Becoming strangers again (Lily and Ryan)



LILY

I awoke to the sight of several missed calls from Ryan on my phone. I must have been far more exhausted than I realized for me to sleep so soundly and not hear my phone ringing. Stifling a yawn, I glanced over at the clock on my nightstand. My eyes widened in disbelief when I saw the time. "Damn!" I muttered under my breath.

It was already seven in the morning. How on earth did I manage to sleep through my alarm?

Jumping out of bed, I rushed down the hall toward my kids' room. I needed to make sure they were up and getting ready. Thankfully, their nanny had already woken them, helped them shower, and they were now sitting at the table, eating breakfast.

I exhaled a sigh of relief and ran a hand over my forehead, noticing it felt unusually warm to the touch. Was I coming down with a fever?

"Good morning, ma'am," Jane greeted, her voice bringing me back to the present.

I blinked slowly, trying to focus. "Good morning, Jane," I replied, giving her a tired smile. I walked over to my boys, planting a gentle kiss on each of their heads and wishing them a good morning before retreating back to my room to get ready for work.

While I brushed my teeth, I tried Ryan's number again, but it wouldn't connect. After three attempts, I gave up, letting out a frustrated sigh.

I dropped the phone onto the sink with a soft thud and stepped into the shower, hoping the warm water might wash away the lingering fatigue.

********

By the time I finally made it to the office, I was already running late. Even my secretary looked surprised to see me coming in at this hour. She followed me into my office, her tablet in hand, ready to go over my schedule for the day and the list of surgeries I had lined up.

"Are you feeling alright, ma'am?" she asked, her brows knitted together with concern. "You look a bit pale."

"I'm fine," I replied, though I wasn't entirely sure if I believed it myself. I just needed to wait for the medication I'd picked up from the pharmacy to start working. "Do I have to observe another neurosurgery today?"

She shook her head gently. "You don't have to, but it was a special request from the patient's family," she explained, her fingers tapping quickly on her tablet as she pulled up the details. "The patient is a little girl, only five years old, and her parents specifically asked for you to monitor the surgery. They know you're a mother and believe that would make you extra vigilant they trust you to make sure nothing goes wrong."

"And what happens if I say no?" I asked. In all honesty, I wasn't feeling up to sitting through another long surgery today.

Maybe I should have just stayed home.

"There's no formal penalty for declining," she replied, choosing her words carefully, "but it might not reflect well on the hospital's image if word gets out that you refused such a request."

I rubbed my hands over my face, feeling the throbbing ache in my head. "Alright," I sighed, finally nodding in reluctant agreement. "I'll be with them shortly."

Once she left the room, I quickly reached for the bottle of painkillers in my desk drawer and popped a couple more into my mouth, hoping they'd work fast to dull the relentless pounding in my skull. After taking a moment to steady myself, I grabbed my white coat from the back of my chair and slipped it on, preparing myself for the task ahead.

The surgery dragged on for five long, exhausting hours. I sat there, watching every move Dr. Amell made, my eyes straining to stay focused. Finally, when he signaled that the procedure was complete, relief washed over me. I immediately got up from my seat, eager to head back to my office.

However, as I stood up, a wave of dizziness hit me, causing me to sway unsteadily on my feet. One of the doctors who had been observing the surgery with me quickly reached out, catching me by the arm to steady me. "Are you okay?"

I nodded and took a small step back, gently pulling away from his grasp. "I just stood up too fast," I explained, forcing a weak smile. Though he seemed skeptical, he didn't press the issue further, his eyes lingering on me for a moment longer before he turned back to his work.

I glanced over at the glass partition separating the observatory from the operating room and noticed Dr. Amell watching me closely, a look of concern etched on his face. I chose to ignore his gaze and walked out of the observatory room, my steps a bit slower and more cautious than before.

