Page 58 of Dr. Roz Harrington
“Pull it together,” she muttered to herself.
But as she turned away, her phone buzzed again. This time, it wasn’t Jack.
It was Roz.
The message was short, just one word.“Hi.”
Sam stared at the screen, her heart lurching in her chest. She sat down on the edge of her bed, her fingers hovering over the keyboard, unsure what to say.
“Hi?”That’s all Roz had to say after everything?
Sam clenched her jaw, her thumb moving to the delete button. But instead of erasing Roz’s message, she tossed her phone onto the bed, running a hand through her hair as frustration bubbled up inside her all over again.
“Coward,” she muttered again, this time directed squarely at Roz.
But even as she said it, she felt the tug of something deeper, something she couldn’t quite name. Roz was reaching out, and no matter how angry Sam was, she couldn’t ignore the part of her that still wanted to believe they could fix this.
Maybe Jack was right. Maybe Roz was scared. Maybe Sam was the only person who had ever made Roz feel something real.
And maybe that was exactly why Roz was pulling away.
Sam sighed, leaning back against the wall. She wasn’t ready to text Roz back. Not yet. But she also wasn’t ready to let go.
Not by a long shot.
The hospital smelled the same as it always did, like antiseptic, recycled air, and something faintly sterile that Sam could never quite place. The fluorescent lights hummed above her as she walked down the familiar halls, her boots clicking softly against the linoleum. It was mid-morning, quieter than usual, and for once, Sam was glad for the stillness. She wasn’t in the mood for chaos.
She had told herself she was here to check on the young woman, Lila, she reminded herself. Lila deserved to be more thanthat girl Sam rescued. The thought had nagged at her ever since Roz’s surgery saved Lila’s life, as if Sam had something to prove by checking in. At least that was the excuse she gave herself as she pushed open the door to Lila’s room.
The room was bathed in soft light, sunlight filtering through the window blinds. Lila lay propped up on the bed, her expression tired but peaceful. Her arms were marked with healing bruises, and a blanket covered her legs, hiding the injuries she was still recovering from. But there was color in her cheeks, and her eyes brightened when they landed on Sam.
“Hey there,” Sam said softly, slipping into the chair beside the bed. “How are you holding up?”
Lila gave a faint smile. “Better. They say I’ll be walking again soon. I’ll probably set off metal detectors, but I’ll take it.”
Sam smiled, the knot in her chest loosening slightly. “That’s good news.”
Lila studied Sam for a moment, her expression turning curious. “It’s nice of you to come check on me, Captain. You didn’t have to, you know.”
Sam shrugged, leaning back in the chair. “I wanted to. What you went through… It’s not something people just forget overnight.”
Lila’s gaze softened. “Yeah, I guess. I can’t forget what you said to me either. You held my hand and told me I was going to be okay. That you wouldn’t leave me.”
Sam swallowed hard, the memory hitting her square in the chest. She remembered the way Lilahad clung to her amidst the chaos and smoke. Sam had been a lifeline in that moment, and it reminded her exactly why she did what she did. It reminded her of the weight she carried every day.
“Didn’t feel right to leave you alone after all that,” Sam said quietly.
Lila nodded, her expression growing somber. “You’re a good person, Sam. The kind of person people hold on to when things get bad.”
Sam flinched slightly at that, the words hitting closer to home than Lila could have possibly known. She cleared her throat and managed a weak smile. “Just doing my job.”
A beat passed, and Lila tilted her head. “Are you okay?”
Sam blinked. The question took her by surprise. She opened her mouth to brush it off, but the words caught. Something about the sincerity in Lila’s eyes disarmed her, like she could see the weight Sam was carrying even if she hadn’t said a word.
“I’m fine,” Sam said quickly, though the words felt hollow.
Lila raised a skeptical eyebrow. “You don’t look fine.”
