Incision of the Heart ✓

Chapter 33: The Color Green

A week following the MCAT test day, the courtyard at Johns Hopkins bustled with energy as the hospital's bonding event for students unfolded in full swing.

Emily stood at the edge of the crowd, one hand clutching a Styrofoam cup of lemonade, her eyes scanning the mass of premeds and shadowing students.

Laughter and chatter echoed around her, the golden light of the late afternoon casting long shadows across the stone pathways.

She spotted Liam near the refreshment table, his tall frame impossible to miss.

He was laughing at something a girl had said, a girl Emily didn't recognize.

The girl wasn't from their Harvard program, that much Emily was certain.

She had striking auburn hair that caught the sunlight, a dazzling smile that seemed to light up the space between her and Liam, and an ease about her that made Emily's stomach tighten.

She leaned casually against the table, her arm brushing against Liam's as they talked.

Emily's heart gave an uncomfortable lurch.

She tried to reason with herself.

He's just being polite.

She's probably from another university. This doesn't mean anything. But reason was a hard sell when every part of her wanted to storm over there and insert herself into the conversation.

Instead, she stayed rooted to her spot, the lemonade suddenly tasting too sweet.

---

The event was designed to foster connections between students, the kind of connections that could one day translate into letters of recommendation or collaborative research.

There were team-building games, networking sessions, and plenty of opportunities to mingle.

Emily had enjoyed herself at first, throwing herself into the activities with her usual determination.

But the sight of Liam and the auburn-haired girl had derailed her focus.

"Hey, Emily!" Rachel, another Harvard student, called out, interrupting her thoughts. "Want to join us for charades?"

"Sure," Emily said, forcing a smile.

She played along, guessing clues and acting out ridiculous scenarios, but her eyes kept drifting back to Liam.

The girl whose name she overheard was Madison—seemed glued to his side.

At one point, Madison laughed and lightly smacked Liam's arm, the kind of gesture that screamed familiarity.

Emily's jaw tightened.

She hated how much it bothered her.

---

The final event of the evening was a "hospital tour scavenger hunt," a lighthearted competition to explore the hospital's less accessible areas.

Students were divided into groups, and, as luck would have it, Emily and Liam ended up in separate teams.

Emily's group made steady progress, finding clues tucked into operating room schedules and hidden among medical texts in the library.

But her mind wasn't on the hunt.

When her team passed through the pediatric wing, she caught sight of Liam and Madison again.

They were walking ahead of their group, heads bent close together, sharing a clipboard as they deciphered a clue.