Look At Me!
Zara exhaled heavily, her eyes tracing over the medical record in front of her. The fatigue from working a double shift just two days ago was still heavy on her shoulders. The extra pay was crucial right now—her rent had increased, and extra hours were her only option.
The ward was overwhelmed with patients, a stark contrast to the quiet night shifts in pediatrics she was used to. It was one thing to handle a busy ward, but another entirely when the matron was out sick and the chief of staff, Dr. Lane, was someone everyone seemed eager to avoid.
The day nurses had been friendly enough, but Zara noticed a palpable tension, particularly after they’d come out of Dr. Lane’s office. It was clear he had chosen today to be in a particularly foul mood.
She glanced over at Chelsea, the only other nurse working with her, and blew out a frustrated breath. “We need Mrs. Davidson’s morphine increase signed off by a doctor. Who’s available?”
“The only one who can authorize that right now is Dr. Lane…” Chelsea murmured, her voice laced with unease as she wrapped up her notes.
Zara’s eyes flickered towards Dr. Lane’s office door—the one everyone was actively avoiding. She couldn’t fathom the level of intimidation. She’d never met the man, but she refused to let a doctor’s bad mood interfere with her duties.
Straightening her back, Zara turned to Chelsea with determination. “I’ll handle it. Someone has to.”
Chelsea’s expression shifted to one of apprehensive concern. “Maybe wait a bit? Joanne just came out of there looking like she’d seen a ghost.”
“I don’t have the luxury of time, Chels…” Zara said firmly, picking up the file. “Wish me luck!”
Chelsea watched in awe as Zara knocked on the door, a mixture of admiration and anxiety in her gaze.
Zara knocked on the door, her knuckles rapping the wood with more force than necessary. She waited, feeling a knot of tension forming in her stomach. A brief pause, and then a low, irritated voice answered from inside.
“Come in.”
She swallowed hard, nerves prickling as she entered the office. Doctor Lane sat behind his desk, files and medical textbooks strewn around him in disarray. His head was bowed, one hand cradling his forehead while the other scribbled furiously across the page. He didn’t bother to look up when she stepped inside, the only sound in the room was the scratch of his pen.
Zara closed the door, forcing herself to remain calm as she cleared her throat. “Doctor Lane, do you have a moment to sign off on a morphine increase for a patient?”
“Age?” His tone was clipped, impatient.
“Sixty-eight,” she answered, trying to keep her irritation at bay.
“History of drug abuse?”
“No, Sir.”
“Sex?”
“Female.”
“Condition?”
“She recently had a kidney transplant.”
Not once did he lift his eyes from the papers in front of him. His shoulders were taut, his responses mechanical, almost as if he were barely registering her presence. It wasn’t hard to understand why the other nurses avoided him today. But Zara had dealt with difficult doctors before—she wasn’t about to back down just because Zack Lane was in a mood.
“Leave the file,” he muttered. “I’ll get to it in fifteen minutes.”
Zara bristled. “I’ll be in rounds then. Could you take a quick look and sign it now? The patient is in quite a lot of pain.”
His sigh was heavy, laced with exasperation. “Did you even take her bloods? With dialysis and weakened kidney function, I can’t sign that off until that’s done. What about Dr Ramirez.”
“She’s starting dialysis tomorrow, Sir, and Dr. Ramirez is in OR 3 performing surgery.”
“Then get another doctor,” Zack shot back, his tone curt, as if the matter were already settled.
“You’re the only other doctor available, Sir,” Zara bit out, her patience fraying as she clenched the file in her hand.
Zack’s shoulders tensed further, his head still buried in the paperwork that had consumed his morning. The weight of the hospital’s new demands from the board pressed on him, amplifying the frustration that simmered just beneath the surface. His mind was already overwhelmed, and the nurse’s persistent request felt like just another problem he didn’t have the bandwidth for.
“Just do the blood test,” he snapped, the sharpness in his voice undeniable now. It was harsher than he intended, but he didn’t have the energy to rein it in.
Zara’s irritation spiked, heat flaring behind her eyes. She had a mountain of her own tasks to deal with, including starting her new job as the Nursing Supervisor in a ward she only just started working on and navigating a chaotic department struggling with staff shortages today. She knew Doctor Lane was under pressure, but his dismissiveness grated on her in a way that was becoming hard to tolerate.
“Yes, sir,” she shot back, voice tight with barely concealed frustration.
She turned sharply, hand already on the doorknob, but something stopped her from storming out. The image of the frantic nurses outside flashed in her mind—scattered, flustered, trying to manage the department with too few doctors on call today. The last thing they needed was a leader too wrapped up in his own stress to see what was happening around him. Her fingers tightened on the knob as she hesitated, an unexpected boldness bubbling up inside her.
No. She wasn’t going to walk out and let him wallow in his stress while the rest of them scrambled to keep the ship afloat.
