Friendly bonding...

ESTHER'S POV

I'm not sure if our friendship is for the best or not, but with Amber's earnest expression, how can I disagree with what she wants?

"I am not going anywhere, Amber, and just so you know, we lost each other, so it’s even."

"About that, how are you after our breakup?"

"Wow, you really wanted to know, huh..."

"Well, now that we're friends, I suppose we're free to ask each other questions."

I'm stunned at how casual she was about this friendship.

“Fine! Well, I haven't been in a relationship since you came into my life, so I can know the difference, but to tell you how I felt after, I cried a lot, buried myself in work, and hung out with every man and woman I met! "

"Hearing that from you makes me think if I am still talking to the same Esther before or if she has been upgraded!"

"What? Upgraded? Hahaha, do I look like a mobile phone? People change, and I believe that change makes us stronger.”

"It seems you really love that change, and it suits you."

"Hmm, you like who I am now more than before, don’t you?"

I asked, and then she just smiled at it before speaking

"I always love who you are and who you will be; you are always special, Esth."

And that sincere look...the way she constantly says nice things to me, her sincerity is so different than before...Or I just took her for granted because we were both so busy with each other's lives back then.

"You have changed as well, don’t you know..."

"Well, people change! Hahaha."

"Whatever! Hahaha."

We appreciate this new type of bonding; we used to do it previously, but this time is extremely different. I suppose everything changes drastically when we separate ways.

Thirty minutes have gone by since she decided to go home, and I'm still wondering why we both suddenly changed...or maybe it's just part of the process of breaking up; people move on, and people shine brighter.

I close my eyes, still thinking about a lot of things...

As I awoke, my phone rang, and it was Amanda; as much as I wanted to avoid her, I couldn't because she is, regrettably, my boss.

"Yes?"

"You have four new patients today, and one of them is our VIP. I need to discuss things with you, so better get here as early as you can."

"Okay, I'll be there."

I answered, hanging up the phone; this is what I deal with every day, but who exactly is that VIP?

I handled the daughter of the hospital's owner's case previously and did an excellent job, so I'm guessing they gave me VIP status this time because of that.

Being a thoracic surgeon and gastroenterologist is no joke; sometimes I regret having two majors. It is simple to save lives, but my body tells me otherwise.

I prepare and take a shower as Amber messages me.

"Hey, I had fun last night; maybe we can do it again, or we can catch up a little and hang out anywhere—Amber"

I found myself glancing at her message; she appears to love that coffee night.

"Sure, just tell me when so I can prepare."

I replied, but she no longer responds. I guess she's too busy now. I then travel to the hospital and go right to Amanda's office.

"Hey,"

"Sit down; this case is very important. The second board member's wife has a congenital heart problem while she is pregnant, but Mr. Hokins still wants his baby to be born."

"The newborn and mother's chances of survival are both extremely low; this is not feasible! How many months is she pregnant?"

"Six months and he is certain that he wants his child and his wife alive."

"We don’t do miracles; we only cure and heal illness, but what he wants is not possible!"

"We have no choice; at least do something, and whatever the outcome, it will be all on him."

"Fine! Who will be my team, then?"

"Clark will be the anesthesiologist, and Asthra will get the baby out. The important task is with you; you can’t make mistakes, Esther. Just do what you can except for mistakes!"

Hearing how she pressured me again makes me nauseous; I want to vomit what I ate a while ago.

After I meet with Amanda, I immediately do the rounds and check on Doll's abdominal ultrasound results.

I go to the radiology lab and obtain the results, and I'm correct; she has acute appendicitis and needs to be operated on immediately.

I head towards the doll room, and Amber is there...

A fleeting gaze into each other's eyes, and then pretend as if nothing happened.

"Hey Doll, how do you feel now?"

"I am good, but my stomach is cramping hard. I always feel bloated, yet I even eat very little."

"That is usual for a person suffering from acute appendicitis; your appendix is now inflamed, and we can’t let it explode inside, or else we will do the abdominal laparotomy, in which we will open the whole abdomen itself."

"Will the surgery need to be done now?"

Amber suddenly asked.

"As much as possible, why?"

"I just started working at the same hotel yesterday, and it's the second day today; I have a very tight schedule, and I need to go to work."

I'm stopped by what she just said; it appears I'm witnessing the same events we've seen before, where we can't balance personal matters with our profession.

"She needs her guardian right now, as much as possible; it can’t be any other person but her family. Being with patients’ families after surgery will help them regain strength faster."

I can tell she was silently looking at me. Damn...don't make me say it, Amber...this is how our relationship ends...when we neglect our time for each other.

I'm not sure how she'll react, and I'm scared about pushing the boundaries, but who cares? I have every right to tell her this...

