The Emergency Room Secret Chapter 2

Three in the morning. The hospital corridor was so quiet you could hear the fluorescent lights humming. I dragged my exhausted body to make rounds. Though I was now the ER director, I still habitually supervised special cases myself.

When I pushed open the ICU door, I was surprised to find Lily Martinez already awake. She lay in the hospital bed, her pale face looking especially gaunt in the moonlight. Hearing the door open, she slowly turned her head, her eyes shifting from confusion to terror, then quickly settling into calm.

"Dr., Dr. Foster..." She softly called my name, with a tone of familiarity.

While checking the monitor data, I asked, "You know me?"

Lily's fingers gripped the sheet tightly, her knuckles white. "I, I've seen your photos in Professor Carter's phone album. He often talks about you to us, saying you're his wife, the best ER doctor..."

I suppressed my discomfort and continued checking her IV drip rate. "How do you feel? Any discomfort? The OB-GYN department will arrange for someone to follow up on your condition."

"Thank you for saving me." Her voice was soft, as if afraid of being overheard. "Professor Carter... has he been here?"

I noticed that when she mentioned Nathan, her body visibly flinched.

"He came, but during critical care, visitation is strictly controlled." I recorded her vital signs while speaking. "We can't reach your parents. Should we try again?"

"No!" She suddenly raised her voice, then shrank back like a startled fawn. "Please, don't tell anyone, especially not my parents."

I sat down beside the bed. "Lily, your situation is special. According to hospital regulations, minors need to..."

"I'm nineteen years old." She urgently interrupted me. "I, I can sign for myself, right?"

I looked at her panicked state and softened my tone. "Yes, you can. But if you're facing any difficulties, the hospital has professional counselors and legal assistance..."

"No, you don't understand." Her tears suddenly welled up. "I can't say anything, I really can't..."

I handed her a tissue, thinking about how to proceed. As an ER doctor, I'd seen too many similar cases—some from domestic violence, some from coercion. But this girl's fear seemed deeper than any of those.

"I've consulted with OB-GYN about your condition." I said carefully. "Taking that kind of medication is extremely dangerous. If you hadn't been brought in time..."

At this, she froze completely, a flash of fear in her eyes. "I, I know I was wrong. It's all my fault..."

"Lily," I looked at her intently, "you don't need to take all the responsibility yourself. If someone forced you to do this..."

She abruptly turned her head toward the window. The moonlight illuminated her profile, and I saw her lips trembling. "Please, just say it was an accident. Say I was careless..."

From her medical records, I saw she was from out of state, a scholarship student maintaining her studies through financial aid and part-time work. Girls like her were often the easiest to control and the most afraid to tell the truth.

"Alright, rest for now." I gently patted her back. "But remember, a doctor's duty is to save people—not just their bodies, but their hearts too. Whenever you're ready to talk, you can find me."

Lily seemed to have exhausted all her strength and collapsed back onto the bed. I tucked in her blanket and turned to leave.

"Dr. Foster..." she said softly behind me. "I'm sorry."

I paused but didn't turn around. "Rest well."

The moment I pushed open the door, I heard her suppressed sobbing. That sound was like a dull knife, cutting into my heart again and again. Ten years in emergency medicine, I'd witnessed countless life-and-death situations, yet this was the first time I felt such heartache.