[Haruka POV]
"LEVI!" I caught him as he collapsed against me, blood seeping through the front of his shirt, warm and terrifying.
He looked up at me with dazed eyes, lips twitching into a faint smile. "I told you, didn't I…? I'll protect you… with my life."
And then his eyes fluttered closed. His body went limp in my arms.
"No. No, no, no—Levi!"
I barely had time to breathe before Claude aimed again, face twisted in rage.
I looked around wildly, and my fingers found a cold metal grip on the floor. A gun.
Without thinking, I pulled the trigger.
The shot hit his hand first, sending the gun flying. Another into his shoulder. One more into his thigh. Enough to drop him, screaming, but not kill him. Not yet. Not worth it.
I didn't even look at him again. I dropped the weapon and turned back to Levi.
"Levi… stay with me. Please." I pressed my hands against his chest wound. Trying to slow the bleeding, but it was bad. Too much. Too fast.
I ripped his shirt, and my eyes darted to the wound. I tried to examine him and noticed something. Entry at the left upper chest. No exit. No way to tell the full damage, but…
My mind flipped to diagnostic mode, like muscle theory. Like I was back in the ER.
Vitals dropping… blood pooling quickly beneath him… shallow breaths…
And then I felt it.
A faint flutter.
Not just his pulse, but an irregular, strained rhythm. His body started to chill despite the warmth of the blood.
My stomach dropped.
Aortic rupture.
"Shit. No…no…no.." I pressed harder, applying pressure even though it wouldn't do much if the rupture was internal. But that was all I could do. Keep the pressure.
"Levi… please stay with me. I've got you, I've got you Levi." I whispered. "He needs emergency surgery. And massive transfusion. Immediately…" My voice was shaking, my heart racing. My clothes were soaked in his blood. "Someone… Please!"
"Levi," I whispered, leaning closer, my voice breaking, "If you die on me now… I swear I'll never forgive you."
His eyes fluttered. A weak breath escaped him.
That's it. Keep responding. Please…
A distant rumble tore through the silence. Sirens.
Then…
"Mr. Auclair!"
The door burst open. Police. Armed. And just behind them…
Medics. With the crest of Auclair Medical Division on their jackets.
One medic froze. "Sir…"
"Forget about me!" I screamed, not even realising how loud my voice was. "Levi is dying here! Bring the stretcher and prepare for massive blood transfusion now! Move!"
They did.
Two medics dropped to their knees, hands assessing, voice barking vitals.
"BP is crashing!"
"GCS is dropping! He's sliding!"
"Start the IV. Get the O negative ready!"
I didn't let go of him, even as they lifted him onto the stretcher.
"Don't you dare give up," I whispered, gripping his hand as we moved through the corridor. "You're not allowed to die, Levi. You hear me? You're not allowed."
Red and blue lights flashed through the shattered windows. I didn't even notice Claude being dragged away in cuffs. All I saw was Levi.
Still bleeding. Still fading.
I entered the ambulance together with Levi, and the driver drove away without wasting any more time.
[Inside the Ambulance]
The siren screamed through the night.
I sat beside him, my hand still pressed to his wound, his blood soaking into my shirt, arms, and face. His head rested near me, far too still.
"Blood type A positive," I said quickly. "If the stocks are not enough… take mine. Immediately. No delays."
"Understood." One medic replied. "Blood matched. If needed, we'll initiate direct transfusion the moment we stabilize him."
Another adjusted the oxygen mask over Levi's face, checking his pulse.
He looked… peaceful. Too peaceful.
That terrified me.
"Hang on, Levi," I whispered, leaning closer. "Just hold on a little longer. I'll fix this. I swear I'll fix everything. Just… don't leave me. Please…"
The ambulance hit the bump. I didn't even flinch.
I didn't care about anything else.
Not about the blood.
Not the pain.
Only him. Only Levi.
[Haruka POV - ER Bay, Auclair Family Hospital]
The ambulance screeched into the ER bay. The doors burst open.
"Coming through! He's coding in and out, massive chest trauma, suspected aortic rupture!" One of the medics shouted as Levi's stretcher was wheeled through.
I jumped off the ambulance without waiting, blood still staining my hands, my face. I followed them like my life depended on it because his life did.
"Charles!"
I looked up. Chris was already rushing towards me in his white coat, surgical cap halfway on, clearly alerted ahead of time.
"Ni-san! Is the operation theatre ready?" My voice cracked, panic rising. "We don't have much time… Levi needs surgery now! Where's Hana-chan?"
Chris met my eyes, already matching my pace as we ran towards the surgical wing. "The OR is prepped, but Charles… there's a problem. No cardiac surgeons are free. Charlotte's still mid-operation with another critical case."
"No!" I stopped in my tracks, heart racing. "We can't delay this. He's losing blood too fast! If the rupture extends…" My throat burnt.
