The night shift in the surgical ward dragged on endlessly, as if time had slowed to a crawl. The air hung thick with the sharp scent of antiseptic and medicine. In the dimly lit nurses station, Emily Carter sat hunched over a bookher only escape from the exhaustion of her double life. By day, she studied at medical college; by night, she worked as a nursing assistant. These stolen moments with a worn copy of Dickens were her lifeline, a way to cling to her soul amid the grime and chaos.
Whats this, then? A book club?
The voice, sharp and sneering, shattered the silence. Emily flinched as the book was snatched from her hands. Standing over her was Dr. Richard Hawthorne, the head of the department. He was a small man, his thinning hair and pinched face perpetually twisted in disdain. He held the book between two fingers, as if it were something filthy.
Dickens? How noble, he scoffed. But youre not some lady of leisure, Miss Carter. Youre here to work. Or do you think we pay you to daydream?
Emily rose slowly, her hands clenched. Fear had long since given way to simmering anger. First, you barely pay me enough to live. Second, Ive done everythingcleaned the wards, tended the patients. Dont I deserve a break?
You dare argue? His voice rose to a shout. One more word, and youre out on the street!
Just then, the door burst open. Sarah, Emilys friend and colleague, rushed in. One glance at the scene told her everything.
Em, we need you in Room SixMr. Thompsons taken a turn! She tugged Emily away, flashing Dr. Hawthorne a tight smile. Sorry, sir, well sort it!
Once out of earshot, Sarah hissed, Are you mad? Hell destroy you!
I cant stay silent while he tramples people, Emily whispered back. Hes not a doctor. Hes a jailer.
Sarahs grip tightened. Your words wont change a thing. But theyll ruin you.
Emily bit her lip. Prudence? That word had lost all meaning years ago. At fifteen, her life had shatteredher father, once a successful businessman, left broken after a brutal attack by rivals. The doctors saved his life but not his spirit. Her mother, worn down by grief, followed him to the grave soon after. Emily sold everythingeven her beloved porcelain dollto survive. Shed sworn then: shed become a doctor who actually cared.
Near 2 a.m., shouts echoed from A&E. A dishevelled man slumped on a gurney, clutching a bleeding wound. Knife just for a few quid, he rasped.
Dr. Hawthorne emerged, lip curled. Another drunk from the streets. No insurance, no papers. Call the policeI wont waste resources on trash.
Emilys vision blurred with rage. This was her father all over againthe indifference, the cruelty. Without thinking, she grabbed an empty bedpan and stormed into Hawthornes office.
You took an oath! she shouted. To help anyone in needrich or poor!
He rose, sputtering. How dare you
You want me to empty bedpans? Fine.
With that, she upended it over his head.
Silence. Then chaos.
Hawthorne screamed threatstermination, lawsuitsbut something had shifted. The senior nurse barked orders: Prep the ORnow! The homeless man was wheeled away, saved by the very staff whod hesitated moments before.
Emily left that night, her bag slung over her shoulder. She knew the consequences would comejob loss, maybe worse. But she didnt regret it.
At home, her frail mother, Margaret, waited by the window. Youre early. What happened?
Nothing, Mum, Emily lied, forcing a smile.
The truth came knocking hours laternot with police, but with two well-dressed men. Were James and Oliver. The man you saved? Our brother.
The homeless patient was Daniel Whitmore, heir to a fortune, hiding his identity in a foolish stunt. Grateful, he offered Emily anything: money, education, a job.
Just keep me out of jail, she joked weakly.
A year later, they married quietly. Daniels wealth brought securityproper care for Margaret, a home, Emilys medical degree. And when she returned to that hospital as Dr. Carter, Hawthorne froze in the corridor. He resigned that same day.
As she watched him scurry away, Emily understood: the truest justice wasnt vengeance, but letting cruelty remove itself. Medicine had no room for the heartless. And sometimes, the bravest act was simply to outlast them.
