Chapter 17
17
LEXI
L exi had just finished a late shift when her phone buzzed, its ring sharp in the quiet of the hospital hallways. She looked at the screen—an unknown number. She hesitated before answering, the strange flutter in her chest a mix of instinct and concern.
“Dr. Bond,” she answered.
“Dr. Bond, this is the ER. We have a critical patient coming in—head trauma. We need you in the OR, now.”
Lexi’s stomach dropped. Head trauma . Her mind instantly shot to the worst possible outcome. “What’s the patient’s condition?” she asked, her voice already urgent as she turned and started walking toward the OR.
“Severe head injury, possible brain swelling. We’re stabilizing her as best we can, but we need you. She’s in bad shape, Dr. Bond. It’s touch and go. Also, she’s one of ours.”
“Who’s the patient?” Lexi’s pulse quickened as her feet moved almost of their own accord toward the nearest elevator.
“Catherine Spencer.”
The name hit her like a punch to the gut. Catherine . Lexi’s breath caught in her throat, her mind flashing to the many nights she’d spent with her—soft laughter, tender touches, the promise of something more than just an affair. Her heart ached as her thoughts immediately spiraled.
She gripped the phone tighter, her voice barely above a whisper. “I’ll be right there.”
She hung up, her hands trembling slightly as she made her way toward the OR. A thousand thoughts raced through her mind, none of them making sense. She’d never imagined something like this could happen, that the woman she’d come to care for so deeply would be lying in a hospital bed, fighting for her life. The weight of it pressed on her chest as she tried to steady her breathing.
When Lexi arrived at the ER, the frantic energy of the department was palpable. Nurses and doctors rushed around, their movements a blur as they prepared for the critical surgery ahead. Lexi’s eyes immediately found the trauma bay where Catherine lay, unconscious and pale, a faint beeping from the heart monitor the only indication that she was still alive.
The scene before her was overwhelming. Her mind raced as her body instinctively moved to scrub in and get ready for the surgery she knew she had to perform. But before she could step toward the operating room, a voice stopped her.
“Dr. Bond,” a nurse called to her, “you’re needed in OR Three. Now.”
Lexi nodded, but as she moved toward the door, she caught a glimpse of Josephine in the corner of the hallway, her posture rigid and her gaze locked onto her. Lexi’s heart skipped a beat at the sight of her half-sister, their strained relationship always hanging tensely between them.
Josephine didn’t say anything at first. She just stood there, her arms crossed over her chest, watching Lexi closely. Lexi stopped in front of her, forcing herself to focus on the task ahead.
“Josephine,” Lexi said quietly, her voice strained, “I need to get to the OR. Catherine…she’s in serious condition.”
Josephine’s eyes darkened, her expression unreadable. She stood still for a moment, her gaze unwavering as she spoke. “You can’t operate on her.”
Lexi froze, her pulse picking up at the sudden shift in Josephine’s tone. “What? Josephine, she needs me. I’m the only one who can do this right now. I can’t walk away.”
Josephine took a step closer, lowering her voice. “This is a conflict of interest, Lexi. You’re too close to her—personally. You’re emotionally involved. You’re not in the right frame of mind to make decisions. I can’t let you perform the surgery.”
For a moment, Lexi’s world came to a standstill. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She was the best neurosurgeon available, the only one who could save Catherine, and her half-sister—someone who knew the bare minimum about their secret—was standing in her way.
“You’re right,” Lexi said, her words tight with frustration. “I am emotionally involved. But right now, that’s irrelevant. Catherine’s life is at risk. I’m the only one here who can help her. If you stop me, she’ll die.”
Josephine’s gaze softened just a little, but her decision was clear. “I know you’re the best at what you do, Lexi. But I’m responsible for the entire hospital. I can’t let personal emotions get in the way of professional judgment.”
Lexi fought to keep the anger from spilling over. This wasn’t about Josephine. It was about Catherine. She was fighting for her life, and Lexi couldn’t let anyone stand in her way.
