C2 NOT AGAIN RYAN
**Aurora**
The shrill ringing of my phone filled the inside of my car just as I stopped at a red light.
Without taking my eyes off the road, I slipped on my Bluetooth earpiece before answering.
“Nurse Aurora speaking.”
“Where on earth are you?” Dr. Harris barked from the other end.
I glanced at the dashboard clock and my heart nearly stopped.
8:57am
“I’ll be there in a few minutes, Doc..”
“You have exactly five minutes. A little boy in the pediatric ward has refused treatment because he’s asking for you.”
Before I could respond, the line went dead.
I let out a long sigh and tightened my grip on the steering wheel.
“So much for a peaceful morning.”
The traffic light finally turned green, and I drove toward the hospital praying I wouldn’t be late.
I arrived at the Pacific crest Hospital.
This was one of the biggest hospital in Los Angelos and it is owned by the Blackwells one of the wealthiest families in Los Angelos. They were in charge of different branches of hospital and companies.
I got down the car took my bag,adjusted my pants that I matched with a cute blouse that my husband gifted me few weeks ago.
The moment I stepped through the sliding glass doors of Pacific crest Hospital .the familiar scent of antiseptic and disinfectant wrapped around me like an old friend. The emergency department was already buzzing with activity despite it being barely nine in the morning.
Doctors hurried down the hall with patient files tucked beneath their arms. Nurses exchanged reports as one shift handed over to the next. Somewhere nearby, a cardiac monitor beeped steadily while a porter wheeled a patient toward Radiology.
This place was chaotic.
It was exhausting.
Yet somehow, it felt like home.
“Morning, Aurora!”
I turned to see Nurse Jessica waving at me from the nurses’ station. Jessica was the most dramatic girl I have met, on my first day of work we became friends because she wanted to help me carry my files but when she saw a wedding ring on my hand. She said I should call my husband for help in a very funny way. From then we started to talk about everything.
“Good morning.”
“You actually look alive today,” she teased. “Did your husband finally let you sleep?”
A soft laugh escaped my lips.
“Not exactly.”
Jessica wiggled her eyebrows knowingly.
“I don’t need details.”
Heat rushed to my cheeks as I tucked a loose strand of my blonde hair behind my ear.
“You’re terrible.”
“I’ve been told.”
Still smiling, I signed my attendance sheet before slipping on my white coat. The embroidered words Resident Nurse Aurora Evans stared back at me.
Every single time I looked at that name, I felt proud.
Becoming a Nurse hadn’t been easy. The endless exams, sleepless nights, and double shifts had pushed me to my limits more times than I could count.
But every sacrifice was worth it.
Because every patient I helped reminded me why I chose this path.
One day, I wouldn’t stop at being a resident nurse.
I wanted to become one of the best pediatric nurses in Los Angeles.
Children deserved gentle hands.
They deserved someone who genuinely cared.
And I wanted to be that person.
“Aurora.”
I looked up as Dr. Harris approached with a patient file.
“Room twelve is asking for you.”
“They specifically requested me?”
He nodded.
“I think you’ve gained yourself another admirer.”
I smiled before taking the file.
“I’ll be right there.”
As I walked toward the pediatric ward, I couldn’t help but smile.
Long hours.
Back pain.
Skipped meals.
Night shifts.
None of it mattered.
If I could make even one frightened patient feel safe, then my day was already a success.
I had no idea that while I was busy saving strangers, the people I loved most were slowly destroying the life I believed was perfect.
I knocked softly before pushing open the door to Room Twelve.
A tiny boy, no older than five, sat on the hospital bed with tears streaming down his cheeks. His small fingers clung tightly to his mother’s arm while two nurses stood nearby, each wearing the same helpless expression.
The moment the little boy noticed the syringe in one of the nurses’ hands, he burst into louder sobs.
“I don’t want an injection!” he cried, burying his face in his mother’s chest. “It hurts!”
His mother looked at me with pleading eyes.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “We’ve been trying for almost twenty minutes.”
I offered her a reassuring smile before walking over to the bedside.
“Well…” I folded my arms dramatically. “Who is this handsome young man making all this noise?”
The little boy peeked at me through his tears.
“I-I’m not handsome.”
I gasped, placing a hand over my chest.
“Who told you that?”
He sniffled.
“My sister.”
“Oh no.” I shook my head. “Then your sister needs glasses.”
A tiny smile tugged at the corners of his lips.
The two nurses exchanged amused glances.
Success.
I crouched until we were eye level.
“My name is Nurse Aurora.”
He stared at me for a few seconds before mumbling, “Ethan.”
“That’s a strong name.”
He nodded proudly.
“But…” he whispered, looking at the syringe again. “I’m scared.”
I gently took his little hand in mine.
“You know something?”
He looked up.
“I get scared too.”
“You do?”
“Sometimes.”
“Even though you’re a nurse?”
I smiled.
“Even nurses get scared.”
“What do you do?”
“I take a deep breath…”
I demonstrated, inhaling slowly before breathing out.
“…and I remind myself that being brave doesn’t mean you’re never scared.”
His eyes widened with curiosity.
“It means you do the hard thing even when you’re scared.”
He remained quiet for a moment before taking the deepest breath his tiny lungs could manage.
“Like this?”
I couldn’t stop myself from laughing.
“Exactly like that.”
His mother smiled, tears glistening in her eyes.
“Thank you.”
I gave her a small nod before looking back at Ethan.
“Now, here’s our deal.”
“What deal?”
“You look at me instead of the injection.”
“Okay.”
“And if you don’t cry…”
He waited eagerly.
“…I’ll personally make sure the cafeteria gives you two chocolate cookies instead of one.”
His eyes lit up.
“Really?”
“I never lie to my patients.”
He stretched out his tiny arm with surprising determination.
“I’m ready.”
The nurse administered the injection as Ethan squeezed my fingers.
Three seconds later…
It was over.
He blinked in confusion.
“That’s it?”
I laughed.
“That’s it.”
“I didn’t cry!”
“You didn’t.”
“I was brave!”
“You were incredibly brave.”
The smile on his face could have lit up the entire hospital.
As his mother thanked me repeatedly, I felt warmth spread through my chest.
Moments like these reminded me why I loved this profession.
Children had a way of healing hearts without even realizing it.
One day…
I hoped I’d have a little boy or girl of my own.
A soft knock on the door pulled me out of my thoughts.
I turned around just as one of the junior nurses stepped into the room.
“Nurse Aurora?”
“Yes?”
She offered me a small smile.
“Dr. Ryan Carter has been looking for you.”
I frowned slightly.
“Ryan?”
She nodded.
“He said it’s important.”
A quiet sigh escaped my lips.
“I’ll be there in a minute.”
“Alright”
She closed the door behind her, leaving me alone with Ethan and his mother.
After saying my goodbyes and reminding Ethan to be brave for his next hospital visit, I stepped into the hallway.
Everywhere and everyone was busy.
I made my way toward my office, wondering what Ryan wanted this time.
The last few weeks had been… exhausting.
No matter how many times I reminded him that I was happily married, he never seemed to give up.
Maybe this time he’d finally gotten the message.
I reached my office door and wrapped my fingers around the handle.
Taking a deep breath, I pushed it open.
The first thing I noticed was the cute gift box resting on my desk.
Then my eyes lifted.
Dr. Ryan Carter was sitting comfortably on my chair one leg crossed over the other asif he owned the place,looking as confident as ever.
The moment our eyes met, a smile spread across his face.
“Finally,” he said softly.
“I’ve been waiting for you, Aurora.”
My heart sank.
Please don’t tell me he’s about to do what I think he is.
