Incision of the Heart ✓

Chapter 28: The Heart's Reckoning

The next few days passed in a whirlwind of complexity and emotion that Emily found both exhilarating and terrifying.

After her conversation with Liam in the break room, she couldn't stop thinking about him.

His words echoed in her mind-soft yet resolute, filled with an emotion she wasn't sure she deserved but desperately wanted to understand.

It wasn't just his words that haunted her. It was the way he had looked at her like she was both the answer and the question.

For the first time in a long while, she felt seen-not as the hyper-driven, goal-oriented pre-medical student but as Emily, a woman who was just as scared of vulnerability as she was of failure.

But what did that mean for them?

She tried to compartmentalize, to box away her feelings the way she always did when things got too messy.

Yet, with Liam, it wasn't that simple.

Every glance, every accidental touch felt magnified, drawing her closer to a truth she wasn't ready to face.

By the fourth day, Emily found herself in the prep area, staring at her reflection in the mirror as she adjusted her scrub cap.

Her stomach churned with a mix of excitement and dread.

She had a surgical shadowing rotation scheduled with Liam again today-a liver resection under Dr. Calloway's supervision.

The air in the room shifted when Liam entered.

She didn't need to look up to know it was him.

There was a quiet confidence in his stride, a presence that filled the space.

He moved to the sink, washing his hands in smooth, practiced motions, and for a moment, it felt like the world had narrowed to just the two of them.

"Morning," he said, his voice low and careful.

Emily glanced at him through the mirror. His eyes met hers, holding her gaze for a bit longer than necessary.

"Morning," she replied, her voice quieter than she intended.

Their exchange was simple, almost mundane, but the tension between them was anything but non-existent.

"You ready for this?" he asked, turning toward her as he dried his hands.

"Of course," she said, forcing a confident smile. "Are you?"

His lips curved into a half-smile, and for a brief moment, the tension softened. "Always."

The door opened, and Dr. Calloway entered, brisk and commanding as ever. "I hope you two are ready. This isn't a procedure for the faint-hearted. Let's go."

They followed him into the OR, their earlier conversation cut short but lingering in the air like an unfinished melody.

---

The surgery was intense, demanding absolute focus and precision.

Dr. Calloway's instructions were sharp, his voice slicing through the hum of monitors and the faint buzz of the room's ventilation.

Emily and Liam worked in tandem, their movements synchronized as they assisted with the resection.

She marveled at how seamlessly they operated together as if their unspoken connection had found a physical manifestation in their work.

"Clamp," Dr. Calloway barked, and Emily was already passing the instrument before he finished speaking.

"Good reflexes," he muttered, his approval brief but significant.