Harriet removed her surgical suit and tossed the unusable items into the trash near the door, leaning against it for support. She let out a long, tired sigh and chuckled bitterly to herself, feeling the weight of the past twelve hours settling in.
"Harriet," came a voice. Harriet blinked, her thoughts pulling her back to the present. She looked up to see Nyx and Vera still standing there, waiting.
Harriet scoffed and walked toward her sister, a tired smile forming on her face. "Why are you two still here?" she asked.
Nyx sighed and pulled Harriet into a tight hug. "It's over now. You can rest easy," Nyx murmured, gently rubbing her back.
Harriet's breath hitched, and for a moment, she let herself lean into the comfort, her face buried in Nyx's shoulder. "I did it, Nyx," Harriet mumbled, her voice trembling. "I was able to save her." She sniffed lightly, fighting back the tears.
Nyx continued to rub her back, offering a soothing touch. "Yeah, you did great. You pulled off a hell of a job," Nyx said, tapping her sister's back gently. "You've been at it for twelve hours, Harriet. You need to rest."
Harriet nodded, opening her mouth to respond when a familiar voice cut through the quiet. "Excuse me, doctor? Is there a patient hereâHarriet?"
Harriet blinked, her heart skipping a beat. She stepped back from Nyx, her eyes widening in recognition. "Mamita?" she said, her voice filled with surprise as she stepped forward.
Zoey's grandmother stood before her, eyes frantic. She reached out to Harriet, a hand trembling as she searched her face. "Goodness... Is mijaâZoeyâfine? Where is she? Where is myâ?"
"Mamita," Harriet said gently, placing a firm hand on Zoey's grandmother's shoulder. "Take a deep breath, okay? Just breathe, slowly." She guided the older woman to sit on a nearby bench, her concern deepening as she saw the distress in her eyes.
After a few moments, Zoey's grandmother steadied her breathing. "Where is Zoey, Harriet? Is she okay? Please tell me she's fine..."
Harriet let out a long sigh of relief and nodded. "Zoey's fine, Mita. She's in the ICU now, just for some monitoring and further checks on her vitals," she explained, her voice calm but reassuring.
Zoey's grandmother clutched her chest, letting out a relieved exhale as she sank into the bench. "Thank goodness," she whispered, looking up at Harriet with tear-filled eyes. "Is it true? You're the one who operated on her?"
Harriet swallowed, feeling the gravity of the moment. She nodded, rubbing the back of her neck. "Yes, Mamita. I did."
Zoey's grandmother covered her mouth, her eyes brimming with gratitude. "I... I don't know how you felt, operating on my mija, but thank you, Harriet. Thank you for saving her," she said, her voice thick with emotion.
Harriet crouched down in front of her, taking Zoey's grandmother's hand in hers. "Mamita, it's my duty to save lives. And it's my duty to protect Zoey, to ensure her safety as her fiancée," Harriet said softly, her words heavy with love and promise.
Zoey's grandmother smiled and gently caressed Harriet's cheek, her expression softening as she looked over at Nyx and Vera. "I didn't realize you had companions, Doctor," she said, her voice curious.
Harriet chuckled, standing up and glancing over her shoulder. "Right, Mamita," she said with a smile. "This is my sister, Nyx, and her wife, Vera," Harriet introduced, gesturing toward the couple. "Nyx, Vera, this is Mamita, Zoey's grandmother."
Nyx and Vera exchanged surprised glances before bowing respectfully. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mamita," they said almost in unison.
Zoey's grandmother blinked at Harriet, then at Nyx, then back to Harriet with a raised eyebrow. "Oh, you have a twin, Doc?"
Harriet's eyes widened, taken aback by the question. She glanced at Nyx and Vera, who just shared a laugh. "Oh God, no, Mamita," Harriet said quickly, waving her hands. "Nyx here is my older sister. We also have a younger sister, but she's not here today. She just got married, so they're out of the country," she added, rubbing her neck awkwardly.
Zoey's grandmother nodded, clearly fascinated by the family resemblance. "Well, look at that! Three beautiful ladies," she said with a smile.
Harriet chuckled softly, her gaze shifting to a little boy sitting beside Zoey's grandmother. "Right, Mamita, whose kid is this?" she asked, pointing gently to the child.
