ATHENA

The shot rings out.

I brace for the pain, for the heat of the bullet tearing through my flesh.

But it neveres.

I''m still standing.

I''m still breathing.

Frozen.

My heart ms against my ribs as the world slows around me.

And then-

"No!"

A body crashes into mine, shoving me hard to the side.

I stumble, catching myself against the edge of a table.

That''s when I hear it, a guttural gasp, the sound of someone choking on breath. The thud of a body hitting marble.

Blood stters.

I look down my body and realize it''s not mine.

My eyes widen as I turn.

Someone took the bullet.

For me.

From the corner of my eye, I can see Leah screaming, thrashing, wild-eyed like a mad woman.. But the officers are on her now, four of them tackling her to the ground, ripping the gun from her hands.

My ears ring.

The voices fade.

Someone''s shouting my name, but it sounds like it''sing from underwater.

Everything begins to blur, hitting me all at once.

A gun.

Shoot.

Not me.

I look to the side and see Sloane lying in her own pool of blood.

I let out a scream as I rush to her side.

"Are you hurt?" I hear Alex''s panicked voice as he reaches me. I only shake my head as I push through the people surrounding her.

I drop to my knees beside her, blood soaking into the pink silk pooling around her.

"Oh my God!" I hear Ariana''s gasp.

"Sloane, Sloane, stay with me," I whisper, my hands already moving on instinct.

There''s so much blood.

Too much.

Her breathing is shallow, and her lips are trembling as she blinks up at me. Her skin is pale, and she has sweat beads across her forehead.

"Give me space!" I yell, my voice loud enough to split the air. But no one moves. "Give her fucking space! Dammit!" Alex''s deep voice booms and that does it. The people crowding us stumble back, startled by the suddenmand.. The panic and shock fades.fn9f3d Th? link to the orig?n of this information r?sts ?n FindN()vel/fn9f3d

The doctor in me takes over.

I tear open the side of her dress, my fingers moving fast over the wound. It''s just below the ribs, lower the spine. A dangerous spot.

"She''s been shot near the T12 region," I mutter to myself. "If the bullet touched her spinal cord-"

"Move!"nn drops beside me, breathless, his hands already pulling out the gauze and a clotting agent from the emergency pack he brought with him.

I don''t question why he has it. Right now, I''m just grateful he''s here.

"I''ll hold pressure," he says, his voice shaking slightly.

I''ve worked withnn for a long time and this is the first time I''ve heard him shake.

I nod, my fingers trembling only slightly as I check her vitals. "The pulse is weak, breathing is unstable. We need to stop the bleeding and stabilize her before transport."

"Roger that. I won''t let her die." He says to himself as he puts on his gloves.

Together, we work in sync. I seal the wound temporarily by mping what I can, and prep her for the ambnce that''s already being rushed in.

"We need a stretcher!"n screams toward the hall.

The medics appear secondster, loading her onto the gurney.

"Let mee in-" I begin to climb into the ambnce after her, but a firm hand stops me.

"You can''t, neither of you can." the lead medic says gently. "You''re emotionally involved. We can''t risk your judgment beingpromised in the OR."

"That''s my wife to be. I''ll be damned if I won''t do the operation myself."n growls and I stand shocked.

Since when didn and Sloane start dating.

Guilt grips me like a vice but I shut it down.

Not now.

"Dr. Quinn-"

"Let him through. We can''t waste Any moment!" I say and the medic sighs in defeat.

My hands are shaking as we follow the ambnce.

That should have been me.

Sloane- Oh God. Please don''t die! Please I''m begging you.

A tear rolls down my cheek when I feel a warm hand rub my bare back.

My dress is covered in blood and the man I hate the most isforting me. How messed up is this!

We arrive and rush straight outside the OR as we wait for the news of the operation.

I would have gone in but we can''t have two emotionally attached surgeons in

there. Isabelle will handle it if anything happens.

Shes a good- No- The best doctor.

My knees are shaking as I pace back and forth, my stomach in knots, my thoughts

racing.

Please let her live.

Please don''t take her from us.

I run my hands through my hair, trying to slow my breathing. Trying to focus.

Trying not to fall apart.

The doors burst open behind me.

Ariana, Eli, and Noah rush in.

"Athena!" Noah calls me, his eyes wild, and panic etched across his face.

"What happened?" he gasps. "Where''s Sloane? What the hell happened to my sister?!"

How do you exin something like this?

How do you tell someone their sister might die because she took a damn bullet for

you?

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