Open Heart Book 1 - Someone Like You

Chapter 2 (C) - Lifeline (Aurora Emery)

"Aunty Emery, I ask you again, what makes Primrose so special?"

"Ethan picked the 30 medical interns, like I picked the 30 surgical interns. Your application was one of the first applications he read, and he forgot about you, until I mentioned your name to him. You didn't stand out as well as I had hoped you would have. Primrose was the 12th application he read, and he was completely blown away. He had totally forgotten about all the applications he had read before, yours included and he wasn't that interested in the rest he read. He ranked Di Georgio has number 1"

"Good for Primrose"

"You're not listening to me, Aurora and I am starting to get irritated, so let me make it crystal clear. You are paired up with the intern that Ethan ranked as number 1 even before he met her. I can't show you her application form, but I was so curious that I read it myself and I must say I was very astonished. Whether you can see it or not, Di Georgio is remarkable, and you are working with her today, so you need to prove yourself. Now, go and make me proud, uphold my reputation and represent the Emery name exceptionally."

"But..."

"No buts, Aurora, you are dismissed"

Aurora pinched her lips and slammed the door hard to show Harper she was annoyed with her at present. She decided she was going to be a rebel and not follow her aunt's instructions. Harper had assigned her an additional three patients on-top of her current workload and they were going to meet in a couple of hours, after Harper had finished performing a craniotomy to discuss the three patients in details. Aurora didn't want to have to deal with this extra amount of pressure added by Harper today and she hid in a supply closet. Aurora was feeling shattered and drained after spending the past 2 hours with Harper being grilled on her medical knowledge, analysing her mistakes and questioning every decision she would make on different medical scenarios. Aurora felt like she was back in High School and undertaking a pop quiz she was unprepared and unaware of.

Other doctors, more experienced doctors shall take of those patients, not me. Aurora thought to herself as she settled down on the floor and drifted asleep. As she fell asleep, her mind wondered back to her aunt and she never gave a second thought to Primrose and Annie. She always knew being the niece of Harper Emery would be challenging, as she would automatically be compared to her and she would have to deal with snakes who would only want to be friends with her to get into Harper's good books. However, she had never expected her aunt to be as difficult as she had been today and, in the months, leading up to today. She expected her aunt to be supportive like she had always been, but since becoming Chief she had become strident.

-x-

Aurora woke up in pain two hours later. She struggled to get up from the floor and looked in the camera on her phone; her right side of her face was slightly red and bruised for sleeping on the hard surface. Great... Aurora looked at the time and gasped. I haven't seen Annie or Primrose in over four hours, I better show my face.

Aurora ran towards Annie's room but slows down when she sees Doctor Ramsey and Primrose standing close to one another, smiling and chatting. They seem on good terms. I wonder what they're talking about? Aurora approaches them curiously but becomes angry and flustered when she looks into Annie's room and sees her laughing out loud and full of life.

"Excuse me, Primrose, but what is going on?" They both turn around and appear annoyed by her presence. Interrupting something am I? Annie is okay and it's all thanks to Primrose. Aunty Harper was right, Primrose is one to watch out for. She's a dark horse and I always need to be better than her. Aunty is going to be so mad that I had no part in saving Annie's life and it was all Primrose. How the fuck am I going to get out of this one? Aurora starts to rapidly blinks her eyes, as she thinks about her aunt's reaction to hearing this news.

"I'm sorry Aurora, I completely lost track of time and forgot to update you on Annie. Today's been madness" Aurora is taken aback and astonished that Primrose didn't throw her under the bus. I fully expected her to tell Doctor Ramsey that I had abandoned her for the last four hours? What is she up to? Does she want something? She probably wants me to tell aunty how wonderful she is. Or she's going to hold this piece of information against me and blackmail me. Well, that's not going to work, I'll come clean if she tries to use this against me.

"Doctor Di Georgio, please take on board everything you have learnt today and improve your communication with your colleagues. Doctor Emery, please remember that you are treating patients with your partner and you don't get to pick and choose which patients you want to treat." That would have been a lot worse if Primrose had told the truth, but I want to know why she hasn't? Aunty told me I always see the worst in people and maybe she is just being nice. Maybe this is Primrose's character; that she is jus nice to everyone. Poor girl, she's going to die at Edenbrook.

Aurora and Primrose stand in awkward silence, as Ethan walks away.

"You look like shit, Di Georgio"

"Thanks, that's what happens when you work" So, she can stand up for herself.

"Whatever"

"So, what have you been doing all day in your aunt's office?" Mind your business, bitch

"Working hard" Aurora walks away and doesn't look back at Primrose. I'm not putting up with her attitude.

-x-

Much to Aurora's surprise, Harper didn't question her about her first day at Edenbrook when they decided to go to Danube's for a drink. They are sitting in a booth sharing a bottle of wine between them. It's uncomfortable, but not as uncomfortable as it could have been. I'm sure Harper knows that I didn't do what she wanted me to do and she probably found out about Primrose being Annie's Angel Guardian, but she's not letting on. Good, I just want to enjoy my wine and go home.

Aurora observes the other interns having fun at Danube's. It's her first day and she hasn't made any friends, but it looks like every other intern has. I don't need friends, I just have myself and my family, especially my aunty. They can't compete with me. Aurora locates Primrose sitting with Doctor Ramsey at the end of the bar and they are drinking and laughing together and smiling at one another. They look cosy. Primrose sure is beautiful, no wonder Doctor Ramsey likes her. He seems to have a crush; I can tell just by the way he's looking at her. People say I have an unfair advantage being related to Harper but seems like Primrose might be having an unfair advantage in the future soon with Doctor Ramsey.

Aurora and Harper don't stay long at Danube's and they return home a little after 21:30pm. Aurora stays up late, till 01:00am to read up on her medical diaries and journals. She goes to bed and vows to be on form from now on.

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This was a hard chapter to write as PB didn't explore aurora a lot in the game, so this is from my imagination. I've gotten feedback from people that my chapters are very long, so I will try and break them down from now. 💋