Becoming strangers again (Lily and Ryan)



Lily

I can't believe Ryan would scold me or get angry over something as trivial as my helping Amell out. And where did he get the notion that Amell is interested in me? If anything, Amell and I hadn't exactly defined our relationship as friends until recently.

Ryan has no right to act angry; he is the one hiding something from me. I should be the one upset, not him.

Since he was around, I decided to leave him to handle taking the boys to their various music instrumental classes. I left early for work, mostly to avoid another argument with him this early in the day.

The morning sun hung low in the sky as I pulled over into the hospital parking lot, hoping not to run into anyone this early because I wasn't in the best of moods. Thankfully, luck was on my side, and I saw no one who showed interest in me during my walk into the building.

Even my secretary hadn't resumed for the day when I arrived at the office. Opting to start with some paperwork, I opened my laptop, beginning my day earlier than planned.

At around seven-thirty, my door pushed open, and my secretary walked in, holding a vibrant bouquet of flowers. She halted abruptly when she saw me, clearly baffled. "Good morning, ma'am."

I am always early to work, but never earlier than her. "Good morning," I replied, trying to keep my tone neutral.

She hurried over to my desk and dropped the bouquet onto it. "I didn't realize you were here already, or else I would have had him deliver the flowers himself."

For a moment, I thought it was Ryan who had delivered the flowers, but I quickly doubted myself. If it was Ryan who sent them, he should have known that I would be in the office already. The first thing I reached for was the card that came with the bouquet.

I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR HELPING ME OUT YESTERDAY. I WOULD HAVE OFFERED TO TREAT YOU FOR BREAKFAST, BUT I FIGURED YOU WOULD WANT TO HAVE THAT WITH YOUR HUSBAND, SO LET'S DO LUNCH INSTEAD. I'M NOT STUPID ENOUGH TO ASK FOR YOUR DINNER TIME. SEE YOU AT LUNCH.

- Dr. Amell

Glancing at the flowers, I sighed. "You want them?" I asked my secretary. Confused and bothered by my question, she looked unsure how to respond. "This is a very simple question."

"The flowers look beautiful," she finally replied.

"So you like them, then," I noted, pushing the bouquet towards her. "You can have them."

"Thank you, ma'am." She picked it up, hugging the flowers to her chest as if they were the most precious thing in the world. "Do you still need some time to yourself, or should I come in for a briefing on your schedule for today?"

"You can come in," I said, dismissing the earlier thoughts that plagued my mind. My day could as well begin fully.

*********

By lunch, my secretary had left for the hospital cafeteria, while I stayed back at my desk. Despite knowing that I needed to eat something since I missed breakfast, that didn't make me feel hungry in any way. I was more upset that Ryan had not texted or showed up to fix things between us.

A soft knock sounded on the door before it opened, and Amell walked in, his expression slightly apologetic. "I apologize for being," he glanced at his watch, "ten minutes late for lunch. I had a surgery that lasted longer than I thought it would."

I didn't see the need for his apology. It's not like I was waiting for him or anything of that sort. "Don't apologize for doing your job," I pointed out, returning my attention to my laptop as I studied the image of the surgery I would be performing tomorrow.

"So, are you ready?" he asked, a hint of expectation in his voice.

I didn't spare him a glance. "Ready for what?"

"Lunch," he deadpanned. "Didn't you get my flowers and card?"

"My secretary loved the flowers," I drawled out, finally lifting my gaze to meet his. "You have no business sending me flowers, Dr. Amell, and I am not going for lunch with you."

He blinked, his relaxed features tightening slightly. "I do not recall doing anything that would warrant you using that tone with me."

He wasn't at fault here, but it seemed that keeping my distance from him was what would make Ryan less angry. "I have lots of work on my desk, Dr. Amell," I replied.

Smacking his lips together, he exhaled heavily. "Is your husband upset that we were together the other day?"

"I am not discussing my husband with you," I shot back.

"I don't know what crawled up your ass, but I am going to buy you lunch, bring it to your office, and you are going to tell me what's going on. Why? Because I consider you a friend, even if you don't,” he insisted.

Without giving me a chance to reject his lunch offer, he turned and walked away, the door slamming shut behind him.This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

Thirty minutes later, the hospital emergency alarm rang out. I grabbed my jacket and rushed out of my office to find out what was happening. From the hallway, nurses, doctors, and emergency personnel rushed in, wheeling in a bleeding man.

A sense of duty and humanity coursed through me, and I raced behind them, ready to inquire what had happened and the nature of the accident. But when I looked down and caught sight of the person lying on the wheeling cart, I gasped in horror.

Dr. Amell lay there, bleeding from his head, his stomach and leg. Although he was conscious, he wasn't saying anything, his eyes glazed over with shock and pain. Fear tried to grip me, but I pushed it aside and ran into the sterile room to get ready for the surgery I knew he would need just by the sight of the gash on the side of his stomach and the blood pooling around his head.

His leg looked severely broken.

net

The surgery lasted longer than I thought it would due to the blood that had pooled in his stomach. Thankfully, he came out alive, although his leg was fractured and he would be unable to use it for a while. Once he was wheeled into his ward, I returned to my office to change back into my dress.

After changing, I hurried back to his room to keep a close eye on him. An hour after the surgery, he began to stir, waking up to find the bright lights of

the room too harsh for his eyes. I got off my seat and turned off some of the lights to enable him to open his eyes more comfortably.

"What happened?" he asked, his voice raspy and weak.

"All you had to do was get lunch, and you just had to get knocked down by some careless driver," I teased, fighting back the feeling of guilt gnawed at me. Maybe if I had agreed to have lunch with him, we

would have remained in the

Relat

restaurant and he wouldn't have to return to the hospital so soon.

Amell glanced at the open window, his brow furrowing. "It is late. Why are you still here?"

"I wanted to be around until you were conscious," I replied, shifting uncomfortably in my seat.

He scoffed lightly, but there was a hint of gratitude in his eyes. "Are you feeling guilty?" I shrugged, looking away as a lump formed in my throat.

"You don't have to feel guilty, Lily. This isn't your fault; it was the driver's who knocked me down."

This is a case of hit-and-run. "We are trying to track him down," I said, trying to sound optimistic.

Nodding, he closed his eyes again, exhaustion washing over him. "Thank you.”

I should get home. Even though I had already called Ryan and informed him that I would be home late due to an emergency, I still needed to leave.

"Go home, Lily," he instructed, as if reading my thoughts. "I will be here when you return tomorrow."

"You better," I teased lightly before reaching for my purse. "Don't forget to hit the emergency button if you start feeling unwell."

“Sure,” he replied, offering me a weak smile.

Stepping out of the room, I got into the elevator, which carried me down to the garage.

Everywhere was dead silent when I walked into my home. I assumed everyone was asleep, but the dim light in the dining room drew me in. I found

Ryan seated at the table with a glass of water, his expression shifting from worry to relief when he saw me.

"I was worried, Lily," he said, standing to his feet and walking over to hug me tightly. "How did the emergency go?"

"I guess it is safe to say that it went well," I replied, though the thought of how Amell looked when they wheeled him in made me shudder. “Amell really scared me today."

Ryan froze, pulling back from the hug. "Amell was the emergency?"

I nodded. "He was involved in an accident on his way to get me lunch."

Ryan's jaw clenched as he licked his lips, processing the information. "Well, he's fine now, thankfully. I will go fix you a bath," he said, turning away without a backward glance.