She swallowed hard, watching through the glass as Reed was wheeled farther and farther away. Dr. Richardson was already in his scrubs at the sink, washing up.

Hospital protocol prevented her from operating on family and friends...and he was both. More than that. He had her heart.

He needed to pull through. He had to be okay.

“He needs me,” she said.

“He needs a doctor with steady hands,” her father replied, holding hers up in front of her face. “You’re in no condition to perform surgery.”

He was right, but this feeling of helplessness if she wasn’t in that room might kill her. “I love him,” she whispered.

Her father’s arms around her broke the dam around her heart and tears streamed down her cheeks before she could try to stop them.

He smoothed her hair away from her face and held her to his chest. “Shh...it’s okay.”

She couldn’t remember the last time he’d hugged her. Or offered any comfort. Even at her mother’s funeral, he’d relied on others to offer her support.

How could he possibly know that right now was the most important moment he could be there for her? She clung to his lab coat as sobs escaped her. She couldn’t lose Reed.

A second later, she took a deep breath and moved away. She couldn’t waste time crying. “I can save him,” she said. She held up her hands, willing them to be rock-solid. She could push emotion aside and focus on doing her job. This time more than ever, she needed to.

Her father nodded. “I know, but there’s regulations for a reason.” He took her hands and she couldn’t deny their unsteadiness. The trembling was something she’d never experienced before and she couldn’t honestly say she could pull it together enough to perform the operation successfully.

But leaving Reed’s fate to another doctor made her nauseous. Dr. Richardson was a seasoned professional, but this was the man she loved. Being on the other side of this was eye-opening. Being the terrified one, watching helplessly while a loved one fought for life was the singular worst feeling ever.

“Will you do it?” she asked her father.

He hesitated. “Erika, I haven’t performed a spleen operation in years... Dr. Richardson does them routinely.” He glanced toward the operating room. “Once they begin, who knows what else they’ll discover...”

She winced at the unsettling assessment but shook her head. He was right. Reed’s injuries were severe and there could be more. Which was why her father needed to perform the surgery.

“You’re the only person I trust to save the man I love.” She took a deep breath. “Please, Dad. I need your help. I can’t lose him.” Again.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

SIX EXCRUCIATING HOURS LATER, the door to the waiting room opened and her father reappeared.