Monday mornings were undoubtedly one of Pepper's favorite times. It was the day she didn't have a morning shift, allowing her to dedicate herself entirely to Eleanor and Theodore. Although Pepper took care of them daily, even when her work took her to the hospital by 8 AM, there was something special and magical about starting the week with calm and tranquility.
That morning, the redhead woke up early but without the usual rush to get ready for work. She allowed herself the luxury of enjoying a few extra minutes in bed, hugging her children while they slept, as they had begged to spend the night with her.
A few minutes later, she finally mustered the courage to wake the twins and helped them get ready for school. She loved the feeling of being at home with them, helping them choose their clothes, brushing their hair, and listening to their lively conversations. Then, she left the little ones watching their favorite cartoons on the living room TV and went to prepare their breakfast.
Surprisingly, neither of them made any fuss about eating, and at the scheduled time, Pepper took them to school. She said goodbye to the little ones with kisses and hugs, telling them how much she loved them and wishing them a great day. She felt grateful for the opportunity to be so present in her children's lives, even with the intensity of her medical career.
Upon returning home, the redhead began to prepare for an activity she loved: her pilates class. The regular practice was not only a physical exercise to stay healthy but also a way to find balance and relaxation amid the hustle and bustle of her life at the hospital.
Dressed in comfortable clothes, Pepper grabbed her yoga mat and headed to the living room. She dedicated those moments to herself, allowing herself to relax, stretch, and strengthen her body. It was a welcome break from her professional responsibilities and a way to recharge her energy.
After finishing, she felt refreshed and decided to take advantage of the free time before her next shift at the hospital to start studying the institution's financial records. Sitting at her desk, she analyzed the numbers, identifying areas that needed improvement and possible strategies to increase efficiency and revenue. Being her first contact with the reports, she couldn't make many observations, but it had been a productive time.
"After making some notes, she took a cold shower, as she liked to do, prepared a light meal with salmon, salad, and rice, and then headed to the hospital. Already dressed in her scrubs, she decided to review some of her patients' charts, spending a bit more time on the most recent one, the unidentified girl from the car accident.
The girl had undergone delicate and complex surgeries to treat the severe injuries she had sustained, so it was not exactly a surprise when she woke up only on Sunday afternoon. The big problem, and what had been bothering the medical team, was that the young woman had been conscious for only a few minutes before slipping into a coma again, without any apparent medical reason.
Pepper walked to the small command center of the ICU, located right in the middle of the department, coincidentally with a direct view of the unidentified girl's room. At the moment, Tony was still in the room, taking care of her, so the redhead took the opportunity to talk to the nurses responsible for keeping the records and monitoring the patients' vital signs and test results.
The first nurse, Candice, was updating the medical records online on the computer. She waved at the doctor and, when she saw her approaching, explained:
"The latest results from the EKGs and echocardiograms are available and can be accessed at any time," she referred to the cases Pepper was following. "There have been no complications, and the patient in bed 06 will soon be prepped for endovascular repair surgery."
"What time is it scheduled for? Still at the same time?"
"2:30 PM."
"Ask the resident on the case to provide an angiogram and monitor the lab results," she requested. "And what about the unidentified girl?"
"Lisa has her records," she indicated to the other nurse. "But since she went into the coma, there haven't been any changes in her condition. Dr. Stark is doing the 24-hour neurological assessment."
Pepper thanked her and took a quick look at the online records, checking the recent tests. Then she approached the second nurse, who was organizing the paper charts into folders. She reviewed the physical records of the young woman, comparing them with the online information, ensuring that all notes were aligned.
"How is the unidentified girl?" she asked.
"Her vital signs are stable, but Dr. Stark is still concerned about possible intracranial pressure. He's running some tests to confirm her condition."
"And about her identity? Any news?"
"The firefighters didn't find any documents in the car, the police couldn't identify her fingerprints in the system, so they sent the photos to the missing persons unit, but so far, no matches."
"No fingerprints?" That was at least curious. "It's been 48 hours since the accident; someone should be looking for her by now."
