The only sound in the room was the steady beep of the heart monitor. Everything else remained still and silent. Laying alone in the room, he stared blankly at the ceiling, lost in aimless thoughts with no clear direction. Then, from the corner of his eye, he noticed a figure and slowly turned his head.
"Erika…"
Erika smiled faintly as she placed a bouquet on the table and quietly took a seat beside him.
"Feeling better, Gaing…?"
Gaing gave a weak smile and looked at her.
"Yeah… I'm better now. Much better than before."
"Hmm…"
Erika reached into her bag and took out a small parcel, placing it into his hands.
"Here… your favorite snacks. I bought them on the way."
Gaing held the package with one hand, lowering his gaze as he stared at it quietly. After a moment, he spoke softly.
"I… didn't think you'd come."
"I had to come. Did you really think I wouldn't?"
Gaing didn't answer immediately. Instead, he looked up at her, quietly studying her eyes, then averted his gaze.
"I just thought… you'd be busy."
Erika looked at the cast on his hand.
"Even if I'm busy, I'm not so busy that I can't visit someone who ended up like this in the hospital."
Gaing sighed and looked at her again.
"Erika… you don't have to pretend in front of me."
Erika didn't respond. She simply stared at him in silence.
"You don't have to act kind for my sake. I know what you think. I'm not a child."
He let out a small, painful laugh and lowered his head. He placed the snack on the table and stared at the bouquet, gently touching the petals. Erika watched him quietly.
"You really look like a loser right now, Gaing. That's not who you are."
Her voice was cold and firm. Gaing gave a faint smile.
"I guess I do look like one. But it's fine… I can live with it. Don't worry about me. Just be honest with me when we're alone. Show me your real feelings."
Erika sighed and took his injured hand in both of hers. Before either of them could speak again, Gaing pulled her into a sudden embrace.
---
In the hospital corridor, a nurse followed closely behind a doctor holding a file of medical records. They stopped in front of a room, and the doctor stepped inside. The patient inside was eating when he arrived. He smiled as soon as he saw the doctor.
"Doctor Julian… you're here. I was waiting for you."
"How are you feeling, uncle? How's your leg? Any pain or swelling? Any bleeding from the stitches?"
"No bleeding anymore, doctor. Just a little pain."
"Alright… nurse, how many doses of Factor has he received?"
"Three doses since this morning, doctor. The bleeding has mostly stopped. His condition is stable."
"I see… How's your appetite, uncle? Make sure you eat well. The nurse will give you the prescription. Same medications as before. Keep taking them regularly. I just came to check on you since you're recovering well."
After finishing his rounds and small talk with the patient, Julian returned to the resting room—one of his daily routines. He removed his coat, washed his hands and face, and let out a tired sigh as he stretched. Then he sat back in his chair and leaned against it, relaxing his stiff shoulders.
From the desk, he picked up a photo of his beloved Rosalie, holding it gently for a moment before reaching into the drawer for his phone. He dialed the familiar number he called every day.
It rang only briefly before a soft, familiar voice answered.
"Hello… Julian…"
"Rosie… what are you doing? Studying again?"
"Nope. I'm just lying-in bed. I just got back from the lab earlier. What about you? Are you busy?"
"I'm done for the day."
As they spoke, all exhaustion seemed to melt away. Even mealtime was forgotten as they stayed lost in each other's voices—warm, familiar, and comforting.
After speaking lovingly with Rosalie over the phone, Julian leaned back against his chair with a faint smile still lingering on his lips. The exhaustion from his long shift seemed to fade away completely whenever he heard her voice.
A moment later, he reached toward the stack of books piled neatly across his desk and pulled out one that had been folded open earlier. His expression gradually turned focused as he resumed studying the dense medical material before him.
The book in his hands was Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, one of the most respected references in the medical field. Nearly every page contained highlighted lines, handwritten notes, and small reminders scribbled carefully in the margins. Between the chapters were records from patients he had personally examined during his daily rounds.
Beside him lay an open notebook filled with organized notes written in neat handwriting. Julian carefully summarized important treatment plans, disease mechanisms, and diagnostic methods one by one, reviewing each topic with unwavering concentration.
This had become part of his daily routine.
Partly because Rosalie wished for him to continue advancing his studies and pursue higher medical degrees, and partly because Julian himself possessed a naturally disciplined personality that genuinely loved learning, he was almost always seen carrying a medical textbook wherever he went.
No matter how exhausted he became after hospital duty, he never neglected his studies.
Recently, however, the topic he had been focusing on the most involved hematologic disorders and immune-related diseases connected to chronic anemia. The reason was simple.
Rosalie.
Although her condition had improved significantly compared to before, Julian still worried constantly about her health. Because of that, he immersed himself deeply in researching nutritional deficiencies, autoimmune conditions, and advanced treatment approaches that might help strengthen her body further.
Every detail related to Rosalie's health mattered deeply to him.
He carefully researched proper meal plans, necessary vitamins, sleeping habits, stress management, and even daily lifestyle routines that could improve her physical condition little by little. Whenever he discovered something beneficial, he would gently remind her to follow it, even if she occasionally pouted and complained about how overly protective, he could be.
Still, Julian never relaxed his vigilance. To others, his actions might have resembled excessive worry. But to him, Rosalie was someone more precious than his own life.
The hospital resting room remained quiet except for the faint sound of turning pages and distant footsteps echoing from the hallway outside. Under the soft white lights above, Julian continued reading attentively, occasionally pausing to jot down additional notes into his notebook.
Hours passed without him noticing.
Yet despite the endless workload, a faint warmth remained within his eyes every time his gaze drifted toward the photo resting quietly on the corner of his desk.
Rosalie's smiling face.
Just seeing that smile alone was enough to give him strength to endure another exhausting day.