Elias held Callie close, his lips gently brushing her forehead.With a sigh, he spoke, his voice tinged with concern. ‘You’re always looking out for everyone else, darling—Harriet, the patients, and me. But when do you ever look after yourself?’Callie smiled.She always wore a gentle smile, the one that made it seem like she carried the weight of the world on her shoulders without complaint.Even when she wasn’t happy, it felt like no one would notice.But she was his wife, and he sure as hell didn’t want to be the one neglecting her.She’d risked her career and medical license to save Harriet, even if Elias hadn’t asked.He might not have been a doctor, but he could still see the danger in that gunshot wound on Harriet’s chest.Elias couldn’t be with Callie in the operating theatre, but he could imagine the icy tension and the immense pressure the surgeons were under.Callie leaned against Elias and sighed contentedly.The rhythm of her heartbeat pulsed beneath his hand, but her hea
Elias’s breaths brushed against her neck, his lips grazing her delicate skin.‘Elias!’ Callie’s spine tingled. ‘I’m trying to have a serious chat here. Quit fooling around and get some rest.’She pulled back and playfully nudged him. ‘Off you go, back to your dorm.’She sent Elias on his way, his eyes filled with affection.Then, she headed to the intensive care unit to check on Harriet, who was still unconscious but stable.Afterwards, Callie got busy with her morning rounds, but the chilly air made her fingers stiff.Wendy couldn’t help but laugh. ‘Callie, you still can’t handle the cold. Let me see those hands.’Wendy took Callie’s hands and noticed they had turned red. ‘You’re freezing!’Callie grinned. ‘Looks like I might be growing frozen carrots.’Wendy teased, ‘Should I tell General Westwood? He might be quite concerned.’Callie chuckled. ‘Wendy, don’t be ridiculous.’Wendy persisted. ‘What’s absurd about it? Someone’s got to speak up since you won’t.’Callie shook her head. ‘
‘Harriet, can you hear me?’ Callie’s soft voice reached Harriet’s ears as she slowly came to. ‘Can you open your eyes for me?’With her strength returning bit by bit, Harriet blinked, cracked her eyes open, and focused on Callie.Realising Harriet no longer needed the oxygen mask, Callie gently removed it. ‘Harriet, how are you feeling?’‘Callie... Elias... See him...’ Harriet whispered, her voice feeble.‘No, you can’t,’ Callie replied firmly. ‘You’ve just woken up, and you’re still weak. Anything you need to tell Elias can wait until you’re in better shape.’Harriet disagreed but understood Callie’s point.She tried to speak again but realised how weak her voice was.Callie reassured her with a smile. ‘You are just out of a major surgery. Don’t push it. I promise to let Elias know you’re awake, and once you’re up to it, you can chat with him.’Reluctantly, Harriet accepted the advice and decided to rest.Callie made a mental note to inform Elias later about Harriet waking up.Close
The frostbite on Callie’s hand wasn’t as bad as yesterday, but it still looked a bit swollen, tugging at Elias’s heart.Elias crouched down, resting his forehead against Callie’s, his eyes locking onto her almond-shaped ones. ‘Does it hurt?’‘Not really.’‘Seriously?’Callie nodded, her cheeks warming as his breath caressed her face.Despite the chaos of the borderland they lived in, the scene sent her heart aflutter.Elias, a rugged man, stood before her in the snow, gazing at her with profound affection.‘Elias, I’m truly fine.’‘Alright.’Elias gently removed the glove from her other hand, sliding his own into her white coat pocket.From his military coat pocket, Elias produced a pair of leather gloves, passing them to Callie.‘I don’t like you wearing other men’s gloves,’ he stated firmly. ‘You’re mine. I don’t want the scent of other men on you.’Elias knew those gloves were from Jamison, meant to keep Callie warm.But he couldn’t bear the thought of another man caring for her.S
‘Whether you admit it or not, she’s still waiting for you. She’ll wait until you fall in love with her again.’‘That’s impossible,’ Elias interrupted Jamison. ‘I won’t fall in love with her.’‘I hope so.’Jamison’s eyes were as cold as ice, and he stared mercilessly at Elias.‘I hope you continue to bring happiness to Callie. I’ll be watching from the sidelines. But if one day you hurt her, and she’s disappointed in you, I won’t hesitate to take her away.’‘That’s never going to happen.’Jamison stopped talking.He adjusted the collar of his white coat and returned to the infirmary’s examination room.***As time passed, the gunshot wound on Harriet’s chest gradually healed.Being one of the highest-ranking officers on the base, she had a team of doctors taking shifts to ensure her recovery went smoothly.On this particular day, it was Angelia’s turn to tend to her.Lately, Angelia had been unusually quiet, often spending entire days without uttering a word to anyone.Her once radiant
Without hesitation, Ramiro swiftly produced a collection of cloth strips in various colours.Jamison distributed the cloth, his expression grave as he explained, ‘Green signals they’re relatively stable, yellow means they require more attention, and red screams for immediate treatment. Black... well, that’s a sign we’ve done all we can. Assign the appropriate colour to each patient, and let’s prioritise red, then yellow, and finally green.’Without wasting a moment, the doctors snatched up the cloth strips and began assessing the injured.Callie, with her heart racing, affixed a yellow cloth to two wounded soldiers and a red one to another.But then, a violent cough nearby caught her attention.Her gaze landed on a young soldier, barely in his twenties, coughing up blood.His abdomen was a gruesome sight, despite his futile attempts to shield it.Callie clenched her teeth and pulled out a red cloth strip from her pocket, swiftly tying it to the soldier’s arm, indicating it was an emer
Callie gasped. ‘What on earth are you doing?’Jamison’s voice quivered with emotion. ‘Trust me, I can treat you better than Elias. I’ll be there for you, and I will never hurt you.’‘Jamison, please, let me go!’ Callie pleaded, struggling to break free from his grasp. ‘Don’t do this.’But Jamison held her firmly, his desperation plain to see.‘Callie, why can’t you give me a chance?’ he implored.‘It’s not you, it’s me,’ Callie sobbed, tears streaming down her face. ‘I’m falling deeper in love with Elias every day. I never thought I’d care about someone so much that it hurts to be around others. You’re wonderful, kind, but now you’re scaring me. I don’t know how to face you. Please, just let me go.’As Jamison gazed at Callie, a profound sense of regret washed over him.Callie was crying profusely.Her pale face was wet with tears.She bit her lip so hard that it bled.As Jamison gazed at her, pain filled his eyes. ‘Do you truly love him that much?’‘Yes!’‘He’s not worthy of you.’ Ja
Elias held Callie close.‘I won’t let you go,’ he whispered. ‘Unless I die.’‘Elias, don’t say that!’ Callie covered his mouth with her palm. ‘I don’t want to hear that word.’‘What word? The D word?’She glared at him. ‘You are still saying it!’Elias chuckled. ‘I meant, dinner.’He held her hand. ‘Hungry? I hear they are serving beef stew in the canteen.’***The infirmary buzzed with activity as a fresh wave of wounded patients filled the space, leaving doctors and nurses utterly drained.Within the limited confines of the consultation room, Callie and Jamison’s paths crossed occasionally.They both stayed occupied, wisely avoiding any mention of their impulsive kiss to spare themselves the awkwardness.The wounded included soldiers from the base and residents of the Engalia border near Kurtazagg.These border dwellers, born in this rugged region, found themselves living a nomadic life due to Kurtazagg’s internal chaos and the illegal actions of mercenaries.Though her days were ch