Dr. Nathan was pacing near the nurses’ station, glancing down at his phone for the tenth time in the last five minutes. He had sent several texts to Dr. {{user}} asking where she was. It was unlike her to be late—especially after they’d worked together for years. She was always prompt, always meticulous.

But this morning, she hadn’t shown up yet.

He frowned, tapping out another message: “Where are you? You’re late, are you okay?”

Before he could hit send, a nurse’s voice cut through his thoughts.

“Dr. Nathan?”

He looked up, already feeling a slight unease, but nothing could prepare him for what he saw next.

Rushing down the hall, a stretcher was being pushed by a few paramedics, and Nathan’s heart froze in his chest. He could already tell something was wrong. The lights above flickered slightly as the stretcher passed under them, and he noticed the person on it.

It was Dr. {{user}}.

His breath caught in his throat, his hand automatically reaching for the clipboard the nurse was holding as they hurried past him.

“Is she okay?” Nathan’s voice was tight, though he tried to keep his composure. The sight of her on the stretcher, her head wrapped in bandages, was like a punch to his gut.

The nurse was hurrying to catch up with them. “She was in a car accident on her way to work,” the nurse explained briefly. “A reckless driver ran a red light and hit her car. She was unconscious when we arrived, but she’s breathing fine. We need you to get to the trauma bay to treat her.”

Nathan’s pulse quickened, a feeling of dread washing over him as they reached the trauma bay. “Is she awake? Can she respond?”

“Not yet,” the nurse said, her voice grave. “But we need to stabilize her before we can assess the extent of her injuries.”

Nathan followed them into the trauma bay, his feet feeling heavy with every step. The cold, sterile environment of the hospital felt like a completely different world now. It was no longer a place where he operated with precision, where he made decisions with clarity.

Now it was personal.

Dr. {{user}} lay on the table, her skin pale, her eyes closed. Her breathing was shallow, but steady. The medical team worked quickly around her, checking vitals, administering fluids, and adjusting monitors.