“Charging,” Doc said, the paddles humming in his gloved hands. “Clear!”
He pressed the paddles down, shocks landing. The patient twitched.
“Resume CPR,” Doc said. “Push epinephrine.”
A junior doctor stepped in to do the chest compressions. It went on for two minutes, then the doctor stepped back and all of them watched the heart monitor. Doc’s pulse thumped. These moments when no one knew for sure what the outcome would be—they filled him with adrenaline and wariness.
Finally, the patient’s pulse evened out. Palpable relief filled the room.
Doc exhaled. “Good work, team.”
Smiles all around. Doc stopped at the workstation to type up a quick report. Then he went to the waiting room where the patient’s family was huddled together, their faces drawn with worry.
“Mr. William’s family? Great news. He’s stabilized; we’ll be moving him to the ICU for further observation.”
William’s parents came over to shake his hand. An omega burst into tears, sobbing helplessly. A gold ring glinted on his finger.
“Thank you,” the omega said. “I don’t know what I would’ve done if he had...”
“We’ll continue to care for him as best as we can,” Doc said, his heart twinging.
Not all of his ER cases resulted in such strong emotions. Most people were happy to leave with stitches or medication. But when it came to the life-threatening emergencies, Doc wasalways struck hardest by the patients who had a bondmate waiting anxiously for some news.
What was it like, having an omega who cared for him to the point of tears?
His gut ached with emptiness.
Through the rest of his shift, Doc saw several more patients, trying his best to solve their problems. The lower half of his face itched behind his masks; he couldn’t wait to get home so he could take them off.
Experience had taught him to keep the masks on so he wouldn’t scare people away. When he removed them, children cried. Omegas would look at him in sympathy. It had been so long since he’d left his lair without them, that he felt naked whenever his face was uncovered.
But... What if he had an omega who never saw his face?
Or an omega who had to stick around no matter what he looked like?
That’s not right,Doc told himself.
But as he clocked off and made his way home, he began to entertain the fantasy. One of those secret daydreams he could indulge in without anyone getting hurt.
What if he stole an omega who had no choice but to be in his hoard?
What if he stayed in his dragon form, and the omega fell in love with him that way?
He got home in a daze, heading for the shower to scrub off his sweat and hospital stink.
Hijinks was in his bedroom when Doc stepped out.
Doc jerked and scowled, cursing himself for not noticing the shapeshifter earlier. “I told you not to do that.”
Hijinks snickered. “You didn’t even notice me on your way in. Fantasizing?”
Doc hesitated. “I was thinking about an idea that... should never come to fruition.”
“Hit me with it.”
“Kidnap.”
Hijinks’ eyebrows jumped. “Oh? You want to kidnap someone?”
