Page 12 of Sweet Heart

02:17 a.m. – Katherina

Mary? Come on, tell me… pleeeeease

My heart leaps into my throat. She knows my name. How? Who? I tap the little profile picture next to her name, and the image enlarges. It’s just a stupid photo of an office. That doesn’t tell me—

I freeze. Katherina… as in Catherine Durand, MD? A laugh escapes my belly, and I am not sure whether it is because I feel relieved it’s not some creepy stalker or because she reached out to me.

After this morning, I was certain I would never hear from her again. Not unless I ended up back in the ER, which, thanks but no thanks. So I thought that was it. I sure as hell didn’t expect a middle-of-the-night message from her. Is that even allowed? Probably not.

I grin and let my fingers fly over my keys.

02:18 a.m. – Mary Mary

Doctora? That you?

The reply comes almost instantly.

02:18 a.m. – Katherina

Who else would it be? Did yov chuck?

I frown. Did I what? What the hell is happening here? But before I can ask her, the phone buzzes again.

02:18 a.m. – Katherina

Did you check?

02:19 a.m. – Mary Mary

I didn’t know ER doctors texted their patients. You’re teaching me all these new things… but wasn’t I medically cleared?

The three dots appear, disappear, and then appear again. I grin stupidly at the screen, almost able to hear the exasperated sigh and see the flash in her eyes. The one that means I touched a nerve. I like it for some reason. I like this… unpolished version of her.

02:21 a.m. – Katherina

Did you check?

Ugh. Spoilsport.

02:21 a.m. – Mary Mary

I have not. I was working.

02:22 a.m. – Katherina

Why are you working at this time? You need sleep. gOtwo bed.

My eyebrow raises. What is with the typos and the audacity? Something is off, and I am not entirely sure whether I should be worried or not.

02:23 a.m. – Mary Mary

Says the woman who texted me in the middle of the night.

The dots appear and disappear again, but this time I’m the one feeling a bit of friction. Who is she to tell me what to do, anyway? And why is she even reaching out? If she wanted more medical information, she could have just made me come back in. Again.

02:25 a.m. – Katherina

That’s different. I need to know your levlse.