Incision of the Heart

Chapter 1: Rivals in the Making

The day had been uncomfortably warm for late spring in Boston. The campus of Harvard Medical School was buzzing with students, their faces a mix of exhaustion and excitement. It was the kind of place where ambition was palpable in every corner, but today, Emily Carter and Liam Grant were too absorbed in their own thoughts to notice the chatter around them.

Emily stood at the entrance of the lecture hall, taking a deep breath, her chest rising and falling with the anticipation of the next few weeks. She had spent years trying to perfect her resume, each step meticulously planned. Shadowing at Johns Hopkins was the opportunity she had worked for—the kind of experience that could set her apart from the rest of her peers.

Liam Grant, the golden boy of Harvard Medical, had no such concerns. He was already used to standing out, to being the center of attention. His smile was effortlessly charming, and the confidence with which he walked past students was nothing short of infuriating. Liam was exactly the kind of person Emily couldn’t stand—unapologetically perfect, effortlessly brilliant, and never really having to try.

It was the first day of the prestigious shadowing program at Johns Hopkins Hospital. The premed students had gathered together in a classroom, all with the same eager expressions as Emily and Liam. They exchanged glances but quickly looked away. The air between them was thick with unspoken competition.

Emily had heard about Liam’s reputation—his intelligence, his charm, the way he breezed through exams and still managed to be the life of every party. He was the kind of person who didn’t need to study and still got perfect grades. Emily, on the other hand, had always had to work harder than anyone else. She didn’t have time for distractions. She was there to prove something—first to herself, and then to everyone else who had ever doubted her.

"Are you two ready for the next step in your medical careers?" the program coordinator asked, smiling at the group.

Emily nodded sharply, her eyes narrowing slightly as she scanned the room. There was a sense of competition in the air that she couldn’t ignore, but her focus was unwavering.

But then, the program coordinator’s gaze landed on Liam. “Ah, Grant. I see you’ve made it. Don’t get too cocky, though. Johns Hopkins isn’t a place for show-offs.”

Liam grinned, that infuriatingly smug grin. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

Emily rolled her eyes, fighting the urge to retort. She had had enough of him already, and they hadn’t even started their rotation yet.

---

Johns Hopkins Hospital loomed ahead like a towering monument of medical greatness, a temple of intellect and skill where only the best were allowed to practice. The air was thick with the scent of antiseptic and the promise of life-changing experiences. It was a place where futures were made, where lives were saved—and ruined.

Emily and Liam were introduced to the rest of the team, a diverse group of premed students from across the country, each of them eager to make a lasting impression. The program coordinator gave a brief overview of the next month: shadowing cardiothoracic surgeons, learning from the top experts in the field, and seeing firsthand what it meant to operate in the world of high-risk, high-reward surgery.

“Expect long hours,” the coordinator warned. “Expect to be pushed to your limits. This is where your real education begins.”

---

The first day in the operating room was a blur. Emily’s nerves were at an all-time high as she watched Dr. Reynolds, one of the top cardiothoracic surgeons in the hospital, scrub in for an open-heart surgery. She had been preparing for this moment for years, but the reality of it was far more intimidating than she had anticipated. Every instrument, every step, every word spoken by Dr. Reynolds held weight.

Liam, standing on the other side of the sterile operating room, seemed completely unfazed. He stood tall, watching with the ease of someone who had done this a hundred times. His expression was unreadable, but Emily could see the faintest hint of pride in his eyes as he watched the surgeon work.

She focused on her task, trying to absorb everything, but her mind kept drifting back to Liam. She could feel his presence, as if he was always one step ahead of her, already ahead in the game they were both playing. The problem was that Emily was determined not to lose. She couldn’t afford to.

Dr. Reynolds spoke up, drawing her attention. “Emily, Liam,” he said, his eyes locking on the two of them. “You’ve been watching long enough. It’s time for you to assist. Get those instruments ready.”

Emily’s heart raced as she stepped forward, but she glanced at Liam, who was already a step ahead, passing the surgeon the necessary instruments with precision. He barely looked at her, but his quiet confidence annoyed her to no end.

When it was Emily’s turn to hand over a scalpel, she hesitated. For a split second, she couldn’t remember which one it was, the sterile instruments all blending together. She fumbled. The scalpel slipped slightly in her hand, and she caught it just in time. Dr. Reynolds raised an eyebrow but said nothing, his eyes still on the surgery.

Liam noticed and didn’t hesitate to speak up. “Emily, the scalpel. You’re holding it wrong.”

Emily bristled, her face flushing with embarrassment. “I know how to hold a scalpel,” she muttered under her breath, but the sting of his correction still lingered.

Liam didn’t let it go. “Just trying to help.”

“I don’t need your help,” she snapped, louder than she intended.

The tension between them crackled in the sterile room. Dr. Reynolds shot them both a sharp look. “Focus,” he commanded, cutting through the tension with the precision of a surgeon.

Emily’s hands shook slightly as she steadied herself. She pushed the discomfort away. She wouldn’t let Liam get under her skin. Not now. Not ever.

---

The day finally came to an end. Emily headed back to the dormitory where the premed students were staying, her mind buzzing with everything she had seen. She couldn’t shake the image of Liam, standing there so confidently, acting like he owned the operating room.

She sat on her bed, the exhaustion of the day weighing heavily on her shoulders. For the first time in a long time, she doubted herself. What if she wasn’t as good as everyone thought? What if she couldn’t handle this?

But then she remembered her goal. She was there to learn. She was there to prove herself. She would show Liam and everyone else that she wasn’t someone to be underestimated.

Across town, Liam sat in his room, his mind buzzing with a different set of thoughts. He thought about Emily—how she didn’t seem to like him, how she challenged him in ways no one else ever had. There was something about her determination, her fire, that both annoyed and intrigued him. But he wouldn’t let it distract him. He wasn’t there for her. He was there to be the best.