1 CHAPTER 1

I awoke to the sound of the alarm clock on the side table of my bed, my eyes still narrowing when I got up and turned off the alarm clock. It's been a month since we moved here. I take the towel and went to shower, I take a shower and close my eyes because of the water flowing in my body, I smile of the thought that I am going to work--- I just love working. When I finished taking a shower I went straight to the closet to get my uniform and get dress, I look at myself in the vanity mirror and unconciously smile having the thought of seeing the person I like…one of the reasons why I became a nurse.

"Reign are you awake?!"

"yes, wait a minute Zia!!" I shouted.

Powder, a little lipstick and a comb on my beautiful hair... and after doing my routine, I took my bag hanging on the rack and went out of my room to have breakfast and there I saw Zia brewing coffee for us.

"Excited to go to work huh?" she said when I step inside the kitchen. Only the two of us live in this unit, it is a 20 floor condominium that our boss owns, he let all his employees in the hospital who live far away to stay here for free! Isn't he nice?

"heyy witch!! You look like a fool smiling there alone! If you weren't just my bestfriend I'd think you're crazy!!" I was taken aback when Zia suddenly shouted right in front of my face!

Witch? Yes, That's what we called each other.

"What?! Move away will you?! Why are you shouting? You see, it still early in the morning can't you tone down your voice!" I snarled at her.

"How can I not shout here? I keep on talking like an idiot here, and there you are smiling like crazy and not listening at all. I get it now, is it because you will see Do—"

"shhh! hehehe, what are you suppose to say earlier huh?" I interrupted to what she was suppose to say.

"Nothing!! I don't know what I am suppose to do to you anymore! You crazy witch!"

I looked at my hand watch and ...

"oh my gosh!! It's already six o'clock!" My eyes widened as I shouted, I hurriedly went to the sink and brushed my teeth and then I immediately took my bag and about run out when Zia shouted.

"hey! reign wait! why are you in such hurry? It still early!!" Zia shouted from the kitchen.

"Hurry up !"I shouted back.

"You are over reacting! FYI, the hospital is just there in the other building, and the person that ruining your insanity is just living in 20th floor of this condominium! Why are you in such hurry? As if you were not able to see him, my dearest bestfriend our duty start at seven o'clock, excited huh?" She said sarcastically.

Why?! I just want to go to work early so I will be able to see him first thing in the morning.

"You know what you talk too much?! Is there something wrong in going to work early huh?" I said.

"yeah yeah yeah! Why I wouldn't get used to your craziness, you and your lame excuses! Okay, lets go, you talked too much.." She rolled her eyes and took her bag.

"Yah! FYI It is you who talk too much not me!" I said went out first without waiting her.

"hey! wait!" I heard Zia Shouted after I got inside the elevator. *ting*

As soon as I got out of the elevator, an elevator opened and one of the most beautiful creatures I have ever known came out.

oh my goshh! shit! damn it! My morning is so lucky.

"g-good m-morning Doc." I greeted him stuterring. shit! Why am I stuttering?

"morning" He greeted back shortly, and continue walking just like that.

Its early in the morning and yet he's cold, did he sip all the aircon air in his unit?

"tss. He didn't even bother to smile" I mumbling to myself. I just sighed and continued walking into the hospital with a big smile on my face.

"good morning!!"I greeted to my co-workers happily.

"good morning reign / good morning" They greeted back in unison.

"hey!! you crazy! why didn't you wait for me!?" We look at the same time to the person who just shouted. Until here shes's still shouting? She's really crazy!

"Do you really need to shout huh?, for petes sake we're at the hospital don't bring your shotgun mouth here, you will probably disturb the patients tsk!" I said half jokingly.

"oh sorry!! Its because you didn't wait for me!" she said half shouted. My gosh! Is she really my bestfriend?! Did she really need to shout just to say sorry? as if I'm too far from her to talk to when I am just meter away, I just rolled my eyes and just get the aneroid sphygmomanometer and stethoscope that I will use to monitor the blood pressure of the patients.

"Why do I need to wait for you? Are your feet with me?" I said sarcastically.

