Page 59 of Dr. Roz Harrington
Sam let out a soft laugh, shaking her head. “You sound like my second-in-command.”
Lila’s smile returned faintly. “Smart person, then.”
The silence stretched between them, comfortable this time, and Sam let herself sit in it. Being here, seeing Lila healing, seeing her alive, it mattered. Even with everything else falling apart, Sam could hold on to this. For a moment, it eased the ache she’d been carrying since that night in Roz’s office.
As Sam stepped out of Lila’s room, the stillness of the hospital hallways wrapped around her. She turned down the corridor, headed toward the exit, only to stop short when she spotted a familiar figure leaning against the nurse’s station up ahead.
Olivia.
Roz’s younger sister had the same striking features as Roz, though softened, her sharp green eyes lacked the walls Roz so often hid behind, and her smile came easily. Right now, however, Olivia wasn’t smiling. She was watching Sam, an unreadable expression on her face.
Sam considered turning around, but it was too late. Olivia had already seen her.
“Sam,” Olivia called softly, stepping away from the counter.
Sam sighed under her breath but forced herself to straighten her shoulders as Olivia approached. “Hey,” she said, her tone guarded.
Olivia gave her a small, searching look. “I thought it was you.”
“I was just…visiting someone,” Sam said quickly, stuffing her hands into her pockets. She wasn’t in the mood for small talk, not with Roz’s sister.
“I figured,” Olivia replied. “I heard about the rescue. That was you, wasn’t it?”
Sam nodded stiffly. “Yeah. It was.”
Olivia studied her carefully, as though choosing her next words. “Roz operated on her, you know.”
Sam’s stomach twisted, but she forced a nonchalant nod. “I know. She saved her life.”
Olivia tilted her head, her expression softening. “She talked about you.”
That stopped Sam short. “What?”
“Roz,” Olivia clarified. “She talked about you. More than she realizes, I think.”
Sam froze, staring at Olivia as a rush of conflicting emotions hit her all at once. “She did?”
Olivia nodded, her voice quiet but earnest. “Roz, she’s complicated. But you know that already, don’t you?”
Sam let out a bitter laugh, shaking her head. “Yeah, I do.”
“She cares about you,” Olivia said softly. “Even if she’s too damn stubborn to admit it. Or fight for it.”
Sam clenched her jaw, the ache in her chest flaring back to life. “If she cares so much, then why push me away?”
Olivia sighed. “Because that’s what she does. It’s easier for Roz to build walls than to let anyone in. She’s been like that her whole life.”
Sam frowned, her frustration bubbling up. “Yeah, well, I’m not exactly in the habit of standing around waiting for someone who doesn’t want to fight for me.”
Olivia held Sam’s gaze, something understanding and sad flickering in her eyes. “I’m not saying you should. I just think…maybe you’re the first person to ever make Roz feel something real. And that terrifies her.”
The words hit Sam hard. She swallowed thickly, unable to respond.
Olivia offered her a small smile. “Just don’t give up on her yet. Not completely.”
With that, Olivia turned and walked away, leaving Sam rooted in place.
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