Chapter 030

***~Jaxon~***

The next few days after the incident, Michelle did her best to ignore me. I could feel her trying to avoid me—waiting in her apartment until she heard the click of my door locking before stepping out.

We both went to work early, usually sharing the same elevator, but lately, either I left before her or she managed to slip out ahead of me. It was becoming frustrating. Just when I thought we’d started getting along, that guy—whoever he was—had to ruin everything.

“Doctor Jax! We have a patient in the Emergency room,” Nurse Beverly said as she hurried toward me, her shoes clicking against the tiled floor. I glanced over my shoulder at her, mid-stride.

“Isn’t Doctor Janet on shift?” I asked, not breaking my pace. I had to check on the woman who’d given birth yesterday—she was still unconscious, and it didn’t sit right with me.

“She is…” Beverly hesitated, tucking a stray curl behind her ear, “but she said you’d handle it.”

I stopped in my tracks and turned fully to face her. Beverly was shorter than me by a lot, with deep brown skin that glowed under the fluorescent lights and sharp dark eyes that seemed to take in everything. The red lipstick she always wore added a boldness to her otherwise soft features. Pretty—no denying that.

“She said I’d handle it?” I asked, my voice tinged with irritation. “What’s she doing, then?”

Beverly shrugged. “She’s in the ICU, checking on the unconscious patient. Said it was stable enough, but still needed monitoring.”

I resisted the urge to groan. Really? She’d leave a patient in the Emergency room to hover over one whose vitals weren’t critical? I pushed a hand through my hair in frustration, the motion sharp and unthinking. Beverly’s eyes widened slightly as they flicked upward, then darted away, her cheeks warming to a faint pink.

What was it with all the nurses today? Their glances, the nods, the lingering smiles—it grated on me more than usual. Maybe it was because I was working both day and night shifts back to back, and every ounce of patience had drained out of me.

Or maybe it was because I hadn’t been able to get Michelle out of my head.

“Lead the way,” I muttered, and Beverly nodded quickly before turning on her heel. Her steps were lighter, with an exaggerated sway to her hips.

I looked away, the sight irritating me for reasons I didn’t care to analyze. Soon, we arrived at the Emergency room, the air heavy with the sharp, sterile smell of antiseptic and something darker—burnt flesh.

Groans and muffled wails filled the room. A man sat on the bed, his skin charred and blistered in patches across his face and arm. The stench was unbearable—like roasted fish left too long on a flame. Beverly lingered by the door as I stepped in, my jaw tightening at the sight.

“Hi, I’m Doctor Walker, but you can call me Doctor Jax,” I said gently as I approached. The man’s head turned slightly, his eyes glassy with pain. I did a quick sweep of the burns—severe, but manageable if treated quickly.

“I… I’m in pain,” the man muttered, his voice cracked. His body trembled, and he groaned softly, the sound cutting through me.

“We’ll take care of that right away. First, though, can you tell us what happened?” I asked. My tone was calm, but I hesitated, unsure if it was even appropriate to ask.

“My house…” His chest heaved as his voice broke. “It caught fire. I tried to get out, but… my family…” His words dissolved into choked sobs, and my stomach twisted. He wasn’t just in physical pain—he was barely holding himself together.

I signaled to Beverly, and she stepped forward. “Administer something to sedate him and ease the pain,” I said. She nodded and hurried off. My attention shifted to another patient—a boy no older than sixteen, writhing on the bed and gasping for air. His mother clutched his hand, her face pale and tear-streaked.

“Hi, I’m Doctor Jax,” I started, crouching slightly to meet his eyes, but the boy cut me off.

“Am I dying?” His voice was barely above a whisper, his chest rising and falling in sharp, shallow breaths. Tears streamed down his cheeks as his body convulsed slightly.

His mother looked at me, her eyes wide and red. “Please,” she begged, her voice trembling. “He’s been getting worse all day. I don’t know what to do.”

My heart clenched. Not today—not after everything. I placed two fingers on the boy’s neck, feeling for a pulse. It was there—faint but steady enough to work with.

“We’ll put him on oxygen right away,” I said, glancing back at Beverly, who had returned after sedating the burn victim. “Get an IV and oxygen mask. His pulse is weak—we need to stabilize him first.”

She gave a quick nod and rushed off again. The mother’s trembling hand gripped mine. “Will he be okay?” she asked, her voice breaking.

I met her gaze and nodded, offering the most reassuring tone I could muster. “We’ll do everything we can. For now, we just need to keep him breathing.”

My phone buzzed in my pocket, pulling me from the moment. I ignored it—calls during a shift were a hard no for me—but it buzzed again. And again. Finally, I fished it out, glancing at the screen. My heart dropped when I saw the name flashing on the screen: Michelle.

I forced a small smile for the boy’s mother. “He’ll be okay. Have faith,” I said, before stepping out to take the call. Swiping the green button, I brought the phone to my ear.

Sniffs and muffled sobs greeted me on the other end. My stomach twisted. “Red?” I said, my voice dropping. No response. Just heavier breathing and a stifled cry. “Michelle, what’s going on?” I asked, tension building in my chest.

“Jax…” Her voice cracked, and I stopped breathing for a second. “My apartment… someone broke in. I’m scared.”

Her words hit me like a train. “Broken into?” I asked sharply. How was that even possible? The building had security everywhere. “Where are you now?”

“I’m… by the entrance. I couldn’t stay inside,” she said, her voice barely audible before the line cut off.

I tried calling back, but it wouldn’t connect. My pulse raced.

“Doctor Jane,” I called as I entered the ICU. She looked up from her clipboard, her smile fading when she saw my expression. “Can you cover for me? There’s an emergency at home.”

Her brows knitted together, but she nodded. “Of course. Everything okay?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know. I have to go. I owe you one.” Without waiting for a reply, I was already halfway out the door.

As I sped toward the building, a thousand thoughts raced through my mind. What if it was that guy? Wha

t if he’d come back for her?

What if I was too late? Well, fuck my life.