"tss. so sarcastic!" She said and turned around and walked towards the direction of the dental clinic. Zia and I have a different assigned, she is in the dental area and I am in the OR, since I don't have surgery every day, I am assigned to all wards, especially in the E.R, but all of us nurses being busy when there is too much number of patients in the E.R, I just sighed and walked towards the elevator, I saw the red up sign of the elevator and it came from the first floor. I am assigned at the fourth floor since the operating room is here, I pressed the up sign and later on the elevator opened.

oh my goshh! is this real? really?!

I feel like I am running out of air to breath!

Shit! this is first time!

"hey! are you gonna ride or not? Im in hurry for the meeting and now Im a bit late! because of you!" I suddenly taken aback for what he said, but infairness that was the longest lines he said to me eversine I started working here.

"u-uhm, y-yes hehehe" I said stuttering, damn it! damn you Reign Amber!!

"why are you still standing there then?" He said coldly.

"h-huh?" I said, seems to be out of my own words.

"tsk!" I was taken aback when the elevator is about to close, so I quickly blocked it with my hand, so that the elevator would not close completely. Damn! Is that how long I've been opened-mouthed?! my gosh! amber, it's embarrassing.

'You are embarrassing yourself' I talked to myself, and press the 8th floor button.

"a-ahm hmm g-good m-morning again D-doc A-shton" I stuttered as I greet him while looking at my feet because of mixed emotions I am feeling, embarrassed because of what happened earlier, sweating with nervousness because we were the only one here in the elevator, and happy because it was my FIRST TIME being with him alone in the elevator! shit! dream come true!

"what did you just called me?? hmm Nurse Amber?" He said that makes me look at him.

"a-ahm…" I stuttered.

Why do I keep tongue-tied when I am talking and near to him? This is not so good! shit!! Gosh! did he just call me in my second name? I just found myself smiling like an idiot.

"hey! don't imagine things, it's in your name pin..." he pointed to my name pin. "...and one more thing, just maybe you forgot, you're an employee here, there's nothing wrong with knowing the names of my employees, tss! and we are classmates way back in college." He said while looking straight into my eyes.

Goshh! Those beautiful and attractive brown eyes! I heard him fake a cough so I looked away, I'm so assuming that's why I was embarrassed again, I looked at my name pin and…damn it! Why didn't I think of that, but... those eyes? This is the first time that I stared at those brown eyes of him.

"I'm asking you nurse, what did you just called me?" He asked frowning.

"a-ah D-Doc A-ashton" I answered shyly.

"it should be Doc Ranz, we're not close for you to call me in my second name" He said with his left eyebrow raised.

tsk! he is such surly. All the employees here are used to call him Doc Ranz because that's what he want us to called him, but I'm different. I want to call him Ashton.

"a-ah y-yeah Doc R-Ranz"I said uncomfortable, damn! I'm sweating cold because of him. "but it's okay, you can call me anything you want..." He said that made me looked at him. "you are the first person I allowed to call me in my second name." He said while staring at me.

Damn!! He's not joking right? omg!

"r-really?" I said unconciusly.

"yes" He said.

omg! Damn my heart is beating like crazy!

I feel like I want this elevator to stop functioning so I can spend a lot of time with him...when the elevator suddenly stopped, damn!, omg! Later on…I was suddenly surprised when I felt his breath on my cheek so I immediately looked at him, my eyes widened when I saw his face was so close to mine that our noses almost touched, shet! It feels like he can hear the loud beat of my heart, we both stared at each other until his face gradually came closer to me, I could hardly move from where I was standing, I just felt his lips touch my lips I just closed my eyes because of the feeling brought by his kisses, and I just found myself responding to his kisses I savor every kisses that he...

"hey!!" He snarled and I was taken aback from my imaginations..

"h-huh?"I said seems to be out of my own words.

"I said you are already here at your floor." He said with emotionless face, I looked at the elevator screen where the number of floor shows and at the open elevator door that was being blocked by Ashton's hand to keep it from closing.

"h-huh? a-ahm y-yes" I said stuttering.

"are you imagining somethings or someone? aren't you? huh? you seems not in yourself" my eyes widened because of what he said. Is he a mind reader?!

"h-huh? M-me? i-imagining? N-no, n-not at all!" I defensively said. Why am I always got tongue tied

"why are you stuttering then?..." casual niyang sabi at tumingin sa mata ko, "...and blushing?" and I literally hold my cheeks because of what he said.

