New Course 11

RED'S POV

I saw the triage team stood up as soon as the ambulance stopped. The orderlies jumped out from the side doors of the ambulance, then open up the rear door. Soon, a feminine figure wearing a surgical mask emerged from the ambulance. As soon as the team took care of her, I finished up my order then went out through an exit door. I thought of going to the coffee shop to grab a non-coffee frappe for a refreshment. I needed it to cool down my mixed up and blazing emotions.

I walked straight to the counter since I already had in my mind the kind of drink that I would buy. All of a sudden, an arm wrapped around my waist, and I jumped in fright. I looked up and met Sean's wide grin, followed by a peal of soft laughter.

"You need to lessen your coffee intake. You jump unnecessarily," Sean said, kissing my temple after he earned my glare.

"Why are you here?" I asked while opening my purse to pull out some bills. "What do you like?"

He grabbed my purse instead, closed it, and handed it back to me. He then turned to the cashier, fully ignoring my questions.

"Make it two, please." He pulled out his wallet from his back pocket then pulled out a bill. Once he settled the bill, he held my hand and pulled me gently to a two-seater table.

"Sean, I can't stay long. A new patient has arrived," I informed him as soon as I sat down in one of the chairs. He also made his way across the table and sat down in front of me.

"Of course. You may go once we have our drinks."

"Sean, why are you here? I thought you had left already." I brought back my question.

"How's your talk with Eric?"

I froze as I realized that he may have watched us as we talked and that he may have seen me crying.

"Yes, dear, I was watching you. I proceeded to the parking area when I saw him through my rear mirror. Just before I could get out, I saw the two of you coming in my direction. It's then I realized that I parked next to Eric's car."

"He wants me back. He also confessed about Calla." I hid nothing from him. We already agreed on that matter from the start.

"And?" he asked, locking my gaze.

I scoffed and looked away. "Sean, once I say no, it's always no. I had already warned him many times about that."

He pursed a smile, but a glint in his eyes told me he was bothered.

"You're hurting about Calla?" I confronted him. I wanted us to be transparent with our feelings. We were still in an early stage, and both of us still carried the stigma of our previous relationship.

"I'm bothered about the scandal. I have this feeling that the woman the president is involved with is her." I was also bothered because he did not answer my question, but diverted it instead to another subject.w

My eyes rounded as I was taken aback. If that's the case then, Eric's accusation that she left him for someone more powerful was true.

"What makes you think about that?"

"I also look into that post. And I have recognized the place."

I swallowed hard as I seemed to feel a lump in my throat. Of course, the place that his memory retained was his unforgettable woman where they made love. To fill in our silence, I voiced out what my mind was screaming to ask.

"You're hurting that there were two men who owned her before you?" I looked into his eyes as I asked him, trying to know the answer myself.

Sean reached for my hand and held it tight. "I hope that thought makes you jealous."

He was avoiding my question again, too clever to shift the focus of the question back to me.

"I feel sorry for her. I hope she had deep reasons for leaving Eric, other than the claim that she left him for someone wealthier and powerful."

I did not say anything anymore. I just allowed him to speak out.

"She's only inviting trouble into her life. Our president is a married man, and he has children. We no longer need someone to spell out the chaos that would come next."

I shrugged. "It's her choice."

"I'm worrying for you because that news would soon dig up her past, and your name will be brought up."

I stared at him as my mind ran through the possibility. Somehow, I couldn't see why he was bothered by it. Perhaps, Sean was able to read my thoughts because he suddenly spoke up.

"Let's cross the bridge once we get there."

The waiter then approached us with our drinks, so I stood up. If that patient who just arrived in an internal medicine case, I would be attending to her.

"I'll go ahead, Sean. See you at the office later. I will start interviewing the applicants."

Sean stood up from his seat and hooked his arm around my waist again. He then walked me back to the emergency room. As soon as he opened the door, I immediately caught the tensed expressions of the ER staff. The nurses, as well as the interns, stood on one side while a woman was some distance across them.

"Let me go. I'm willing to sign a waiver or anything that would document my wish to discharge against medical advice."

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but we receive a call instructing us to confine you until further orders from him," explained our junior OB-Gyne-on-duty.

"I know, but I have the right to decide for myself," yelled the woman whom I realized as the one on the stretcher because of the color of her dress.

When Sean saw that something was going on, he also stepped inside. His hand was still around my waist.

"What's going on?" I asked, and all eyes turned at us. I also noticed how their eyes fell on Sean and how those traveled to his arm around my waist. All of them knew that Eric was my boyfriend.

I looked at my friend, whose looks tell about her stress against the woman before her. She took a deep breath and gave me a desperate gaze. Then, I moved my eyes to the woman whose mouth hung open as she looked at Sean and me. I furrowed my brows as I wondered why she reacted that way, but my friend approached me and pulled me towards our lounge.