My Protector | His Angel

Chapter 7: Unwelcome guests

As I approached Emma's front door I brought my hand up to knock but before my knuckles could even touch the wood, the door swung open and she pulled me inside.

"What the fuck!" I whisper yelled as she dragged me through her dark apartment shushing me. Once we got to the kitchen she sat me down in one of the chairs. "Why is it so dark in here?" I asked just before she turned a light on revealing that we weren't alone.

I jumped in my seat when I looked up to see a familiar face sitting across from me.

"Adam?" I questioned as I looked up at Emma who didn't seem so ecstatic to see him.

"He came here banging on my door about two hours ago, insisting that I let him in and stay here." She rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms.

"I needed somewhere safe to stay where nobody would suspect I was!" He spoke up defensively.

"Okay so you brought the danger here?? To my apartment??" Emma huffed.

"Wait, catch me up. Were you in the hospital earlier today? Nobody else seemed to recall seeing you other than me. I thought you were some hallucination or ghost or something."

"Yes that was me. And it's because I need to stay low key. We have no idea who the guys that attacked Killian and our guys were today. They were just at the warehouse checking on a shipment and then all of a sudden they're outnumbered, getting the shit beat out of them. How is Killian by the way?" He asked unsure if he wanted the answer to my question.

"He's fine, he'll be okay." I reassured him and myself. "So you're hiding out here?"

"If that's okay with Em"

"It's EMMA, you lost the privilege of calling me that long ago" She huffed again in the background.

"If that's okay with Emma" Adam corrected himself. "At least until we figure out who these people were."

We both looked up at her as she stood, arms crossed, leaning against the counter a few feet away.

"Well since you make it seem like you're gonna die if you go anywhere else, I guess." She rolled her eyes again.

"Lose the 'tude Emma, I know you're excited I'm here." Adam turned in his chair and winked and suddenly I felt like I should probably get going.

"Alright," I motioned backwards, "Well, Adam I am glad you are okay but I've got some sleep to catch up on so I'll be heading home now."

"Ugh, don't leave me here alone with him" Emma pouted again and crossed her arms. I offered her an apologetic smile and showed myself out. I took a few steps through the hallway when my stomach felt uneasy. How was I going to explain this to Ethan? I was in no shape to go home.

"Nope" I spoke out loud and turned around on my heels, letting myself back into Emma's apartment.

"You're back so soon!" Emma grinned

"Yeah I just realized how tired I am." I almost joked.

"What?" Adam's eyebrows rose and I ignored him, not wanting to explain the real reason why I didn't want to go back home.

Anticipating the multiple text messages that were to come my way, I pulled out my phone and texted Ethan that Emma had a crisis and needed my help tonight so I wouldn't be coming home.

"So, uh... question" I started once I set my phone on the table "If you and Killian are hiding from someone, what are we going to do when he gets discharged from the hospital? Where is he going to go then?"

"Well, hopefully by then we figure out who did this... but until then..." Adam looked up at Emma and suddenly his eyes resembled a puppy's.

"Oh no no no I'm sorry but my apartment is not a refuge for you leaders of mafia with a huge targets on your backs" Emma's eyes widened.

"Please Emma, do it for Killian at least." Adam pleaded.

Emma thought for a few seconds and finally agreed. "Well how are we supposed to get him here then?"

And now I had two pairs of eyes staring at me. "That sounds like a problem for future us to figure out, you know once current me gets some sleep?"

"Fair enough" They both spoke in sync and then exchanged glances once they realized they had jinxed each other.

Leaving the two soulmates behind in the kitchen, I made my way to the bigger guest room and prepared myself for a shower, eventually wrapping myself in a waffle knit bathrobe and practically falling into bed.

Suddenly the emotions that I had kept bottled up from the prior day escaped like steam from a tea pot on a hot stove. My silent sobs shook the bed until my body succumbed to the exhaustion, leading me into a deep slumber.

---

Family is asking for you. - 4:45 AM

Not quite sure what to do. I sent Dr. Conner in but they're not happy with him. States "I want to see his actual surgeon." - 5:32 AM

I read the text on my phone from the nurse in Killian's unit the prior night. Good, his family was here. And how did they know who his 'actual surgeon' even was? The trauma patients all belong to the whole team, not just one surgeon.

I looked at the time on my phone; 12:57 PM. "It's too early for this" I groaned as I rolled over in bed, stretching my body until I got one of those God awful calf cramps.

Today was supposed to be my day off. I wasn't supposed to be going into the hospital today. But then again, what would I do if he was any other patient? I... would probably go in anyways.

I laid in bed for a few more minutes as the muscle in my calf relaxed before I mustered up the energy to get out of bed. The oath that I swore by when graduating from medical school causing me guilt. Do no harm.

"Heading home?" Emma looked up from the couch when I got out of the bedroom.

"No, back to the hospital. Killian's family is asking for me." A nervous knot formed in my stomach.

"No offense... but dressed like that?" She asked hesitantly.

I looked down at my scrubs that I had worn the day prior and shrugged my shoulders. "I don't have anything else".

"No no no ma'am you have a whole closet full of clothes to choose from here. I am not letting you go there looking like you just rolled out of the hospital's dirty laundry bin". Emma laughed as she stood from the couch and dragged me back into her room.

We ultimately settled on a pair of black slacks, a black long sleeve with a tan coat, and some black Gucci loafers. As I changed into the clothes I looked over at the vanity where a gold hair straightener laid.

I really shouldn't be... oh to hell with it.

I plugged the straightener in and dug through Emma's makeup bag, pulling out some concealer and mascara. I put on the makeup while the straightener heated up and ran it across my caramel strands.

"I love it" Emma smiled once she saw me emerge from the room. "You look gorgeous, Dr. Richards!!!".

Not enough time could pass before the taxi dropped me off in front of the hospital. I stepped out and immediately felt all eyes on me. I never wore makeup or cute outfits to work. It just wasn't the way us trauma surgeons really portrayed ourselves. Our wardrobe consisted of blue hospital scrubs and that was it.

I closed my eyes and listened to the dings as the elevator brought me up towards one of the top floors. The door opened and I let the sound of my heels clicking against the tile floor calm me down.

Without wasting any time, or really without allowing any time to pass for me to psych myself out, I knocked on Killian's door and entered.

"Oh my god finally, I think we requested to see you like 12 hours ago." An irate woman's voice came from the far corner of the room.

***

Ahhhh so sorry for such a late update, I was spending some much needed time with family and friends. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday as well. Cheers to 2022!