Shane collapses like a ton of bricks, and I just manage to rush over and catch him before he faceplants onto the floor. He’s so heavy, and he nearly brings me down with him as I struggle to keep him up.

Luckily, Shondra sees us as she’s walking by and runs in to help.

“What’s wrong with him?” she asks as she grabs a tattooed bicep and lifts him off of me.

I feel like I’m going to be sick as I help her get him back onto the bed. The results. They’re bad.

His limp body is so heavy, and I can barely hold his thick arm up. Thankfully, Shondra is a lot stronger than me and does most of the heavy lifting.

“Get Dr. Cialdini ready in the OR,” I say as I check Shane’s vitals when he’s finally back on the bed. “He has a massive blood clot pushing against his spine. We have to operate on him now.”

Shondra runs to the wall and grabs the phone as I check his eyes. His pupils dilate, and he shakes his head away from the bright light, slowing waking up.

“Shane,” I whisper, staring into his green eyes as he opens them. The first thing he does is smile when he sees me. “We have to get you into the operating room.”

“For what?” His voice is so groggy. He looks like he’s waking up from a coma.

“You have a blood clot pushing against your spine,” I say, feeling nauseous as I say the words.

“Dr. Cialdini will be out of surgery in ten minutes,” Shondra says as she hangs up the phone.

“Thank you,” I say. “Please get some Aspirin in the meantime.”

She rushes out to get the Aspirin, which will help thin his blood.

“You look worried,” he says as he looks up at me, looking pretty worried himself. “How bad is this?”

I take a deep breath as I press my palm to my forehead. This is why I didn’t want to get involved with a patient. It makes situations like this too hard. It makes me worry, and when I worry, I lose my focus.

“Hopefully we got it in time,” I say, not wanting to look him in the eyes, “but there’s a chance that you can become permanently paralyzed.” I don’t even want to say the next part. “Or it can be fatal.”

“Oh,” he says, tilting his head as he looks at me.

I’m freaking out, and all he has to say is oh!

If we don’t get him fixed soon, the blood clot can cut off the blood supply to his organs, which could kill him. It could also cut off the blood supply to his arms or legs, which could result in amputation. There’s a lot that can go wrong, which is why I’m trying not to have a panic attack.

Shondra comes racing back in with the Aspirin, and I practically shove two pills down Shane’s throat.

“Let’s bring him upstairs,” I say, already yanking the bed away from the wall.

Shondra doesn’t look so sure. “You know Dr. Cialdini,” she says, looking like she wants to bolt out the door. “Do you have any idea what he’s going to do if you show up with a patient who’s not on his schedule?”

I gulp. Dr. Cialdini is an extremely talented surgeon, but he’s also the meanest man in the entire hospital. But this is Shane we’re talking about. I’ll have to risk his wrath.

“Grab that side,” I say, trying not to think about it. “I’ll take full responsibility.”

“I’ll bring you to the elevators, and then I’m out,” she says with a shiver. “I love you Shane, but Dr. Cialdini is the devil in green scrubs.”

We fly down the hallway, and I’m screaming for people to move like I’ve lost my damn mind. The cool calm Dr. Mendes who doesn’t crack under stress has left the building.

My heart is racing as we arrive at the elevators and Shondra pushes the button. All kinds of horrible images of the worst-case scenarios are rushing through my mind.

“Hey,” Shane whispers, taking my shaking hand in his. “Everything is going to be okay. I’m indestructible, remember?”

I shake my head as I fight back tears. I should have caught this earlier. If he dies, it’s going to be my fault.

The elevator arrives, and I grip the bars of the bed with white knuckles as Shondra kicks out all of the visitors inside. She helps me push him in, wishes us good luck, and then leaves us.

The doors close, and we’re alone as the elevator slowly rises to the seventh floor. There’s a pounding in my ears as I curse the elevator manufacturer who made it so damn slow.

“I guess this is a good time to ask for a kiss?” Shane says, grinning up at me from the bed.

I turn to him in disbelief. The world is crashing down around us, and all he can think about is getting a kiss?

“I mean, I’m going into surgery, and there’s a tiny risk that I might not come out,” he says, flashing his straight white teeth. “What’s more kiss-worthy than that?”

“I can’t believe you’re trying to use this medical emergency to get a kiss out of me,” I say, shaking my head as I look down at him. I can’t believe it’s going to work.

“I’ve been dreaming of those sexy lips since I first saw them,” he says, looking at my mouth. “If I get a taste before I go, I’ll die a happy man.”

The elevator doors are going to open soon, and I don’t have time to weigh the pros and cons of kissing my patient, so I just pull my hair back, lean down, and do it.

