against my ribs, and for a split second I forgot I was standing in the middle of a hospital room. Seven years had passed, and yet seeing him again felt like no time had gone by at all. Memories I had spent years burying clawed their way back to the surface and it caused my heart to ache.
His laughter, the warmth of his hand in mine, the way I once believed the world would collapse without him.
But now, here he was. Edmund. Lying unconscious. Vulnerable. A patient.
“Dr. Amelia,” a voice broke through my thoughts.
I blinked and turned to her. The nurse stood at the foot of the bed, watching me carefully. “Is everything okay?” she asked.
“Yes,” I said quickly, pushing aside the mixed emotions raging inside me. “Let’s get to work.”
I slipped on my gloves and leaned over him, forcing myself into professional mode. My fingers pressed gently against the side of his neck, checking his pulse. Steady. Too steady for the chaos he’d stirred inside my chest since I walked in.
“Who performed the surgery?” I asked, scanning the chart clipped to his bed.
“I think it was Dr. Amos,” the nurse replied, moving closer.
“Of course,” I muttered, flipping through the notes. Amos had done a decent job stabilizing him. Still, I wasn’t about to trust anyone else with Edmund’s care, not when I was here, and fate had decided to throw him back into my world like this.
I set the chart down and moved to the head of the bed. My fingertips brushed lightly across his scalp as I inspected the wound, pressing carefully. His head felt warm beneath my touch, though there was a slight swelling around his temple. My hand trembled but still I let my hand linger there for a moment longer.
Slowly, almost without realizing it, I traced the line of his jaw. Even with all the bruises scattered on his face, he still looked devastatingly handsome. And peaceful. Very peaceful.
My chest tightened. Oh Edmund. After all this time, why did seeing you like this still make me feel this way? Hurt this way?
I cleared my throat and forced myself back to the present. “Prepare eighty milligrams of gentamicin,” I instructed the nurse. My voice came out steadier than I felt. “Add it to the IV line.”
“Yes, Doctor,” she responded promptly, hurrying to the medication tray.
Within moments she handed me the syringe. I drew in a slow breath as I injected it carefully into the drip, watching the clear fluid mingle with the IV solution. Gentamicin would cover him against any bacterial infection that might have developed during the initial treatment.
As the last drop slid in, I couldn’t help but glance at his face again.
I remained by his side, watching the way his chest rose and fell, the steady beeping of the monitor beside him, a gentle reminder that he was still with us- still breathing.
“Please make sure to check up on him regularly,” I added, stepping back. “If there are any changes, notify me immediately.”
“Of course, Dr. Amelia.”
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Σ
M
Chapter 4
Together, we left the room I handed the syringe back to the nurse and stripped off my gloves. “Monitor his vitals every thirty minutes,” I instructed as we stepped into the hallway together.
“Yes, Doctor,” she nodded, keeping pace with me.
“And make sure the wound dressing is checked again in six hours. If there’s any swelling or unusual discharge, page me immediately.”
“Understood.” She hesitated, then glanced at me sideways. “Doctor… you seemed a little distracted back there. Are you sure you’re alright?”
My stomach knotted, but I managed a faint smile. “I’m fine. Just… tired. It’s been a long day.
She gave me a look that said she wasn’t entirely convinced but let it go. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep a close eye on him. He’s stable for now.”
“Good,” I murmured, though my voice lacked conviction. Stability wasn’t enough. Not when it was him lying in that bed.
“Amelia?”
I turned, startled, and froze.
The man standing a few feet away wore the same expression I imagined was etched across my face,shock. Recognition.
“Lewis,” I breathed, a small smile tugging at my lips. “It’s been a while.”
His mouth curved slowly, almost cautiously. “You’re the last person I expected to see here,” he said, “and a nurse-”
I smiled softly, correcting him. “A doctor,” I said, my voice calm but proud.
Lewis’s eyebrows lifted. “Wow. You really did well for yourself,” he said warmly. “I’m glad.”
“Thank you,” I replied, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “So… I’m guessing you’re here for Edmund?”
His gaze sharpened. “You’ve seen him?”
“Yes. In fact, I’m the doctor handling the case,” I answered earnestly.
Lewis exhaled,his shoulders dropped slightly. “Well, that’s a relief. At least now I’m sure he’s in good hands. So what’s the update?”
I was just opening my mouth to respond when the sharp click of heels echoed through the corridor. The sound grew louder, faster, until it was joined by a voice that cut through the air like a siren.
“Where is he?!”
We all turned in unison. A woman stormed toward us, every inch of her screaming wealth and entitlement. Her fitted dress was flawless, her makeup immaculate despite the panic in her eyes. Even her jewelry seemed to announce her presence before she spoke again.
“Where is my husband?” she demanded, her voice trembling but furious. “You people better not let anything happen to him, or I swear I will burn this hospital to the ground.”
The nurse who had been by my side immediately excused herself, muttering something about checking on Edmund, and disappeared down the hallway.
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Chapter 4
Flanked at the woman, cunned by her theatrics. My gaze slid to Lewis. His expression said everything–frustration, embarrassment, the kind of look a man wears when he desperately wishes he were anywhere else.
“Can you calm the hell down, Victoria?” he snapped under his breath, pinching the bridge of his nose. “You’re in a goddamn hospital”
“Calm down?” she repeated, her voice rising. “How can I calm down when I don’t even know his state? Do you people have any idea who my husband is?”
“He’s fine!” Lewis shot back. “The doctor just told me he’s recovering and will be awake soon.”
“That’s not enough,” she cried, throwing her hands up dramatically. “I want to see him now
Her voice carried down the corridor, drawing stares from other patients‘ relatives and a few passing nurses. I swallowed. realizing it was probably time to intervene.
Clearing my throat, I stepped forward. “Mrs. Victoria?” I asked carefully.
Her sharp eyes snapped to me, narrowing in a quick sweep of judgment that made my skin prickle. “Yes?” she said, her tone clipped.
“I’m Dr. Amelia,” I introduced myself. “I was the one who attended to your husband when he was brought in. He’s stable now, and under close observation.”
She tilted her head slightly, her red–painted lips curving into something between a smirk and a sneer. “You?”
“Yes, me,” I said firmly, refusing to let her tone shake me.
Her gaze lingered on my simple scrubs, my neatly tied hair, my plain shoes. “I see,” she murmured, her voice low but condescending. “So they handed my husband’s life to… you.”
I held her stare. “I assure you, Mrs. Victoria, he is in capable hands. Your husband is stable, and we’re doing everything necessary to support his recovery.”
“Hmm,” she muttered, eyes flicking over me like she was assessing a piece of furniture. “For your sake, I hope you’re right. My husband is not just any man. If anything happens to him…” She trailed off, letting the weight of her words settle in the
air.
I forced a polite smile. “My only concern is his health. Nothing else.”
Lewis shifted uncomfortably, running a hand through his hair. “Victoria, enough. You’re being impossible right now.”
“I’m being a wife!” she retorted, her voice cracking slightly. For the first time, I saw something raw beneath the layers of dramatics and fear.
Then she turned to me again. She took a step closer and squinted her eyes at me, as if assessing. “Wait.. Why do you look so familiar?”
Before I could respond, hurried footsteps approached. The same nurse who had left earlier appeared, breathless, her eyes wide.
“Doctor!” she exclaimed, her voice urgent. “He’s awake.”
The world tilted for a second. My heart thudded painfully in my chest. Edmund… awake.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
