*~~Chapter Five~~*

{~~Avery Sterling~~}

When the CMO asked one of the nurses in training to go and get my husband, I straightened up and told myself to wait for him to arrive. But the patient was screaming, and the CMO couldn’t figure out what to do, so I suggested I take a look. As the medic alpha’s nurse, I should be able to gather information so I can pass it on to him. So the medic alpha doesn’t have to stress himself, he can just focus on the patient.

It took me five minutes but I figured it out. The man was refusing to tell us the real truth but I could see it.

“You got an infection, that’s what shattered your hips. It’s common in zeta wolves over sixty who have sex with infected omegas.” the man stared at me in shock.

“No, I fell.... I-” he looked at his wife, an older woman who was glaring daggers at me.

“Are you insinuating that I gave my husband this infection?”

“No. It’s a parasite. Something that omegas can contract if they’ve recently swarmed around in murky waters and didn’t clean their bodies thoroughly. The injury doesn’t make sense. If he had fallen off the stairs, at the angle he mentioned, he’d have broken more than just his hips.”

The wife was stunned, but she didn’t seem to believe me. And that is normal.

“You’re not the doctor.”

“True. But I am the nurse. And if the doctor confirms my words, what will you do then? Deny that your husband had an affair with someone unclean? Did you see him trip down the stairs?”

“No, but I heard him scream and he was at the bottom of the stairs.”

I put my gloves on and reached for his head. Turning it to the side so I could inspect it. “No bruise, just as I suspected. The only injury is his shattered hip bones. I know it’s hard to believe but this is the works of a parasite. Let me explain how it works.”

So I went into detail, making sure to use simpler words instead of the medical terms that would confuse a regular person. The man kept pitching in with screams, and denial. Still, I continued, the wife was paying attention and nodding. She had switched from angry to interested. Following me word for word. I was listing out the ways to solve his problem and get rid of the parasite permanently as just healing wouldn’t fix it when a hand touched my shoulder.

My bones nearly took flight out of my body, but I managed to keep myself in check. I turned, expecting the CMO to be there, and he was. Only he wasn’t alone.

Logan was standing next to him. He looked displeased. Had I stepped out of line? I tried to keep my face steady.

“Doctor Grey, I was just-”

He gave me a look that told me to be quiet. “Sorry for the delay. I hope my nurse didn’t upset you. We haven’t decided on what the issue is but I’ll get to work on your husband. It shouldn’t take long if he simply fell.” then he paused, noting that the woman’s eyes were still on me.

“The nurse said if I remember it correctly, that if it’s just treated without removing the parasite, the consequences can be dire. Please check for the parasite. If what she says is true, then I need to know I’m going to prison for killing my husband while he was healthy.”

My spine stiffened. The older woman looked creepy as her face brightened with a cruel grin. The man looked terrified. I couldn’t even blame him.

I would be in the same boat if a nurse exposed me for having a dirty affair and my wife just flat out said she’d delete me from life if it was true. I kept to myself as Logan gave me another displeased expression. His stormy eyes locked onto mine, and he made a gesture asking me to leave. I was ready too when the CMO spoke.

“She’s your nurse, Doctor Grey, she does this with you. Ma’am, please, let me take you off here while we prep your husband for healing.”

I wanted to ask them both to stay because the moment the door shut, Logan turned to fully face me.

“Administer some morphine while I get ready.”

“Logan-”

“You can follow orders, can’t you? You’re a nurse, not the medic alpha. Let this be the last time you give a diagnosis without my fucking permission.”

I frowned and nodded. I went over to the man. Paying attention to the amount of morphine I gave to the patient. Logan's words stayed in my mind but I kept myself strong. He wouldn’t fall for a weak woman. I have to try to be strong. To hold back my emotions even when his words hurt.

In reality, he wouldn’t make a good medic alpha at the university I went to. The rules there were clear. A medic alpha might be exceptional, but even they needed nurses. They relied too much on the standards and their scents. As nurses, we think outside the box. And we piece things together at a quicker pace.

This should have been a short, interesting thing, but Logan made it dull and quiet. He basically told me to stand in the corner while he did everything, and when he cut the man open- because yes with how shattered his hip bone was, it needed to be put back together by hand- he did it all without my help. Even though I could have made the process quicker.

I did have to put the patient out- like give him a drug so he’d go unconscious for just two hours. That was all. By the time he was done, I was ready to leave. I had to ask myself why I thought Logan was the best at everything.

I let myself sigh, and I turned to leave when he stopped me.

“You’re working overnight.”

“But I-”

“But nothing. My parents are still in town, and I would rather have a quiet dinner with them. Without you present. Can you at least do that? Or do I have to divorce you? Should I find another woman to take your place? You’re already failing me on the first day. Are you that incompetent?”

His words were daggers to my heart, and I curled my fingers into a fist. Don’t cry, I murmured to myself.

“My apologies. I can do that. This won’t happen again.”

He stared at me for long before snickering. “Ava better come back to me soon,” he murmured under his breath but i still heard it. I shakily picked up the petri dish where he’d kept the micro parasite, and got to work disposing of it. The other nurses would clean the room, and move the patient.

I have to push through. It may sound like logan hates me but that’s because he doesn’t know me. I can be fun. I can be just what he wants even better. My sister isn’t coming back. Ava would never admit to being wrong, so he’s holding on to false hope.

I will be here. He’ll see. He’ll see who the better twin is. I just need to not take hsi words to the heart, he’s just hurt. Hurt people say bad things. That doesn’t make him a jerk.