Chapter 8 - The Morning of the Knife
The sterile white lights of Riverview Medical Center’s surgical floor buzzed with quiet, synchronized efficiency at 6:45 AM on Tuesday.
In Room 412, Lily Bennett sat propped up against a bank of white pillows, looking pale but remarkably calm, an intravenous line taped neatly to the back of her hand.
“Are you terrified?” Lily asked, looking across the small table at her older sister.
Claire, dressed in pale blue scrubs provided by the surgical prep team, sat beside the bed, holding Lily’s hand in both of hers. She smiled, though her heart was hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird.
“A little,” Claire admitted softly. “Mostly just ready to get this over with so I can start bossing you around about your diet for the next six months.”
Lily laughed, a weak, raspy sound that brought immense relief to Claire’s chest. “You already do that.”
The door to the room clicked open.
Adrian Mercer stepped inside. He was dressed in a tailored charcoal suit, his dark overcoat draped over his arm, looking as though he owned the hospital—which, legally speaking through three layers of corporate shell holdings, he practically did now.
He walked over to the bed, nodding respectfully to Lily. “Good morning, Lily. How are you feeling?”
“Better now that I know I won't have to listen to Claire nag me from a hospital bed anymore,” Lily replied with a faint grin.
Adrian’s lips twitched into the rare, ghost of a smile that only Claire ever got to see. He turned his dark eyes toward Claire, extending his hand. She stood up immediately, stepping into his arms. He pulled her close, pressing a firm, lingering kiss into the crown of her hair.
“The surgical team is ready,” Adrian murmured against her ear. “The director of nephrology is scrubbed in himself. There will be no delays, no complications, and no surprises.”
“I know,” Claire whispered, burying her face against his chest for one final second to absorb his strength before the doors opened.
A soft knock sounded at the door, and the head surgical nurse pushed his head into the room. “Ms. Bennett? We’re ready for prep.”
Claire pulled back, smoothing down the front of her scrubs. She looked down at Lily one last time, squeezing her hand. “I’ll see you on the other side.”
May you like
“See you on the other side,” Lily echoed softly.
As Claire turned and walked out of the room toward the operating wing, Adrian stood by the doorway, his hands resting in his pockets, his dark eyes tracking every step she took with the fierce, unyielding protection of a sentinel who would burn the world to ashes before letting anything touch her.
