Incision of the Heart ✓

Chapter 20: The Unspoken

The days that followed the surgery felt like a fever dream.

Emily couldn’t focus on anything other than the aftermath of their conversation, the quiet understanding she and Liam had shared in the hallway.

Their interactions had shifted from cold, awkward exchanges to something more like a fragile truce—neither of them acknowledging the full depth of what had transpired, but both of them were quietly aware that something had changed.

Emily had always prided herself on being able to compartmentalize her emotions. Medicine, after all, demanded it. But now, in the whirlwind of surgeries, lectures, and patient rounds, she found herself distracted.

She caught herself looking for Liam in the hallways, her heart racing when she found him, but she quickly turned her attention back to her studies and the patients in front of her.

She wasn’t ready to face whatever this connection was—could it even be called a connection?

Every glance exchanged between them felt heavy with unspoken words.

Sometimes, in the middle of a conversation with another student or resident, Emily would catch Liam’s eye, and the world would momentarily still.

His gaze was always intense, filled with something she couldn’t quite name, but when he noticed her looking, he would quickly avert his eyes as if he, too, was trying to shut out the growing pull between them.

It was in the small moments—the passing in the hallway, the shared glance during rounds—that the tension built.

Neither of them could bring themselves to say what they both knew was there.

There was something between them, something that wasn’t just academic rivalry, but something far more complicated.

---

It was late one evening when Emily found herself standing outside the operating room, her hands still tingling from the last surgery.

It had been a long day, filled with cases that pushed her to her limits.

She had spent hours in the OR, assisting with a particularly tricky valve replacement, and as always, Dr. Walsh’s criticism had been sharp, but his praise had been rare and valuable.

She was exhausted—physically, mentally, and emotionally.

She leaned against the wall, staring blankly at the floor as the noise of the hospital continued to swirl around her.

And then, she heard his voice.

"Emily."

She didn’t have to look up to know it was Liam. The familiar warmth in his voice affected her—one that unsettled her more than she was willing to admit. Slowly, she raised her head to find him standing in front of her, his eyes tired but intense, the same unreadable expression on his face.

“What do you want, Liam?” Her voice came out sharper than she intended, but she couldn’t help it. She had spent the last few days avoiding him—avoiding whatever this was—and now, here he was, standing in front of her like a storm she couldn’t outrun.

He hesitated for a moment, his gaze softening as he took a step closer. “I want to talk. About what happened the other day.”

Emily’s heart skipped a beat.

The weight of his words hung in the air between them, thick with implications. “Liam…” she started, but she didn’t know how to finish the sentence. She didn’t know what she was afraid of more—admitting how she felt or continuing to pretend like nothing had changed.

He continued, his voice quieter now, almost like he was reading her thoughts. “I don’t want to keep pretending that nothing’s happening. That I don’t feel something. And I don’t think you do, either.”

Emily felt the walls she’d carefully constructed around her emotions started to crumble.

She had been trying so hard to suppress whatever feelings had begun to take root—feelings she couldn’t afford to indulge, not with everything on the line. But now, standing here in front of Liam, she realized that she was tired of pretending. She was tired of lying to herself.

“I’m not sure what you want me to say, Liam,” Emily replied, her voice shaky. “You’re right. Something’s happening, but I can’t figure out if it’s real. I don’t know if this is just the stress of everything going on—the competition, the rotations—or if it’s something more.”

Liam nodded, his expression unreadable, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes that told her he understood. “I get that. This isn’t easy for either of us. But I’m not going to stop trying, Emily. I know you don’t want to hear that, but I can’t walk away from this. Not when there’s a chance. Not when I feel like we’re...”

He trailed off, his words hanging in the air, unfinished. There was something in the way he spoke that made her heart race—something in the way he was willing to take a chance, even when it was uncertain.

“I don’t know what I want either,” she whispered. “But I’m not sure I’m ready for this. For us.”

Liam stepped closer, closing the space between them. There was a moment of silence—long, drawn out, but filled with something unspoken—and then, before she could process what was happening, he gently took her hand in his.

“I’m not asking for answers right now,” he said softly. “I’m asking for a chance to see where this could go. To figure it out. Together.”

Emily’s breath caught in her throat.

His hand felt warm against hers, grounding her in a way she hadn’t expected.

She looked up at him, her heart hammering in her chest. “Liam…”

“Just think about it,” he interrupted, his eyes searching hers. “That’s all I’m asking. No pressure. No expectations. Just... time.”

For a long moment, they stood there, hand in hand, neither of them willing to break the connection.

Emily didn’t know what to say or what to do next. Part of her wanted to pull away, to protect herself from the uncertainty that had always defined her relationship with Liam. But another part of her—the part that had been secretly hoping for this moment—didn’t want to let go.

Finally, she nodded, her voice barely above a whisper. “Okay. I’ll think about it.”

Liam’s expression softened, and for the first time in days, he smiled—a genuine, warm smile that reached his eyes.

It was the kind of smile that made Emily’s heart skip a beat, and for the first time in a long while, she allowed herself to feel something other than fear. Maybe there was something between them. Maybe there was a chance for them to figure it out.

“Thank you,” he said quietly, before releasing her hand and stepping back. “That’s all I needed.”

As Liam turned to leave, Emily stood there for a moment, her heart racing in her chest.

The air between them had shifted again, but this time, she wasn’t sure if it was for better or worse.

What she did know was that she wasn’t ready to let go of the possibility of them.

Not yet.

---

Later that night, as Emily lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, she couldn’t help but replay the moment over and over in her mind.

The warmth of Liam’s hand in hers, the softness in his eyes, and the way he had looked at her—as if he genuinely wanted to understand her, to give her the time she needed.

It felt like the start of something new, something real.

But in the back of her mind, the doubts lingered.

Could she open herself up to someone again?

Was she willing to risk her dreams, her future, for a chance at something uncertain?

She didn’t have the answers.

But for the first time in a long time, she was willing to find out.