Matters arising

Chapter Three

Emily

The entire courtyard fell silent.

Not the comfortable kind of silence, but the  kind that wrapped around you, heavy enough to make every heartbeat sound louder than it should.

I remained on the ground for one humiliating second too long.

My palms stung from hitting the ground, and I could feel tiny grains of gravel digging into my skin. The white skirt I'd carefully handpicked that morning was now streaked with dirt.

Wonderful.

Someone coughed.

Another person whispered.

Then came the laughter.

Not loud, but enough to make my cheeks burn.

I pushed myself to my feet before anyone could offer a hand. My fingers brushed frantically over my skirt, dusting off invisible specks that refused to disappear. The wrinkles remained. So did the shame and dirt that increased on my skirt.

Don't cry.

Not here.

Anything but here.

I kept my eyes fixed on the ground.

If I looked up, I'd meet dozens of curious faces.

And one face in particular.

I didn't have to search for him to know he was still there.

Watching.

The thought alone made my stomach twist.

Without saying a word, I turned and walked away. Not too fast though.

Running would only make everyone stare harder.

Each step felt painfully loud against the tiled walkway.

The whispers followed anyway.

I didn't dare look back.

Not once.

Only when I reached the backyard did I finally stop.

The sounds from the outreach faded into the distance, replaced by birds rustling in nearby trees and the gentle sway of leaves overhead.

I bent slightly, resting my hands on my knees as I drew in one slow breath after another.

My heartbeat refused to settle.

"Fantastic," I muttered under my breath.

My laugh came out hollow.

"Absolutely fantastic."

I tipped my head back toward the sky and squeezed my eyes shut.

If embarrassment could kill, I'd already be buried.

What a first impression.

The image replayed in my head without mercy.

I groaned softly and covered my face.

"Nope."

I wasn't going back in there.

Not today.

Grandma could lecture me for abandoning the outreach.

She could complain for an entire week if she wanted.

I'd survive that.

Walking back into that courtyard?

Never.

Decision made, I turned on my heel.

And collided with someone.

Again.

"Ouch!"

My forehead met something solid.

Really solid.

I staggered backward, rubbing the sore spot with one hand.

Please don't let it—

I looked up.

Of course.

It was him.

He stood there with one hand tucked into his pocket, looking entirely too relaxed for someone who had become today's greatest inconvenience.

His lips curved into the smallest smile.

Not mocking exactly.

But close enough.

I folded my arms immediately.

"What?"

His brows lifted.

"Nothing."

A soft chuckle escaped him.

"Oops."

He lifted both hands in mock surrender.

"She's angry."

"And why will I be?"

"I don't know....maybe because you fell"

Heat climbed my neck. "You caused it!" I regretted the words immediately it came out of my mouth. 

"And here I thought I wasn't the one who made you fall." He tilted. 

There it was.

That tiny hint of amusement hiding beneath his calm voice.

I narrowed my eyes.

"You seem very entertained."

His smile only widened, just enough to annoy me.

"Why do you keep appearing everywhere I go?" I demanded.

"Do I?"

"Yes."

"I could ask you the same question."

I blinked.

"What?"

"The first time we met, you bumped into me."

He counted on one finger.

"The second time, coffee."

Another finger.

"And now this."

His gaze dropped briefly to the distance between us before returning to mine.

"Beginning to think you're following me."

"What?"

I stared at him.

Was this man serious?

"I should be saying that!"

He shrugged.

"Fair enough."

I opened my mouth.

Closed it.

Opened it again.

Nothing came out.

He simply stood there looking infuriatingly calm.

Somehow, that made everything worse.

Finally, he stepped aside. 

I shot him one last glare before brushing past him.

As I walked away, I refused to look back.

I absolutely refused.

Yet somehow...

I could still feel it.

His eyes lingered on me until I disappeared around the corner.

And for reasons I couldn't explain...

That bothered me far more than it should have.

By the time I got home, I'd held myself together for exactly as long as I could.

The front door had barely clicked shut behind me before my bag slipped from my shoulder and landed on the floor with a dull thud.

I didn't bother picking it up.

