Harriet rubbed her temples as she badged out of the hospital, standing just outside the building while checking her phone. It wasn't like Zoey to ignore her calls at this hour. About to try again, she noticed her sister approaching.
"Harriet!" Nyx called out, catching her attention.
Harriet tilted her head with a soft smile as she walked over. "Thought you'd be in your clinic," she said, chuckling as she noticed Vera beside her sister. "You two seem practically inseparable lately."
Vera laughed. "Well, we are legally married, so it's perfectly normal! Besides, we even have a son now," she replied, nudging Nyx playfully.
Harriet chuckled, shrugging as she sent another message to Zoey and tried her number once more.
"You look worried," Vera observed, exchanging a glance with Nyx.
"Yeah, is everything alright?" Nyx asked, stepping closer.
Harriet shook her head, a frown deepening on her face. "Zoey's not answering my calls or texts," she murmured, staring at her phone as the call rang on without response.
"Did you try calling your home landline?" Nyx suggested.
"Already did, but all I got was the answering machine." Harriet's fingers fidgeted as anxiety started to gnaw at her. "I think I'd better head home," she said, about to excuse herself when a familiar voice called out.
"Doctor Pierce!"
Harriet turned to see Nurse Sam, part of her surgical team, rushing toward her. She tilted her head, puzzled, as Nurse Sam came to a stop, panting.
"Nurse Sam," Harriet said, slipping her phone back into her pocket. "What's going on?"
Catching her breath, Nurse Sam straightened, wiping her brow. "I'm glad I caught you! We received a call about a patient in critical conditionâthey're being airlifted here by medical helicopter because of heavy traffic. The patient needs immediate surgery," she explained.
Harriet's brow furrowed, her concern sharpening. "Do we have any preliminary information on the case?"
Nurse Sam nodded, her face tense. "The initial report mentioned hypothermic cardiac complications and cardiac contusion. From the patient history, we know she's had a heart transplant before. She's in critical condition, Doc, and... we're currently out of heart surgeons on rotation," she added, glancing up with urgency.
Harriet stiffened, dread settling over her. Her mouth went dry. "Nurse Sam... do you have the patient's information?" she asked, voice barely steady.
Nurse Sam's gaze softened. "Yes, Doctor. The patient is... it's Zoey Foster. Y-your fiancée..."
Harriet's breath caught, and her bag slipped from her shoulder, hitting the ground. "W-what?"
Nyx and Vera gasped, the shock plain on their faces as they turned to Harriet, who stood frozen, struggling to process the news.
Harriet had her surgical team preparing the operating room as they awaited Zoey's arrival. Dressed in her scrubs, she paced back and forth in her office, the bitter irony of the situation weighing on her. Nyx and Vera were with her, their presence a steadying force amidst the storm of her thoughts.
"For fuck's sake," she muttered, leaning over her desk, hands pressed down as she took deep, calming breaths. This wasn't the time to let her emotions take control; Zoey's life was in her hands, and she had to focus. Clearing her throat, she straightened, rubbing her temple as she tried to clear the anxious haze from her mind.
"Harriet," Nyx's voice was gentle, her worry evident.
"I'm good," Harriet replied, though her voice was tight. "Just... a bit shocked." She'd spoken to Zoey that morning, and everything had seemed so ordinary. She hadn't seen any of this coming.
A soft knock interrupted her thoughts. Nurse Sam entered, her expression tense. "Doctor, the operating room's ready. We just got an updateâZoey will be here in thirty minutes, but her condition is worsening. The warming blanket isn't working as well as we'd hoped."
Harriet nodded, her mind slipping into professional mode. "We may need to initiate extracorporeal membrane oxygenation to warm her heart gradually. A sudden temperature increase could risk complications." She took a breath, steadying herself. "I'll also need to check for internal bleedingâthere might be vessel damage. An emergency thoracotomy and surgical repair of heart tissue and potentially coronary arteries could be necessary. We'll aim for the least invasive approach possible, to minimize stress on her system."