"I didn't!!" I defended "...and if e-ever I am imagining, i-it's d-definitely n-not you" I said denying.

"I didn't say that it was me Nurse Amber" He said, I looked at him raising my left eyebrow, and saw him smirking like he was teasing me. I looked away because I can feel that my face is heating up in embarrassment.

"h-hehehe, D-Doc I'll g-get going " I said, and hurriedly get out of the elevator. I breathed a sigh of relief when I got out, I feel like it took me a while to ride in that elevator with Doc Ashton, I'm sweating cold, so embarassing! Why did I even imagine that? I slightly shook my head as if all the craziness in my mind would disappear, damn! I have to focus on my work. 'Amber? focus on your work, set aside your craziness for the meantime..Be professional' I talked to myself. I took a deep breath and then went straight to the wards, to monitor the patients.

"hi mother, how are you feeling?" I greeted to the old patients as I check her blood pressure.

"I'm feeling better now, my doctor said that I can be discharge the next day" She said smiling.

"That's a good news" I said smiling.

When I finished my rounds with the patients I was about to go straight to the elevator when I suddenly think of something, what if i catch up with Doc Ashton again? It's not that I don't want to be with him, I'm just still embarrassed of what happened earlier.. hayst! Should I used the stairs? Yeah, right! I will just use the stairs! Bwahahaha! Aren't I smart? I went straight to the stairs and that's what I used .., When I got down I went straight to the nurse station and there I saw Zia.

"hey, are you done??" Zia asked.

"In what? In monitoring the patients?" I asked being not in myself.

"Why? Aside from monitoring the patients, did you do something else?" She teasingly asked.

"W-what do y-you mean?...w-wait, why are you here? This is not dental area?" I asked being cranky.

"why is it not allowed?!" She snarled

"It's working hours! You should be busy working your ass off, so why are standbying here?" I calmly asked trying to change the topic.

"What do you think I am doing? I am working my ass off; I went to to stock room to get some syringes and needles. I just stop by here to give you your phone that you left at the unit, I forgot to give you earlier, what an ill-tempered witch! Here!" She said and throws my phone at me, damn! Good thing I catched it.

"Yah! Are you crazy?" I irritably said.

"Whatever!" She just said and left. Since I am done with my work and I have nothing to do, I will just standby here at the nurse station to do some sorting.

"hey! good morning beautiful Nurse Vellas." I looked at that familiar voice.

"Yes, Doc Brylle what do you need? Why are you here?" I asked while looking at the patient's medical charts.

"Why am I not allowed here?" he said as he leaned his hand on the counter.

"hahahaha!! Not really, what do you need? Don't you have work?" I asked.

"yeah… and I'm here for work, I need something" He said.

"something or someone? tss! If ever you forgot she's in dental department." I said teasing him.

"I said, I need something not someone, give me the medical chart of my patient in room 103" He said,

"I'm going to see your friend when my schedule isn't too hassle and hectic" He smilingly said while giggling.

"tsk! what a gay" I said while searching for the record he was asking for.

"hmmm, Ranz is in his office with Kezlyn, I wonder what they are doing there" I suddenly stopped searching the medical chart and faced him with a frowned face.

"what do you mean?" I asked directly.

"someone is jealous, huh?" He said and smirk teasingly.

"Are you teasing me?.. no scratch that, You are teasing me! If I get annoyed with you, you will really look for the medical chart yourself" I said and continue searching for the medical chart.

"woah!, I was just joking." He said.

"tss! then you're not good at joking! Not funny!" I said. I heard him laughed! What an annoying doctor! tsk! I immediately faced him when I found the medical record he was asking .

"but you know jokes are half true sometimes"He said teasingly.

"you jerk! Are you going to take this or what?" I said annoyingly referring to the medical record of his patient. He is so annoying! I want to operate him alive.

"woah! easy dude! I am just joking" He said and take the medical record.

"dude your face crazy!" I said annoyed.

"easy dude! calm down, you're too brutal couz' do you want to diminish this handsome face in our lineage, that is not so good idea... and I will still going to court your friend." He said boastfully.

"do you also know you are too arrogant? So sad of you, isn't it unrequited love? Zia doesn't even like you!" I said teasing him with a smirk that make his smile vanish. What now?

