3. "I've slit a lot of throats too."
"No way he spoke to you like that." Eva gasped as I spilled all the tea about grumpy Aiden Knight to her the next day.
His pulse and oxygen saturation suddenly dropped the previous day, so I didn't get to see more of his cold, uncaring eyes and hear any more of his snark remarks.
I couldn't wait for him to be perfectly alright so he could get out of the hospital and my life. Or at least Dr. Bailey could assign some other doctor to look after him. It was beyond me why it was made my job to basically nanny him.
She made me go in to check up on him every hour, and commanded me to spend the night at the hospital, right outside mighty Aiden Knight's room like his personal bodyguard.
It was ridiculous. I was a doctor. Not a babysitter.
My job was starting to seem like a joke, and if I didn't have so many bills to pay, I would quit right then. Finding a new job definitely wouldn't be an easy task with all the saturation and limited spots in hospitals.
"I have to go up again." I groaned, rubbing my forehead.
"Dr. Bailey belongs in the psych ward. If she's so concerned about him, why doesn't she monitor him?" Eva complained.
I snorted. "She has us minions to do that."
"She's evil."
"She's been threatening to get me fired."
"What?!" Her eyes bulged out of their sockets. "She is absolutely a crackhead."
"Who is a crackhead?" Dr. Bailey's voice sounded from behind, making us both freeze on the spot. Damn it. Is she a magician or something? Always emerging everywhere.
I turned around slowly, facing her usual pissed face. I wouldn't be surprised if she turned out to be Mr. Knight's older sister.
"Dr. Aysel, I believe I told you to stay outside Mr. Knight's room." She stated, crossing her arms.
"Yes, Dr. I was just—"
"Don't give me excuses! Go up there at once! You know he keeps collapsing. Is this how you take care of your patients?"
Oh God. As if he's the only critical patient in the entire hospital.
"I'm going up there now." I said, and began walking to the elevator before she could say more unkind words to me.
When I entered his room, I found him standing at the edge of the bed, holding the table on the side for support. My eyes widened, a gasp escaping my parted lips.
"Mr. Knight, what are you doing?! You need to lie down!" I exclaimed, rushing up to him. Without forethought, I grabbed one of his arms tightly.
He glowered at me, and in that moment I realised how tall he was. Towering over my 5'4 frame, his 6 feet tall big, muscular body made me feel small and suffocated.
"I've had enough. I need to go home." He grumbled, impatience and agitation lacing his voice.
"You can't yet. You're not stable." I said, gesturing him toward the bed, but he did not budge.
He scowled. "Let go of me."
"Mr. Knight, please lay down. I know staying at the hospital in a bed all day long can be draining and—"
"Why are you always blabbering so much?" He snapped, annoyance evident on his face.
I instantly shut up, feeling another pang of hurt. Why did he have to be so mean? He was making it so difficult and exhausting for me to do my job. My job that I normally loved.
"Please lay down." I muttered.
"Make me." He frowned.
I took a sharp breath, growing impatient.
"Mr. Knight, I've been running on minimum to zero sleep just to take care of you.
This isn't very enjoyable for me either, but unfortunately, it's my duty, which you're making very tedious for me.
If it weren't for my oath and my senior getting on my nerves, I would gladly let you be.
You're the most difficult patient I have ever had, and you're making me hate the job that I'm normally very passionate about. " I ranted.
Not a single flicker of emotion showed up on his stone cold face. He went quiet for a few seconds, watching my face intently.
"Is this the part where I pity you?" He spoke up nonchalantly with a slightly raised eyebrow, as if mocking me.
I sighed, almost facepalming myself.
"I should just hit my head on a wall than talk to you." I mumbled bitterly.
"That might be the best idea you've had so far." He spoke, sitting down on the bed, after snatching his arm away from my grasp. I forgot that I was still holding on to it.
I rubbed my face. "Time to record your vitals again."
He sighed in irritation, but stayed silent.
He stayed still as I recorded his vitals. To my relief, they were all normal this time. Then I gave him his medicines, which he took silently. I loved the part where he shut up completely and let me do my job. I almost wished he was mute.
After being done with everything I needed to do, I sat on the chair in the corner and held my head in my hands. My heavy eyelids drooped close.
"Go sleep, Dr.... whatever you are." He spoke gruffly from the bed where he sat.
Of course he doesn't remember my name. "Aysel." I said, lifting my head to meet his scrutinising gaze that was staring at me as if I was a new, unidentified species.
He tilted his head to the side, his eyebrows scrunching up together for a few seconds. "That's a weird name." He stated.
I frowned. I hated any negative comments about my name. "It's a beautiful name."
He snickered. "Thank you for that. Haven't heard a good joke in a long time."
My eyes glared daggers at him. Nobody messes with my name. I rose from the chair and stalked up to him, grabbing a scalpel and pointing it at him. "Don't you dare say anything about my name."
He watched the scalpel in my hand with amusement, before throwing his head back laughing. It lacked humour. "Did you ever try out for the circus, little one? How ever did you end up as a healthcare worker?"
My frown deepened, as I brought the scalpel closer to his face. His eyes showed not an ounce of fear. He watched me like I was a jester. "Are you seriously scaring me with that? I have a lot of experience with sharp and pointed objects, little girl. More than you."
"I'll slit your throat." I threatened.
He laughed humourlessly again. "I've slit a lot of throats too, Alyssa."
A shiver ran down my spine. "Aysel." I drawled.
"Aysel," I felt a strange sensation in my stomach when he tested my name on his tongue. "What does that mean?"
"It means bright moon." I answered, calming down and putting the scalpel away.
A look of confusion formed over his face. "But isn't the moon supposed to be beautiful?"
I sighed. Stupid asshole.
"Maybe I should sedate you." I said angrily.
He snorted. "If it means not having to see your face, I'm not opposed to it."
I sighed in frustration, giving my back to him. "How about you talk less and focus on getting
better? That way you can get rid of me faster. Sound like a good motive?"
"Very." He responded from behind me.
I noticed a little stain on my shirt and scrubbed at it with my finger in attempt to remove it.
"I think it's kind of weird," I spoke as I repeatedly rubbed the stain.
"That your parents didn't teach you basic manners.
Or they tried and you didn't pay heed? Is that why no one from your family showed up to see you? "
My brain barely registered what happened next. A powerful hand gripped my shoulder, and I was pushed to the wall aggressively. I looked up baffled to see his furious gaze directed at me, spewing venom.
"W-what are you—"
"Get lost!" He growled, his grip on my shoulder growing tighter to the point where I felt it would break.
I winced, grimacing in pain. "Ouchh. Let go! What is wrong with you?!"
"Never, ever show me your stupid face again. Get out!" He bellowed, pushing me toward the door. I stumbled, righting myself just before I could fall. My mouth hung open in shock.
My body shook in fear and bewilderment as I grabbed the door handle and stormed out. My feet didn't stop until I reached the far end of the corridor where I could see Dr. Bailey approaching me.
She frowned at me. "Where do you think you're going?"
I struggled to catch my breath. "That man," I pointed toward the other end of the corridor. "is insane. I will not be tending to him. He will be the reason I die, Dr! You can fire me if you want. I'd rather be jobless than dead."
She looked at me like I was the crazy one. "What are you on about?"
"He doesn't want me as his doctor!" I exclaimed.
She sighed in disappointment. "Go see the patients in the OPD. I'll take care of this."
I let out a breath of relief, nodding readily.
As I paced to the elevator, my shoulder blade throbbed with a dull ache that reminded me of his aggressiveness.
I couldn't understand. What did I even do for him to do that to me?