Zoey slowly adjusted her vision, groaning softly as consciousness began to return. She blinked, trying to make sense of her surroundings. The rhythmic beeping of a machine echoed in the quiet room.
"Oh, gosh," she heard a voice murmur, followed by the sound of someone moving. Zoey's brow furrowed, trying to focus. "Oh god, love," the voice said again. It sounded like Sienna. Zoey squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them once more.
"Zoey?" A familiar voice called out, pulling her attention. Looking toward the sound, Zoey saw Riley and Sienna standing near her.
"Where am I?" she managed to rasp, her throat dry and hoarse. She tried to move, but something felt offâalmost as if her body wasn't responding properly.
"Stay still, Zoey," Riley said gently, her voice laced with concern. "You just had surgery," she added softly.
Zoey tried to focus, her eyes searching Riley's face, trying to make sense of it all. Slowly, she raised her hand, almost as if testing if this was all just a dream. She opened and closed it slowly, then whispered, "Ah, I'm alive?"
Riley and Sienna exchanged a glance before Sienna smiled reassuringly. "Of course, you are."
Zoey nodded slowly, swallowing hard. "Where is she?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper, but the question carried a sense of longing.
"Harriet?" Riley asked, her voice soothing. "She'll be here soon, Zoey. She just had to attend an important meeting."
Sienna, with a gentle press of a button, called for a nurse. Zoey nodded weakly in acknowledgment and shut her eyes again, trying to process the situation. "Iâhow did I end up here?" she asked, her voice still faint. "I remember drowning... How did I end up here?" Her face contorted in confusion as she tried to remember the last thing she could before everything went dark.
"Zoey," Riley said, her voice soft yet firm, "Don't push yourself to remember everything right now. You're still recovering from surgery."
Zoey opened her eyes slowly, her confusion deepening. "Surgery? What surgery?"
Before Riley could respond, a nurse knocked and entered, interrupting them. The nurse immediately went to Zoey's side, adjusting her bed so that she was in a more upright position. Zoey watched as the nurse checked her vitals, giving her a reassuring smile as she worked.
"Doctor Harriet will be here shortly," the nurse said before stepping back, speaking quietly with Riley and Sienna. Zoey could barely follow the conversation, her mind still foggy from the haze of her recovery.
Sighing, Zoey let her gaze wander around the room. She wanted to see Harrietâshe was certain her fiancée must be worried. The thought made her chest tighten.
Riley noticed her movement and stepped closer. "What are you looking for, Zoey?"
Zoey glanced at Riley, shaking her head slightly. "Just trying to find my phone..." she murmured.
Riley smiled gently, a soft chuckle escaping her lips. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her own phone, unlocking it and handing it to Zoey. "Do you want to call Harriet? Here," she said, dialing Harriet's number before handing it to Zoey.
Zoey accepted the phone with a grateful nod. "Thanks, Riley," she said quietly as she waited, heart thudding in her chest, for someone to pick up on the other end.
Harriet chuckled bitterly as she stared at the group of older board members in front of her, their discussion droning on about her decision to operate on Zoey as if it were some personal interest of hers. She sighed, slamming her fist on the glass table, getting everyone's attention.
Rolling her eyes, she let out a sharp laugh. "Do you really think delaying surgery on a critically ill patient follows the rule book for doctors? What are you people even doing here? You've been in your positions for so long and you still haven't considered this?" Harriet's voice grew more biting. "Just so we're clear, the moment the patient arrived, no other heart surgeon was on rotation. We tried calling the surgeon on leave, but they couldn't make it in timeâtraffic, you know, during the holidays." She shrugged nonchalantly.
One of the directors opened his mouth, but Harriet raised a finger, silencing him. "I'm not done," she said firmly, her gaze unwavering. "If this was about saving my fiancée, then so be it. But let me tell you, if one of my family members had been in that critical condition, I would've done the same thing. So go aheadârevoke my license if you think that's right. But don't you dare pretend like you have the authority to tell me what I can or can't do. I don't care if this hospital is owned by my parentsâI can survive just fine outside BioSynthix. You know why? Because I'm capable. I'm not like you, power-tripping your way through the system."
She leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms, her defiance clear.
Harriet's father, sitting quietly beside her, chuckled and shook his head, trying to hide his amusement. "What Doctor Harriet Pierce said is true. Delaying a life-saving operation is against our oath as doctors. Regardless of personal relationships, our duty is to take action when someone is in critical need. Revoking her license? I don't think that's necessary, and frankly, it's not something a good doctor would do. By the book or not, saving lives is what we're here for." One of the directors nodded in agreement.
A few more rounds of discussion followed, but in the end, the decision was made: Harriet's license would not be revoked, and she would not face suspension. As the board members left, Harriet rubbed her temple, exhausted but relieved.
A light tap on her head made her look up. "You really are impossible to deal with," her father said, grinning at her. "That's why they keep an eye on youâthey can never please you."
Harriet groaned, rolling her eyes. "You know how I am, Dad. I'm just doing my job. Saving Zoey's lifeâthat's part of my oath. And it's part of being her fiancée too."
Her father smiled softly. "I'm proud of you, Harriet. You stand by what you believe is right. We'll always support you."
She sighed and nodded, standing up. "Let's go."
As they started to leave, Harriet's phone chimed. Her brow furrowed as she pulled it out, seeing Riley's name on the screen.
"Wait, Dad, Riley's calling," she said, answering the call.
"Hey, Rile, what's upâ" Harriet's voice caught in her throat, her stomach dropping.
"Harriet..." The voice on the other end made her heart race, and she swallowed hard, glancing at her father.
"What's wrong, Harriet?" her father asked, clearly puzzled by her reaction.
"Dad... Zoey... she's awake," Harriet whispered, hanging up the phone in a hurry. Without another word, she bolted out of the room and rushed toward the elevator.
She barely managed to catch it as the doors were about to close, and as it ascended, she rubbed her eyes in disbelief. Zoey was awakeâalive. The thought was overwhelming.
The elevator chimed as it reached her floor, and Harriet hurried out, jogging toward Zoey's room. Panting, she steadied herself before sliding the door open.
Her heart skipped a beat when she saw Zoey, her eyes locking with hers. Zoey's faint smile made Harriet's chest tighten.
She stepped inside, sliding the door shut behind her, and took a moment to catch her breath. Her left hand rested on her waist, while her right ran through her hair and covered her mouth. She walked slowly toward Zoey's bed, emotions bubbling to the surface.
Zoey smiled at her. "God," Harriet whispered, her voice cracking. "You're really awake." She closed the distance, gently wrapping her arms around Zoey in a tender embrace.
Harriet shut her eyes, burying her face in Zoey's shoulder. "Thank you for coming back to me," she mumbled, her voice shaky.
Zoey's hands rubbed gently on her back. "No... thank you for saving me... my surgeon." Her voice was soft, calming Harriet as the tears began to fall.
Harriet's sobs were quiet, but the weight of her emotions was clear. "God, I thought I was going to lose you," she whispered, letting herself break down in Zoey's arms.