"wow! thank you! You are so supportive couz'." He said pouting. tss! gay!

"As if you're also seems supportive! You just like to tease me!" I said and shoo him.

"tss. why? are you pissed?" He teasingly asked.

"What if I punch you? You know what? Instead of standing here why don't you go and see your patients...you talked too much" Isaid annoyed.

"yeah yeah yeah!... by the way, Kez is absent today.. I was just kidding you earlier hahaha!" He said while laughing.

"tsk! fyi, I don't care if she's here or not" I said with a crease face.

"what I mean is just, stop being jealous...you are too obvious couz.." He whispered to me before leaving.

"What the... tss. crazy." I whispered. Tss! It's normal for us two to have a converstion like that, we always talked like that, every time we are talking he always teased me about Ashton, that's how carzy he is...we're cousin, we grew up together, his mother and my father are siblings... but Brylle and I are almost the same age. Brylle told me that, Ashton and He are friends since they are in High School. Hayss! Time passes and I forgot about it.

"hey, Reign, lets go it's already lunch, you are too busy, you can do it later" I immediately turned my attention to the person who talked when I realized it was Gail.

"Oh, Is it already lunch break?" I said and looked at my watch.

"It's already twelve, I forgot about the time, I was too focus in my work"

"Lets go eat our lunch" Gail said.

"yeah, okay" I said and get my wallet and phone."let's go" I said and Gail nodded.

When we are walking to the cafeteria when Gail asked.

"how about Zia?" Damn, I forgot about her.

"yeah, I will send her a message" I said and start typing at my phone. I texted Zia to follow us here in cafeteria and she immediately replied 'I'm coming'. I immediately pocketed my phone after reading Zia's text, when Gail and I entered at the cafeteria we went straight to the counter to order.

"please give me two set b" I said to the storekeeper.

"okay ma'am, just wait a minute" She said and I just nodded.

"here's your order ma'am, 500 in all" I immediately paid and took my order as Gail did and we looked for a seat. Just as we were sitting down, Zia came.

"You ordered a lot reign, hungry huh." Zia said.

"tss, I ordered for you" I said and give the food to her.

"that's nice! Thanks for the treat" She said and started eating.

"You will pay for it, these days there is no such thing as free, Zia" I teased her and I heard gail chuckled. Zia stopped eating and look at me.

"fyi, you're too mean" She said in a pouted face.

"Stop pouting you look like a fish" I teased her again and Gail start laughing.

"tsk! I'm too beautiful to be a fish, Reign" She said but I just ignored her and continue eating.

After lunch we immediately went back to our respective areas, I went straight to the nurse station to finish the work I didn't finish earlier... Until I forgot about the time again.

"Reign, you are needed in O.R there's emergency operation" My co-nurse said.

"case?" I asked right away that she already understand.

"It is minor, It's Doc. Ranz operation." She said that makes my heartbeats fast. Am I hearing it right? damn!

"w-what? D-Doc R-Ranz?" I asked stuttering.

"Yes it's Doc Ranz, He is already at the O.R... you should hurry" She answered. Oh my gosh!

"A-ahm Y-yeah… I should h-hurry" I said and go to O.R. Damn it! I'm going to assisst him.

Shit! as I got closer and closer in the O.R I am sweating cold because this was the first time I am going to assist him in operation, I am so nervous. I didn't realize that I was already in front of the operating room. Damn! the nervousness that I am feeling doubled. Damn you Amber! Focus! Just for now, set aside your feelings for him... it will not do you good! be professional! I talked silently to myself.

"inhale... exhale...inhale...exhale" I said calming myself down... I let a deep sighed before went in in the O.R. I saw Doc Ashton and the assistant doctor Doc James as I went it they are being wear scrub suit by nurses.

"g-good afternoon" I greeted them.

"good afternoon" They greeted formally.

I went straight to the sterile area to wash and sanitize my hands, then I put on a disposable glove, disposable mask, and scrub suit before going to my place where the tools for operation are. Shit! I am so nervous right now. My hands are sweating!

"listen, I want everyone to focus in the operation, no destruction please." Doc Ashton formally said.

"yes doc" we respond in unison. I close my eyes tightly and take a deep breath. Focus Amber! I said to myself trying to composed myself.

"shall we start?"

End of CHAPTER 1