Chapter 51
[ 461 words ]
Chapter 51:
She felt incredibly small. She felt completely alone.
“Caroline?”
A voice called out from behind her. It wasn’t Jarrod’s deep, terrifying rumble. It was a warm, gentle, and incredibly familiar baritone.
Caroline stopped and turned around.
Standing on the sidewalk, illuminated by the warm glow of a streetlamp, was a tall man wearing a tailored khaki trench coat and wire-rimmed glasses. He had soft brown hair and a kind, handsome face that radiated an easy, approachable intelligence.
Caroline blinked, her exhausted brain struggling to place him. Then, her eyes widened.
рo𝘱𝘶𝗹а𝘳 𝘴t𝘰𝘳i𝗲𝗌 o𝗇 g𝖺𝗅𝘯o𝘃𝘦𝘭ѕ.с𝗈𝗆
“Dr. Croft?” she breathed, the tension in her shoulders dropping a fraction. “Julian?”
Julian Croft smiled, a genuine, warm expression that crinkled the corners of his eyes. He closed the distance between them, his hands tucked casually into his coat pockets.
“I was hoping that was you,” Julian said, his voice smooth and comforting. “It’s been a long time, Caroline. You look… well, you look like you’ve had a hell of a shift.”
Caroline let out a weak, breathy laugh. Julian had been her attending physician during her first clinical rotation in Baltimore two years ago. He was brilliant, patient, and had always treated her with a deep, respectful kindness that was rare in the medical field.
“You have no idea,” Caroline sighed, rubbing her forehead. “What are you doing in D.C.? I thought you were at Johns Hopkins.”
“I just accepted an attending position here at Washington United,” Julian explained, gesturing toward the massive hospital building behind them. “Cardiothoracic surgery. Today was my orientation. I saw your name on the intern roster, but I thought it might be a coincidence.”
Before Caroline could reply, the rapid clicking of heels approached them.
“Caroline! Wait up!”
It was Brenna. She jogged up to them, her nurse’s bag slung over her shoulder. She stopped, her eyes immediately locking onto Julian. Her jaw dropped slightly as she took in the handsome, impeccably dressed doctor.
“Oh, hello,” Brenna purred, her previous hostility toward Caroline momentarily forgotten in the presence of an attractive man.
Caroline sighed internally. “Brenna, this is Dr. Julian Croft. He’s the new attending in Cardiothoracic. Julian, this is Brenna O’Malley.”
Julian politely extended his hand. “Nice to meet you, Brenna.”
Brenna shook his hand enthusiastically. “The pleasure is all mine, Dr. Croft.” She turned to Caroline, her eyes gleaming with gossip. “I didn’t know you knew the new star surgeon, Caroline. You’ve been holding out on us.”
Julian frowned slightly, his sharp eyes catching the subtle, passive-aggressive dig in Brenna’s tone. He looked closely at Caroline’s face. He saw the dark circles under her eyes, the pale exhaustion in her cheeks, and the rigid way she held her body.
“Are you alright, Caroline?” Julian asked, his voice dropping to a softer, more intimate register. “You look completely drained.”
Caroline forced a smile. “I’m fine, Julian. Just a long day.”
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