“I understand why you think you’re making the right decision,” Lexi said, her voice even, though her insides were anything but calm. “But you have to understand something, Josephine. If you don’t let me do this, in my professional opinion, while we wait for another neurosurgeon to get here, Catherine will die. I won’t stand by and let that happen.”
The weight of her words seemed to hang in the air between them, and for a long moment, Josephine said nothing. Lexi could see the conflict in her eyes, the professional responsibility clashing with the truth in Lexi’s words.
Finally, Josephine’s shoulders slumped, her walls coming down just a little. “Fine,” she said softly, her voice carrying a trace of resignation. “You can operate. But I want updates every step of the way. I’m still in charge here, Lexi.”
“I won’t let you down,” Lexi replied, her voice low but determined. She didn’t have the time to argue further. She had a life to save.
Catherine.
“I’ll go now.”
Josephine stepped back, allowing Lexi to pass. As she did, Lexi felt a strange shift in the air between them. The tension of the unresolved issues between them didn’t dissipate, but in that moment, they were aligned in one goal: saving Catherine. The weight of that was greater than any family drama or personal discomfort.
Catherine needed her. And Lexi wasn’t going to let her down.
As Lexi entered the operating room, she quickly scrubbed in and took her place at the head of the table. The surgical team was already in motion, ready to assist. Her hands were steady, but her mind was anything but calm. She glanced at Catherine, lying unconscious, the beeping of the heart monitor a stark reminder of how close to death she was.
“Let’s begin,” Lexi said, her voice steady despite the racing thoughts in her mind. She couldn’t afford to let anything distract her now. Catherine was counting on her. And Lexi wouldn’t fail her.
Catherine lay unconscious, her face pale and her body eerily still. The machines beside her beeped rhythmically, but the numbers on the monitor told Lexi all she needed to know—she was in critical condition, and time was running out.
As the surgical team made their final preparations, Lexi took a deep breath, steadying herself as she studied the scans of Catherine’s brain. Her mind raced with all the things she needed to focus on—intracranial pressure, potential hemorrhage, her instruments, her team. She’d done this a thousand times before, but this time was different. This time it was Catherine on the table, the woman who’d unexpectedly become the center of her world. And Lexi had never felt more helpless.
“Scalpel, please,” Lexi said, her voice firm but laced with an edge of unease. She glanced at the monitors, noting the blood pressure and oxygen levels that hovered dangerously close to critical. She couldn’t afford to waste time. The clock was ticking.
Her hands moved with practiced precision as she made the first incision. She worked quickly but carefully, knowing every second counted. The head injury was severe, but not necessarily lethal. She would have to drain the excess fluid to relieve the pressure on Catherine’s brain, carefully assess and patch up any damage, and hope for the best. The reality of it all seemed distant, like a bad dream she couldn’t shake. She forced herself to focus on the procedure at hand, blocking out the chaos in her mind.
A soft beeping from the monitors caused Lexi to pause for a moment. Her hand froze over the surgical site, her fingers brushing the scalp. She glanced at the numbers and immediately saw the subtle change. Catherine’s heart rate was dropping dangerously low.
“Pressure’s rising,” the anesthesiologist called from behind her, her voice strained.
Lexi’s pulse quickened, but she didn’t let it show. She kept her eyes locked on Catherine’s brain, making the incision just below the dura mater, knowing that with each passing second, Catherine’s chances of survival were decreasing. Her head spun as the reality of the situation weighed on her, but she forced herself to move, to focus, to stay grounded in the task before her.
“C’mon, Catherine, fight,” Lexi whispered under her breath, her words barely audible over the steady sounds of the operating room. She didn’t know if it was a prayer, a plea, or just a reflex, but she couldn’t stop herself. She couldn’t lose her. Not like this.
The pressure in Catherine’s brain had increased significantly, and the fluids had begun to pool dangerously. The next few minutes were crucial. Lexi moved quickly, doing everything she could to alleviate the pressure without causing further damage. The clock ticked on, and with each minute, it became harder to push aside the fear gnawing at her chest. What if this was it? What if Catherine didn’t wake up? What if their last conversation had been Lexi rejecting her?
