Seduced by the Heart Surgeon

The box was empty, except for one thing.
A ring.
‘Where’s my puppy?’ Freya croaked.

‘Freya, can I ask a favour? I’m going to be here all night and I’m supposed to be speaking to my parents. They’re driving me mad with video chats. Can you stop by the hotel and bring my adaptor?’

‘Beautiful embryos,’ Hilary said. ‘Their position is perfect and their heartbeats are strong and a very good rate...’
‘Their?’ Freya checked.
‘Twins,’ Hilary said. ‘So get used to throwing up for a few more weeks. Double everything, including the fun.’

‘I want you to be pregnant,’ he said. ‘I want the baby.’
And, because it was Zack, she knew he meant it.
‘So hang in there, little one.’

All night he had been up late, speaking with colleagues, going over and over the ultrasounds with the best brains he knew, and the response had been the same. Zack would take on more than most, which was why his stats came in low, but in this...

‘Sorry.’ He rolled his eyes. ‘I’ve got cabin fever. I’ve been here since Tuesday.’

Zack was about to say no but then thought about it and, yep, a few hours on horseback to look forward to sounded like a good way of staying sane during these coming days.

‘I can’t switch off,’ Zack admitted.
‘When are your days off?’ Freya asked.
‘I’m not going to get out of this place for the next couple of days.’

Zack stopped and then handed her the phone. ‘If PICU calls...’
‘Sure.’
‘Or are you going home?’
‘I’m staying tonight.’
‘You don’t usually.’
‘No.’ Freya didn’t know what to say—she was here because she wanted to be and Zack didn’t know what to say because it was actually a help to him that she was.
He didn’t like leaving his pagers with others, though he had to at times, of course.

He was not going to spill it all out just because he was tired, and anyway PICU rang at that moment to alter some drug doses for Paulo.
‘He’s doing all the right things,’ Zack said, leaning back. ‘I’ll go and review him at midnight, unless there’s any change before then.’