The morning sun filtered through the hospital’s glass facade as Emily hurried toward the conference room.
The scent of coffee lingered in the air, promising an exhausting but productive day ahead.
The case study Dr. Patel had assigned was now their shared responsibility, and while Emily thrived on challenges, the thought of working so closely with Liam was… unsettling.
He was already there when she arrived, typing on his laptop with an intensity that bordered on theatrical.
A steaming coffee sat next to his stack of notes, and he looked up briefly, flashing a grin.
“Good morning, Carter. Did you bring your A-game, or are you planning to wing it?”
She rolled her eyes, setting her bag down. “Some of us don’t need to compensate for our insecurities with sarcasm, Grant.”
“Touché,” he replied, clearly amused.
---
They began by reviewing the patient records Dr. Patel had provided.
The case involved a patient with a rare combination of mitral valve prolapse and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a condition requiring nuanced analysis for the study.
Emily leaned over the files, her pen scribbling notes furiously. “We should break the case into three segments: pre-op, intra-op, and post-op outcomes. I’ll handle pre-op and post-op data, and you can take the intra-op section.”
Liam paused, tapping his pen against the table. “Or we could work collaboratively, seeing as this is supposed to be a joint effort?”
She raised an eyebrow. “And let you mess up my structure? No, thanks.”
“Your structure?” he repeated, incredulous. “Carter, if we follow your obsessive outlines, this will read like a machine wrote it. The whole point is to make it compelling, not robotic.”
Emily bit back a retort, recognizing a kernel of truth in his words. “Fine. Let’s compromise—my structure, but we’ll add your ‘flair’ where necessary.”
Liam smirked. “Deal.”
---
Finding Common Ground
Hours passed as they immersed themselves in the study. Surprisingly, their dynamic began to shift. Instead of constant bickering, they found themselves engaging in productive debates.
“What about including a section on the patient’s socioeconomic background?” Liam suggested, pointing to a line in the report. “It could show how delayed diagnosis impacted their condition.”
Emily nodded, reluctantly impressed. “That’s actually… a good idea.”
“Careful, Carter,” he teased. “Too many compliments in one day, and I might think you like me.”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” she replied, hiding a small smile.
---
By late afternoon, they were knee-deep in research. Emily reached for a reference book at the same time Liam did, their hands brushing. She pulled back quickly, her cheeks warming.
“Relax, Carter,” he said with a grin. “I don’t bite.”
“Could’ve fooled me,” she muttered, trying to ignore the flutter in her chest.
They worked in relative silence after that, the air between them shifting.
It wasn’t uncomfortable, but it wasn’t their usual animosity either.
---
As the evening rolled in, Emily’s focus began to wane.
Liam, noticing her fatigue, leaned back in his chair. “You’ve been staring at the same page for five minutes. Maybe we should take a break?”
She blinked, startled. “I’m fine. Just… thinking.”
“You know, you don’t always have to be ‘fine,’” he said, his voice softer than she expected.
Emily frowned, caught off guard by his tone. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means,” he said, leaning forward slightly, “you don’t have to be perfect all the time. You’re allowed to be human, Carter.”
For a moment, she didn’t know how to respond. There was no sarcasm in his words, no hint of mockery—just sincerity.
“Thanks,” she said finally, her voice quieter than usual.
---
As they resumed their work, Liam’s phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen and frowned before quickly silencing it.
“Everything okay?” Emily asked, noticing the change in his demeanor.
“Yeah,” he said, a little too quickly. “Just… family stuff.”
Emily hesitated, debating whether to press him.
She decided against it, but the moment lingered in her mind.
---
By the time they wrapped up for the day, it was well past 9 PM.
They stood outside the hospital, the city lights casting a warm glow over the streets.
“You’re not terrible at this, you know,” Liam said suddenly, breaking the silence.
Emily blinked, startled. “What?”
“Working together,” he clarified. “You’re not terrible at it. Annoying, yes, but not terrible.”
She couldn’t help but laugh. “High praise coming from you, Grant.”
“Don’t let it go to your head,” he replied with a grin.
As they parted ways, Emily couldn’t shake the feeling that something had shifted between them.
For the first time, Liam Grant didn’t feel like the enemy.
YOU ARE READING
Incision of the Heart
Roman d'amourIn the cutthroat world of Harvard premed, two academic rivals are forced to work side by side at Johns Hopkins Hospital, where their fiery rivalry morphs into a dangerous, undeniable passion until doubts threaten to unravel everything they've built...
