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CHAPTER 1

Kimberley was walking through the hallway of the hospital, heading for the director’s office when she heard someone calling her name, her steps steady and purposeful as the usual hospital activity carried on around her.

“Dr. Wright, Dr. Wright!” She turned around and noticed a nurse running towards her, clearly in a hurry and trying to catch up.

“I’m so sorry to bother you,” the nurse said panting heavily making Kimberley wonder how long she had been running, her breathing uneven as she tried to compose herself.

“Hold on, take a deep breath, and tell me what the matter is,” Kimberley said to the nurse who nodded and did as she was told, taking a moment to steady her breath before talking once again.

“I wanted to give you the medical report of the patient in Room 406 you asked me to prepare.”

“Oh, that. Thanks.” Kimberley replied after the nurse was done with her explanation and collected the medical report from the nurse before resuming her way toward the director’s office, her focus returning to what she had originally set out to do.

Kimberley eventually reached the door to the director’s office but stood there staring blankly at the name tag on the door, her hand hovering slightly as hesitation crept in. She internally prayed that her request would be granted. Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door and reached for the doorknob when she heard a muffled,

‘come in’

“Dr. Wright, what brings you here?” Dr. Cullen, the hospital’s director asked looking a bit surprised by her presence, his attention now fully on her.

“I’m sorry I came here unannounced, your secretary wasn’t at her desk. I hope I’m not a bother?” Kimberley quietly asked, her voice calm but carrying a hint of uncertainty.

“You know you’re never a bother to me. Have a seat.” Dr. Cullen said gesturing for Kimberley to sit down on one of the chairs across his desk. She gave a polite smile and did as she was told, settling into the chair.

Kimberley knew Dr. Cullen was being this nice to her because although she was young, she was one of the best doctors the hospital had, and that alone had earned her a certain level of respect.

Seeing the interest in Dr. Cullen’s eyes as to what she was going to tell him made her feel like a terrible person. She knew he was thinking that she came here with some suggestions in regards to the hospital like she occasionally did, but no, she was here for a personal reason. Saving lives was her priority as a doctor but being with her fiancé was also important to her because she rarely saw him due to his nature of work and this was her only chance to be close to him this year.

“Dr. Wright, are you okay?” Dr. Cullen asked bringing Kimberley back to reality. She didn’t even know that she was lost in her thoughts.

“Um. I’m sorry, I-I was wondering if I can get a l-leave of absence for two weeks?” She nervously asked, her palms already sweaty, her fingers slightly tightening against each other.

Kimberley was this nervous because although Dr. Cullen can be friendly sometimes he was a very strict doctor especially when it comes to work and he expects every other doctor to be that way. She only hoped he wasn’t at the moment disappointed in her because of her request as he was dead silent, the only thing she could hear was the pounding of her heart, loud and persistent in her ears.

Gosh! She hated the way he was staring intently at her like she was some kind of puzzle he wanted to solve, it made her feel so small, as if she was being carefully examined.

“Is everything alright at home?... Because I know you, and you’ve never asked for this sort of thing before.” He suddenly said breaking the silence, his tone more concerned than strict.

This brought a wave of relief to Kimberley, who was already thinking that he wouldn’t say a word to her anymore, her shoulders easing slightly.

“Yeah, everything is fine,” she replied with a nervous laugh, trying to sound more relaxed than she felt.

“Why then would you want a leave of absence?... You know you can talk to me.”

Kimberley could see the concern in his blue eyes, he was honestly worried about her, and that only made this more difficult for her.

Should she tell him the reason why she needed a leave? That would be very embarrassing, just the thought of telling him made a blush rise to her cheeks, spreading warmth across her face.

“If you’re stressed out from working almost a year without a leave, then-“

“No, no, that’s not it. I know I requested it to be that way and I don’t regret it. It’s just… My fiancé is returning tomorrow and we hardly have time for each other due to the nature of our jobs.” She let out a heavy sigh and continued, her voice softening.

“He’s in the Navy and spends just two weeks at home while almost all year round he’s at sea… This year unfortunately didn’t correspond with the time I usually get my leave. So, I was wondering if you could please excuse me just this once… Please.” She pleaded with a quiet voice, her eyes hopeful as she looked at him.

“Hmm,” Dr. Cullen sighed while Kimberley eagerly waited for his reply, her attention fixed on him as seconds stretched longer than usual.

“It’s alright. You have my permission. You’ll receive your letter of leave in the morning.”

“Thank you so much, sir,” she said with so much excitement standing up from her seat and walking towards Dr. Cullen, hugging him to his surprise. Her action made him chuckle as he returned the hug, clearly amused by her reaction.

“But don’t get too excited, Dr. Wright because you might get a call when there’s an emergency that requires your presence,” he said to Kimberley after the hug, his tone shifting back to a more professional one.

“That won’t be a problem. Thank you once again,” she said as she exited his office, feeling lighter thanshe had when she walked in.