I headed straight for my office, and as soon as I stepped inside, the first thing I did was grab a blanket from the small closet. Exhausted beyond measure, I collapsed onto the sofa and closed my eyes, hoping for a few moments of rest.

*****

When I opened my eyes again, I was staring at blue curtains, and it only took a second for me to realize that I wasn't in my office anymore.

Old fears gripped me tightly-when you've been abducted once, the trauma never really leaves you. In my panic, I tried to sit up abruptly, but a sharp, throbbing pain exploded in my head, forcing me back down onto the bed with a groan.

"For a doctor, you're incredibly careless," a familiar voice remarked from beside me.

I furrowed my brows in confusion and slowly turned my head to the side. Dr. Amell was sitting next to the bed, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

My frown deepened as I tried to make sense of the situation. "Where am I? And what are you doing here?" I demanded, still disoriented.

He folded his arms across his chest and tilted his head slightly, studying me. "I saw you swaying after the surgery," he said calmly. "So, I came to check on you, just to make sure you were really okay. And instead, I found you unconscious on your

office sofa."

I licked my dry lips, trying to muster some moisture to speak. Slowly, I attempted to sit up again, more cautiously this time, my movements careful.

Dr. Amell didn't make a move to help me; he simply watched me with those sharp eyes of his, scrutinizing every inch of my struggle. "I wasn't unconscious," I argued, a hint of defensiveness creeping into my tone. "I was just asleep."

He scoffed, clearly amused. "Yet,

you didn't move an inch when I carried you to the emergency room. You didn't flinch when we searched for your vein. You didn't even stir when we inserted the needle of when you were transferred to this room." Uncrossing his legs, he leaned forward, his eyes never

leaving mine. "Shouldn't you be

thanking me?”

I rolled my eyes at his smug tone, glancing down at the IV needle piercing my vein. "Thank you," I muttered, trying to sound as ungrateful as possible. He chuckled softly. "You're welcome, although I barely heard that."

Well, that was his problem, not mine. I narrowed my eyes at him. "Why are you the one looking after an unconscious woman who isn't your relative or family?"

His gaze traveled over my body, his expression thoughtful before he shook his head with a wry smile. "You aren't really my type, Mrs. Williams."

I gave him a deadpan stare, unimpressed by his attempt at humor.RêAd lat𝙚St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only

He pointed to a small camera positioned in the corner of the room. "They set that up to monitor us," he explained, his tone now more serious. "And I did call the number listed in your emergency contact folder, but no one answered."

I understand that Ryan is grieving, but how difficult will it be for him to take his calls?"Thank you once again." I looked around for my phone, found it, and checked the time. Panic set in as I realized how late it was. "I have to go," I said urgently.

As I reached for the needle in my vein, intending to pull it out myself, Dr. Amell quickly grabbed my hand, his face tightening into a scowl. "What do you think you're doing?" he demanded, his voice sharp.

"I need to get back to my kids," I muttered, trying to pull my hand free. "I have to be there for them."

"Your health is important too," he said firmly, his tone gritted with irritation. "Can't your husband look after the kids for tonight, especially since he didn't answer the emergency call?"

The bite in his tone made me glare at him. "My husband isn't home," I snapped. "Not that it's any of your business."

He stared at me for a while, then let

out a weary sigh. "That doesn't excuse not answering the hospital's call," he said flatly, reaching forward to turn-off the IV drip. "If I get an emergency call from the hospital where my wife works, even if I'm in the middle of something, I'm heading straight home."

As he carefully removed the needle from my arm, he helped me to my feet. "You're in no condition to drive," he stated. "I'll drive you home myself."

I shook my head, trying to resist. "That's really not necessary."

Ignoring my protest, he grabbed my bag and started walking towards the door. "I'm not usually this accommodating, Lily. Don't make me reconsider."

I raised an eyebrow, a hint of sarcasm in my voice. "I didn't realize we were on a first-name basis."

He shrugged nonchalantly as he reached the door. "We are now. I just saved your life."