DASHIELL
I was walking down the hallway toward the nurses' station when I heard rapid footsteps behind me.
"Dash! Dash, wait up!"
Leo's voice was loud and excited. I turned on the balls of my toes. Nurse Sari hurried beside him, eyes wide.
They stopped in front of me, practically vibrating.
"You will not believe what just happened," Leo said, voice low but bursting with gossip. "Dr. Calliope Langford just got escorted out by security. Full walk of shame through the eighth floor."
I tilted my head, confused. My foot rubbed against my ankle.
"Escorted out? Why?"
Sari leaned in, glancing around.
"Apparently she tampered with the neuromonitoring equipment during the Grant surgery. Chief Astor found proof. He revoked her badge and had security drag her out. The whole cardio department is losing their minds."
I stood very still. My fingers started tapping faster against the side of my tablet. The static in my head roared back to life.
"Dr. Langford… did that?" I asked quietly. "She caused the lead failure? On purpose?"
Leo nodded quickly. "From what people are saying, yes. She wanted to make you look bad."
That explained the timing. The "too convenient" glitch. The way she had smiled at me afterward. The subtle comments about me being distracted.
She had risked a sixteen-year-old boy's brain just to hurt me.
My chest felt tight. My foot rubbed harder against my ankle.
Sari placed a gentle hand near my arm. "You okay, Dash? This must be a lot."
"I'm… processing," I said. My fingers wouldn't stop tapping. "I knew she didn't like me. But I didn't think she would hurt a patient. That's… not logical. And very wrong."
I adjusted the strap of my tablet case until it sat perfectly level. "I need to go check on my patients. Thank you for telling me."
I closed my office door, sat at my desk, and stared at my perfectly aligned notes.
Dr. Langford was gone. But the damage she caused to Elias, to my reputation, to my confidence remained. I rocked gently in my chair, trying to calm the loud static in my head.
Alexander had removed her. He had protected me. Yet the guilt from Elias's stroke still lingered. Someone had tried to hurt me through my work.
I didn't know how to feel—only that I wanted to see Alexander. I wanted him to hold the back of my neck and tell me everything was under control.
But I couldn't. Not right now. My brain was too loud. If I saw him, I would cry or rock too hard or ask too many blunt questions. So I walked to the Pediatric ICU to check on Sophie instead.
It had been just over twenty-four hours since her temporal lobe resection. I knocked softly on the glass door and stepped inside. The room was dim, monitors beeping steadily. Sophie lay curled on her side in the raised bed, head wrapped in clean white bandages, bunny tucked against her chest.
Her mother sat beside her, eyes red but hopeful.
"Dr. Astor," she whispered, standing quickly. "She woke up for a little while earlier."
I checked the monitors—vitals stable, intracranial pressure normal, no new seizure activity. "The surgery went well," I told her softly. "Dr. Patel removed the entire lesion. The intraoperative mapping protected the important areas. She may have some temporary weakness on her right side and trouble finding words, but most children recover remarkably well with therapy."
The mother wiped her eyes. "She was moving her right leg a little. And she called me 'Mommy' clearly. Is that… a good sign?"
I adjusted the strap of my tablet case. "Yes. That's a very good sign. The brain is incredibly plastic at her age. We'll start gentle therapy soon."
I stayed for fifteen minutes, answering every question. Sophie stirred once and gave me a tiny, sleepy smile. "Dr. Astor… my head hurts."
"I know," I said gently. "That's normal. We're giving you medicine. Rest now. Your bunny is keeping you safe."
I left feeling a little lighter. Sophie would be okay.
But the static about Calliope remained. I walked back toward my office on the balls of my toes, fingers tapping against my thigh. I still didn't go to Alexander. Not yet. I needed more time for my brain to settle.
******
When it was finally time to go home, I packed my bag with perfect precision, folded my white coat, and walked out of the neurology ward.
Alexander waited near the main entrance. He said nothing, simply fell into step beside me, one hand resting on the small of my back as we walked to the car.
The silence was heavy but not angry. I climbed into the passenger seat, buckled my seatbelt, and adjusted it twice. Alexander started the engine.
After a few minutes, I spoke quietly. "Dr. Langford was removed today."
"I know," he said calmly, one hand on the wheel, the other resting on my thigh. "I ordered it."
I turned to him. "Because of what she did to Elias?"
"Yes." His hand squeezed my thigh. "She did it because she's weak and bitter. She tried to hurt you. I removed the threat."
I rocked slightly in my seat. "I still feel guilty about Elias. Even if it wasn't my fault… it's indirectly because of me."
"You did your job. The fault lies with her. Not you."
I leaned my head against the window, watching the city lights. "Thank you for believing me."
His hand stayed on my thigh the entire drive home.
When we pulled into the garage, he turned off the engine and looked at me. "Come inside. Let me take care of you."
I nodded, unbuckling. "Okay."