Zoey's grandmother beamed proudly. "Ah, this is Zoey's nephew. Remember Ellie? He's Ellie's son, the child of Ellie and Markus," she explained, a faint smile on her lips. Harriet's heart skipped at the mention of Zoey's sister.
Harriet cleared her throat, trying to steady her emotions. "Did you travel all the way here with him, Mamita?" she asked, glancing at her wristwatch.
Zoey's grandmother nodded. "I had to bring him with me. There's no one else to care for him. Markus left him to me a couple of weeks ago, only to find that he died... and now he's the reason Zoey's in the hospital again," she explained, her voice heavy with grief.
Harriet's heart sank at the revelation. She took a step back, the news hitting her like a punch to the gut. "W-what did you just say, Mamita?" she stammered, her voice barely a whisper.
Harriet sat beside Zoey's unconscious form, her gaze fixed on the steady rise and fall of Zoey's chest. It had been a week since the surgery. Her vitals were stable now, and she had been moved out of the ICU to a private room where she would continue her recovery and monitoring. But still, Harriet couldn't shake the weight of everything that had happened.
"I didn't know Markus held you up," Harriet whispered, her fingers gently stroking Zoey's hand. The new revelation about Markus weighed heavily on her heart. Zoey's case had been closed after his death, but the guilt lingered. "I'm so sorry," Harriet murmured, her voice thick with regret. "I wasn't there to protect you, sweetheart," she added, her lip trembling as she bit back the pain.
The memory of hearing how the authorities found Zoeyâtied up in the carâstill haunted her. "God, I'm so sorry. Please wake up now, I miss you so much," Harriet said, her voice cracking with emotion. She had been staying in the sleeping quarters, coming in every few hours to check on Zoey, unable to be far from her side.
A soft knock on the door made Harriet quickly wipe away the tears that had escaped. She cleared her throat, trying to steady herself as she glanced toward the door. It creaked open, and Riley stepped inside, ushering Sienna with her.
"Harriet..." Riley greeted, her tone soft as she entered, placing a bouquet of flowers and a fruit basket on the bedside table.
Harriet gave them a quick nod and then glanced back at Zoey. "How is she?" Riley asked, her concern evident as she took a seat next to the bed.
"Still unconscious," Harriet replied, her voice distant as she leaned back in her chair. "You know... I was the one who conducted her surgery?" she added, a bitter chuckle escaping her lips. "Some of the medical board members are questioning it, considering it... well, personal interest." She sighed, the frustration clear in her voice. "They think it was inappropriate for me to operate on my fiancée."
Riley let out a soft chuckle. "Yeah, I heard about that. Good job, though. I think Zoey's lucky you were there." She paused, concern creeping into her voice. "I also heard your license is on the line? I mean, there wasn't any malpractice, right?"
Sienna raised an eyebrow, confused. "Why would Harriet's license be revoked?"
Harriet let out a dry laugh, shaking her head. "Honestly, if they want to revoke my license, so be it," she said with a shrug. "I don't care. As long as Zoey's safe. There was no one else available to perform the surgeryâI was the only one who could do it at the time. The rest of them just wanted to get rid of me, make it seem like I'm in the wrong."
Riley's expression softened. "I heard there's a medical board meeting today. You're required to attend, right?"
Harriet nodded, glancing at her sister. "Yeah, just waiting for the meeting time before I head over."
"You look like you haven't slept," Riley noted, her gaze lingering on Harriet's tired eyes.
Harriet groaned softly and let out a weak laugh. "I'm sleeping, just... not enough. I can't rest easy, not until Zoey wakes up." She paused, eyes lingering on Zoey, her heart aching with the need to be by her side.
A knock at the door caught Harriet's attention. "Doctor?" Nurse Sam's voice came from outside. "The board meeting is about to start," she said gently.
Harriet stood, stretching her arms above her head before turning to face Riley and Sienna. "Alright, I'll go. Can you look after Zoey for me while I'm at the meeting?" she asked, picking up her hospital coat from the back of the chair.
"Of course," Riley replied. "We'll stay here until you get back."
Harriet nodded, walking to the door. She paused, glancing back at the two women in the room. "By the way," she said with a smile, "I heard Sienna's pregnant? Congratulations, you two."
Riley's face lit up, and Sienna smiled warmly. "Thanks, Harriet," Riley said.
Harriet smiled back, then stepped out of the room, the door closing softly behind her as she headed to the meeting that loomed ahead.