Chapter 5 - Shadows in the Corridor
Twenty grueling minutes later, the emergency episode was successfully contained, and Patrick Ror was stabilized under a heavy dose of sedatives and intravenous blockers. Audrey stepped out into the quiet corridor, wiping a bead of sweat from her forehead with the back of her wrist, feeling completely drained of energy. She spotted Callum standing alone at the far end of the hallway, leaning against the large glass window that overlooked the glittering city skyline below. His security detail was nowhere in sight, having retreated to the lobby per his earlier strict orders to keep the floor clear. Audrey walked over to the vending machine near the window, dropped two crumpled dollar bills into the slot, and purchased two paper cups of bitter hospital coffee. She carried them over, extending one toward him without a word.
Callum stared down at the steaming paper cup as if it were a foreign object.
“You confiscated my father’s espresso,” he remarked quietly, not looking away from the dark windowpane.
“And your father had a near-fatal cardiac event because of it,” Audrey countered, taking a small sip of her own drink.
“And I didn’t.”
“Not yet, at least.”
Callum finally turned his head, a faint, weary smirk touching the corner of his mouth as he accepted the cup from her hand. Their fingers brushed briefly against the cardboard, sending a sudden, unexpected jolt of static through the quiet space between them.
“You don’t seem to be afraid of anyone, Nurse Hail,” Callum observed, his dark eyes searching her face for any sign of artifice.
“Fear doesn’t pay medical school debts, Mr. Ror, nor does it keep patients alive,” she replied evenly, leaning her shoulder against the cool glass beside him. “Your uncle Malcolm isn’t going to let this go. He saw how easily you cleared the floor for my medical orders.”
Callum’s expression darkened instantly, the warmth vanishing from his eyes to be replaced by cold steel.
“Malcolm is ambitious, and he mistakes my father’s illness for a vacancy sign,” Callum said, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. “He thinks he can step into our operations while my family is distracted.”
“Your family’s operations are your business,” Audrey said firmly, drawing a sharp boundary. “My business is keeping bed four breathing. If your family feuds keep triggering his heart monitor, I’m going to ban you both.”
Callum let out a short, genuine laugh of disbelief, shaking his head slowly.
May you like
“You really would, wouldn’t you?”
“Try me.”