His hand moves over the back of my neck, and he gently pulls me forward until my lips are on his. His lips are soft, his tongue even softer, and my knees go weak as the pounding in my head is replaced with a pounding in my chest. It feels so good to kiss him, and I just want to fall into the kiss forever. I don’t want to be yanked back into cruel reality when our lips part. I don’t want to deal with what’s waiting for us when the elevator doors open. I just want to be close to Shane like this for all eternity.

My heart is pounding in the good way when I finally pull away. I swallow hard as I stare into his intense green eyes, which are staring back at me.

Hands down the best first kiss I’ve ever had. I just wish it wasn’t under these conditions.

His face twists in agony, and I’m instantly back into doctor mode, checking his vitals as the elevator arrives on the seventh floor. The doors open, and I grab the bed, pulling it out to the operating room.

“I don’t think I need anesthesia,” Shane says, licking his lips as he smiles at me. “I’m flying high after that kiss.”

There’s no time for flirting, so I just ignore him and push him down the hall, hoping that Dr. Cialdini is in a good mood today.

“Shit.” There’s a nurse standing in front of the doors at the end of the hall with her arms crossed, staring at me with a resting bitch face as I approach.

“I told Shondra that he can’t come up here,” she says when I arrive. “Dr. Cialdini only takes scheduled patients. He is not scheduled.”

I grab a pencil from the pocket of my lab coat and offer it to her. “Can you just slip him onto the schedule? Maybe he won’t notice that it wasn’t there before.”

She doesn’t take it. “He’s finishing up his shift now. I think he’s going to notice if there’s a four-hour spinal surgery tacked onto the end with a chewed-up pencil.”

“It’s not that chewed-up,” I mumble as I stuff the pencil back into my pocket. “I’ll deal with Dr. Cialdini. Just let me through the doors.”

“Can’t,” she says, shaking her head. “It’s going to be my ass if Dr. Cialdini sees him in there.”

“You’re going to be on your ass if you don’t move right now,” I say, glaring at her. My crush needs surgery and he’s going to get it no matter how many bitchy nurses I have to get through. “Dr. Cialdini is going to look like a helpless kitten compared to me if you don’t step aside right now.”

The nurse looks around quickly and then steps to the side. “Don’t tell him I let you in,” she begs before hurrying off in the other direction with a scared look on her face.

Shane isn’t looking good. His chest is rising and falling at a rapid pace, and his face is twisted in agony. Beads of sweat are breaking out on his forehead and sliding down his temples as he groans in pain.

I’m determined to get him into surgery. If he has to wait until Dr. Cialdini’s schedule opens up, he’ll be paralyzed or dead by the time he gets seen.

“What is this?” Dr. Cialdini asks when he walks out of the operating room and sees me standing beside Shane’s bed.

Dr. Cialdini is the best surgeon in the city and is also a minor celebrity. He’s young and incredibly good looking with dark features and even darker hair. He has been on the cover of magazines and been in the city’s newspaper more times than Charlie Brown. He frequently appears on television, sitting in on morning talk shows, and is even a medical correspondent on the news. Unfortunately, all of the hype surrounding him has gone to his head, and he’s incredibly difficult to work with. But he is the best surgeon around, so I’m determined to get his talented hands on Shane.

“I know you’re really busy,” I say, holding my hands up in defense.

He just rolls his eyes and walks away from me.

“Wait,” I say, running and stopping in front of him. He takes a deep breath that’s thick with annoyance as he looks down at me standing in his way. “This is an emergency.”

“There’s always an emergency,” he says. “But unless it’s on my schedule, it’s not my emergency. Now please move, I have a spot on the news tonight, and I have to get to hair and wardrobe.”

“A man’s life is on the line,” I say, stepping to the side and blocking him when he tries to get around me.

“A man’s life is always on the line,” he says, looking down at me like I’m a bug that he’s about to squash. “That’s the reality of a hospital, Dr. Mendes. People live. People die. I keep my emotions out of it and stick to my schedule.”

He sounds so heartless. He sounds like me.

I’ve always tried to keep emotions out of my work life too, but if this is what has become of me, a callous and insensitive doctor, then I’m changing that for good starting now.

“Please, Dr. Cialdini,” I beg. “He means a lot to me.” I didn’t fully realize it until now, but I’m falling for Shane. I’ll be devastated if I don’t get another one of those kisses again.

“And my news spot means a lot to me,” he says, trying to step around me. I step to the side, blocking him again.

“I’ll bake you fresh muffins for a month,” I say, getting desperate now.

“Dr. Mendes.”

“Two months.”

He rolls his eyes.

“You’re right,” I say, wringing my hands together. “My baking sucks. I’ll cut your lawn for the summer. I’ll do your laundry for a year. I’ll wash your fleet of cars. I’ll set you up with my hot friend.”