Chris grabbed my shoulder. "Charles… Charles, listen to me. You need to calm down. You're spiralling."
I stared into his eyes, voice trembling. "How can I calm down?! Levi could die at any moment!" My fists clenched. "I'm not letting that happen. I've made my decision. I will handle the surgery."
Chris blinked, visibly stunned. "Charles… you can't. Not like this. You're not cleared. You're in no state…"
"Ni-san… I used to be a doctor." My voice quieted. "And you knew exactly what my speciality was."
He swallowed. "I know, Charles… Of course I know. You're the best cardiothoracic surgeon that our hospital ever had. No one is better than you. But that was years ago…"
"And the technique hasn't changed. What matters now is saving him. I don't care what anyone says, but he's not dying on my watch. I need you to assist me. Please, ni-san… help me save him."
Chris looked at me, gaze wavering. And then finally, he nodded.
"Alright. Let's scrub in now."
[Operating Room - Moments later]
The harsh fluorescent lights glared above. The cold sting of disinfectant filled my nose as I scrubbed in at record speed. Chris stood beside me, already gloved and masked.
The room is quiet except for the controlled chaos of preparation.
"Vitals?" I asked, my voice now steady. I need to be a doctor now. Not the man who loves him.
"BP 65 over 30 and dropping. Heart rate irregular. Internal bleeding is likely worsening." The nurse reported.
"Transfusion protocol already started. Type A positive, matched and ready."
They brought him in. Pale, unmoving, chest soaked red. I almost froze again. But I couldn't afford that now.
I looked at Chris through the mask and nodded.
"Scalpel." I said.
The moment the scalpel touched Levi's skin, everything else disappeared. I wasn't Haruka Charles Auclair anymore, I was Dr. Charles Auclair. Former cardiothoracic surgeon. Steady hands. Sharp mind. Zero room for error.
Except this time, it was Levi. The man I….
Focus.
"Chest opened. Retractor."
The surgical team moved quickly, well-practiced under pressure, but I felt Chris' eyes on me the whole time. Watching, ready to take over if I faltered. But I wouldn't.
My gloved hands moved with precise speed. Skin. Fat. Muscle. Ribcage exposed. And then, there it was.
"Confirmed, aortic rupture." I said. "Posterior wall. Near total tears. We need to clamp now, or we will lose him."
"BP is crashing!" The nurse called. "40 over 25!"
"Damn it. Get me the vascular clamp. Ni-san, suction. I need a clear view."
He moved beside me. "Here."
I worked quickly, isolating the rupture. One wrong move…one slip… I could feel the heat of my own blood pounding in my ears.
I looked down at Levi's heart. Bruised. Bleeding. But still breathing.
"Come on, Levi. Stay with me." I whispered under my breath.
"Clamping now."
The blood stopped. Temporarily.
"He's stable for now. Get the graft."
We worked in silence except for the beeping of the monitor. Too slow. Too fragile. I guided the synthetic graft into place, sealing the rupture with careful stitches. Every knot felt like a prayer.
Each heartbeat Levi fought through pushed me harder.
The bleeding slowed. The numbers climbed.
And the… flatline.
"V-fib!" The nurse shouted.
"No," I gasped. "No, no… charge the paddles. Now!"
"Charging to 200 joules."
"Clear!"
I pressed the paddles to his chest.
Thump.
Still flat.
"Charge to 300! Come on, Levi. Fight!"
"Clear!"
Thump.
But it is still flat.
"400. Last time." I whispered. "Please… please come back."
"Charged."
I swallowed hard.
"Clear!"
THUMP.
The monitor beeped. Slow… then steady. Rhythm normalised.
"He's back." The nurse said breathlessly.
I almost dropped the paddles. My knees weakened, but I held my stance.
"...Close him up."
Chris gently put a hand on my shoulder. "You did it."
[Haruka POV - Outside Operation Room]
The hallway was too quiet now.
No screaming. No beeping. Just sterile lights and the hum of the hospital around me.
I sat beside Chris, my hands trembling despite the water bottle he'd placed in them.
"You love him." Chris had said.
And I nodded.
I could still feel the weight of Levi's heart beating against my palms. I'd held his life in my hands. I'd pull him back.
"I didn't know it would hurt this much," I whispered. "Seeing him like that. Bleeding. Still smiling like everything would be okay."
Chris let out a quiet sigh. "You pushed yourself too far. You haven't operated in years, and now you just performed one of the most complicated emergency surgeries in the book…"
"I had to." I murmured, barely above a whisper. "I couldn't let him go. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if…"
Suddenly the hallway tilted. My vision swam.
I blinked, trying to focus on Chris' face, but the world was going hazy.
My grip on the water bottle loosened. It hit the floor with a dull thud.
"Charles?" Chris' voice was distant now. "Hey…Charles!"
