I See You (Campus Crush series)

5

"Don't forget your coffee, my love." David placed my sleek blue tumbler into my hand on my way out the door as he kissed my cheek.

"Thank you. Get some sleep, okay?"

"I will. You're on call tonight, right?"

"Yes. I'll see you tomorrow morning." I wrapped an arm around his neck in a hug.

"I don't enjoy being away from you for an entire day." We pulled apart and he held my hands. "But you're saving lives. l have to remind myself that. You're happy, doing what you love—what you worked hard for. I'll always be proud of you, Casper."

I smiled softly. "I do feel it. I felt the ache of not seeing you for, what, forty-eight hours straight during my internship? Now I work a bit less but still extensively. I haven't seen our babies awake in two days, three tomorrow. I feel that ache, and so do you." I shrugged. "David, you come first. Always. No job, no amount of hard work, time, effort, and sleepless nights will ever take precedence over my family."

"I understand, truly. I'm not that man-that husband-who would fault you for being a surgeon or working long hours. I'm a wonderful judge of character, and I know that with everything you do, you're thinking of us."

I pressed my lips together, turning around to balance my coffee tumbler on the rail of the balcony. Then I turned back, leaning against him to give him a long, appreciative kiss. "I still don't know how I got so lucky," I whispered afterward, resuming our little display of affection.

**

"Elia, please present."

And so the routine of each day continued. The 7 a.m rounds were first and foremost.

Elia stepped forward, smiling at our patient warmly. "This is 36-year-old Lysa Miller. She was brought into the ER complaining of chest pain and there was evidence of trauma... to the um, to the chest... which was the cause of the chest pain, of course..." she stumbled, clearing her throat.

"Andrew," I called on another intern.

"Right, uh... chest x-rays showed that there are no signs of fracture, but an abnormality on her left clavicle--"

"And what, pray tell, was the cause of her trauma?" I tilted my head. "Or do I have to call on a third person to give me that vital information?"

"Oh, cut 'em some slack, Cassie," Lysa joked, but I just wagged a finger at her.

"What did I tell you the last time I saw you here? You've gotta stop getting into these accidents. Doctor's orders."

"You know each other?" one of the interns asked, but I couldn't tell who.

"This is Lysa's third time being admitted in six months," I informed before looking back at her. "And I'm assuming you were in an accident like the last two times?"

She smiled. "I went for a run near a hilly cliff or something and I fell down. It's no big deal. Just stitch me up if I need it and I'll be out of here."

I furrowed my eyebrows and watched my interns glance at each other strangely. "What?" I asked.

"Her chart, Dr. Larsen," Hazel answered, stepping forward to whisper to me. "She went biking, not for a run."

I nodded, reading over the information on the tablet in my arms. Apparently, she had a sternoclavicular dislocation and, because she was stable, her dislocation was to be reduced under anesthesia this morning.

I huffed. "Alright. We'll be back to get you prepped for your procedure, Lysa." I started to walk out the room to continue rounds. Once we were all out, I said, "Elia, this is your patient with me. I love that woman, and we need to keep her alive. We also need to do a brain MRI before that procedure."