Page 13 of Doctor Hot Mess

Hunter snorts. “Good luck with that. Have you ever consider that while it wasn’t a big deal to you, maybe it was to her? Or are you too busy being charming to notice when other people aren’t as shallow as you?”

“I’m so glad I came to you,” I say dryly, sending the ball his way. “You’ve offered valuable insight.”

“Anytime,” he says, grinning. “Now, are we playing, or are we gonna keep talking about our feelings and your life choices?”

“Let’s play,” I say, annoyed with him and wanting to drop the entire conversation. But instead, he walks around the net and up to me.

“Look,” Hunter says, clapping me on the shoulder. “You’re good at a lot of things, Jonah. Surgery. Bringing the calm we all need in the ER and OR. Making a damn good Old Fashioned. But you suck at seeing the bigger picture when it comes to relationships. That’s all I was trying to say. My delivery isn’t as smooth as yours.”

“Thanks for the pep talk,” I say flatly.

“Anytime,” he says with a smirk. “I’ve gotta piss. I’ll be right back.”

Sweet. Alone with my thoughts. I know he means well, and what he’s saying makes a lot of sense. How did I misread Harper so badly? How will I fix this?

Saturday,February 7

UAB Hospital

2:28 PM

“Doctor Bellinger,emergency laparotomy incoming. Suspected bowel perforation,” a nurse calls out, her voice cutting through the chaos of the ER.

I nod, already moving toward the trauma bay. “Vitals?”

“BP’s low, eighty-five over sixty. Tachycardic at one-thirty. Severe abdominal distension, and the patient is in and out of consciousness.”

The ER hums with controlled urgency—monitors dinging, orders flying, nurses and residents weaving between patients. It’s chaos, but I thrive in this space, and I bring the calm. Here, I’m dialed in. I don’t stumble, hesitate, or second-guess. This is where I’m at my best.

“ETA?” I ask as I scan the room, double-checking the setup.

“Three minutes out,” the nurse replies.

“Let’s get IV fluids running and prep for imaging,” I say, checking the trauma cart. “Harper, you’re on airway management. Have intubation supplies ready.”

She’s already moving, quick and precise. I catch a glimpse of her across the bay, methodically arranging the tools on her tray. It’s impossible not to notice how good she is at this. Harper’s always been a natural in the ER—sharp, calm, and thorough.

As a travel nurse, she’s used to jumping into any situation, covering wherever she’s needed. It’s what makes her so good at what she does. And working with her?

Normally, I would welcome her as a nurse in my sphere. But today, she won’t even glance my way. Fine. Not the time. Focus.

The paramedics burst through the doors, wheeling in a middle-aged man clutching his abdomen. His face is twisted in pain.

“Patient is a 50-year-old male,” one of them shouts. “Severe abdominal trauma, possible perforation from a blunt force injury. BP’s continuing to drop, and his belly’s hard as a rock.”

“Alright, on my count,” I say, stepping beside the gurney. “One, two, three.”

The team moves as one, transferring the patient onto the ER bed. “Start a second line,” I order. “Let’s get lactated Ringer’s running wide open. Harper, stay ready in case we need to intubate. We’ll stabilize him here and then straight to imaging.”

“Got it,” she says, not looking up.

The team moves efficiently, tools and orders flying between us. This is my rhythm—the decisions coming instinctively, the commands rolling off my tongue like second nature. The weight of the situation doesn’t faze me; it sharpens my focus.

“Pressure’s dropping—eighty over fifty,” a resident says.

“Alright, we’re not waiting,” I decide. “Book an OR now. Notify the on-call surgeon, and let’s stabilize him for transfer.”

The next few minutes are a blur of activity—fluids running, monitors chirping, and controlled chaos as the team moves with precision. My job today is to manage trauma in the ER, not to scrub in upstairs, but that doesn’t make the handoff any easier. By the time the OR team arrives to take over, the patient’s vitals are holding steady, and the immediate storm has passed.

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