Chapter 152 OCCUPATIONAL HAZARD

Chapter 152 OCCUPATIONAL HAZARD
GABRIELLA

Before I could respond, his head suddenly tipped sideways.

"Oh my God!" I yelped, catching him just before he slid off the chair completely. "Dr. Samil?"

Panic shot through me instantly. I reached for the office landline, already preparing to call for help when his fingers wrapped weakly around my wrist.

"It's fine, Nurse Gabriella." His voice came out rougher now, weaker than before. "Just help me to my car."

My face twisted in disbelief. "What the hell are you talking about? You can barely sit upright right now."

His head lifted slightly, eyes half-open before falling shut again. "Would I..." He paused to breathe. "Would I be asking too much if I asked for your help?"

Under normal circumstances, I would've told him exactly where he could shove that attitude of his. Unfortunately for me, forty-degree fevers apparently came with terrible timing and worse decision-making.

I exhaled sharply. "Fine. What do you need me to do?"

"Help me up first."

I bit down on my lip before moving beside him. "Alright... on three."

I slipped my arm around his and pulled gently on the last count. The chair creaked as he pushed himself to his feet, but the second he stood fully, I felt his weight shift heavily against me. Definitely not okay. Not even close.

He steadied himself against the edge of the desk while I grabbed his coat from the stand nearby.

"My keys," he muttered.

I searched the pocket until my fingers brushed cold metal before placing them in his hand. For some reason, seeing Dr. Samil Ashford like this felt wrong. This was the same man who spent half his life acting like exhaustion was a myth and sleep was optional.

Yet right now, he could barely stand without support. I wasn't supposed to be helping him home. I definitely wasn't supposed to be this worried about him either. Still, my arm somehow found its way around his waist while his rested over my shoulders.

"You okay?" I asked quietly as we stepped into the hallway.

"Hmm." That wasn't exactly an answer. We passed the nurses' station and a few people immediately looked up.

"Doctor?" Some asked. Completely too stunned to talk.

"You alright, sir?" Some asked, clearly too worried for their own good.

Despite looking like he was one bad step away from collapsing, Samil still somehow managed a short nod. "I'm fine."

Yeah. He lied. His grip tightened against my shoulder as we approached the elevators. That was when another problem hit me.

April… I hadn't told her I was leaving. It was literally my first day on her team. Fantastic. Even worse, my phone was still sitting in my locker. Perfect.

"Shit," Samil muttered beside me.

I turned immediately. He was leaning heavily against the elevator wall now, sweat visible along his forehead despite the cold air conditioning.

"Hey." His eyes lifted slowly to mine. "Are you okay?"

Stupid question. Obviously he wasn't okay. I pressed the back of my hand against his forehead anyway. He was still burning.

"God, you're still on fire." I rubbed my temple in frustration. "Your lips are dry too. You need fluids as soon as possible."

He didn't argue. That worried me more than the fever. The elevator doors slid open with a soft ding. I adjusted his arm more securely around my shoulders and helped him inside.

"What kind of car am I looking for?" I asked, struggling slightly under his weight.

A tired breath escaped him. "Black sedan."

I frowned. "That narrows it down to approximately every doctor's car in this hospital.”

I didn't even bother asking anymore. Instead, I pressed the unlock button on the key fob in my hand. A loud honk echoed across the parking lot. "Found it." I muttered although he was too busy trying to stay awake to hear it.

I adjusted his arm again more securely around my shoulders and guided him toward the sound. Thankfully, it wasn't far. By the time we reached the car, Samil looked even paler than before.

That was definitely not good. I quickly opened the passenger door and helped him lower himself into the seat carefully.

"Watch your head."

He mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like an annoyed sigh but obeyed anyway. Once he was seated properly, I reached over and pulled the seatbelt across him, clicking it into place.

His eyes stayed shut through most of it. That worried me far more than I wanted to admit. "You still with me, Doctor?"

One eye cracked open. "Barely."

Typical Samil. I shut the door and hurried around the hood to the driver's side before climbing in and starting the engine. The car hummed softly to life beneath my fingers. Only then did a horrifying realization hit me.

I slowly turned toward him. "...I don't actually know where you live."

For the first time all evening, the corner of Samil's mouth twitched slightly. "First exit after the bridge," he murmured, eyes already drifting shut again. "Luxury apartments on the left."

I narrowed my eyes. "That sounded rehearsed."

"Occupational hazard." He mumbled.

Honestly, I wasn't even surprised anymore.