Hospital

The sterile smell of antiseptic hung heavily in the emergency room, mingling with the soft beeping of monitors and the low murmur of hurried voices. The hospital was busy tonight- busier than usual. Nurses rushed past in a blur of white, doctors with tired eyes read charts, and medical staff wheeled gurneys back and forth, attending to patients in need.

Dr. Archer Clyfford stood near the nurse’s station, his jaw clenched in frustration as he scrubbed his hands. His day had been nothing short of a disaster. Every case seemed to go wrong, and every patient had been another reminder of the things he couldn’t control. He was angry, and he didn’t even know who or what he was angry at anymore. It was just one of those days.

But then, in the corner of his eye, he noticed the commotion by the ambulance bay. A stretcher was wheeled in with a patient who looked barely conscious, blood smeared across her legs and gown. Medical staff buzzed around her, barking orders, but something about the scene pulled his attention. Something about her.

Archer wiped his hands on a towel, his eyes narrowing as he took a second look. The patient’s face, pale and stricken with pain, seemed familiar. His heart froze for a split second, then dropped like a stone into the pit of his stomach.

It was Violet.

“No… no, no, no.”

He stood there, paralyzed, his mind spinning. How could this be happening? Violet- the girl he once knew so well. His hands clenched the edge of the counter, knuckles turning white as he struggled to process what he was seeing. She was barely conscious, her body trembling, her breath ragged. Blood stained her clothes, dark and ominous. It was impossible to miss the look of fear and pain etched on her face. Panic surged through him as the realization hit- this wasn’t just any emergency patient. This was Violet.

He threw down the towel, eyes wide with a mixture of shock and rage. “Where the hell is Christian?” he muttered under his breath, his heart pounding in his chest. He scanned the room, expecting to see Christian rushing in behind the stretcher, holding Violet’s hand, looking worried or something.

But Christian was nowhere to be seen.

Where is he?

Archer’s pulse quickened as a cold dread settled over him. His eyes darted around the room, searching for anyone- anyone -who might be there for her. But the medical staff surrounding her were strangers. There was no one else. No husband. No family.

She was alone.

“Doctor!” one of the nurses called, pulling him out of his daze. She motioned for him to come over, and he immediately rushed to Violet’s side, his mind racing. His eyes flicked to the other doctors prepping for emergency treatment.

“Who brought her in?” Archer asked sharply, turning to the nurse as they began to check Violet’s vitals. His voice was hard, bordering on anger.

“A paramedic,” the nurse answered, her voice rushed. “There were a lot of people at the house, but... no one came with her in the ambulance.”

Archer’s stomach twisted into knots. He turned his gaze back to Violet, who winced in pain, her hands clutching her swollen belly. No one came with her?

“Are you saying her husband wasn’t there?” Archer’s voice was tense, the muscles in his jaw tightening with each word.

The nurse shook her head. “No one. They just called an ambulance, and there were a lot of people at the house. But none of them… None of them came with her.” She lowered her voice. “There were so many people there, doctor. But not a single one came with her.”

The nurse’s words hung in the air like a punch to the gut. Archer’s heart raced with anger, his teeth grinding in disbelief. His mind reeled at the thought. How could they leave her like this?

Christian.

The name seared through his mind like fire, and the anger that had been simmering all day now reached a boiling point. Christian- her husband -was supposed to be there. He was supposed to be at her side, holding her hand, making sure she was safe. But instead… instead, she was abandoned. Left alone in her time of need.

Archer’s breath quickened as the fury swelled within him. His hands clenched into fists as he fought the urge to yell, to curse Christian’s name out loud. He felt like the room was closing in around him, the sheer injustice of it choking him.

“She’s pregnant,” the nurse added, glancing at Violet with concern. “It’s bad, Dr. Clyfford. She’s losing a lot of blood. We’re stabilizing her now, but…” Her voice trailed off, the unspoken fear clear in her eyes.

Archer could barely hear her over the sound of his own heartbeat pounding in his ears. Pregnant? Of course, he knew. He knew that she and Christian were expecting. He had heard about it through mutual acquaintances, but now the sight of her, bleeding and in pain, made everything feel so much more real. So much more wrong.

“I’ll take care of her,” he growled, his voice low and dangerous. His eyes flicked to the doctor who was supposed to be handling Violet’s case. He grabbed the man by the arm, pulling him aside roughly. “Do whatever it takes to keep her stable. She’s not losing this baby.”

The other doctor nodded, wide-eyed, knowing better than to argue with the fiery determination in Archer’s gaze. Archer took a deep breath, his mind a storm of emotions. He couldn’t believe this was happening. Couldn’t believe that Christian- of all people -had left her like this. What kind of man abandons his wife, pregnant and bleeding, to face this nightmare alone?

As the medical team moved Violet into the operating room, Archer followed closely, his hands gripping the edges of the gurney. His thoughts raced back to all the times he had seen her happy, laughing, full of life. And now… now she looked so fragile. So broken.

His jaw tightened as the image of Christian’s indifferent face flooded his mind. Where the hell was he? What kind of man leaves his wife alone in this condition?

Archer’s fists clenched again, his nails digging into his palms. He had always thought Christian wasn’t good enough for her, but he had no idea it was this bad. No idea he could be this cruel. A surge of protectiveness washed over him, his resolve hardening. If Christian was the reason Violet was in this condition, if he had anything to do with her suffering, Archer would make sure he paid for it. He would not let this go.

“Doctor Clyfford,” one of the nurses called, pulling him back to the present. “We’re ready to begin. We need to stabilize her immediately. The bleeding-”

“I know,” Archer cut her off, his voice sharp. He was barely holding himself together, his mind still seething with anger. “Let’s get to work!”

He stepped back, watching as the other doctors prepared to do everything they could to save Violet and the baby. His heart ached at the sight of her, lying there so helpless. But as much as he wanted to, he couldn’t do anything but stand back and let the medical team do their job.

And then, as they worked, Archer stood by, his thoughts consumed by one thing.

Christian.

The bastard was going to pay for this.

The longer he stood there, the more his anger festered. His mind raced with thoughts of what he would do when he saw Christian next. He wanted to scream, to drag him to the hospital and make him see what he had done. Make him feel the pain Violet was enduring right now.

His teeth ground together, his jaw aching from the tension. Archer wasn’t just angry anymore- he was furious.

“Stay strong, Violet,” he whispered to himself, his eyes locked on her pale face. “I’m here now. You’re not alone.”

And as they worked to save her, Archer vowed that he would make sure Violet never had to face this kind of pain again. He would protect her. He would be the one who stood by her when everyone else abandoned her. And if Christian thought he could walk away from this unscathed, he was about to learn just how wrong he was.