On Our Fifth Anniversary My Husband Begged Me Not to Leave Chapter 06

On Our Fifth Anniversary My Husband Begged Me Not to Leave Chapter 06

The moment I recognized Maren Walsh, my entire body went rigid.

“I’m requesting a different assistant.” I instinctively tried to sit up.

The doctor pushed me back down. “What are you doing? Nurse Walsh is one of the finest nurses in our entire department. Other patients can’t even get her assigned to their surgeries. The fact that she came personally to assist is your good fortune.”

I wanted to say more.

But the anesthesiologist was already approaching with the needle. “Just relax. You’ll fall asleep and it’ll all be over.”

The icy liquid slid slowly through my veins. My consciousness began to blur. The last image before my eyes was Maren Walsh standing beneath the surgical light, staring down at me with that dark, venomous smile.

I don’t know how long it had been when the pain finally woke me. A crushing, dragging ache gripped my lower abdomen, like something was still flowing out of me without end. I opened my eyes. The hospital room was empty and silent. Only Maren Walsh was there, filling out nursing charts at the station.

“I’m… I’m not feeling well.” My voice came out weak and thin.

Maren Walsh walked over and glanced at me. Her expression was perfectly calm. “That’s a normal post-operative response. It happens to everyone. Just rest and it’ll pass.” With that, she lowered her head and went back to her notes.

But as the minutes crawled by, that spinning, dizzy sensation only grew worse and worse. Soon I could barely breathe.

I lifted my hand with tremendous effort. “Nurse…”

Maren Walsh finally looked up. Her brow furrowed slightly. “Don’t be so anxious. Everyone feels weak after surgery. We’ll keep you under observation.” Without another word, she turned and walked out.

I lay there on the hospital bed, my consciousness slipping further and further away.

In my haze, someone burst through the door. “Stella!” It was my best friend. By then, I couldn’t form a single word. All I could do was grab her hand with the last of my strength.

My best friend looked down at the sheets. Her face went white. “Doctor! Get a doctor in here now! She’s hemorrhaging!”

The room erupted into chaos. Footsteps pounded from every direction. “Her blood pressure’s crashing!” “Start treatment immediately!” “Get the fluids ready!” A frantic blur of noise surrounded me, and then I lost consciousness completely.

When I came to again, it was already evening. I was alone in the hospital room. Through the door, I could hear a furious argument raging outside.

“You call this ‘no issues’?” It was my best friend’s voice. I’d never heard her so angry. “The patient nearly bled out into hypovolemic shock! What if I hadn’t found her in time? Is this how your hospital takes care of its patients?”

There was a long pause. Then Maren Walsh’s voice, thick with tears. “I’m so sorry… I really thought it was just a normal reaction… I’ve seen so many patients go through the exact same thing before… I didn’t do it on purpose…”

My best friend was so furious her voice trembled. “Didn’t do it on purpose? You think one ‘I didn’t mean to’ makes this all go away? She almost died!”

And then, a voice I knew all too well. “That’s enough.”

My breath caught in my throat. It was Ethan.

“Dr. Hayes…” Maren Walsh sounded like she’d finally found solid ground, her voice breaking into sobs. “I really didn’t mean for any of this to happen…”

Ethan’s voice was low and soothing. “Don’t be afraid. I’ll handle this.”

My best friend let out a bitter, incredulous laugh. “Handle it? How exactly do you plan to handle it? She nearly killed someone!”

Ethan’s tone was severe. “Nurse Walsh is one of the most outstanding nursing professionals in this hospital. In all these years, she’s never had a single major error. She followed standard observation protocol. At this point, there’s no evidence suggesting any negligence on her part. I trust her professional judgment.”

My best friend’s voice came out strangled. “Ethan! Do you even know who’s lying in that room?!”

Ethan was silent for a moment. When he spoke again, his voice was still perfectly composed. “You’re Stella’s friend. But I won’t bend the rules or show favoritism just because of that personal connection.”

He thought she was advocating for one of her own family members.

My best friend was so furious she couldn’t even speak. I heard Ethan’s footsteps retreating, still shielding Maren Walsh as they faded into the distance.

Soon, new voices drifted in from outside. “Dr. Hayes is so good to Nurse Walsh. He protected her the entire time.” “If I were Nurse Walsh, I’d marry him in a heartbeat.” “They’re honestly so perfect together. The best doctor and the best nurse in our whole hospital. I’m dying of envy.”

Every word drove into my heart like a needle.

The hospital room door pushed open. My best friend walked in, her eyes rimmed red. When she saw I was awake, panic flashed across her face and she rushed to cover my ears. “Don’t listen to any of that. It’s all vicious nonsense.”

I gently pulled her hands down and managed a faint smile. “It’s okay. I’ve already let go.”

I’d walked through the gates of death itself. What could I possibly still be holding on to?

Just as the words left my mouth, my phone buzzed on the bedside table. The caller ID read: Ethan.

My best friend’s expression instantly soured. “He actually has the nerve to call you?”

I felt strangely calm. I pressed the answer button. A second later, his familiar voice came through, laced with irritation. “Stella, where the hell are you?”