"Betrayal in the Hallways"

The next week, Pam was walking down the hall at work, lost in thought as she contemplated the upcoming wedding. She had been putting in a lot of hours at the hospital, trying to get ahead before her big day. As she turned a corner, her heart sank. There, standing in the hallway, was John, and to her shock, Emily, his ex-girlfriend, had her arms wrapped around him. Pam's eyes widened in horror as she quickly turned around and rushed off in the opposite direction. She didn't want to see any more, didn't want to know what was going on. She burst through the hospital doors and out into the fresh air, taking deep breaths to calm herself down. As she stood there, trying to compose herself, she felt a gentle touch on her shoulder. She turned to see Doug Ross, the flirty pediatrician, standing behind her with a concerned expression. "Hey, are you okay?" he asked, his eyes scanning her face. "You look like you've seen a ghost." Pam shook her head, trying to brush off the tears that were welling up in her eyes. "I'm fine," she lied, trying to sound casual. Doug raised an eyebrow. "You don't look fine," he said, his voice low and soothing. "What's going on?" Pam hesitated, unsure if she wanted to share her problems with Doug. But there was something about his kind and gentle nature that put her at ease. "I just saw something that upset me," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. Doug's expression softened. "Want to talk about it?" he asked, his eyes locked on hers. Pam shook her head, feeling a lump form in her throat. "No, I'm fine. Really." Doug nodded, but his eyes lingered on hers, filled with a warmth and understanding that made Pam feel like he was interested in more than just being a friendly colleague. As they stood there, the tension between them was palpable. Pam knew she should get back to work, but a part of her didn't want to leave Doug's side. She wasn't sure what was going on with John and Emily, but being with Doug made her feel like she had an escape, like she had someone who cared about her. Doug, sensing her unease, took a step closer to her. "If you ever need to talk, I'm here," he said, his voice low and husky. Pam's heart skipped a beat as she met his gaze. She knew she shouldn't be feeling this way, not with her wedding just weeks away. But as she looked into Doug's eyes, she couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to explore the connection between them.