Stitches in my Heart

Chapter 1

"I love you"

"I love you too" *Neil Melendez's heart monitor beeps in a flat line*

The sounds blur as Claire wakes up suddenly gasping for air, her forehead, upper lips and chin covered in sweat. Her eyes heavy and her chest heaving as she catches her breath.

What the f--- was that?! A bad dream.

Claire shakes herself awake from what was no less than a nightmare. She looks at the clock, its 6:04 am. Her mind tries to process the dream from the reality, until the vibration of a page on her phone jolts her. Its from Neil Melendez.

Her breaths normalize their pace as she reads his message regarding a surgery reminder, scheduled for 11 am that morning. He is okay.. it was a bad dream. Her mouth curves into a small goofy smile, as it always did when she thought about Neil and more so, since recently. Claire quickly got up and ready, putting in just a little extra effort than usual. She replied to a message from Dash asking to meet up for breakfast, saying that she was busy and on call all day. She made a mental note of telling him later that they are better off as friends.

She drove to work, thinking about the major Multiple Transplant Surgery, her patients.. and Neil. He was always there. In her thoughts. But today, her heart ached a little more thinking of him. As she pulled into the parking lot of the hospital that had become a home to her in the last three years, the lingering disturbing anxiousness from the dream flooded over her. Claire didn't immediately get out of the car. She sat back and was about to exhale a deep sigh of breath, when she heard a knock on her car window. It was Neil.

Dressed ever so dapper and dashingly handsome in a crisp white shirt, navy blue pants and a navy blue blazer with his signature Rolex on his wrist, Claire's gaze fixed on him for a second too longer as Neil's charismatic smile turned into a quizzical one which caused her to snap out of staring at him, and open the door. The cool breezy air was a welcome one on her face as her anxiousness faded away, looking at him, the man she had fallen irrevocably for, for whom she had always had feelings for but only recently she had acknowledged and admitted them to herself. He stood so confident and composed with the early morning horizon behind him, flashing his ever so charming smile at her.

"You okay Browne?" Neil said using her surname as a way to maintain the professionalism since they were outside the hospital. He was very careful about the nuances of their social interaction despite the fact that his intense feelings for Claire Browne, would blur all professional lines for him. But he knew better so he balanced their growing friendship and professionalism as meticulously as his nature would. "You seem zoned out", he continued, studying her facial expressions and features, as he usually found himself doing.

"No... No I am not. I just.. had a very weird dream. But I am okay" Claire said while breaking her gaze from his.

"Good. Let's get to work. Its going to be a hell of a day. A multi-organ transplant. I like what you have done with your hair", said Neil observing that she had braided her hair differently today.

"Oh..yes, Thank you" Claire responded letting out an unconscious goofy giggle and pushing back her hair. Neil's fingers itched to touch the strands of her hair but he wouldn't. He couldn't.

They both walked in achingly close proximity to each other, towards the huge glass building of the San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital. Their arms occasionally brushed against each other sending tingles down both their spines.

They made their way inside the elevator. It was just the two of them at first. Neither of them said a word during the entire five seconds that felt like five whole minutes. They reveled in the brief privacy but their mouths were drying up, with words tip toeing on their lips but unable to come out, to fill the silent private space that turned them on so much right now. Just then, the elevator doors opened midway and Dr. Glassman and Dr. Lim made their way in. Neil and Claire were half-heartedly grateful that someone came to fill in the empty space for the rest of the ride.

"Melendez and Lim, we need to meet in the boardroom right now to discuss something", said Dr. Glassman in his casual albeit presidential tone.

Neil, Lim and Claire all looked at each other in curiosity.

"Is it urgent? We have to go over a major surgery with the team", Neil said.

"Yes it is urgent. We need to have an internal meeting first and then we may have to take it to the board", Glassman responded, looking at Neil over his shoulder.

Claire's mind started racing with worrisome thoughts. What if someone had complained against Neil? Or her? Or him AND her? She was sure, they never acted inappropriately especially during hospital hours but the recent favoritism complaint had her second guessing everything.

The elevator stopped, Neil, Audrey and Aaron all made their way outside while Claire, still trying to wrap her head around her thoughts, was the last to exit.