𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗿𝗼𝘄 & 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗹𝘆, ℍ𝕒𝕡𝕡𝕪 𝕃𝕠𝕨𝕞𝕒𝕟

Eight: Fifteen Minutes & Toughen Up

Chapter Eight: Fifteen Minutes & Toughen Up

"Call it."

Jolene could vaguely hear Liam's voice over the flat line of the machine. The surgery was complicated, she knew that going into it but, that didn't make losing a patient any easier. Jolene and Liam had spent hours going over the surgery, it had all been going well up until the last fifteen minutes. It only took fifteen minutes for all hell to break loose. They couldn't get the bleeding to stop and then, his heart gave out. Fifteen fucking minutes was all it took.

"12:32." A voice spoke.

Jolene threw her bloody gloves to the floor, her dark eyes watched as Dr. Boyd pulled a white sheet over the now deceased. The brunette walked out of the operating room, the noise from the machines was hurting her eyes. She rested her hands on the cool metal sink, inhaling and exhaling a few times. This wasn't the first patient she had lost and sadly, Jolene knew it wouldn't be her last. She knew not everyone could be saved but that didn't make it any easier.

"We knew this could happen." Liam said softly as he made his way towards Jolene. "There was an eighty-five percent possibility this was going to be the outcome." He reminded. Dr. Boyd knew this case inside and out, he had studied it day and night for weeks. When he had brought Jolene on to assist him he had to remind the doctor of that eighty-five percent. Liam knew that didn't make it feel any better but, it was what he needed to be reminded of in that moment as well.

"I know." Jolene said through a clenched jaw. "It doesn't make me feel any better though. We still have to go out there and tell his family." She said, her heart feeling heavy at the thought. Jolene could never master the art of putting her emotions aside when it came to this part of her job. She knew most doctors could and it was recommended to but, the brunette couldn't find it in herself to become a robotic, emotionless doctor.

"I'll tell him." Liam said. "He was my patient."

The doctor nodded and turned on the sink, washing her hands under the warm water. "I keep thinking there was more we could of done. I know I can't think like that but fuck, fifteen minutes. We were really doing good in there until those last fifteen fucking minutes." She ranted. Jolene couldn't get over those last minutes they were replaying on a loop in her mind.

"I know." Dr. Boyd shook his head as he walked out of the scrub in room.

"Get it together, Jo." Jolene muttered to herself as she shut off the water and dried her hands. She composed herself, fixed her ponytail, and held her head high as she walked out of the scrub room ready to tackle the rest of the day.

/&/

A sigh left Jolene's lips as she sat down on one of the benches outside of St. Thomas, the breeze felt good against her skin. Her shift was over but the doctor needed a few minutes to herself to collect her thoughts. She could honestly say she was drained from today, all Jolene wanted to do was sleep for the next 48 hours straight.

"Hi." Liam sat down next to her, a small smile on his tired face. "You doing okay?" He asked. The blue eyed doctor's mind kept wandering back to Jolene after his failed surgery. He didn't want the brunette taking all the failure on herself, something he knew she would do.

"Yeah." Jolene gave him a small smile. "I've got to learn how to toughen up." She said with a short laugh.

"I don't think you need to toughen up." Liam said. "You care deeply and that's a good thing." His voice reassuring. "Not all doctors need to hide away their emotions, Jolene. I think in the job we do you need to have emotions, who wants to hear their loved one passed away from some cold robot."

"Thank you." The doctor said with a grateful smile.

"Anytime, Jo." He smiled, letting a comfortable silence settle over them. "Would you like to go for a drink?" Liam asked, rubbing the back of his neck with a nervous hand as he broke the silence between them. "Just something to try and help us forget about this day." He added as a quick afterthought.

"I would love to but, I'm going to Bakersfield with my son to visit family." The brunette said, an apologetic smile making it's way onto her face. She could definitely use a drink right about now but, she had reluctantly and with the convincing of Gemma accepted Happy's offer of going to Bakersfield to see his mom. Mateo was of course excited when Jolene told him they were going. The three year old couldn't wait to spend time with his dad and Grandma Eva.

"How about when I get back?" The dark eyed doctor asked. Jolene liked Liam, she couldn't deny that. She thought he was funny, intelligent, and easy on the eyes. She wanted to spend more time with him, get to know him more and build a friendship with him. Jolene knew she was treading into dangerous territory though.

"I'd like that." He said. "I hope you have a good time in Bakersfield." Liam said with a final smile as he stood up from the bench, and walked back towards the hospital.

Jolene walked towards her Jeep with a smile on her face. Maybe this was what she needed, maybe Liam could be the one to help clear up the messiness in her head that Happy filled up.

•••
(A/N: As always thank you all so much for the votes/views. Sorry it took me a little bit to get this chapter out. Don't forget to vote&comment 😊)