The Beautiful Monster

Unfortunately, she couldn't permanently erase him from her mind. Now, he was possibly in her reality, and that scared her.

"I'll get back to you about that. I have to go get ready," Alyssa said, giving him the friendliest smile that she could possibly muster.

She touched his arm gently before heading to the locker room to change into her scrubs and white coat.

She felt bad about leaving him behind like that, but she didn't want to put him down right then. She just wanted to get her day started.

After greeting some of the other doctors and nurses, she walked to an office to check her emails.

She hoped that she didn't have anything urgent to attend to right now. She didn't want to deal with any paperwork or clerical work right now..

She wanted to dive into her medical work and focus on something that made sense to her.

Luckily, she didn't have much to check out in her inbox. The only thing that caught her eye was an email titled: Albritten Foundation Charity Gala.

She recognized the name since the foundation was a huge sponsor of the hospital's. Anything with their name on it was important. She opened the email to read it.

The 10th Annual Abritten Foundation Charity Gala is being held this Friday at 7:00 p.m. at the Hillgarden Ballroom.

Come out and join us for music, food, and auctions to support a great cause! Please RSVP.

Alyssa checked her schedule, seeing that she got off work at a decent time on Friday. She could make the gala.

They weren't her usual type of events, but the foundation did a lot for the hospital that she was proud to work for.

She could stand to get out and donate to the foundation that helped so many people.

She sent an email back, reserving her spot for the event. She had a dress or two that she could pick between that she had worn to other fancy events.

She surely didn't have the time to shop before the gala because of her busy schedule, which she needed to attend to.

Alyssa signed out of her email and walked out of the office, nearly running into one of the many interns stumbling through the hallways of the hospital.

Even if they got in the way and made a lot of mistakes, she took mercy on them because she had been in their place not too long ago.

"Sorry, Dr. Morgan. You have a new patient today," Gina, a short brunette, told her as she smoothed down her slightly wrinkled scrubs. She looked like she hardly got any sleep, but that was everyone in this hospital.

"Lead the way," Alyssa replied, motioning for Gina to lead her to the patient's room. She drew in a slow breath through her nose, preparing herself.

She always had to prepare herself any time that she got a new patient. She had no idea what kind of pain and sadness she was about to experience.

At times, she felt like she was purposely torturing herself by surrounding herself with sick and dying kids.

It weighed on her soul, but saving them made her feel more alive than ever. She just focused on the outcome that she wanted to have.

Alyssa walked into one of the many hospital rooms, seeing a young boy with a pale face and a thin frame laying in bed with his worried parents at his side.

It was a sight that she saw all too often. Kids shouldn't have to fight for their lives, but she was there to fight alongside them.

"Hey, buddy. What's your name?" she asked as she gently placed her hand on the little boy's arm. He was hot to the touch, which already wasn't a good sign.

She had a feeling about what was going on, but she didn't say anything. Years of experience gave her a good sense of intuition.

"H-Hayden," the boy said, trying to muster up a smile, but it seemed to tire him out.

"Hayden Fayard. Age 10. Diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia," Gina said as she read from the boy's chart.

It was going to be a long, hard day.

*********

The Hillgarden Ballroom was filled from top to bottom with black and gold decorations, ranging from tinsel to tablecloths to balloons.

The Albritten family never spared any expense when it came to celebrating or raising money. The floor was full of New York's richest and finest.

Alyssa couldn't believe that she was considered one of them, but she had worked hard to get to this point.

She made a name for herself, leaving that sad, pathetic girl that she used to be back in her small hometown. She didn't even know her any longer.

A black cocktail dress flowed down her body all the way to her black heels. Subtle, elegant bracelets and a silver necklace adorned her wrists and neck, while her hair was fixed up into a high ponytail.

Everyone was dressed in their finest attire, showing off just how much money they could donate tonight if their hearts were in the right place.

She had met a lot of great people here, but there were always a few selfish people mixed among the crowd.

She tried to avoid them as much as she could, which was why she spent so much time around Micah and Eva, who were in their field to help people and not just for the money. It was nice not being completely broke, though.

Alyssa made her way to the bar in the back, figuring a drink could help her get acclimated.

She still wasn't the best when it came to social situations, but she could make it through a conversation without internally combusting. All she had to do was talk about some medical miracle or case she had worked.

"Cosmopolitan," she told the bartender as she leaned her upper body against the sleek wood of the bar.

The bartender nodded before turning away to make her drink.

"I pegged you for a vodka cranberry girl," a voice said from behind her.

Alyssa felt her heart stop when that voice reached her ears. She knew that voice. But it couldn't be.