Page 144 of The Night Shift
And so, I do.
I close my eyes and spend the next fifteen minutes thinking about a pair of blue eyes and how good it would feel to gouge them out. There’s a soft buzz to my left. My phone. I ignore it. It’s been a long day.
When I wake up the next morning, Audrey’s already gone.
The music is my second favorite thing after the blood.
Goodbyeby Apparat hums through the speakers, threading between the consistent beeps of the monitors.
“Rib spreader.”
Dr. Corbin holds out his hand, his eyes fixed on the exposed thoracic cavity. The OR smells of antiseptic, blood, and cauterized tissue. The scrub nurse places the instrument in his palm.
“Clamp.”
His fingers move with precision, dissecting through layers of tissue until he finds the source of bleeding. He applies the clamp and ties off the vessel with calm efficiency. The monitor’s beeping slows, heart rate stabilizing as oxygenation improves.
“Sat’s up to ninety-six,” the anesthesiologist announces.
“Good. Dr. Moore, close up, please,” Dr. Corbin says, stepping back to observe.
I nod, picking up the needle driver and a 3-0 suture. The first stitch goes in cleanly. I work methodically, placing each interrupted suture with precision. Pierce, pull, tie. I irrigate the site with warm saline and check for hemostasis. Then I finish with a final knot and reach for the sterile dressing to seal the wound.
He checks my work and gives a brief nod of approval. “Nice job. Scrub out.”
I peel off my gloves, discard them, and head to the sink. The water runs warm over my skin. I step into the hallway and pull my phone from my pocket.
Still no texts from Theo. Nothing after the one he sent last night at 2:45 a.m. I send him another message.
Holly: Where the hell are you?????
No response.
Annoyed, I stuff my phone back into my pocket and head down the hallway toward Kennedy’s ward, expecting him to behovering in there like he usually does. But when I open the door, her bed is empty.
I stop a passing nurse. “The patient in this ward. Has she been discharged?”
“She’s in surgery.”
“Is Dr. Carter in the OR too?”
The nurse shakes her head. “Haven’t seen him all day.”
Huh? Kennedy is in surgery and Theoisn’twith her? He’s her doctor. My phone rings, snapping me out of my thoughts. I pull it out and flip it over. Cami’s name flashes on the screen. My shoulders slump. I hit answer. “Hey.”
“Still working?” she asks.
“Yeah, what’s up? Anything urgent?”
“You sound stressed.”
“I’m not stressed.”
“Holly, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong. Theo just hasn’t shown up to work today.”
A pause. “He must be running late or some shit.”
