Gina changed in silence.
The women's locker room was cold and still, the buzz of fluorescent lights overhead the only sound in the space. She moved slowly, peeling off her scrubs and folding them neatly before slipping back into her hoodie and sweatpants. The cotton felt soft against her skin, too soft for a place like this. She tugged the hoodie on, zipped it halfway, then sat on the bench for a few seconds, just breathing.
She was exhausted. Her limbs ached and her stomach still turned gently from the events of the day, but at least the nausea had settled.
She tied her hair up into a loose bun, shut her locker with a soft clang, and made her way out.
The hallway outside was quiet. Gina walked at a steady pace, aiming for the elevators, trying to keep her thoughts from spiraling. But as she rounded the corner, a familiar voice stopped her in her tracks.
Dr. Preston.
Her voice was quiet but pointed, drifting down the corridor like a perfume. Sweet, but artificial.
"Adrian, come on," she said, soft and low. "You and I both know this isn't about professionalism anymore."
Gina froze. She wasn't trying to eavesdrop, but her feet didn't move. Something about the tone made her skin prickle.
Preston continued, voice laced with something between amusement and contempt.
"She's young, emotional, inexperienced. She practically fell apart during her first assist, and you're walking her to elevators and checking her vitals like she's fragile crystal. Since when do you care about anyone like that?"
There was a pause.
"I've seen the way you look at her," she added. "You never looked at me like that."
Another pause.
"You used to trust me. You used to need me."
Gina's pulse quickened.
Adrian's voice came, sharp and flat.
"You were useful. That's not the same thing."
There was a brittle silence. Then Preston laughed quietly, but it didn't sound amused.
"So that's all I ever was to you? Useful?"
"You tell me," he replied. "You wanted the job, you got it. But don't rewrite history just because someone else walked in the door." Adrian was scrolling through his phone... as if he would rather be anywhere but here. This unsettled Gina. He did not have to be rude.
"She doesn't belong here," Preston said, her voice hardening. "You know that as well as I do. She's going to be a liability." Rita said, her hand brushing the left side of Adrian's arm.
Another long silence. Gina could feel the weight of it in her chest.
Then Adrian spoke again, quiet but final.
"I brought her here. She stays." Rita's arm falls off.
Preston's voice dropped lower, like she was trying to salvage something. "Don't throw everything away because she's shiny and new. You'll regret it."
"I don't regret anything," Adrian said, his voice ice cold. "But keep questioning me, and you'll find yourself regretting plenty."
Gina stepped forward then, making her presence known. She walked toward the elevator like she hadn't heard a word.
Preston turned, her face faltering just slightly. Adrian looked over, and everything about him shifted. He immediately put his phone in his pocket.... An act both women noticed.
His shoulders relaxed. His gaze softened, though only slightly. The chill behind his eyes dimmed, as if someone had turned the temperature up by just a few degrees.
He looked at her like she was real. Like she was the only thing in the hallway that mattered.
Gina didn't know what to do with that.
She pressed the elevator button and looked away.
When the doors opened, Adrian stepped aside, his voice low.
"After you."
Gina entered the elevator. He almost followed, and then after a short beat, remembered doctor Preston. Her steps were stiff, Adrian following soon after.
The doors slid closed, and the air inside was thick.
"How are you feeling?" Adrian asked, his attention fixed on Gina.
She didn't look at him. "I'm okay. Just tired. I think some rest at home would help."
Preston let out a short, mocking breath. "She's not made of glass, Adrian. You're treating her like a baby."
Adrian didn't react.
"Jealousy doesn't suit you, Rita," he said calmly.
The silence that followed was harsh. Preston stared at the elevator wall, her expression tight.
Gina shifted her weight slightly, trying to disappear into the corner.
When the doors opened, she stepped out the moment the space allowed her to. The tension felt like it followed her out into the garage.
Adrian was close behind. He said nothing as they walked side by side toward the car, the sound of their footsteps echoing faintly. Gina kept her head down, fingers fidgeting in the pocket of her hoodie.
Then her phone buzzed.
Marcus.
She stared at the name, pulse thudding, and picked up.
"What?" she said, quietly.
"I need to see you," his voice came fast, like he'd been waiting. "Please, Gina. I'm still at the Monarch. Just meet me. We need to talk."
She didn't respond. She just hung up, pocketed the phone, and kept walking.
Adrian had already reached the passenger door. He opened it without a word. Gina didn't argue. She got in, pulled the seatbelt across her body, and settled into the seat.
When he got into the driver's side, he didn't look at her right away.
"What did he want?"
Gina hesitated, but then answered. "He wants to meet. He's still at the Monarch."
Adrian didn't speak. He just started the car, hand steady on the gear.
Then, calmly, he said, "I'm coming with you."
It wasn't a question.
Gina blinked at him, lips parting, but whatever words had been forming died on her tongue.
She didn't fight it. Not because she agreed... but because she couldn't even figure out what she was supposed to feel anymore.
So she just leaned her head back, closed her eyes, and let the hum of the engine drown out the war in her chest.