Page 28 of Keeping Her Under
Her fame tripled, as did the number of surgeries we had to do to save someone from their eating disorders. I didn’t care about that then; if people wanted to kill themselves, it was no skin off my back, just more money in my pocket.
But Summer would’ve heard all about it.
It would’ve hurt her. She would’ve been ridiculed on the street by assholes thinking they had the right to be cruel simply because they believed themselves to have the moral high ground. Because one of their idols said it was okay.
“Don’t you want to take care of yourself?”
“You’re a drain on society.”
“You shouldn’t normalize this. Don’t you know how harmful it is for others to see you and think your body is okay?”
“You need help, you disgusting freak!”
“Who’s going to believe you were raped when you look like this? Just keep it to yourself.”
“I’m only telling you this because I care.”
All those attacks my girl would have suffered… they can all be laid down at Ms. Reeds’ feet.
And she will pay for each and every one.
But while I am in sight of my colleagues, I am nothing but the epitome of professionalism. I make sure my patient’s stable and as comfortable as she can be before I leave her to recover in a private room rather than in the general Post Anesthesia Care Unit. Her bodyguard sits beside her as she lies groggy and in pain from the surgery. A part of me feels a kinship with this man. Just like me, he’d do anything to protect his girl – even if she isn’t aware that that is what she is.
But his devotion isn’t enough to sway me into showing her mercy. Ms. Reeds is part of the world that rejected my ray of sunshine.
And come tonight, she will burn for it.
An hour and a half later, I follow the transport team as they take Ms. Reeds into the ICU. I discuss her chart and medication with the anesthesiologist there, pretending to be so concerned for our VIP, and then I make my way over to the nurse’s station.
We chat for a bit before I ask about Summer. She looks at me with soft sympathy, and I glance away as if I’m ashamed.
“You should go see her,” Nurse Potts says kindly, and I tense, as if I can’t bear the thought of facing the consequence of my mistake.
She eats it up like stolen candy on Halloween.
“You did the right thing, putting her into a coma. I’m sure she’ll thank you for saving her life when she wakes.”
I nod as if she’s convinced me, and her whole face lights up. It doesn’t matter how far feminism progresses, women will always want to fix a man. And if you give people what they desire, they will give you their loyalty. I could play her like a fiddle, leading her further and further down the path of my defense until it didn’t matter what I did, she’d find an excuse to ignore the facts presented.
“I know him. He wouldn’t do that!”
“He’s a good man.”
“He’s a professional.”
“He must have had a reason.”
We see it all the time. Politicians stirring up hate. Their voters claiming they have a line. But when their idol crosses it, suddenly that line is jumped over by an Olympic gymnast. Ten out of ten from all the judges.
The psychology of it is simple: people don’t like to be wrong, and so they’ll do anything to believe they’re right.
“Thank you,” I murmur, and she melts a little bit more. The ring on her finger tells me she’s married, but the fact that she’s had such a strong reaction to being told thank you? Clearly, her partner does not appreciate her as they should. If I wanted to get her into my bed, it would be as easy as complimenting her from time to time and making her feel seen.
Dismissing her, I head towards the only place I want to be. My pulse increases. My palms start to sweat. With every step, the cum-filled napkin in my pocket demands more and more of my attention. Where am I going to rub it on her?
I open her door and slip inside. I shut it behind me. The nurses know I’m in here, and they know how egotistical us anesthesiologists are. They will simply think I want some privacy to face my own feelings of inadequacy. They won’t ever guess that I’m preparing her for tonight.
My breath catches at the sight of my girl, lying on her back, hooked up to a monitor, with various tubes and wires coming off her.