Nurse Sam nodded, meeting Harriet's determined gaze. "Understood, Doctor. The team is ready." She excused herself, leaving Harriet with her thoughts once more.
Harriet ran her fingers through her hair before pulling out her phone, her eyes softening as she looked at her lock screen. It was a photo of Zoeyâthe one she'd taken on the first night Zoey had insisted she stay over. Harriet managed a quiet, bittersweet chuckle. "Of all the ways you could surprise me, Zoey... let's just make it a little easier next time, okay?" she murmured, her voice trembling slightly.
Slipping her phone into her sling bag, Harriet took a steadying breath, her eyes fierce with determination. "I'll save you. You'll be fine," she whispered, clenching her hands as if to channel every ounce of skill and strength she possessed. "These hands will bring you back to me."
Turning to Nyx and Vera, she offered a small smile. "I'll be going now. I have to save the woman I'm going to marry." With that, she walked out, resolute, even as the weight of uncertainty lingered in the back of her mind.
Harriet stood tall outside the operating room, the weight of the moment pressing on her chest as she waited for Zoey. The helicopter had just landed on the rooftop helipad, and the medical team was rushing to transfer Zoey into the hospital. Every step felt like an eternity.
A member of the medical team approached her, delivering a brief summary of Zoey's condition. Harriet listened, nodding, her eyes never leaving Zoey's unconscious form. She could see the oxygen mask over Zoey's face, a warming blanket draped over her frail body.
"We'll take it from here," Harriet said firmly, directing the team to bring Zoey inside. She stepped closer, lowering her voice to a whisper. "You'll be fine, sweetheart. Just hang on for me, okay?" Her hand hovered above Zoey's skin, but she clenched it into a fist instead, trying to hold back the surge of emotions threatening to overwhelm her. "Bring her inside. Set everything up," she ordered.
Nyx's voice interrupted her thoughts. "Will you be alright, Harriet?" she asked, her concern palpable as she and Vera waited outside the operating room.
Harriet glanced at her sister, forcing a steady breath. "I have to be," she replied, her voice tight but resolute. "I'm the only one who can save Zoey." She excused herself and headed to the sterile pre-operation station, where she quickly scrubbed in, her mind focused solely on the task ahead. No distractions. Not now.
Minutes later, Harriet was led into the operating room, where Zoey lay on the table, hooked to machines. Harriet paused for a moment, taking in the sight of herâthe woman she loved, fighting for her life. She leaned in close once more, her voice trembling as she whispered, "You're going to survive this, sweetheart. Just don't leave me..." The words were a plea, a desperate promise to keep fighting for Zoey.
The cardiac monitor's beeping seemed to echo in her ears, each beat another reminder of the fragile line Zoey was walking. Harriet nodded to her scrub nurse, who handed her the precision tools she needed. With steady hands, Harriet began the surgery, moving with careful precision. This was her callingâsaving lives was what she did best, and she swore an oath to do everything in her power to protect her patients.
Twelve hours later, the operation was finally complete. Harriet let out a long, exhausted breath, her body aching from the extended procedure. Zoey's condition had remained stable throughout, though her temperature had dropped significantly due to the cold exposure. Still, no flatlines. No loss. That was all Harriet could ask for.
She smiled faintly behind her mask, her heart swelling with relief. "Good job, sweetheart," she whispered, her voice full of affection and pride. "Keep this up, and you'll be back to your old self in no time."
She stood, glancing at her team, her voice calm and authoritative. "Take her to the intensive care unit. Keep monitoring her vitals closely. We need to watch for any complications."
Her team nodded, carefully moving Zoey out of the operating room. Harriet watched them go, knowing Zoey was out of immediate danger, but still very much in a critical state. She lingered for a moment longer, her breath shaky as tears welled in her eyes. The tension in her chest loosened only slightly.
"Please be safe, Zoey. I'll wait for you... however long it takes," she whispered to the empty room, laughing bitterly through her tears. "Don't you dare leave me, not like this. Please... stay with me."
She wiped the tears away, taking one last look at the empty operating table before walking out, determined to stay by Zoey's side through every step of her recovery.