Wicked Desires

chapter 21

Kriya took a sip from her coffee, savouring the slight bitterness that, on her third cup, finally started to taste somewhat satisfying. She placed the cup back down on the table, aligning it next to two empty ones that bore witness to the long hours behind her. Exhaustion gnawed at her, making every muscle ache with the urge to lie down and close her eyes, if only for a minute. But the clock on the wall stared back mercilessly, its hands ticking steadily, 4:12 a.m., with several hours still looming before her shift would end. She sighed, steeling herself against the fatigue.

The last three hours had been a blur of urgent cases, each patient more complex than the last. She had barely managed to grab a moment to breathe. Now, in this brief respite, she sat alone, letting the warmth of her coffee anchor her against the overwhelming urge to sleep. She glanced down the hallway where Xavier was still in another room, occupied with one of the more severe cases. The unspoken truce between them had held, a temporary pause in their usual friction as both tackled the demanding night.

She absently reached for her phone, scrolling through her messages, hoping to see a notification from Reyansh. Nothing. No missed calls, no texts. She stared at the empty screen for a moment, an odd sense of disappointment settling in. Reyansh was usually up at all hours, never missing a chance to check in with a sly comment or two, especially during her late shifts. Strange, she thought, her brows furrowing slightly. Her heart gave a small, unbidden pang, though she brushed it off. Probably busy, she reasoned, though the silence from him felt unsettling.

Kriya took another sip, fighting the heavy pull of sleep, trying to keep her focus on the cases left to be seen before dawn finally broke. Just a few more hours, she reminded herself, though it felt like an eternity.

Xavier strode into Kriya's cabin, his face drawn with the urgency of the night shift. "Can you head to the pediatric ward? There's a case with a young baby who fell from the bed," he said, his voice brisk.

Kriya groaned softly, rubbing her tired eyes. "Xavier, I'm not a pediatrician. Besides, there's already someone assigned there," she replied, hoping to dodge the extra load.

"Yes, Nina was supposed to be on duty there," he said, clearly unfazed by her protests, "but she had to leave for an emergency at home."

Kriya sighed, frustration creasing her brow. She didn't have the energy to argue. She set her cup aside, muttering under her breath as she rose from her chair, her exhaustion seeping into every step she took toward the door. "Fine," she said, a reluctant edge to her tone, forcing herself to keep moving. Xavier simply nodded and headed off toward his next case, leaving her to attend to the unexpected call.

After what felt like an eternity, Kriya finally made her way back to her desk, eyes drifting wearily to the clock: 6:10 a.m. The numbers stared back, mocking her, as she collapsed into her chair, too tired to hold herself up any longer. She could barely keep her eyes open, and her body ached from hours of work and too little rest. All she wanted was sleep, but even that felt distant, taunting her with the relief she couldn't yet have.

Just then, Xavier walked in again, a thick file in hand. He placed it on her desk and looked at her with a hint of uncharacteristic consideration. "You want to grab something from the cafeteria?" he asked, breaking the silence.

Kriya blinked, barely processing his words. But at the mention of food, her stomach gave an involuntary growl, reminding her just how hungry she was. She realized she hadn't eaten anything since lunch—she hadn't even had the time to think about it with the nonstop cases. Now, though, the exhaustion weighed heavily on her, and she didn't know if she could make it through even a quick cafeteria visit.

"We can't go together," Kriya murmured, her voice unusually calm, surprising even herself. Usually, a single exchange with Xavier was enough to spark their usual bickering, each ready to fire back with a sharp word or glare. "Maybe you can go grab something first, and then I'll go."