Hospital.
Chapter 451
Jamison Ludwig had been running around like a spinning top all day, tending to his patients with barely a moment to breathe. After wrapping up his rounds, he made his way to the intensive care unit to check in on his mother, Adela Ludwig.
Only when he confirmed that all her vitals were stable did he finally allow himself a sigh of relief and return to the department office to sit down.
The stitches on his back had already been removed; technically, he should’ve been fine.
But perhaps it was the exhaustion catching up to him–now that he was finally able to relax, he noticed a dull ache spreading across one side of his back, so sharp he didn’t even dare lift his arm.
“Jamison, are you alright? Are you feeling ill?” Celeste Quinn walked in, arms full of patient charts. She caught sight of Jamison gingerly rotating his shoulder and immediately voiced her concern.
Jamison glanced up, his expression neutral. “Weren’t you on the morning shift today? Still here?”
“Oh, I swapped with Dr. Penn. I’m covering the night shift now.”
Celeste set the files down on her desk and, pausing for a moment, looked at Jamison from across the room. “Jamison, are you staying at the hospital again tonight?”
“Why? Something you need?”
“No, it’s just… you’ve been working yourself to the bone. You need to get some real rest. Since I’m on tonight, I can keep an extra eye on your mom. Besides, the nurse aides are here too–she’ll be fine. Why don’t you go home and get some sleep?” Celeste mustered her courage, hoping he’d accept her kindness.
Jamison’s reply was cool and dismissive. “That’s not necessary. There are plenty of Ludwigs to take turns staying overnight.”
“Oh…” Celeste’s smile faltered at his rejection, her cheeks coloring with embarrassment. After a hesitant pause, she spoke up again, “Jamison, it’s been two days now. Why hasn’t your wife come by the hospital to see your mom?”
Jamison’s brows drew together, irritation clear on his face. Without turning, he shot
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Chapter 451
back, “Dr. Quinn, is that any of your business?”
“…Sorry, Jamison. I didn’t mean anything by it, I just-”
He didn’t wait for her to finish. Rising abruptly, he walked out, leaving her standing alone in awkward silence.
His phone buzzed. Jamison checked the screen–his older brother was calling.
“Jamison, I’m at the hospital now. I’ll stay with Mom tonight. You should go home and rest; you’re still recovering. Don’t overdo it,” Thad Ludwig said, his voice gentle but firm.
Jamison, having been running on empty these past few days, didn’t argue. “Alright. If anything comes up, call me right away.”
“Will do.”
After ending the call, Jamison scrolled through his unread messages. His eyes landed on the pinned chat at the top–messages from Ivy.
[Something urgent came up at the college. I can’t make it to the hospital today. I’ll visit tomorrow.]
[That’s fine. Just take care of Mom for now. I’ve just finished up here, so I’ll the hospital tomorrow.]
He read the two messages over and over. Something didn’t sit right.
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Especially the second message–it had come almost an hour after his own. What could possibly be so urgent at the start of the semester? So busy she didn’t even have time to check her phone?
Or… was she hiding something? Lying to him?
Jamison’s expression darkened. On impulse, he decided to go to her college and see for himself.
If she was deliberately keeping something from him, a phone call wouldn’t get him any answers. The only way to know was to see with his own eyes.
With that, Jamison dropped a quick note in the department group chat and strode out, determination in every step.
Ivy Windsor had been driving for over an hour, stuck in evening rush hour traffic.
She’d barely driven this route in years, and the city had changed so much that even
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with GPS, she missed a turn and ended up twenty minutes late.
When she finally reached the hospital, she considered calling ahead, but changed her mind as soon as she pulled out her phone.
She’d replied to Jamison’s message after her nap, but he hadn’t texted back, nor had he called, Clearly, he was still busy–too busy to check his phone.
If that was the case, there was no need to call. She’d just head up and surprise him. The thought of catching him off guard brought a smile to her lips, her heart fluttering in anticipation,
Her stomach rumbled, reminding her she hadn’t eaten. While she waited for the elevator, she distracted herself by planning what to have for dinner.
But when she arrived outside his department, ready to surprise him, she found the office empty.
Assuming he was with Adela Ludwig, Ivy debated asking someone for directions to the older woman’s room. Just then, a voice sounded behind her. “Are you looking for someone?”
She turned to see a female doctor, brows arched in surprise at the coincidence.
Celeste looked equally startled. Noticing the recognition in Ivy’s eyes, Celeste offered a polite smile and stepped forward. “You must be Jamison’s wife, right? You finally made it to the hospital.”
Ivy blinked. “Finally‘?”
“Yes. Adela Ludwig was admitted yesterday and had surgery this morning. The entire Ludwig family’s been here–everyone but you.” Celeste’s gaze was appraising, her tone laced with judgment.
Ivy picked up on the undercurrent of blame and the doctor’s thinly veiled hostility. She gave a faint, sardonic smile.
“Whether I show up or not is none of your concern. Isn’t a doctor’s job to: not meddle in other people’s business?” Ivy was never one to back down. If someone had a problem with her, she handled it right then and there.
lives,