Match 1 2021
AJ's phone buzzed for the fifth time that morning.
She lay on the couch in sweats, hair a mess, desperately trying to enjoy her one day off. Dave had practically begged her to rest, and yet—her pager kept screaming.
AJ - Interns
she muttered darkly.
Another page. *STAT neurosurgery consult.*
She swore under her breath, threw on clothes, and drove in, stomach twisting the whole way. She'd been having cramps for days, but she pushed them aside. She didn't have time for weakness.
By the time she stormed into the hospital, the pain was sharper. Her jaw clenched as she barked orders, dealt with the patient, fixed the chaos her interns had caused. But something felt... different. Wrong.
---
Hours later, the cramps were unbearable. AJ excused herself, made it to an empty hospital room, and the truth hit her like a freight train.
Blood. Too much. Too fast.
Her chest seized. Her hands shook as she pressed them against her stomach.
AJ - No, no, no—please, not again.
Tears blurred her vision. She had been here before. Years ago. The first time had shattered her. She thought she was stronger now. But it was happening all over again.
She slid to the floor, back against the bed, sobbing quietly, the weight of the secret crushing her. The interns didn't know. The board didn't know. No one in this entire hospital knew she was pregnant. And now, it was slipping away from her.
---
The door cracked open. Camilla stood there, frozen.
She didn't ask questions. Didn't rush in. She just... understood that she wanted to be alone.
Camilla - Take a minute
Camilla whispered, her voice soft as a lullaby.
Camilla - I'll cover. No one's coming in here.
And she shut the door again, leaving AJ the space to grieve in private.
AJ pressed her forehead to her knees and broke apart. For once, she wasn't the indestructible doctor. She wasn't the boss. She wasn't even the doctor. She was just a woman who had lost—again.
---
When her tears finally slowed, her hand trembled as she pulled out her phone. There was only one number she could call.
It rang once before Dave picked up.
Dave - AJ? What's wrong?
Her voice cracked.
Aj - Dave... I need you.
There was silence, then his voice, tight with fear but steady:
Dave - Stay where you are. I'm coming.
And for the first time in years, AJ Brewster allowed herself to lean on someone else.
