My Beautiful Primrose

w open so hard they rat

a inco

the words fully registered. Charts were dropped. Conversations died mid-senten

ors, pushed hard, its wheels

vere head

unst

a bay

dark and sticky in his hair, his face frighteningly pale beneath it. There was a split at his lip, swelli

d loudly, leaning close.

espo

d the pulse at his

e said, voice steady even

fluid

got

ed on what was in front of her, numbers, rhyt

" someone said agai

like instruction a

ines, adjusted monitors, her movements were efficient and automatic. She'd done

" someon

answered from behind them.

ames came later. S

beeped with

cras

om tig

ropping

voice muttered. "

all and shaken with blood on his sleeve. He was injured, but up

man said hoarsel

was dev

nized the way he stood still, lik

to step back," s

tor said tightly. "Just t

g everythin

. Ivy hated that. She hated

?" the doctor repeate

hin

ip again, numbers sliding

him st

got

arm now, grounding h

with

said by different voices, layered

e terrifying moment,

hing f

en

artb

lic

ine j

. "There we go." The

r said. "Okay. He

not dead, not safe. They worked for several more minutes, the tension slowl

he doctor confir

cing against the wall. Ivy saw his

e him?" h

octor replied. "He n

once, jaw tigh

assed. Ivy followed with a chart in hand, though she hadn't bee

machines hummed steadily now,

was more even, but still shallow. Ivy ad

n Ha

, lodged somewher

ly at herself and

s own injuries, insisting on standing besid

ctor repeated. "

lon

sitated. Ivy

efully. "The head trauma was severe. He

ime?" Victo

r said. "Weeks. P

ly, absorbing the

r?" he asked.

"Broken ribs. Fractured

his eyes bri

aloging details she didn't need to r

straight and the way hi

s pa

hythm. Ivy's shift continued, duties

n't need to check on him

tly beside him. His face looked calmer no

mo

t at his shoulders, car

nusual," she heard a doctor s

nd sti

g?" Victo

ntee. He could wake to

e foll

to listen, but the

al mo

on again, really

spital bed. He looked like someone paused mid-

d, scolding her

unprofe

the ward quieted to a low murmur, Ivy foun

to make sure everything was steady. She moved s

gers tw

lmost nothing.

eath c

red, before she c

hin

re fixed on his hand wi

't move

It meant nothing. She told herself that as she stepped back and fo

ed to her duties, the ima

this way?" Sh