“I’m trying to save your career!”
“I didn’t ask you to!” Evie’s hands were shaking now. “I’m an adult, Maggie. I made my choices with full knowledge of the risks. You don’t get to decide that protecting me means erasing what we had.”
“I’m not erasing it. I’m being realistic about what happens next.”
“What happens next is you give up. Again.” Evie’s voice dropped. “Just like you did at Cedar-Sinai. Just like you’ve been doing for six years. You choose fear over everything else.”
That landed like a blade.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t I?” Evie’s eyes were bright with unshed tears. “You told me about Rebecca. About the investigation. About how it destroyed you. And I get it—I do. But you’re so terrified of it happening again that you’re making it happen. You’re creating the exact distance and isolation you claim to be afraid of.”
“This is different?—”
“How? How is this different except that this time? I’m actually here, actually willing to fight for this, and you’re still choosing to run?”
Maggie’s throat tightened. “Because this time, I’m not just risking myself. I’m risking you. And I won’t do that.”
“That’s not your choice to make.”
“Yes, it is. I’m your attending. I’m responsible?—”
“For my medical education. Not for my life. Not for my choices.” Evie wiped at her eyes angrily. “You want to request the transfer? Fine. Do it. But don’t lie to me and say it’s for my benefit when it’s really about you being too scared to see this through.”
Silence fell between them, thick and suffocating.
Maggie wanted to close the distance. Wanted to touch Evie’s face, wipe away the tears, promise that this would all work out.
But she couldn’t.
Because she didn’t know if it would.
“I’m sorry,” Maggie said finally. “But I’m submitting the request today.”
Evie nodded once, sharp and angry. “Then I guess there’s nothing left to say.”
She turned toward the door.
“Evie—”
“Don’t.” The word was quiet but absolute. “You don’t get to do this and then ask me to understand. You don’t get to hurt me and call it protection.”
She left.
The door closed with devastating quietness.
Maggie stood alone in her office, staring at the transfer request on her screen.
She hitSubmit.
The confirmation appeared immediately:Transfer Request Submitted - Awaiting Approval
Maggie closed her laptop.
Sat in the silence.
And for the first time since Sarah died, she wondered if survival was worth the cost of never really living.
