Lincoln Hospital

Chapter Four

There's a sweet spot of time in a hospital when all is quiet and peaceful. It's unpredictable; never occuring at the same time twice,but when it does, it's as though the whole place recognizes that a few minutes of serenity are needed to keep things flowing. Patients rest more comfortably, bickering among co-workers is silenced, phones and pagers cease beeping and letting out shrill rings. It's the sweet spot. A time when nothing can touch you; not even death. Cian had never paid attention to the rumblings about that particular superstition, but over the past month since the new crop of interns integrated his hospital, he'd found himself buying into it more and more. And the reason was very simple—Athena Payne. Her innocence, her optimism were starting to affect him in a way that was unsettling. Now on the eve of the twenty-third day, he found himself more distracted with thoughts of her than focused on the patient they were bringing in that night.

She was quickly becoming a star in her own right. Every attending requested her on their service and Webster and Murphy couldn't shut up about her. Her disastrous start was long forgotten and instead the bright, shining career she was going to have as a surgeon was all anyone talked about. Even her co-workers looked at her with admiration as opposed to envy, which was a feat in itself. Except for that dumbass, Dick. That douche gave her a hard time every chance he could, but Athena seemed to take it all in stride.

He finished closing up his patient, and peeled off his gloves as he exited the OR to scrub out. His mind drifted back to the first time she'd stepped into his OR, the same day they'd crashed into each other and he'd got a feel of that lush little body of hers. Her breasts had been smashed into his chest and the top of her head had been at the perfect height for him to inhale the scent of her fragrant hair. Something had passed between them that day in those few moments she was in his arms; he knew she'd felt it too.

When she'd stepped into the OR a short while later, gowned, gloved and scrubbed, it felt right. As though she belonged as a part of his team. He didn't allow her to touch any instruments that day—she was still an intern after all—but he was still impressed with the way her intelligent eyes tracked not only his every move, but every move of the nurses, residents, and other doctors involved in the surgery. A good surgeon knew how to anticipate, who to rely on and what each of their team member's strengths were. With the way Athena absorbed every tiny detail in that room, he knew she would be a pro at that particular part of the game in no time.

Her confidence might not have been the highest, but she was starting to come out of her shell. She observed the procedure with a watchful eye and answered every question he threw at her, even ones beyond a first year intern's comprehension. When they'd finished, he caught up with her in the scrub room.

"You did well. I hit you with some tough questions," he commented.

"I've been studying and reading, tracking down research articles on all of your cases. I want to learn; be prepared." she answered without looking up.

"My cases? I assume you have an interest in cardiothoracic surgery then."

"Yes. It's what I want to specialize in, I've dreamed about this chance for years." A slow grin formed on her face and lit up her eyes. "I know this is going to sound unprofessional, but God, I loved it in there! The rush, the adrenaline, the feeling of power pumping around the room. I may have just stood there but I was actually in a surgery. With you—Dr. O'Reilly. I can't tell you what this means to me. Thank you," her voice was filled with sincerity and she was looking at him with such awe. Innocence such as hers didn't have any place around someone like him. The depraved soul that lived beneath the exterior he showed the outside world would devour her in seconds, feeding on her purity until she was destroyed. And worst of all, he'd find pleasure in every second of it.