Where My Pulse Ended

With that thought, I hopped in a cab and headed straight for the hospital.

After the morning's ordeal, I made a beeline for the IV therapy to get some much-needed energy back.

However, the more the solution dripped into my veins, the weaker I felt, until the room spun and I passed out cold.

When I came to, Derrick was there with my chart, giving me a stern talking-to.

"Doctors can't treat themselves, you know. You're seriously anemic. Why were you trying to outdo the kids at the blood drive? What if you'd keeled over in surgery? How would you explain that to a patient?"

His words cut deep, and I felt a sting in my heart.

In my previous life, I lost everything because I passed out from anemia right in the middle of surgery. The hospital canned me for not being up to the job, and Shirley swooped in and grabbed my whole world.

I did not even stop to fill Derrick in. I bolted up and dashed to the office to check the blood bank's donation logs.

Just as I suspected, Shirley had gone and donated another 400 milliliters of blood at a different center right after I left.

That was why I ended up fainting with an IV in my arm.

However, what really freaked me out was seeing Shirley's name third on the waiting list at yet another donation center.

She was still out there, lining up to give more blood.

Fuming, I called Hank immediately.

"Hank, you'd better keep your people in line. If anything goes down, you're the supervisor. You can't just walk away from this mess!"

I thought Hank would at least act a bit concerned, but instead, I got a sneer from the other end.

"Yvette, who's the real problem here? Shirley donates a little more blood than you, and you can't stand it? She's always looked up to you, and you let her down. You're a huge disappointment!

"I think it's time we called off our engagement!"

I was trembling with rage and about to fire back when the room started spinning again.

I clung to my last shred of consciousness, quickly flagged Shirley's name in the system, and synced her donation history across all the websites.

However, before I could catch my breath, Shirley's call came in.

"Yvette Ferguson, what's your deal? Do you have any idea how many people die every day because they can't get my 'rare blood type' in time? You're too scared to donate, so why are you trying to prevent me from donating?

"You think messing with my records is going to stop me from donating? As if!"

Shirley was freaking out on the phone, practically screaming my name for the whole world to hear.

I never thought she would catch on to my secret moves so fast. However, if she backed off, I might just dodge a bullet.

Then, she dropped a bombshell that made my blood run cold.

"Doctor, I'm upping the ante. I'm donating another six hundred milliliters!"

My mind went blank.

600 milliliters? That could kill me. The terror of almost dying hit me like a wave, and I shivered from head to toe.

"Shirley, whatever you're doing to me, stop it. Every milliliter you give, it's like you're taking it right out of me. We've got no beef, so why are you out to get me?"

I was panting hard, my words barely a whisper from my lips. Before I could even hang up, everything went black, and I passed out.

Luckily, I was already at the hospital. They found me in time, and I lived to see another day, but I went straight into the ICU.

When I got moved to a regular room, guess who showed up?

It was Shirley, all smug, hanging onto Hank like she owned the place, pretending to care with a fake hug.

Then, she whispered in my ear and bragged, "Bet you didn't know, I just set the city's blood donation record. Tomorrow, the TV crew's coming to interview me at the hospital, and I'll be giving a grand interview live on air!

"So, Dr. Ferguson, you've got one day left to get your affairs in order..."

I was seething, stuck in my hospital bed, powerless.

I was swamped with despair, feeling defeated and bitter, and I could not stop the tears.

Without thinking, I reached for the antidepressants I always carried.

However, when I looked in my hand, I saw a faint red powder under the white pills.

Alarm bells went off in my head, and I called up a lab tech buddy.

Only when I saw the test results on my phone did everything click into place.