“Team, stay focused,” Lexi called, her voice steady despite the chaos inside her. “We’ve got this. We’re not letting her go.”
The sound of suction filled the room as the fluids drained away, but there was no immediate change in Catherine’s condition. The heart monitor still read alarmingly low, the rhythm almost sluggish. Lexi’s hands trembled as she adjusted the position of the drain, knowing that if this didn’t work, there was little else they could do. She’d reached the limits of her expertise. This was the point where Catherine would either change for the better, or she wouldn’t wake up again.
Minutes felt like hours as Lexi carefully navigated the delicate areas of Catherine’s brain. Her thoughts blurred, her vision narrowing as she concentrated on nothing but saving Catherine’s life. She could barely hear the voices of her team in the background, their words a haze. Her own pulse pounded in her ears. She could almost feel Catherine with her, urging her to push through, to make it work.
“Vitals are stabilizing!” the anesthesiologist called suddenly, breaking through Lexi’s fog of concentration. Her breath caught in her chest as the beeping from the heart monitor grew stronger and steadier. It wasn’t perfect, but it was enough. The pressure was slowly starting to drop, and the blood flow seemed to be normalizing.
“Good,” Lexi murmured, her hands never stopping their work. “Just a little more.”
The minutes ticked by, each one stretching out longer than the last. Lexi’s mind remained focused on Catherine, blocking out everything else. It was as though the rest of the world had ceased to exist—there was only Catherine, only the surgery, only the need to make sure she made it through this.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Lexi managed to close the wound, carefully stitching Catherine back together. The worst seemed to be over. She could hardly believe it. Catherine was going to make it.
But as the team cleaned up and began to move out of the operating room, Lexi stayed behind for a moment, her hands resting on the edge of the table. She couldn’t bring herself to leave, not yet. She needed a moment to catch her breath and process what had just happened. She’d just saved Catherine’s life, but it didn’t feel like a victory. Not yet.
It wasn’t until the sound of the door opening pulled her from her thoughts that Lexi turned around. Josephine stood in the doorway, her face pale but softening when she saw Lexi.
“How is she?” Josephine asked, her voice low.
“She’s stable,” Lexi replied hoarsely. She swallowed hard, still processing the events. “She’s going to make it.”
As Lexi washed her hands in the sterile sink, the sound of water rushing over her skin was a cold comfort. Her breathing was shallow, her heart racing as if it couldn’t quite catch up with the chaos she’d just experienced. The operating room had become a blur, the intensity of the surgery stretching into what felt like an eternity. But now, standing in the quiet aftermath, Lexi felt the weight of everything press down on her.
For a moment, she allowed herself to close her eyes and let the cool water slide over her hands, the rhythm of her breathing slow and steady. It was done. Catherine was alive. But the questions that had haunted Lexi for weeks were still there, pressing in the back of her mind, refusing to be ignored. She had just saved Catherine’s life, but what came next? Sending her back home so her husband could ignore her while she was healing? Or worse?
The door to the scrub room opened, and Lexi’s thoughts snapped back into focus as Josephine walked in. Her half-sister’s face was pale and her posture stiff, as though she was carrying the weight of the entire hospital on her shoulders. Lexi felt a pang of guilt for the tension she’d brought into Josephine’s life. She’d been so consumed by her own emotions and desires that she hadn’t even stopped to consider the impact all of this would have on Josephine. And now, after everything that had just transpired, Lexi couldn’t help but wonder if Josephine saw her as more of a liability than an ally.
“Is she really going to be okay?” Josephine’s voice broke through the silence, softer than Lexi expected, and for a brief moment, Lexi saw a flicker of concern in her eyes.
Lexi nodded, her throat tight. “She’s stable. I got the pressure down and the bleeding’s controlled. The recovery process might be slow, but…she’s fighting. She’s going to make it.”
Josephine exhaled sharply, her shoulders relaxing as if the tension in her body had loosened. But then she looked at Lexi again, her expression changing as a shadow crossed her face. “You did a good job. You saved her.”
