ELIZABETH

“He’s coding!” I shout.

Sharon rushes up and loads adrenaline into a syringe.

I slam defibrillator pads on the patient’s right pectoral muscle and lower left ribcage, his plaid shirt ripped open.

“Dr. Helm!” I shout, and demand of Sharon, “Where is Dr. Helm?”

Shaking her head she administers the shot.

Caden heard my call and sprints into the trauma room, up to the AED machine. At the right moment he says an urgent, “Charged!” I hold onto the pads and we repeat this over and over.

After an anxious two minutes and thirty-five seconds our patient gasps, body lurching with a coughing fit, eyes searching us as he chokes, “Did I just…die?”

Caden, Sharon and I exchange quick, exhaling glances.

I tell him, “For nearly three minutes, yes. Don’t scare us like that again, okay?”

He blinks at me as I nod to Sharon to take it from here. “I’ll be in the E.R.” She smiles like Caden and I are leaving to make out. I roll my eyes. “Get your mind out of the gutter, Sharon.”

“It’s in the clouds, Dr. Myers!”

The entire staff now knows we’re a couple. We slowly let the secret out, person by person until gossip ran rampant with the news.

Dev, in particular, took it very well.

We leave as I grumble to Caden, “This first-year is driving me nuts. Helm! Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad you walked by when you did—but where the hell did he go?”

“Makes you miss Janet, huh.”

“Um…no. I miss you a little, though, if I’m honest. Seeing you run in there, I relaxed because I trust you to handle it. I need to talk to Helm. He keeps this up and he’s done.”

Caden opens the door for me, his arm high so I can walk underneath it. “It was supposed to be me.”

Frowning as we move at a quick pace, I ask a confused, “What?”

“Remember Bill Patterson? That one we lost in a situation just like this one, only roles reversed.”

The memory returns from a fog of all that’s happened since.

I stop. “You remember his name?”

“I try to remember all of their names.” He pulls a weathered note from his deep, white pocket. Opening it, he reads, “Dear Dr. Cocker, I want to thank you for the hope you gave me in mankind, emphasis on the ‘man.’ You were the kindest of all the doctors I had while I was sick. It meant a lot, and I wanted you to know that. Please keep smiling, because it helped me find my smile again. Thank you, forever, Cilla Lu.” Folding it, Caden meets my eyes. “That was the girl who—”

“I know who it was. I remember her, and her name.” I frown, tears in my eyes, “Have I told you I love you?”

“We’re on the clock, but I’ve gotta…” He kisses me, pulling me close. “I love you, too. I was waiting for you to say it first.”

“Why?”

“Because you like to be in control. And I like to give it to you. Sometimes. Don’t get too cocky, Myers.”

Grinning, I slide my arms around his neck, and we kiss once more, slowly and enjoying ourselves.

Pivens walks by and mutters, “Sigh. I blame myself.”

As we head in opposite directions, Caden walks backward to say, “I’ll catch up with you later, Myers.”

I wink, “If you’re lucky.”

He laughs and spins around, snapping his fingers.

For a few more seconds, I hesitate and watch him go, because man, that swagger.

It’s all mine.

We never did find out why Janet hated Caden so much. Scarcity mentality, probably. Some believe the only way to move up is to send other people down. I think she kept sleeping with Chief in order to rise even higher, and more quickly. Or maybe she did it just to spite his marriage because she was so unhappy and lonely under all that drive.

I never go into that coffee shop anymore. Too bad. I was addicted to those mocha lattes.

But as Caden says, you’ve gotta make sacrifices for greatness.

My phone vibrates just as I’m about to open the door for the E.R.

Elizabeth, guess what? I love you.

Thinking to myself that all those chances I took brought something truly great into my life, I walk in to give my patients what they need most…my smile.

Get ready for your new addiction. The healthy kind that makes you feel really good…

xx, Faleena Hopkins

(turn the page for my note and links to all the books)