"She might not be from the city, or even from the state," Lisa suggested.
Pepper sighed and nodded. The less they knew about the patient, the harder the treatment was.
Moments later, Tony came out of the girl's room, holding a sheet of notes. He handed it to Pepper with a serious look, and the nurse stepped away to give them some privacy. Silence hung between them for a moment before the redhead broke it.
"So, how is she?"
"In what sense?"
"In every sense, Anthony," she said irritably. "I can't evaluate her without knowing the whole picture, can I?"
"The nurses can update you; isn't that what you were just doing?"
"Can you act like an adult and give me the information?"
"Are you asking because you need to know, or just to check if I made a mistake in my diagnosis?"
"Where did you get that from?" she asked, confused. It was impressive how talking to the neurosurgeon always managed to get on her nerves, no matter how short the conversation was.
"Forget it," he rolled his eyes. "I have no idea why she went into a coma. It doesn't make sense, there's nothing wrong with her."
"All the tests are clear?"
"Nothing on the MRI and her pupils are responding well. There's no intracranial pressure, no subdural hematoma, no infection affecting the nervous system."
"Poisoning? If she was exposed to toxic substances like drugs, alcohol, chemicals, or even poisons, that could have caused the coma."
"We would have seen it in the tests. CBC, coagulation panel, and biochemical profile are all okay."
"Metabolic disorders?"
"Glucose levels are good and electrolytes too."
"I assume there's no liver or kidney failure…"
"Functions are in great condition, nothing on the ultrasounds."
"Seizures?"
"None reported since she arrived. Even with the cardiac arrests, she didn't suffer from oxygen deprivation long enough to cause brain damage."
"This doesn't make sense."
"That's what I said."
"It's extremely rare for someone to come out of surgery conscious and then slip into a coma without apparent medical reasons and with all tests coming back normal. She's been closely monitored throughout the postoperative phase, we would have noticed something. Anything at all."
"That's the point, there's nothing to notice."
"So what do we do? Just monitor her to make sure she doesn't slip into a vegetative state?"
"Medicine isn't an exact science, and there are rare and unusual situations that defy conventional explanations."
"What do you mean by that?"
"That maybe it's not physical, but psychological."
"You of all people saying that?"
"Why? Can you think of something better?"
"I didn't say that, I'm just surprised."
"It's the closest thing we have to an explanation. She went through complex surgeries, her body went through great stress, it could have been a defense mechanism for her to recover."
"In cases like that, we're the ones who induce the coma."
"Then try to find a better explanation, Pepper," he rolled his eyes.
"I told you not to call me that."
"Then try to be a little less prickly."
"And you, try changing your clothes before seeing your patients. Your beloved nurses are leaving lipstick marks on your outfit."
"You pay too much attention to me, Pepper," he laughed, looking at her with a mix of smugness and irritation. "But I must remind you that comments about coworkers' appearance violate HR policy."
"Stop calling me Pepper, or I'll report you to HR."
They each made four complaints to HR over the past year. He received a verbal warning and a written warning because of the nickname he coined for her. She received two warnings: one for verbal abuse and another for a prank that got out of hand. Not that she was proud of it.
"Threatening your future boss isn't a good move."
"And who says you're going to win this competition, Stark?"
"You have no idea about the brilliant proposal I have in mind for the hospital. It's going to be a masterstroke."
"Really? You think your idea is that good? Well, let me tell you, my proposal is unbeatable. It's going to revolutionize the surgery department."
"I'm looking forward to hearing what you have to say, Virginia."
"I'm also looking forward to hearing what you have to say, Anthony."
"You know what they say, may the best person win."
"And that will be me."
"This position is mine, Pepper, Cora said so." He announced, and to avoid hitting him, the redhead counted to one, two, three...
"That's funny, that's exactly what Cora told me too." She didn't let herself be intimidated by the brunet.
In the shiny surface of the clipboard she held, the cardiac surgeon saw Stark's determined smile, and in that moment she decided he was going to lose the most important game they had ever played.