The words were sincere, but Lexi couldn’t help but notice the underlying hesitation in Josephine’s voice. It was a look she’d seen before—the cautious optimism that always followed a crisis when everything had been too close to the edge. It wasn’t just gratitude; it was an acknowledgment of the danger Catherine had been in. And yet, Lexi could feel the undertones of a much more complicated emotion between them, one that neither of them had really confronted.
“I couldn’t just stand by,” Lexi said softly, her voice rough with emotion. “I couldn’t let her die.”
Josephine’s eyes softened for a moment as she crossed her arms over her chest. “I know. But what about everything else, Lexi? What about…everything that’s come before this?”
Lexi’s stomach dropped. She’d known the question was coming, but now that it was here, she didn’t know how to answer. She’d saved Catherine, yes. But the reality of what had been building between them—the affair, the lies—it was all a tangle of emotions that Lexi didn’t know how to unravel, especially now that it was over. In her heart, it didn’t feel over, but she couldn’t go back to Catherine. She couldn’t be a married woman’s dirty little secret anymore.
“I don’t know,” Lexi replied, her voice quieter now, almost tentative. “I broke things off with her, so that shouldn’t be a problem anymore. She’s not going to leave her husband, so there won’t be some big drama in the hospital.” She took a deep breath. “There’s nothing left to do except pretend it never happened.”
Josephine stepped closer, her eyes searching Lexi’s face as if trying to read the truth in her expression. “This wasn’t just some fling, Lexi. You can’t keep pretending that’s all it was. It is clear to me you are in love with her. You need to figure out whether you can keep working alongside her and pretending you don’t have feelings for her. Because I won’t stand by if this…if this ends up tearing everything apart.”
Lexi’s heart clenched, and she felt the walls inside her crack open. “I know,” she whispered, her throat thick with emotion. “I know.”
The words hung between them, unspoken but understood. Lexi had known, deep down, that things had already gone too far to go back. She couldn’t undo what had happened with Catherine—no matter how much she tried to pretend it was just a momentary lapse, a short-lived mistake. The connection between them was undeniable, even if it was doomed to never be anything more than a short affair.
For a long moment, the two of them stood there, silence filling the space between them. It wasn’t an awkward silence, but it wasn’t comfortable, either. It was the kind of silence that existed between two people who’d shared a moment of truth but still weren’t ready to face all the issues between them. Lexi had spent so much of her life hiding from her emotions, burying them beneath layers of professionalism and ambition. But now, with everything laid bare, she didn’t know how to move forward.
“I’ll talk to her when she wakes up,” Lexi said, finally breaking the silence. “I’ll make sure she’s okay.”
Josephine nodded, but there was still wariness in her eyes. “And then?”
Lexi took a deep breath, her hands gripping the edge of the sink. “I don’t know,” she admitted, her voice raw. “I have to figure that out, too.”
There was another long pause, and then Josephine exhaled, as if she’d made some internal decision. “I think she loves you too, Lexi,” she said, her voice softer now. “We’re family, Lexi. And no matter what happens with Catherine, you’re still my sister.”
Lexi looked at her, her eyes searching her half-sister’s face. For a moment, she saw the possibility of something different between them—something more than the strained relationship that had existed before. Maybe, just maybe, there was a chance for them to build some sort of family relationship.
“Thanks, Josephine,” Lexi murmured. She wasn’t sure what the future held, but for the first time in a long while, she felt like there might be a way forward. “I appreciate it.”
Josephine gave her a brief, reassuring smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes completely. “Just don’t screw this up.”
Lexi watched her half-sister leave, her footsteps fading down the hallway, and for the first time since this entire ordeal began, Lexi allowed herself to feel something other than fear or anxiety. Maybe things weren’t as broken as they seemed. Maybe they could find a way to make it work.
But as she turned back to the operating room and her gaze drifted back to Catherine’s unconscious body lying on the table, Lexi knew that whatever came next, it would require more than just saving her life. She’d have to face the future they all had to build together at Phoenix Ridge Hospital—whatever that might look like.