After Emily

Chapter 02: In a Heartbeat

MICAH

“Thank you.”

There she goes with those words again, Micah said to himself. He was in a very awkward breakup situation and all that Emily had to say was that thank you line of hers.

“I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, and of course our friendship and this. But you know how important my career is for me and I can’t just sit here and watch at the sideline trying to understand why you picked Cassandra over me again.” She stressed the last word so hard making sure every letter was emphasized.

They were back on that situation once more and he could not help but be angry about it. It was a very petty thing to be the cause of their breakup. It was more than a year now since they started dating, but for some reasons they kept it a secret from everyone, even from their friends. But two days before the momentous gathering of medical professionals in New York, where two interns would represent Denver Memorial Hospital, they announced that they were officially a couple. It rattled some bones, well a lot of bones perhaps than they would have expected. And Dr. Micah Barnes, being the one to select who goes in place of the great Gina Bandari, had the most difficult time.

“We just got public. I can’t have people thinking that I was favoring you because you are my girlfriend.”

“Dr. Barnes, are you telling me that I don’t deserve the job? I was second on the exam conducted, Dr. Bandari even left a recommendation letter, and Cassandra Kopelson scored third, impossible but true, not that I need to bring that up, but just a reminder in case you forgot.”

That had Micah shut up. He could not speak a word against that. The last exam had a great bearing on the decision for the selection of the two delegates; Emily was second place to Will Collins. She got short by a point, but even if she placed tenth on the last test, she would still be chosen to go because she was really exemplary on the last few months of her internship. Even the tough-as-nails Dr. Bandari vouched for her on that. But Micah had his reason and that reason was named, Will.

“This is about Will again, isn’t it?”

Spot on. She knew him too well, one of the downsides of making your best friend your girl. Micah turned away and said nothing. He stood there his back on her.

“Really Micah? Oh my God—”

She was mad, really mad, he could tell. She had moved on and he knew it, he believed in her because it was the truth. But Will was different, he wanted Emily back and he just could not trust a guy like him to spend five days away with her girlfriend without him pulling his devious tricks and charms.

That jerk. Now that he knew that he could no longer have her he suddenly changed his mind and showed interest on her. He thought  to himself.

If Micah would not make a move, he understood that he and Emily might fall apart. But as things were fragile and hanging on a balance of a hair, he appeared.

“Dr. Owens I have the lab results, it seemed we are going to treat Ms. Julia Pitts for tuberculosis and—Emily, are you crying?”

Emily turned and hid away from both of them. Micah saw them too, the tears, and those would surely start a fight.

Will gave him a look before he went to comfort Emily. He put his hand over Dr. Owens’ shoulder regretting how awkward their situation was.

“Dr. Collins, I’m sure we could handle this on our own. If you could just give me and Dr. Owens a minute to—”

“She’s not okay.” Will snapped, “You promised to take care of her so I stood aside, this does not look like caring.”

“Dr. Collins, if you pl—”

“You know what Micah, if I knew that it would end up like this, I wouldn’t have let you have her you jerk.”

That’s it.

Will fell down, blood on his lips. Micah was always a patient one but he was not one to take crap from anyone on how to take care of his girl, especially from a self-confessed playboy like Dr. Collins.

“You dare talk about not hurting her.” Micah grabbed Will by the scruff, “You dumped her. Now that she’s finally over you, you suddenly want her? She’s not one of your play things so be fair with her.” He pushed him back down and Will tried to strike back but Emily stopped them.

“Stop it both of you.” She said between sobs. “Please, just stop.”

They let go of each other and both turned away ashamed of how they behaved in front of her.

Emily knew she had to end that feud right there. So she did what she must do.

“Micah, we’re through.” She said to him and for Will she left nothing but a cold stare.

And with just like that he lost her.

The next day was the hardest, the news came early in the morning, Tyra came and told them Emily got into an accident.

“She was drunk the Cop said. Her car was fast, she was not able to hit the brakes on time when a truck showed up in front. She was still—” her words faltered as she was delivering the grave news, she was Emily’s close friend, “We—we lost her on the way to the hospital. She—”

Micah did not hear the rest of it. He went to his office walking like there was no floor under his feet. Everything around him seemed clouded and dark. It was so surreal and so painful that even his tears were too confused to fall. He kept the lights off when he went in and sat on his chair, knees shaken and his spirit shattered. He noticed the Tiffany box on his desk and picked it up. It was a diamond ring for Emily.

There was a knock on the door but he did not turn around to see who it was. He practically did not care on anything anymore.

“Micah, I’m so sorry.” It was Dr. Aquino, his friend.

Words were hard to breathe out but he said them with the best he could.

“She was mad at me last night. We had a fight and that I’m certain had her—drinking. I was about to propose to her you know. It would be a surprise for her birthday next month.” There was a sudden heat on his eyes and he felt like hundred hammers pounding strong on his heart. “She was the only one I’ve ever loved this way. She holds me together and now she’s—she's gone and I don’t know how to go on anymore.” Tears flowed down from his eyes and he did not try to hide them. He just said it, out loud, he admitted that she’s gone and that made everything worse.

“The Chief said, on behalf of Dr. Bandari you should speak at the service. I know it is painful, she was my friend too. It’s all too sudden, but we need to make arrangements and call her family immediately.”

There was only a deafening silence. Micah was not hearing a word he was saying. He could not speak and it was getting hard to breathe as he was drifting away into nothingness. He lost the one he ever loved so great and most of all he lost his bestfriend.