STEPHANIE

"No Nicole, I'm not going to promotion of that book with you, I plan to get drunk on Friday and enjoy my youth, I don't want to see any book for a long time."

I turned down Nicole's offer because, after six years of studying medicine and preparing for more than demanding exams, I wanted to taste all the fun I missed. Besides, I wanted not to think about residency and patients for at least one night.

Of all the people on the planet, I got an antisocial and boring sister who despises any kind of entertainment. I love Nicole because she steered me on the right path after the death of our parents, but our views on life do not match at all.

"And the next morning you would go to work, wouldn't you?", She asked me critically: "You really want to lose that residency..."

"Sorry, I just got paged."

I finished the call and devoted myself to my meal. You never know when they may page me, and since I skipped lunch because of the traffic jam, I am in desperate need of this dinner. As a first-year resident of anesthesiology, I practically live in the hospital. I had working hours that officially lasted eight hours and unofficially it could be extended to fifteen hours, but still, I can't complain because this was my choice.

"Dr Bennett, we have a gunshot wound in examination room number 3," the nurse informed me, and I immediately got up and ran after her.

Can't at least one day pass without wounds inflicted by some kind of weapon?

"Did you call anyone from the surgery department?" I asked her because as a first-year resident I couldn't do much.

"Of course."

In front of the office, I saw four men in black suits who did not allow anyone to enter. I looked at the nurse confused, and she just shrugged and muttered, "That's security".

Wonderful, I just needed a lot of curious looks and someone to breathe behind my neck while I was working. I knew that people with protection occasionally end up in a hospital, and they would always be the most difficult patients to handle, but this is the first time I've come across something like this while I am on-call.

Two bodyguards approached me and prevented me from entering the room and I looked at them in disbelief.

"I'm a doctor-on-call right now, so please move and let me do my job."

"Check her first." the tallest of them spoke.

"None of you will approach me nor check me. Am I clear?" I refused.

"Sky, what's going on?" I heard a dominant male voice coming from the exam room.

I tried to peek, but those two bodyguards were huge. I have never felt so short with me being tall, meter and seventy-six. Their muscular and strong bodies completely filled my vision and none of them seemed friendly to me.

"Some young doctor refuses to get checked..."

"Let her pass." I heard that dominant and demanding voice again.

"But sir..."

"There's no "buts" Sky, you already made a mistake, and I just want to get this over with. I have to attend business meetings tomorrow."

"As you say, sir," he said and then they let me pass.

In the office, I saw a blonde man whose appearance simply exuded self-confidence and authority. I quickly glanced over at him and my attention was immediately drawn to the bloodstain on his sweater, he held gauze on his injured shoulder with his healthy hand to suppress the bleeding. Considering that he was still conscious and issued commands, I believe that the wound is only superficial and that there is no excessive reason for concern.

"I'm Doctor Bennett, can I take a look at your wound?" I asked him confidently whilst putting on sterile gloves.

He measured me from head to toe before nodding his head, I focused on his injured shoulder and took scissors from a nearby cart.

"I'm going to have to cut your sweater so I can see the wound better," I informed him, and he just moved his hand with the blood-soaked gauze.

He flinched a couple of times in pain as I carefully cut the cloth, but other than that, he was completely calm. Fortunately, I was right, all I have to do is take out the bullet and close the wound with a couple of stitches.

"You're going to need a couple of stitches, but I'd like to do an ultrasound too. Just to make sure we don't miss anything."

"Do whatever you think is necessary." He looked at me with his green eyes and I was lost in their depths.

In the next moment, the deputy chief of surgery and a well-known plastic surgeon ran into the exam room.

"Mr Anders, I came as soon as I heard. I hope you're okay..."

It seems that this man is someone very important because the superiors rarely come to the emergency department. I wonder who this blond man really is?

"Where's Forian?" He asked my superiors angrily.

"He's currently on the winter trip with his family,and he called me to take care of you..."

"Obviously I'm paying him too much since this is his second winter trip this year, and I didn't even get to go on my first winter vacation!" He thundered.

"Tell him I won't need his services anymore." he said, then turned to one of the bodyguards: "Send the gentlemen out."

"Mr Anders, let us at least take care of your wound..." the deputy addressed him in a pleading voice.

While they were talking I couldn't help but look at this man better. He had a strong jawline, strong facial features, and a beard that was not older than two days. There was something in his appalling gaze that made everyone around him obey his orders.

"Did you finish medical school?"Anders turned to me.

"Yes I did, I am a first-year anesthesiology resident," I said honestly.

"Then I think Miss Bennett is more than capable of taking care of me." His lips formed something that should probably be a slight smile.

"Sky, should I fire you too?!" This time he thundered at the guy from his security.

"No, sir." He said and practically pushed those doctors out of the office.

"I don't want to see them again, call a lawyer to terminate Forian's contract. He won't rest at the luxury hotels I pay for anymore since he's obviously never present when I need him."

"As you say, sir."

"Now everyone out! My head hurts from you."

Everyone left the room, and I laughed a little. He turned to me surprised, it seems that he is not used to someone smiling at him and not being traumatized by his appearance.

"What's so funny to you?" He interestingly asked me, but this time his dominance disappeared.

"Nothing, I am sorry."

I bit my cheek trying to hold back the laughter because I'm still at work and it wouldn't be professional at all.

"You're really weird ..."

