Freedom

LUKE'S POV

I sit in my high rise office and realize that I want to be free from all this. What's the use of having all this money and not being able to use it? All I do is having a meeting after the other. I didn't even want to do this job or take over the Walters empire but I did it for my mother. I know she worries about me but I need to start to live my life.

"Mr. Walters your nine o'clock is here"

"Thank you, Tammy"

Tammy has been my secretary ever since I started here two years ago and she has been my pillar for more times than I can count. She's probably the only woman that stood by me in the difficult times. Something that most women find to be too daunting for them to do. I try and focus on my job but there's something that keeps playing in my head. That woman that I saw last night, what an exquisite beauty she was.

"Tammy, before you leave. I wonder, can you cancel the rest of the day for me?"

"Uhm…yes, of course, sir but may I ask, where are you going?"

I stand up from my desk and send a quick text to Brian, my best friend.

"I'm going to live, Tammy"

I kiss her on the cheek as I walk past her. I feel invigorating. I'm going to do what I love and no one would be able to stop me. No matter the cost. I can't live like there's no tomorrow even though there might not be a tomorrow but all the same, I need to live while I still can.

I get a message back from him.

"What's up?"

"Meet me at the foot of the mountain"

"What? Are you serious?"

"I'm dead serious, it's time to change"

"I don't know, Luke. Are you sure?"

"Very! Are you coming or am I doing it alone?"

"Count me in. See you in 20"

I feel an excitement inside me that I haven't felt in so long. It's time to be alive.

MIKAYLA'S POV

"Get me more blood, asap! Dammit, I can't seem to get that…"

"Doctor, he just went into vfib"

"Okay, get the crash cart…if I can just clip…"

I hear the monitor screaming at me and I know if I can just get that clip around his ventricle then he should be able to survive. Damn, I just need…

"Got it! Okay, is the defibrillator ready? Let's charge to 200 first. Clear!"

Everyone lifts their hands from the patient and I watch as his body jumps into the air. My eyes keep on watching the monitor and I beg for the rhythm to start again. Then I hear the sound that makes me sigh out loud and every claps their hands. Everyone knows what kind of work goes into saving a man's life and we all applaud ourselves if we achieved something that we only can call a miracle.

"Good job everyone! Jen, will you close for me and keep me up to date. I'm going home for a well-deserved rest. Good night everyone"

"Well done, doctor. Go rest we've got it from here"

I smile as Jen reassures me. I'll speak to the patient's family tomorrow. They don't have to get a call tonight and if he makes it through the night, I'm able to give them some good news. But for now, I just need my bed.

I get out of the OR and discard my gown into the bin and who do I find coming up to me? Of course, it's Dr. Gerhard.

"Did you save your patient, Dr. Stone?"

"How else, Dr. Gerhard? And you, any losses tonight?"

He's busy discarding his gown too and I feel he's a bit too close for comfort. I step back unnoticeably and hope he didn't see me.

"No losses for tonight but I'm sure that some people might not be very happy about the results as it can quite possibly change their lives"

"It's never nice to give that type of news and it never gets easy"

"No, never. So are you off now?"

"Uhm, yes. I need my bed"

I see him standing there with his hands in his pockets and I know what he wants. He wants to ask me out on a date again. I always have a valid excuse but I just can't think of anything right now. If he's going to ask me out, I'm going to have to say yes.

"So are you off tomorrow or maybe in a mood for a coffee?"

Oh god, dammit! I don't have any surgeries for tomorrow and if there's no emergency than I have to say yes.

"Yeah, let's see how tomorrow goes"

"Uhm…yeah, okay…I have to go"

And then the awkwardness follows. I know he likes me a lot but I don't know how to make him realize that I'm not interested. I make my way home and fall asleep almost immediately.

LUKE'S POV

Brian comes walking up to me gear up to climb out mount Everest.

"Do you think you're ready?"

"Hey! You said to meet me at the mountain and here I am, ready"

We laugh and then gather our things together. I always wanted to climb out this mountain but I was too afraid of what might happen but today is the day that I change things in my life and what better way than to climb out a mountain. I feel Brain grabbing my arm.

"Listen, bro. I'm all for doing this but are you sure with your-"

He's always had my back since we were kids and he was there when I got the news but he never treated me differently except maybe unconsciously protecting me in some way. I stop him right in the middle of his sentence if I have to listen to that story one more time, I'll kill someone.

"I'm very sure, Brian. Now, are you in or out?"

"Okay man. I'm in, I'm always in"

We get into the cable car that will take us to our starting point and as I watch the beautiful scenery flying past me, my heart lights up with joy. This is where I want to be, this is what I want to do. I open my window and take a deep breath of the fresh icy air and smile.

"It's going to be fun"