His eyebrow raises. “Hot friend?” he asks, looking interested.

I got him now!

“She’s beautiful,” I say, laying it on thick. “Her name is Anabelle, and she works in public relations. I think you two would really hit it off.”

“Public relations?” he whispers as he rubs his chin. “That does sound appealing.”

I’m pulling out my cellphone and swiping through my photos as he thinks, probably considering how a girlfriend in PR can help his showbiz career.

“Look,” I say, thrusting my phone at him when I find a picture of me and Anabelle together. I look like I’m mid-sneeze, but she looks hot.

“That’s her?” he asks, swallowing hard as he looks at the photo.

“She loves doctors,” I say, hoping that she’s going to let me set her up with one again after the Dr. Mitchell Clark fiasco. She wanted a George Clooney type, and they don’t get any closer to Doug Ross than Dr. Cialdini.

He’s starting to waver. “Still,” he says. “I have a spot on the news.”

“You want a spot on the news?” I say. “Forget the local news. That is the one and only Shane Winters. If you save his life and get him walking again you’ll be able to book a spot on Ellen, The Tonight Show, The View, any show you want!”

“Who?” he asks, looking over my shoulder at Shane.

“Shane Winters,” I say, looking at him like he’s an idiot for not knowing who he is. “The legendary motocross rider. He came first in the Z Games last year, and he’s the only motocross rider to finish first in the X-Gravity Championship three times.”

Oh, my God. I can’t believe I have his Wikipedia page memorized. I sound like such a groupie.

“He’s practically a legend in this country,” I say, laying it on even thicker. “No, the world. It will be great for your career, and you can tell Anabelle all about it on your date.”

He takes a deep breath and rolls his eyes. “What’s wrong with him?”

I grab the iPad off the bed and show him the results of Shane’s MRI.

His brow furrows when he sees the size of the blood clot. “Pull him in now,” he says, rushing to the prep area. “We have to do this fast.”

“Thank you!” I say, clasping my hands together as I take a breath of relief. Thank God.

His eyes narrow as he points at me. “Get your scrubs on,” he says. “You’re helping.”

I gulp as I stare at him in shock. “Yes, sir.”

* * *

“Dr. Mendes,” Dr. Clark says, charging over with a furious look on his face. I just stood through four hours of spinal surgery and am too exhausted for this.

Dr. Cialdini is a true master surgeon, and he managed to eliminate the blood clot and save Shane’s life. Not only did he save his life, but he should be able to walk again in no time. I wish I could say I helped, but I didn’t do much more than hand Dr. Cialdini the occasional instrument and give him the occasional compliment to stroke his enormous ego.

Shane is still recovering and hasn’t woken up yet from the anesthesia. I’m going to be so relieved when I see that frustrating smirk one more time.

“Dr. Mendes!” Mitchell repeats when he arrives in front of me, breathing as heavily as an angry bull.

I need a cigarette. I’ve never tried one in my life, but I wouldn’t mind trying one for the first time right about now.

“Yes, Dr. Clark?” I say, turning to him with a tired smile.

“Where have you been?” he snaps.

I’m not in the mood for this. “Saving a man’s life. Doing my job,” I say, looking at him with a blank stare. “What problem do you have with me this time? Did Anabelle not like your Katy Perry singing telegram and you’re taking it out on me and my patient?”

“It was Lady Gaga, first of all,” he says as his nostrils flare. “And your patient… Is that the one with the spinal injury? The one you had walking around the hospital late at night for some kind of perverse sexual escapade when he should have been resting in bed?”

“It was a cup of coffee,” I say, narrowing my eyes on him. “And in my medical opinion, he was fit to walk around.”

“Your medical opinion is the only thing that is unfit around here,” he says. “I’m starting to see why you were sued for negligence back in New York. If you didn’t have the patient gallivanting around, this probably wouldn’t have happened.”

“You can’t be serious,” I say, staring at him with my jaw hanging open. “This was completely unrelated, and I’m not a negligent doctor. You’re just blaming me because Anabelle is not into you. And I can see why. You’re a real jerk.”

He slowly raises his chin as his chest puffs out. “You’re going to be under investigation for this. This hospital doesn’t need another lawsuit.”

“Investigation?” I say, huffing out a breath. “I just saved his life. The only investigation should be why you keep harassing me over something that isn’t work-related and completely beyond my control!”

He clenches his jaw as he backs away from me. “We’ll see what comes up in my investigation,” he says before turning and walking away. “You better hope I don’t find anything.”

I gulp when I remember the deal with Dr. Cialdini. I just hope that Mitchell doesn’t discover that I promised the hot surgeon a date with Anabelle.

If he does, my career is going to be resting in the morgue.