I leaned against the door, pressing both palms against the wood as though it was the only thing keeping me upright.

The tears came anyway.

Hot.

Silent at first.

Then another escaped.

And another.

A shaky laugh left my lips.

"So much for holding it together."

I dragged the back of my hand across my face, only for fresh tears to replace the ones I'd wiped away.

The house was unusually quiet.

Grandma was still at the outreach, just like everyone else in the neighborhood.

For once, I was grateful.

I wouldn't want to worry grandma. 

Slowly, I walked to the living room and sank onto the couch.

My chest rose and fell unevenly.

It wasn't because I'd fallen.

That wasn't why this hurt so much.

The fall had simply peeled open wounds that had never truly healed.

Tristan.

His name drifted through my thoughts like an unwelcome visitor.

It's been three days.

I could still remember the promises.

The plans.

The future we'd spoken about as though nothing could ever separate us.

Funny.

The same mouth that had promised forever was the one that ended everything without looking back.

My fingers curled into the cushion beside me.

"You'll never know peace," I whispered into the empty room.

The words sounded small.

Fragile.

I swallowed hard.

"Not after what you did."

Silence answered me.

After several long minutes, I wiped my face with both hands and forced myself to stand.

Life hadn't stopped because my heart had once been broken.

There were patients waiting somewhere.

Upcoming doctors looking up to me.

A hospital carrying my parents' name.

I couldn't remain trapped in memories forever.

Two weeks passed.

Quietly.

The outreach became another memory, buried beneath meetings, paperwork, video conferences and endless reports from the hospital.

Each day followed the same routine.

Wake up.

Respond to emails. 

Eat when I remembered.

Sleep.

Repeat.

The silence should have comforted me, yet somehow it felt unnatural as this has been my longest break.

Late that afternoon, I was sorting through a stack of medical journals in my room when my phone rang.

The name flashing across the screen made me answer immediately.

"Talk to me."

"Ma'am."

Xena's usually composed voice carried an urgency I hadn't heard in a week.

"The board has been asking for you."

I frowned.

"The board?"

"Yes."

"What happened?"

"They didn't tell me much."

A brief pause followed.

"They only said your presence is needed as soon as possible."

I set the journal aside.

"They couldn't wait?"

"I'm afraid not."

Something tightened in my chest.

The board rarely called emergency meetings without a reason.

Gifted Hands Hospital had survived tougher seasons than this.

Whatever had happened couldn't be ordinary.

"I'll take the first flight tomorrow morning."

Relief escaped through the phone.

"I'll meet you at the airport."

"Good."

"And Emily..." her informal, sounded bestie friend tone came in.

"Hm?"

"They sounded serious."

"I figured."

The call ended.

I stared at the blank screen for several seconds before lowering the phone onto the bed.

President.

Sometimes I forgot the title belonged to me.

Other days...

It felt far too heavy.

Gifted Hands Hospital wasn't just another private hospital.

It carried my parents' names.

Their sacrifices.

Their dreams.

Now every decision rested on my shoulders.

Failure wasn't an option.

A soft knock interrupted my thoughts.

I looked up.

Grandma stood by the doorway, wiping her hands on the edge of her wrapper.

"So..."

She smiled.

"You're leaving again." 

I returned a small smile. She must have heard the conversation. 

"I have to."

She walked into the room and sat beside me.

"What happened this time?"

"I'm not sure."

I tapped the side of my nose absentmindedly, a habit she'd teased me about since childhood.

"The board wants me back."

She watched me quietly.

"You've been doing that since you were little. And now you are still doing it. You must ne worried right?"

I lowered my hand without realizing it.

"I didn't even notice."

"I know."

She reached over and squeezed my hand.

"You've inherited your mother's habit of carrying every burden alone."

A lump settled in my throat.

"I just have a bad feeling."

Grandma held my gaze for a long moment before shaking her head gently.

"I don't."

"You don't?"

"No."

She smiled, though it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"I think whatever is coming..."

She paused.

"...is something you were always meant to face."

Her words lingered long after she left the room.

That night, as I packed my suitcase for the trip back to the city, I couldn't shake the feeling that my life was quietly standing at the edge of something far bigger than I could see.