I turned my back on him because I had to prepare the anaesthesia, with that, I had to completely suppress my laughter and interest in him. I glanced at him, and he was holding the phone in his hands and typing a message.

"I'm sorry, but you don't need that right now." I said, picking up his phone and putting it at the other end of the room.

"I have to respond to that message. It's important for my business."

"I'm sure it can wait, health comes first." I refused.

"You're really special..." he muttered to himself.

"I will give you local anaesthesia, and then I will do an ultrasound. If everything is fine, I will take out the bullet and sew up the wound." I explained to him once again.

"I don't need that." He pointed to a lidocaine syringe in my hand.

"Sir, I'm sure you're strong and durable, but you won't prove yourself in my exam room. I don't want to risk your movement, which can cause the bullet to penetrate even deeper into the skin and that would be a problem for both of us" I refused.

"It's Leo."

"Excuse me?" I was too focused to inject the anaesthesia properly that I didn't listen to what he was saying.

"My name is Leo." His dominance appeared once again.

"Nice to meet you, Mr Leo."

After this brief conversation, he let me work and didn't bother me anymore. He would simply answer any of my questions. I would occasionally catch his gaze on me but neither of us began a further conversation. I intentionally used the thinnest thread and the smallest needle, because I didn't want to leave even the smallest scar on such a perfect body.

"I'm done." I said proudly, attaching gauze over the wound.

"Skip the shower tonight, and then try to protect the wound from water for a couple of days and rinse it twice a day with a hydrogen solution. The sutures should fall out in about ten days, if you have problems with the wound, call your doctor."

"I hope I can count on your discretion about this."

"Excuse me?" I asked confused.

"I don't want you to call the police that would lead to attracting media attention that I don't need."

"Of course, Mr Leo." I smiled slightly at him as I filled out the prescriptions for his medicine.

"Antibiotic and stronger analgesics, if someone asks you have a painful ear infection." I signed and handed it to him.

"Thank you again." He got up from the bed and headed for the door.

Now I could actually see how tall he really is, and I just noticed what a sight his muscular back provided ...

"Mr Leo, you forgot your phone." I said as I noticed it on the table, but one of his bodyguards appeared in front of me.

"Gery, move."

I walked past him and handed Leo his phone, and he just nodded in response.

"What was your name again?"

"I am Stephanie Benet, but why is that important now?"

He filled out a piece of paper and handed it to me. I thought I'd see a phone number or something like that, but it was a check with an amount of money I couldn't even read.

"I'm grateful for your help." He told me, taking the black shirt Sky handed him and heading for the exit.

I took that check, crumpled it and tossed it toward him, hitting his muscular back. There was no amount of money I would just accept. I did not agree to help him to get the money, but because I chose medicine as my career. I was not interested in who he was and what he was doing, because I definitely did not want to run after him as the head of surgery.

I saw he was surprised and I also noticed a satisfied smile that I couldn't describe.

His bodyguards stood protectively in front of him, but he raised his hand and shook his head which made them move away.

"Mr Leo, I'm afraid one piece of paper and your money can't buy me, goodbye." I turned on my heel and headed in the opposite direction.

This was another too-long day and the only thing I want now is to go back to the apartment and eat something large. I hope Nicole was in a good mood for cooking today because the hunger I felt was indescribable.

I enter the building visibly tired and struggle not to fall asleep in the elevator because Nicole had to choose an apartment on the seventeenth floor to meet her strict criteria regarding the view of the city. I unlock the door carefully because my sister is just unbearable when someone wakes her up.

I think of the attractive Leo because even though his character annoyed me, I had to admit that he has a body that women can only crave for and those green eyes...

"You're late." Nicole, who was sitting in the living room, shot me a look.

"You're awake..."

"I'll open the office in forty-five minutes." She looked at her watch, then resolutely repeated her question: "Why are you late?"

"My shift has dragged on," I sighed as I am going just to be questioned.

"What's about that hostile smile on your face?"

"Nicole, I've been on duty for twelve hours. do you really have to check on me now?" I protested, hoping to change the subject.

"Stephanie, start speaking."

"Okay, there was one patient, he was just, well... too attractive."

"Listen to yourself, the doctor fell in love with the patient. I thought I raised you better than that. You can't act like a teenager at work..." She sighed in disapproval.

"What was the reason for his coming to the emergency room at night?"

"Nicole, it's confidential. I can't just reveal every aspect of my job to you..."

"Don't teach me about patients' privacy. You still have a lot to learn. I didn't ask you for his identity but the reason for his coming to ER."

"Shot wound." I replied quietly, but of course, she heard me.

"Wonderful, the last one was an alcoholic, and this one is a criminal..."

"The fact that Alex liked to drink a few drinks during the night out doesn't mean that he was an alcoholic..." She reminded me of my previous relationship.

As I have already mentioned, my sister is a difficult person. She simply rarely likes anyone. She hasn't liked any of my boyfriends so far, and she would always find some flaws in them.

"I can't argue with you now, I have surgery in an hour." She got up from the couch and kissed me on the cheek.

"Your oatmeal is on the table."

It will definitely not satisfy my current hunger and I could not tell her that, because Nicole was a strict supporter of a healthy diet.

"See you this afternoon, I have a busy schedule today, but I hope to be back by four."

"I love you, little sis." She hugged me and I hugged her back.

Because no matter how unbearable she may be, she will always be my older sister and the only person I can fully trust.

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