Chapter 2: The Lie in the Trauma Bay
For one heartbeat, the world stopped.
The monitors faded into a dull roar. The smell of antiseptic turned sharp and suffocating. The man I had married six months ago lay pale and shaking beneath harsh hospital lights, his expensive watch cracked against his wrist.
Vanessa gripped the paramedic’s sleeve.
“Please!” she cried. “He’s my brother! You have to save him!”
Brother.
The word almost made me smile.
That was the story they had told everyone. The innocent family bond. The late-night emergencies. The hotel receipts Marcus insisted were business expenses. The way Vanessa always returned home smelling of the same expensive perfume he wore on his collar.
I swallowed the bitterness and let my professional mask slide into place.
“Trauma bay two,” I ordered. “Check vitals. Start oxygen. Page Dr. Patel now.”
No one questioned me.
Not even Marcus, though his eyes had found mine with sudden terror… Continue Reading ⬇️