I opened my mouth to respond, but the words wouldn't come.
My knees buckled. Everything went white.
Then…
Darkness.
[3 hours later - Recovery ward]
I woke to the soft beep of a monitor. My body ached in places I didn't realise could ache. My arms felt heavy. My throat is dry.
I blinked.
"Where…?"
"Charles?" Chris' voice was the first I heard. Calm, but laced with concern.
I turned slightly and saw him sitting at the edge of the bed, still in scrubs, looking like he hadn't moved since I collapsed. Just beside him…
"Ray… you're here too." I whispered.
Ray stood leaning against the wall, arms crossed, his usual sharpness softened by worry. "I got here two hours ago, and you've been sleeping for three hours." He stepped closer. "You scared the hell out of all of us."
I tried to sit up, but Chris pushed my shoulder gently. "Don't. You need to rest. You just performed high-risk surgery without prep, donated your own blood and fainted from exhaustion. You need at least a few hours more to recover."
"I'm fine now." I said, pushing myself up again slowly. The dizziness was faint but manageable. "Where's Levi?"
Chris frowned. "He's still in the ICU. Stable. But Charles, you need to rest. Just give another hour and…"
"No." I cut him off firmly. "I need to see him now."
Chris opened his mouth to argue again, but Ray held up his hand.
"Let him go."
Chris looked over, surprised. "Ray…"
Ray sighed. "He's not going to listen, and you know it. Might as well save yourself the trouble."
Chris muttered something under his breath but backed off.
Then Ray turned his attention back to me.
"But seriously, Charles…" His voice dropped, less annoyed, more… disappointed. "Why the hell did you leave the mansion alone? What if something had happened before Levi got there…"
"I'm sorry… I'm really sorry." I looked down at my own two feet. "I tried my best to act like I don't care… but at the end… I just couldn't. And I didn't expect Claude to act so fast."
Ray didn't reply, but his silence was heavy with unspoken frustration.
I looked between the two of them, my voice quiet.
"Levi took a bullet for me, Ray. He nearly died. You think I can sleep in here while he's alone in that room?"
Ray looked down. Chris exhaled, defeated.
"Fine. You can go, but Ray will be staying close." Chris said softly but firmly.
I gave him a small, grateful smile, already pulling back the blanket and swinging my legs off the bed. My entire body ached, but I pushed through it.
[ICU Room - Moments later]
The moment I stepped into Levi's room, the world went still.
He lay there, pale but alive, wrapped in layers of white sheets. The steady beep of the heart monitor was the most beautiful sound I'd heard in my entire life at that moment.
I walked towards him slowly, every step quiet, careful.
I pulled the chair closer and then sat down, never taking my eyes off him.
My fingers gently curled around his hand. Still warm. Still real.
"Hey…" My voice came out, barely above a whisper. "I'm here."
I let out a shaky breath, fighting off the tears pressing at the corners of my eyes.
"You kept your promise. You protected me… with your life. So now, it's my turn to protect yours."
I brought his hand to my forehead, closing my eyes.
"Come back to me, Levi. Please… just open your eyes." Then, I couldn't hold back my tears any longer and just let them be.
[ICU Room - Hours later]
I don't know how long I drifted there. Seconds, maybe minutes, before I heard the door open quietly.
Footsteps. A familiar presence.
"Charles?"
It was Ray.
I opened my eyes slowly, blinking the sleep away.
He stood at the doorway, arms crossed, and his face looked tired.
"It's almost midnight." He said gently. "You should get some rest."
"I can't." I replied hoarsely. My fingers curled tighter around Levi's hand. "I'll rest when he wakes up."
Ray sighed and looked at me for a long moment. "You're just as stubborn as him."
I didn't respond. Just look at Levi again.
"…I'll send some food later," Ray said softly, and with that, he stepped back and left the room, the door clicking shut behind him.
The silence returned.
I turned back to Levi, my heart heavier than before. The lump in my throat returned, impossible to swallow.
"Levi…" I whispered again, a bit shakier this time. "Please… wake up. I haven't even gotten the chance to wish you a happy birthday yet. I didn't get to say I love you either."
Silence.
Then…
A low rasp, rough and raw.
"...Then say it now…"
I froze.
My eyes snapped up, and there they were.
His eyes. Groggy. Blinking slowly, but open.
"Say it now, Haru-chan." His voice barely above a whisper. "I want to hear it… a million times."
My breath caught.
I surged forward, tears falling freely now, clutching his hand against my cheek. "Levi…" I choked out.
"I love you. I love you so damn much."
He gave me the faintest smile. Tired, but real.
"Happy birthday." I whispered, placing a kiss on his lips.
He closed his eyes slowly, letting out a breath that trembled with something between relief and emotion. "Best birthday ever…"
And then…
TO BE CONTINUED!!!