Page 55 of Accidental Doctor Daddy

“Clamp!” he shouted, and a nurse passed it to him. Seth’s hands darted into the open wound, searching for the bleeding vessel. “I see it.”

I leaned in, adrenaline thrumming, scanning for an opening to step in. “Careful?—”

“I know,” Seth hissed.

Then everything happened in a flash. He shifted, and a fresh torrent of blood spurted, slicking his gloves and staining the drapes a deep crimson. Monitors beeped erratically.

“Clamp that artery!” I yelled, panic spiking. “He’s crashing!”

Seth fumbled for a split second—just a blink, but enough time for my heart to lurch in my chest. The monitors screeched warnings, the nurse rattling off the patient’s plummeting stats. Seventy over forty. Pulse weakening.

Finally, Seth pinned the bleeder with the clamp. The flow of blood slowed, the patient’s vitals stabilizing just a touch. The entire team sagged in relief, but my blood boiled.

“That was reckless,” I bit out, voice low so only Seth could hear.

He glared up at me over his mask, sweat dripping down his temple. “I saved his life.”

“The imaging would have shown a clearer path,” I snapped, controlling my volume with an iron will. “He almost bled out because you rushed it.”

“You want to blame someone, blame yourself for hesitating,” Seth spat back, his knuckles white around the clamp.

I opened my mouth to retort, but a nurse cleared her throat, eyes flicking nervously between us. The patient was still in danger if we didn’t finish up.

Seth turned back to the wound, finishing the immediate patch job. The commotion settled into a tense hush as the rest of the team worked to close. My stomach churned at the coppery smell of blood.

As soon as the patient was stable enough for transport, we ran him to the OR, where a full surgical team would take over. Seth peeled off his gloves, meeting my gaze with a glare that screameddon’t you dare.

I dropped my voice, though anger pulsed behind every syllable. “That is not going unreported.”

Seth tore off his mask, his lip curling. “Do whatever you want, Dominic. The fact remains—I saved his life, and you stood there, stalling.”

Seth brushed past me, leaving nothing but tension in his wake. My pulse hammered, rage simmering under my skin. He’d regret this.

Half an hour later, I was still pacing my office, adrenaline refusing to fade. Images flashed—blood, the crash cart, Seth’s smug grin.

That reckless bastard.

I rubbed my eyes, bone-tired. I’d had my fair share of clashes over the years, but fewer now that I outranked half the staff. Still, every argument pissed me off.

This wasn’t about ego. It was about survival. Seth had gambled with a patient’s life, and I wanted to put my fist through a wall.

But then I thought of my daughters. Would they be proud of a dad who lost it?

I unclenched my fists and let the rage burn out.

For now.

Why am I even doing this anymore?

The question cut deep. I used to know exactly why—the thrill of saving lives, the pursuit of a top role in administration.

But everything had changed since I learned about the twins. The hospital no longer felt like my whole world. Ella and the girls were out there, and I was stuck in these fluorescent corridors, playing a power game with a man I despised.

My phone buzzed with a text from the hospital admin, something about a scheduling conflict. I ignored it. I couldn’t deal with more politics right now. I needed an anchor.

And that anchor was Ella.

I didn’t want her to feel like the only parent at home. I didn’t want her to feel alone in this. And right now, I didn’t want to feel alone, either.

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