"Okay, um, I will talk to Sam; I hope she will understand me…"

"Good to hear that. I will bring Dolly now to the operating room."

We then carried her in for the pre-op procedure, and Amber stopped me before I entered the room by clutching my arm.

"Please...save her; I can’t lose my Nan."

"She is not going anywhere, and I am just going to cure her. Doll is very strong; it is only a short procedure, Ambi.

"Okay, I believe in you...I will wait here."

She said, and I entered the operating room. I can see in Ambi's eyes that she is concerned about Doll, which makes me uneasy even though the procedure is simple.

We begin the operation, and fortunately, her appendix is still inflamed but not ruptured. I execute the procedure immediately, and just when I thought everything was going well, she goes into cardiac arrest, so I rapidly prepare the defibrillator and prepare her chest.

"Clear!"

She has still not responded...

"Come on, Doll, don’t die on me!!!"

"Clear!!!

And there she is; the monitor begins to receive a response! My knees feel like they're about to drop to the floor...

I get faint for a bit and gasp for air...thank God her heart rate returns to normal.

All of her vitals are now flowing normally, so I chose to close her and then leave the operating room.

Before I go, I calm myself down and swallow some air so I can breathe properly. I can't let Amber see me like this; all I can tell her is that the surgery went well.

As I open the door, she eagerly grasps my hand, waiting for my words.

"The operation is successful, like I told you; she is a strong woman."

I stiffened right there as she hugged me tightly.

Her kindness is always the nicest; I've never received such sweet embraces from anyone...but her…

"She is now in post-op, and you can see her later; she really needs your presence and warm touch..."

I said, then walked away from the operating room, got some energy drinks in the cafeteria, and went to the rooftop.

As I felt the breeze, I slowly dropped to the floor, sat calmly, and relaxed my mind...

It has always been a delight for me to come up here...

"Another day to survive...!!!"

I shout to relieve my exhaustion, exhale, and then close my eyes...

For a few minutes, I can feel the winds caressing my exhausted body, and I relax, but when I open my eyes, I am surprised to discover a guy staring at me.

"What the fuck!"

"Oh, I'm sorry! I thought you were sleeping."

"Ah, may I assist you?"

"No... um, it is my first time here...everyone told me that this hospital has the greatest view from above and a good ambiance on the rooftop."

"Ahmm, yeah."

I answered, standing up and prepared to walk away, when he said something again.

"So I'll be seeing this great view all the time from now on...wahhh, what a great feeling standing in here."

I stopped, listening to what he was saying.

"Excuse me...are you a patient here?"

"Soon to be...I know my manager will tell me that once I get out of here..."

"Manager?"

"Yes, I am a musician; I am part of a band."

"Oh, I see. Sorry, I am not into music; I am a doctor."

"I can see that...but you seem to be distressed. Are you okay, doc?"

He said this while wearing that wonderful smile...yes, he is a man, though he seems a little younger than me, but he smiles so beautifully.

"Oh, I am fine, just tired; I just got from the operation and need some air."

"Well, it's good to know that I'll be hanging out with a doctor here; I kind of feel safe.

I'm not sure what's going on with me, but his smile is incredibly cute, which makes me feel better...

"May I ask what your—"

"—defectivity? Well, I have a heart problem... my heart is big..."

I was stopped by hearing that... Damn...he's too young to have that kind of heart disease...

"Ah, you shouldn't let yourself get tired; I suggest you go down now and go home for rest."

"Maybe later, doc."

He responded, smiling again. I guess I can't convince him just now, so I head out.

I let out my cellphone and try to hunt for a certain band; I think he is a celebrity, but I am not familiar because it is not my thing.

I was scrolling and searching for several prominent bands in the country when I came across this one; he is the vocalist of a band called Nocturnal.

They are famous and well-known. What will happen now that he needs to be hospitalized?

I searched up their names on G****e, and it led me to David Mason, who is just 25 years old and the leader of the famous band at the age of 19. Maybe I can listen to their music later.

Going to my office, the nurse approached me.

"Doc Esth, Ms. Miranda Hokins arrives; they are at the VIP room at building A. Ms. Amanda is waiting for you there too."

"Okay, thank you."

I said as I swiftly headed towards Building A after bumping into Amber in the elevator.

"Hey, I will just go back to Nan's room; they already brought her back there."

"That is good; you need to be beside her when she opens her eyes."

"I know, thank you again, Esth."

"Welcome, it is my job..."

"How I wish I could have known what a fantastic doctor you are while we were still together, but I failed to do so."

I didn't expect her to say that; I thought I was the only one who felt regret, but I can see in her eyes that she does as well.

"Well, we are still friends now, and you are seeing how my work is done; it is still the same."

