Ceres planned to put as much distance between herself and Eli as possible. She just wanted to watch over him from afar. Yet, there he stood, calmly telling her that she would be staying by his side until she remembered everything.
Ten hours earlier.
"Is this the place?" the pilot asked, maneuvering the helicopter over the isolated valley where Ceres had been taken in. "I can't find a safe place to land."
"We'll use the ropes to drop down and check on her. Just give me the signal to lower the stretcher once we're secure."
"Roger that."
Dr. Evan Summer, a military physician, had joined the rescue operation to locate Isabelle Ignacio, who had been reported missing after a massive flash flood devastated the region. She had been in the middle of ushering children to safety when the muddy ground beneath her gave way, sweeping her down the raging river.
"Hello," Evan greeted as he entered the dwelling. Usually, he went by the codename 'Brown' while deployed on tactical missions, but since he was cooperating directly with the military for this civilian rescue, he used his real name. "I'm here for Isabelle Ignacio. Is she awake?"
"Yes, sir. She just came to." The owner of the hut led Dr. Summer toward the back where the missing nurse sat. She had managed to sit up on her own, but she still couldn't stand because her left foot bore a deep, jagged laceration. She hadn't even realized the wound was there until she looked down; she couldn't tell if it had been caused by a sharp stone or a broken branch.
Ceres heard the commotion outside, underscored by the heavy thrumming of rotors in the sky. She easily deduced that these people had arrived to rescue the owner of her body.
"I'm Dr. Evan Summer," Evan said, stepping into her line of sight.
Ceres merely stared at him, keeping her mouth firmly shut. Her elaborate plan of faking amnesia was officially underway.
"Are you in pain?" he asked.
"No."
"Do you remember who you are?"
The villagers who had radioed in her rescue had mentioned that Belle sustained a severe blow to the head. The medical team fully expected some disorientation; frankly, it was a miracle she was even breathing after being tossed around by a violent current for so long.
"I'm... Isabelle."
"Your age?"
She shook her head.
"Any family members?"
Her face seemed to light up slightly as she pulled a name from Belle's residual memories. "Neon. My brother."
"Do you know what happened to you?"
"No. I don't remember anything. But they told me I was wearing a nurse's uniform, so I suppose I am one of the nurses who volunteered for the medical mission."
"Alright. We're taking you back to the city to ensure you get a proper medical evaluation. The locals here did a phenomenal job keeping you stabilized, but there are things that require a hospital setting. I'll have my tech lower the stretcher. Give me a second."
Evan efficiently executed the evacuation protocols, offering quiet assurances to Belle that everything was going to be fine—though he wouldn't have bothered with the comforting platitudes if he knew the true identity of the woman on the cot. With the assistance of the villagers, they carefully transferred her to the stretcher. Evan double-checked the harnesses to ensure she was securely strapped in.
"Thank you for saving my life," Ceres said. The faint, genuine smile on her face was infectious, drawing warm grins from the gathered locals. "I will come back in the future to repay your kindness."
"No need, no need, child," the elders insisted, waving their hands. "Just focus on getting well soon."
Even though they waved off the gesture, Ceres was fiercely determined to return. She had seen firsthand how impoverished the village was, yet they hadn't hesitated to share their meager resources to keep a stranger alive. She respected these kinds of people.
Watching their figures shrink into tiny dots as she was hoisted into the belly of the helicopter, Ceres felt a strange tug at her heartstrings. They reminded her of the sanctuary of orphaned children she used to quietly support in her past life.
"You can sleep during the transit," Evan noted, but Ceres only tracked him with a cool, unblinking gaze. She appraised him from head to toe, reading the name tag pinned to his uniform. Her hyper-vigilance was palpable.
After a two-hour flight, the helicopter finally touched down on the rooftop helipad of Senyu Medical Hospital. A trauma team consisting of two physicians and two nurses was already waiting. With the flight crew's help, they wheeled Belle directly into the emergency room, immediately running a battery of diagnostic tests to ensure she had no internal bleeding.
"I don't have any money," she announced abruptly, her flat tone stunning the medical staff.
The primary nurse smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, sweetie. This entire admission is fully covered by your institutional insurance."
"Am I really a nurse?"
The doctors and nurses exchanged concerned glances before nodding in unison. "You are. A very good one, too. It's alright—we are going to help you piece everything back together while you recover."
"Okay."
"We'll clean up these lacerations to prevent any infection, and once the lab results are back, we'll transfer you down to the general ward."
"Okay."
The bright, naturally cheerful disposition of Isabelle was entirely absent. In her place sat a woman who appeared profoundly lost, quiet, and intensely guarded.
Several hours later, after she had been settled into a private room in the general ward, a group of attending physicians returned with her chart. But they hadn't come alone. Flanking them was the doctor who carried the exact, striking features of General Joaquin.
"Isabelle, this is Dr. Eliezer Rivera. He will be overseeing your neurological recovery."
"I don't want him here," Ceres said, her voice cutting through the room with unexpected sharpness.
The physicians froze. They had anticipated confusion or anxiety, but they never expected her to show such immediate, visceral hostility toward one of their chief residents.
Eli stepped forward, his expression calm. "I'm a physician, Nurse Ignacio. I'm here to help you."
"Well, I don't need your help. I'm perfectly fine on my own."
"You can't even remember your coworkers or your basic medical training, yet you're trying to tell me you're fine on your own?" Eli countered, his tone even but firm.
Ceres opened her mouth to retort, but she stuttered, finding no logical argument to mask her panic. She closed her mouth, but her eyes burned with an intense defiance. "I'll remember everything soon enough."
"Yes, you will," Eli replied smoothly. "In fact, I've already cleared this with the Chief of Medicine. He agrees that you will be placed under my direct care until your memory fully returns. During my off-hours, I'll be coming in to read through your old textbooks with you. I'll even let you practice your clinical skills—like syringe handling—on me. If you have a complaint, you're welcome to take it up with the director. I'm off to my rounds."
The moment the heavy door clicked shut behind the doctors, Ceres threw her head back against the pillows. "Wh-what?! What the heck was that?! I am a patient! I am supposed to be resting! Why on earth is he going to force-feed me boring textbooks about nursing?! I don't want to be anywhere near him! No! I don't want to be a nurse!"
Out in the hallway, Eli leaned his back against the wall, listening to her muffled, furious tirade. He simply smiled. Given how tirelessly she had always tried to cheer him up around the hospital halls, it was his turn to return the favor.
"But why is she acting so aggressive toward me all of a sudden?" he whispered in wonder. "I haven't even done anything to offend her."
And just like that, with a single medical order, Eli had completely demolished her beautifully constructed plan to keep him safe from a distance.