Selfless Hero

Right as I was brushing my teeth, the doorbell rang.

Lulu barked.

“Who in the hell?” I muttered, annoyed. I returned my toothbrush to the bathroom cabinet and rinsed my mouth before rushing to the door, almost tripping on Lulu along the way.

I peered out the peephole and my heart almost stopped.

Dr. Max Lewis stood there, staring hopefully at the door with a single red rose in his hand.

Shit.

I looked down at my raggedy old pajamas that consisted of an old college t-shirt and faded plaid shorts.

Meanwhile, Lulu continued barking and scratching at the door, wondering what was taking me so long to answer.

Max frowned, and I watched as he took several tentative steps backwards, obviously thinking I wasn’t home.

I hesitantly unlocked the door. By the time I poked my head out, Max had been heading down the hall.

“What are you doing here?”

He turned around and came to a halt. “Kylie.” He ran a hand through that dark silky mane of hair on his head. “I wanted to see you,” he said, coming back to my door and handing me the rose. Lulu, wagging her tail like crazy, stood on her hind legs and placed her front paws on him. He smiled and pat the top of her head. “Can I come in?” he asked after a moment.

“Sure…” I said.

I took a deep breath, various emotions rolling through me. I’d initially been shocked to see him at my apartment door unannounced, and flattered by the beautiful rose. But then my frustration returned, recalling that he hadn’t bothered to tell me he was leaving our hospital.

I looked down at the rose in my hand, wondering if it was meant as a feeble peace offering for a silly lovesick girl who needed to be let down gently. I gripped the stem too tightly, accidently pricking my finger on a thorn.

As Max entered my apartment, I slammed the door a little harder than I meant to. “Be right back,” I said rather harshly as I headed to the kitchen to put the rose in a vase of water.

When I returned to the front of the apartment, Max still stood by the door. His hands were stuffed in his pockets and he looked somewhat nervous. Lulu danced around him, and he occasionally reached down to pat her head.

“What do you want, Max?” I said, crossing my arms over my chest. “I have things to do.”

He raised his eyebrows, perhaps surprised by my angry tone. “Sorry,” he said. “It’s just—when you didn’t show up for work, I was worried.”

“Wh

at do you care about me not showing up at work for? You didn’t show up yesterday.”

“I did—”

“No, you didn’t. I looked all over for you.”

“I did go to work. I went last night. I returned to the night shift.”

I paused. “Oh,” I said. “Well…still, what are you doing here? I’m busy. I have to take Lulu for her run.”

“Can I come with you?”

I headed to the back of the apartment to retrieve Lulu’s leash without answering. Lulu raced behind me, unable to hide her excitement about finally going out after asking for hours on end.

“Are you going in your pajamas?” Max asked.

I swore under my breath. His presence had disoriented me so that I had suddenly forgotten I was barefoot and still in my pajamas. I heard him chuckle. I turned around, seeing that he had followed Lulu and me.

“Max, I really don’t understand why you’re here. What the hell do you want?”