"Maybe, but if it was before, I'd respect you more... I have many shortcomings between us, and I have many failures when it comes to you.”

"Is this really the time to talk about it?"

"Oh, I am sorry; ah, what I want to really say is if I can invite you for dinner later?"

"Later...ahm, I have an important meeting right now and I don’t know how long it will take, probably late at night."

"How late? I can wait..."

I was surprised by what she said; she appears to have changed as well; time is the most important thing to her, and she is now willing to wait and squander it for me...

"Ah, okay, I will go to your house after the meeting."

"Alright...I'll wait."

She murmured as the elevator opened and she stepped out, still looking at me...

Her smile is the one thing that never changes. I still prefer her grin to anyone else's...even guys who have a gorgeous smile.

Amber has two small dimples when she smiles, almond-shaped eyes with heavy yet attractive brows, thin but wavy hair...

Her entire being is what I used to adore, but she is already loved by another soul.

While wandering in my thoughts, I didn't realize I was already outside the thoracic business facility. I open the door, and there they are. I shake hands with Mr. and Mrs. Hokins, and I can see Clark and Asthra from the other department at their table.

I sit next to Asthra, and the discussion begins; we will discuss Mrs. Hokins' predicament and the possibility of surgery, as well as the risk they must incur...

Amanda was the one who explained the situation, and she started the discussion.

"Good afternoon doctors and Mr. and Mrs. Hokins, the case of our patient is very special. Mrs. Hokins has a Congenital heart disease and right now she is pregnant with her first baby, we all know the risk and possible complications, and that is the reason of this meeting. Please, Doctor, state your concern, things to explain and possible risks of her case."

Asthra begins to speak on behalf of the embryo inside, who is now six months old.

"Hello everyone, my name is Asthra, and I specialize in pediatric surgery and midwifery. The thing is, we can still keep the baby alive, but the risk will be to the mother. A normal delivery will cause too much force and pressure, which can weaken her heart, and if we do a cesarean section, we are not sure if her heart can take the pressure of CS surgery, but we will definitely create a good plan on how to execute the goal of retaining the mother's life.”

Asthra explains, and I then stand up and walk in front.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. and Mrs. Hokins. I am Doctor Esther, specializing in Thoracic and Cardiovascular surgery. as I look into Mrs. Hokins' case, having a congenital heart disease may lead her to miscarriage or failure to deliver her baby. having a heart disease for a pregnant woman can be fatal for both, or we will need to choose who will be save between the two. that is the normal risk factor. our heart muscle is built with a very special and sensitive kind of muscle. all the tubes, valves and arteries has a special function, but when the time that it will becomes weak because of the disease, it will be fatal for the body. being pregnant may be a great risk factors because of the pressure that it will bring to the heart at the time of delivery, but we will do our best to look for any other way to reach our goal. it will not be easy and very complicated, but we will do what we can."

I said, and I can see the hope in Mrs. Hokins' eyes; she trusted us, so we will do the right thing.

As the meeting concludes, Amanda is with the couple leaving the hospital, and the three of us doctors have exited the room.

"We should study this case further since we still have time. I will request the result of the patient's prenatal check-up until delivery."

Asthra said.

"I may need all the information about her congenital disease and the possible compensatory effect of it; a weak heart can lead to other diseases, so I might need a full history of the patient."

I replied.

"Her state will be very sensitive at the time of the surgery; I may do an extra hand and extra measures for her. We all need to study this case very well."

Clark replied, and the three of us simply let out a sigh to clear our minds.

The meeting lasts over an hour and a half; I check the time, and it is already 10 p.m. I check my cellphone, and Amber has messaged me that she will wait; I hurriedly prepare myself to go and head to her place.

One tap on the door, and she opens it. Her lovely grin appears to brighten my tired eyes; her presence has always been a source of strength for me.

"Hi."

"Hey."

"Ah, come in."

I sit down on the couch, but she takes my hand and allows me to sit on the chair at the table.

She pulled the chair for me, which was unusual before...

We don't have time to be sweet and romantic; we just need normal sweetness.

"Wow, still remember my food."

"Of course, how can I forget it?"

"The kind of fried chicken you always cook for me, the chicken soup with ginger, my favorite!"

"I know you love that."

"How about you? Do you still enjoy the shells and mussels’ stew with green vegetables? I recall when we went to an exotic restaurant and all you did was eat the shells and the mussels’ stew! I was very anxious because it is still a seafood that you usually have stomach pain after eating."

"Hahaha, I just love how they cook my favorite food; I have almost finished five plates! Hahaha."

"That is absurd. Every time I remember it, I eat everything you can with only one meal! Hahaha."

And our dinner begins with laughter while remembering the past...