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H olidays with my adoptive family were always a blast.

But whenever it was time to go back to my basement apartment on Hudson Street, well, the loneliness always seemed to set in so fast. I shivered as I walked across the cool tile floors and raised the temp on the thermostat.

Having the flu sucked, but the good thing about it was I earned myself a few days off from work.

All I ever wanted to do with my life was to help people, so being a doctor seemed like the natural choice.

I was always busy at the hospital, but I had yet to choose a specialty. Lately, with Michaela’s new baby, and Clementine on her way to having a family, I’d been considering pediatrics.

It was likely as close as I’d get to having children of my own. The aunt who raised me hated kids. And deep down, I supposed I was scared to wind up like that.

Of course, my rational brain knew that wasn’t logical. But it was a fear I’d kept, a secret buried deep down inside of me.

“Ugh. Go to bed, Shelly,” I scolded myself.

Must be the flu meds working to make me think about such craziness. I grabbed a tissue and blew my nose, which was probably why I missed the sound of someone breaking in through the back door.

There was no missing the six and a half foot tall stranger slumped against the door, or the fact he was leaking blood all over my floor.

“What—Who are you?” I gasped.

“Ono,” he gasped.

“Oh, no?”

“No. My name is Ono. Can you keep a secret, Doc?”

I nodded, mesmerized by his brilliant teal eyes.

“Good,” he groaned, then he slid to the floor and passed out.

“Shit.”

I grabbed my bag and opened his coat, determined to help. Cars and sirens drove by, but I paid no mind as I went into doctor mode.

I counted three entry wounds and only two exits, but he’d stopped breathing. I needed to operate right here and now.

“Alright, Ono. Here we go.”

T he end…or is it?

Thank you so much for reading!