suzipanini

[suzipanini]

A Healing Love

This is it, guys! My very first fanfic. Please don't be too hard on me, I haven't been writing in a long time because of depression and anxiety. I just want to get into it again, and any advice is welcome! :)

Have fun reading!

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As the sun dipped below the horizon, I stepped through the doors of the ER. Big fluorescent lights shone down from the ceiling, while I felt sweat dripping down my face. I clutched my abdomen in agony and walked towards the counter. 

''How can I help you?'' the lady asked me, I had to try my best to focus on what she was saying.

''I think I need to see a doctor,'' I moaned in pain.

''Can you tell me about your symptoms dear?'' she asked, I heard concern in her voice.

''I think I'm running a fever, I have abdominal pain and I am very nauseous,'' I managed to say, as I felt my stomach trying to get rid of the contents that were long gone.

The lady behind the counter said something else, but I had to put all my energy into trying not to throw up all over the floor. About a minute later someone touched my arm.

''Come, take a seat!'' I heard someone say from behind me, while they guided me into a wheelchair, ''I am going to figure out what's wrong with you and how to help you best.''

She rolled me into another room, divided by curtains, with beds containing people who also needed help. The gurney on the far left was still empty, and that's where she brought me to. I vaguely notice there's a male nurse who helps me from the wheelchair onto the bed. 

''Hello, I am Jules Millin, and I will be your doctor today. The nurse told me about your fever, pain, and nausea. I will perform some tests to make sure what is going on and will give you care to the best of my abilities. But first, I will ask you some questions,'' the same voice as the one who helped me into the wheelchair said.

So her name is Doctor Millin, I have to try to remember that!

''Can you tell me your name?'' doctor Millin asked.

''My name is Riley, and my date of birth is March 24th, 1996,'' I said.

''Good, that would have been my next question! Since you have abdominal pain, is there any way you can be pregnant?'' 

''No, I am a hundred percent sure that I'm not pregnant,'' I replied, remembering my last sexual encounter was with a woman, I couldn't even remember the last time I was with a man.

''Okay. Is it okay if I take your temperature and take a look at your abdomen?'' 

I nodded. It turned out I had a fever of 103 degrees. She asked me to lie on my back and relax as if it was easy with the pain. What happened next made me want to hit her, and I'm not a violent person. I felt her hands pressing down on my lower right abdomen, and releasing it. The pain coming from underneath her hands felt like someone stabbed me. Tears ran down my cheeks.

''I think I know what's going on. Seeing your symptoms and the fact that it visibly hurts you when I release pressure from your abdomen makes me sure you have appendicitis. We are going to have to perform surgery and get rid of the inflamed appendix,'' she explained.

I nodded again, I just wanted to get rid of the pain as quickly as possible. She rolled the gurney I was lying on out of the room and took me to an elevator, ready to prep me for my surgery.

When I woke up, I immediately noticed I felt a lot better.

''Good to see you awake! The surgery went well, we were just in time to take out your appendix,'' Doctor Millin said, and this was the first time I could take a good look at her.

I felt heat rising in my cheeks and smiled at her. She was gorgeous. 

''How are you feeling now?'' she smiled.

''Better, thank you! The nausea is gone, and I feel much more clear in my head,'' I replied.

''You also look a lot better. Your fever went down after the surgery, and how is your pain?'' she checked my IV to make sure it wasn't clogged.

I told her that my pain was okay, it wasn't gone but also not as bad as it was before. She told me I had to stay for a few days, to make sure I was okay. Usually, I would be upset about it, but this time I didn't mind as long as Doctor Millin would come to check on me.

In the days that followed, Doctor Millin came in for follow-up assessments. Each conversation became more personal, transcending the usual doctor-patient dynamics. I told Doctor Millin my dreams, fears, and the life I had to put on hold due to needing surgery. She was there every step of the way to my recovery. As I regained my strength, the walls that separated doctors from patients began to crumble. I noticed myself falling for Jules, hoping she would feel the same for me in the end.

Our connection became a symphony of shared glances, stolen moments, and whispered conversations. I saw Jules was a kind spirit, someone who understood me on a level few others could. Love, they say, has a way of sneaking up on you when you least expect it. 

''You get to go home now!'' Jules said. 

In some way I was disappointed. Not that I finally got to sleep in my bed again, but for the fact that I wouldn't be seeing Jules anymore. Unless I did something about it.

''Jules?'' I asked, ''I am positive I'm not the only one feeling this connection between us. Why else would you come into my room multiple times a day talking about personal things and getting to know each other? If I didn't know better it could've been dates, only at the wrong place because I'd rather go on a date to a movie or something. I mean, I could be wrong, but I know I felt something. And I...''

''You're right,'' she smiled, interrupting me, ''I feel the connection too.''

She took my hand and looked at me, blushing a little. Which made my heart jump.

''Since you're dismissed from the hospital and I'm not your doctor anymore, would you like to go out on a date with me?''

I thought she'd never ask, and I nodded enthusiastically.

My trip to the ER was more than just a trip to the hospital. It was a turning point, a chapter in my life that would forever be etched in my heart. What was supposed to be just a surgery, led to a journey of love. A love story that proved that even in the most unexpected of circumstances, love has the power to heal, transform and to make us whole.