Page 79 of Obeying

"Well, we'll see once the board decides. If they're kicking me out, I might try law school for my next act."

"They're not kicking you out."

"You don't know that."

"I do. I saw their faces when you spoke. They believed you." He squeezes my hands. "They'd be fools not to."

I look at our hands, at his thumbs still tracing circles on my knuckles. I think about how far we've come from that moment to this one.

"Thank you," I say. "Again. I know I've said it a hundred times, but still. Thank you for everything."

He lifts one of my hands and presses his lips to my knuckles. Brief. Warm.

"I'll always be here for you," he says. "No matter what."

I believe him. That's the part that still surprises me. After everything I've been through, after three years of learning that promises are just another form of control, I believe him. Because Logan Maxwell doesn't say things he doesn't mean. He never has.

We stand there for another minute, his hands around mine, the stairwell quiet. Somewhere in a conference room, eight people are deciding our future.

But right now, in this alcove, with his hands holding mine, I'm not worried about the verdict.

I'm just glad I'm not waiting for it alone.

24

KRISTEN

I'm at my house. Alone. The Program Director told me to take the rest of the day after the hearing, which sounded like kindness but feels like torture because all it means is I'm sitting in my living room with nothing to do except wait and think.

I've been trying to keep busy. I cleaned the kitchen, organized the files on the counter even though they're already organized, opened a book, read two sentences, and closed it.

So I'm making tea. I open the cabinet, and my dad's mug is sitting there, same as always, in the same spot it's been since he died. I've looked at it every morning for months. Never touched it. Now I pull it out. I fill it with hot water and drop a teabag in it—the same brand he used.

It doesn't taste the same as when he made it, but holding it feels like him. And today, that's enough.

Logan texted an hour ago.

Logan

Shift ending soon. Coming over. Don't spiral without me.

I texted back.

Kristen

Too late.

He hasn't arrived yet when my phone buzzes.

Email notification. Hospital Administration.

I stare at the screen. My thumb won't move. I sit there for what feels like an hour but is probably a few seconds, then I open it.

Dear Dr. Portland,

Following the formal review hearing conducted earlier this morning, the Board of Review has reached its decision. After careful consideration of all submitted documentation, testimony, and evidence to the joint GME, the board has voted unanimously to dismiss the complaint in full. No grounds were found to sustain any of the allegations filed against you.

Your standing in the residency program at Westlake Medical Center is affirmed, effective immediately. No further action is required on your part.