Page 119 of Toxic Temptation
Love isn’t part of this equation.
And even if it was, I made Waylen a promise.I will not fall for Kovan Krayev.
I close my eyes and try to forget how right it feels to have him in my bed. Try to ignore the way his presence makes me feel safer and more restless all at once.
But sleep doesn’t come easily when your heart wants something your head knows it can never have.
40
VESPER
“Oh my God, she can’t breathe!”
A mother’s scream cuts through the pediatric ward, sharp and desperate. I spin around to see her seven-year-old daughter thrashing on the bed, her lips already turning blue.
My training kicks in before my mind catches up. “Defibrillator. Now.” I yank the curtains closed around us, my hands already moving to position the girl’s small body.
The mother stands frozen behind me, sobbing. I can hear one of my nurses, Miranda, trying to comfort her, but I can’t focus on anything except the child in front of me.
“Where’s the defibrillator?” I bark at another nurse lingering on the periphery.
Her face goes white. “Dr. Fairfax, we… we don’t have one.”
“What do you mean, we don’t have one?”
“The supply room is empty.”
I don’t have time to process this. The girl’s eyes are rolling back. I climb onto the bed, straddling her tiny frame, and start chest compressions.
“One, two, three.” My breath is steady even though my heart is thundering. I tilt her head back, exhale into her lungs, then return to compressions. “Find me a defibrillator from another ward. Now.”
Both nurses sprint out. The mother’s sobs unfold behind me as I work.Compress. Breathe. Compress. Breathe.
“Come on, sweetheart.” Sweat drips into my eyes. “Come on, little one.”
On the fifth round of CPR, her body jerks. Air rushes into her lungs. Color floods back into her cheeks.
She’s breathing.
I slide off the bed, my legs shaking. “You did it, baby girl. You’re okay.”
The girl’s eyes dart around frantically until she finds her mother. The woman rushes forward, but I catch her arm gently.
“Let her breathe a little first.”
She nods, tears streaming down her face as she takes her little girl’s hand. “Is she… Will she be okay?”
“She’s stable now. We’ll monitor her closely.” I force myself to stay calm and professional, even though rage is building in my chest like a tidal wave.
I leave detailed instructions with the nurses and walk out of the ward. The moment I’m alone, fury explodes through me.
Where the hell was the defibrillator?
I storm down the hall toward the supply closet. The door slams against the wall when I throw it open.
The shelves are practically bare. No defibrillators. No nebulizers. Even basic supplies like syringes are running low.
“What the hell?” I breathe.