She turned back around, Zara’s frustration flared, her words slipping free before she could stop herself. “Doctor Lane, with all due respect, we need you out there right now, not buried in here. We’re short-staffed, and we’re struggling - we need someone who’s focused, not dismissive. If this hospital’s going to run properly today, we need you on deck. And the least you could do is look at me when I'm talking to you!"
Zack's head snapped up, rising from his chair in one swift, commanding motion. His mouth opened, ready to reprimand her lack of professionalism, but the words died on his lips. He was utterly paralyzed by the vision before him. She was stunning - far more beautiful than he had anticipated, and the sight of her hit him like a shock to the system.
Her eyes, almond-shaped with a rich, chocolate hue, held a storm of emotions - anger, defiance, maybe even a flicker of regret. But it wasn't just her expression that captivated him. Her full, pillowy lips, soft and inviting, drew his attention, and her high cheekbones only enhanced her striking beauty. He was floored, completely undone by her presence.
Her mocha skin seemed to glow; smooth and flawless, and all Zack could think about was how incredible it would feel under his touch - or to taste. His mind reveled in the idea of tracing every inch of her with his tongue, and before he knew it, his eyes drifted lower, shamelessly taking in her body. Even in her scrubs, every curve was on display.
Her full breasts rose and fell with each shallow breath, and he couldn't help but imagine how they would feel pressed against him. Her waist was slender, but her hips flared in a maddeningly enticing way. He could only think of sinking into the warmth between her thick thighs, her body a temptation he wasn't sure he could resist.
The pull was magnetic, and it took every ounce of his willpower to keep his voice steady. "Excuse me?" His voice was low, more of a growl than anything coherent.
He didn't trust himself to say more.
Zara swallowed, clearly unsettled by the tension but pressing on, stepping closer despite the magnetic charge between them. Her voice wavered slightly as she set the medical file down on his desk. "Look, I get that you're busy, but we’re short on doctors due to sickness. The CNO is sick too and as it's my first day as Nursing Supervisor, I am unable to delegate without her authority. So right now, you're in charge of the nurses as well. Most nurses working today are rookies, and now they are either terrified to come in here or are leaving in tears. You're the captain of this ship, Dr. Lane. We need you."
Her words were rushed, but when she looked up at him again, she felt her breath catch in her throat. Doctor Zack Lane was unlike anyone she had ever seen - his presence alone was overwhelming. His dark blond hair was artfully tousled on top, and his stubble, a shade darker, gave him an air of rugged elegance.
But it was his eyes that ensnared her - ocean blue, intense and piercing, framed by lashes unfairly long for a man. His face was sculpted masterfully, his chiseled jaw was currently tense with frustration, and the sight of him in his scrubs only heightened her reaction. He was tall, 6'4 if she were to guess, and his muscles filled out the fabric in a way that made her pulse race. Her mind wandered, imagining what it would feel like to be enveloped in those arms and held close to him.
She forced herself to focus, to remember where she was. "Will that be all, nurse..?" he asked his voice a low rumble as he waited for her to give her name.
"Adams," she replied quickly, her voice almost a whisper.
He nodded, jaw tight, and she knew she should leave. The tension between them was thick, almost unbearable, but she couldn't shake the feeling that he was battling something within himself.
“Please do a blood test before administering any morphine.” He signed the prescription slip and sat back down, dismissing her with a final, "You can leave my office now," Zara felt a flicker of anger at his arrogance. Yet, the image of him, so raw and powerful, was burned into her mind. She had to go.
Zara picked up the slip and the medical file and exited his office, letting the door close behind her as she exhaled deeply, trying to regain her composure. Her heart was racing, and she struggled to steady her breath. Looking up, she caught Chelsea's gaze from the nurses' station, the sympathy clear in her friend's eyes.
"Don't even say it," Zara muttered, dropping into the seat beside her colleague.
Chelsea raised her hands in surrender, her lips curling into an appreciative smile. "Thanks for trying, chica."
Zara sighed, flipping open her notes. "Is he always like this?"
Chelsea shook her head, shrugging. "Not really. Dr. Lane is usually great - amazing, even. Not sure what's up with him today. Maybe his dad and the hospital board are pushing him again."
Zara frowned. "His dad?"
"Yeah," Chelsea nodded. "His dad owns the hospital."
Of course, Zara thought, rolling her eyes. "So he's a Nepo Baby..."
Chelsea chuckled. "Yes, but to his credit, he is one of the best surgeons in the world. We're lucky to have him. And it doesn't hurt that he's drop-dead gorgeous."
Zara grunted in agreement, keeping her mouth shut. Yes, he was devastatingly gorgeous. And if the sudden dampness between her thighs was any indication, she was in serious trouble. She had to stay far away from Zack Lane - the rude, arrogant, but undeniably irresistible doctor.
