Page 12 of Never Quite Gone

I followed him in, keeping my distance like he was contagious. “What can I do for you?”

“Been reading your department's emergency protocols.” He leaned against the desk, casual as a loaded gun. “Fascinating stuff, given recent... developments.”

“We update quarterly,” I kept it neutral. “As you know.”

“Indeed.” His smile tightened like a garrote. “Couldn't help but notice you're awfully invested in this Rothschild project. Interesting, given your... history with construction oversight.”

My chest seized at the deliberate hit. Before the crash, Michael had run Presbyterian's historical preservation, making sure construction didn't fuck with the hospital's heritage. Vale knew exactly what nerve he was stabbing.

“You got a point hiding in there somewhere?” My voice stayed professional, barely.

“Just making observations.” Vale straightened, adjusting hisperfect fucking sleeve. “We all want what's best for the hospital. No... distractions.”

Something in that last word made my gut twist. It carried weight beyond normal hospital politics, though I couldn't say why. As he slithered toward the door, every instinct screamed I was missing something bigger - something deeper than Vale's usual power plays.

“The board takes ER access seriously,” I said to his back, pretending this was just about hospital bullshit.

He paused, turning just enough to flash that predator's smile. “Almost as seriously as they take their Chief of Emergency Medicine's... stability.”

The threat was clear as a gut wound, but something darker lurked under it. Vale's stare felt older than our rivalry, deeper than hospital politics. Like Alex's penetrating gaze, it echoed with something I couldn't - or wouldn't - understand.

My pager buzzed again. Another trauma incoming.

Saved by the fucking bell.

Midday sun sliced through my office windows while Sofia spread development plans across the table like she was plotting a military campaign. Martinez from Legal arranged her shit with that OCD precision lawyers love, while Chen from Traffic pulled up his fancy simulation models.

“Initial impact studies look promising,” Sofia started, keeping it neutral. “Emergency response times could actually improve with the proposed routes.”

My hands moved over the blueprints like they had a mind of their own, sketching modifications in the margins with a certainty that scared the shit out of me.

“If we tweak the ambulance bay here,” I pointed at the plans, “we can cut the congestion during rush hour.”

Sofia gave me that look - the one she'd perfectedduring residency when she knew I was hiding something. “You've already thought this through.”

“Just good planning,” I bullshitted, the lie tasting like ash. These designs, these perfect little adjustments - they came from somewhere I couldn't explain and didn't want to think about.

“Rothschild Group's got an impressive track record,” Rachel noted, scrolling through her tablet. “But this sudden hard-on for healthcare infrastructure is... weird.”

“The proposal's solid,” I said. “Hospital needs the expansion.”

“And the fact that Alexander Rothschild specifically asked for you to run medical coordination?”

“I'm Chief of Emergency. Makes sense.”

After the meeting wrapped its boring-ass discussions of zoning and timelines, I found myself drawn to the hospital chapel like a moth to flame, needing its quiet.

I sank into the back row, letting the chapel's silence wash over me. Colored light played through the windows like nature's screensaver, reminding me of those courtyard renderings, the way sunlight would dance through that proposed glass ceiling.

I closed my eyes, trying to get my head straight, but instead...

A studio in Florence materialized - paint-stained hands creating worlds while his voice guided every stroke.

Marble floors in Athens appeared - cool stone under my feet as I rushed to the wounded, his eyes finding mine across the chaos.

A smoky jazz club in Paris emerged - music wrapping around us while he watched from the bar like a predator sizing up prey.

My pager's buzz yanked me back to reality. Non-urgent consult needed at the ER desk. I straightened my tie like armor and headed down.

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