The call I didn't want

(Amelia) I parked in the hospital garage and picked up my bag from the passenger seat. The flash drive with my Boston fellowship documents was still tucked safely inside between my notebook and tablet. I checked for it without thinking before locking the car. Then I walked toward the emergency department. The waiting room was already full. Nurses moved quickly from one patient to another while the front desk answered one phone call after another. The familiar routine settled my thoughts the moment I stepped inside. Work had always been the one place where I knew exactly who I was. "Morning, Amelia." I looked up and smiled when I saw Liam walking toward me with two cups of coffee. "Morning." He handed one to me. "I remembered you skipped breakfast yesterday." I accepted it with a grateful smile. "Thank you." He studied my face for a moment. "You look tired." "I didn't sleep much." He nodded. "I figured." Before either of us could say anything else, the overhead speaker called for the trauma team. Liam smiled. "Looks like we're starting early." We hurried toward the ambulance entrance. Paramedics rushed through the doors with a patient on a stretcher while nurses gathered around the trauma bay. I pulled on a pair of gloves as one of the paramedics began giving his report. "Thirty four year old male. Motor vehicle accident. Low blood pressure. Possible internal bleeding." I stepped beside the stretcher. "I'm Dr. Amelia Carter." The rest of the world disappeared. Nathaniel, Emilia, and everything waiting outside these walls could wait. The nurses transferred him onto the trauma bed while another cut away his shirt. Blood covered the left side of his chest, and bruises were spreading across his ribs. His breathing was uneven, and the monitor sounded as another nurse connected him to the machines. "Blood pressure is falling," one of the nurses said. "Liam, check his airway," I said. "Order two units of blood and page surgery. I want a portable chest X ray." Everyone moved immediately. Liam checked the patient's breathing while I examined his abdomen. The moment my hand pressed against his side, he let out a weak groan. "I think he's bleeding internally." A few minutes later, the X ray appeared on the monitor. Liam looked at me. "Collapsed lung." I nodded. "I see it." I reached for the chest tube kit. "We're doing this now." The nurses handed me everything I needed. The trauma bay remained focused while vital signs were called out every few seconds. Minutes later, the tube was in place, and the patient's breathing became stronger. "Blood pressure is improving," a nurse said. "Good." The surgical team arrived. I stepped aside. "He's all yours." They pushed the stretcher toward the operating room. I removed my gloves and let out a quiet breath. Another life had been given a chance. My phone vibrated inside my pocket. I expected another call from the hospital. Instead, Emilia's name appeared on the screen. I stared at it for a moment before answering. "Hello." A few seconds passed before she spoke. "Amelia." "What do you want?" "I wanted to ask you something." I stepped into the hallway, away from the busy voices around me. "What is it?" "Has Nathaniel already gone to work?" I frowned. "Why?" "I needed to ask him something before he left." "You saw him at breakfast." She laughed softly. "I overslept." I didn't respond. "So?" she asked. "Has he already gone?" "Yes." "Oh." Her voice stayed light. "I'll call him later." Silence settled between us. Then she asked, "How are you?" "I'm fine." "Really?" "Yes." "I've been wondering how long you'd last." My grip tightened around the phone. "What is that supposed to mean?" "It means you've been living the life that should have been mine for two years." "It was never yours." "It should have been." Her answer came without hesitation. "If I hadn't left, I'd be Mrs. Nathaniel Cross." "You chose to leave." "I chose my career." "And I respected your choice." "I know." She laughed again. "You've always been too nice, Amelia." I closed my eyes for a moment. "What do you want from me?" "I was curious." "About what?" "Whether you're happy." I looked through the glass into the trauma bay where another patient was already being assessed. "My happiness isn't your concern." "It should be." "Since when?" "Since we're sisters." "No." My voice remained calm. "Sisters don't leave each other to live with the consequences of their choices." She was quiet for a moment. "I asked you for one favor." "You asked me to marry your fiancé." "And you agreed." "Because you begged me." She laughed. "No, Amelia. You agreed because you wanted to. Don't pretend I forced you." I stayed silent. "You knew how you felt about Nathaniel." "That doesn't change what you asked me to do." "It doesn't." Her voice stayed calm. "I gave you the chance to marry the man you loved." I shook my head. "You left me with a marriage that was never mine." "I came back." Another silence followed. "And now everything can go back to the way it was." I looked down at the floor. "Life doesn't work that way." "We'll see." The call ended before I could answer. I lowered the phone and stared at the blank screen. A nurse hurried toward me. "Dr. Carter, another ambulance is two minutes out." I slipped my phone into my pocket. "I'm on my way." Whatever was waiting for me at home could wait. The patient coming through those doors couldn't.