keifers (pov)
The door finally opened.
The sound alone made both of them straighten.
Keifer stood still.
Keigen almost stepped forward—but stopped himself.
The doctor walked out, removing his gloves slowly, his expression calm but serious.
"How is she?" Keifer asked.
His voice was controlled.
Too controlled.
The doctor looked at him for a second.
"She's stable."
The words landed.
Relief—
but not enough.
Keigen let out a shaky breath, his hands still trembling at his sides.
"But…" the doctor continued.
That one word—
tightened everything again.
Keifer's jaw clenched slightly.
"The injury itself is not the only reason she fainted," the doctor said, folding his arms lightly.
"What do you mean?" Keifer asked.
The doctor glanced between both of them.
"The impact caused a mild concussion," he explained. "There is external bleeding, but it's not severe enough on its own to cause a full loss of consciousness."
A pause.
"So something else triggered it."
Keigen's eyes lowered instantly.
The doctor noticed.
"She was under stress before the impact," he continued, voice steady but observant. "And after being hit, she saw the blood."
Silence.
Heavy.
"She reacted to it."
Keifer frowned slightly.
"Reacted how?"
The doctor took a small breath.
"Not like a normal reaction," he said. "More like… a conditioned response."
Another pause.
"Something from her past."
Keifer didn't speak.
But his expression changed.
Slightly.
"She tried to control it," the doctor added. "That's very clear."
Keigen's fingers curled into fists.
"She didn't panic outwardly," the doctor continued, "but internally—her body was under extreme pressure."
The hallway felt quieter with every word.
"Pain from the injury… emotional stress… and a trauma response triggered by blood."
He looked directly at Keifer now.
"All of that combined caused what we call a physical and emotional overload."
A pause.
"And when the body reaches that point—"
"It shuts down."
The words hit harder than expected.
Keigen's breathing became uneven again.
"She was still trying to stay conscious," the doctor added, softer this time. "Which means she was forcing herself to remain present even when her body was already giving up."
That—
hurt to hear.
More than anything else.
Keigen shook his head slightly.
"…she was holding my hand," he whispered, voice breaking. "She was telling me I was okay…"
His voice cracked completely.
"And I—"
He couldn't finish.
The doctor didn't interrupt.
Keifer closed his eyes for a brief second.
Just a second.
Then opened them again.
"Will she be okay?" he asked.
This time—
there was no control in his voice.
The doctor nodded.
"She will," he said. "But she needs rest. Complete rest."
A pause.
"No stress."
Another pause.
"No emotional triggers."
His gaze shifted again—
toward Keigen.
"Especially for the next few days."
The meaning was clear.
Keigen looked down.
Guilt settling deeper.
"I recommend observation for a while," the doctor added. "If she wakes up disoriented, don't overwhelm her. Let her come back slowly."
Keifer nodded once.
Firm.
But inside—
nothing felt steady.
Because one thing stayed in his mind.
She was hurt.
And even then—
she chose to stay.
The door finally opened.
The sound alone made both of them straighten.
Keifer stood still.
Keigen almost stepped forward—but stopped himself.
The doctor walked out, removing his gloves slowly, his expression calm but serious.
"How is she?" Keifer asked.
His voice was controlled.
Too controlled.
The doctor looked at him for a second.
"She's stable."
The words landed.
Relief—
but not enough.
Keigen let out a shaky breath, his hands still trembling at his sides.
"But…" the doctor continued.
That one word—
tightened everything again.
Keifer's jaw clenched slightly.
"The injury itself is not the only reason she fainted," the doctor said, folding his arms lightly.
"What do you mean?" Keifer asked.
The doctor glanced between both of them.
"The impact caused a mild concussion," he explained. "There is external bleeding, but it's not severe enough on its own to cause a full loss of consciousness."
A pause.
"So something else triggered it."
Keigen's eyes lowered instantly.
The doctor noticed.
"She was under stress before the impact," he continued, voice steady but observant. "And after being hit, she saw the blood."
Silence.
Heavy.
"She reacted to it."
Keifer frowned slightly.
"Reacted how?"
The doctor took a small breath.
"Not like a normal reaction," he said. "More like… a conditioned response."
Another pause.
"Something from her past."
Keifer didn't speak.
But his expression changed.
Slightly.
"She tried to control it," the doctor added. "That's very clear."
Keigen's fingers curled into fists.
"She didn't panic outwardly," the doctor continued, "but internally—her body was under extreme pressure."
The hallway felt quieter with every word.
"Pain from the injury… emotional stress… and a trauma response triggered by blood."
He looked directly at Keifer now.
"All of that combined caused what we call a physical and emotional overload."
A pause.
"And when the body reaches that point—"
"It shuts down."
The words hit harder than expected.
Keigen's breathing became uneven again.
"She was still trying to stay conscious," the doctor added, softer this time. "Which means she was forcing herself to remain present even when her body was already giving up."
That—
hurt to hear.
More than anything else.
Keigen shook his head slightly.
"…she was holding my hand," he whispered, voice breaking. "She was telling me I was okay…"
His voice cracked completely.
"And I—"
He couldn't finish.
The doctor didn't interrupt.
Keifer closed his eyes for a brief second.
Just a second.
Then opened them again.
"Will she be okay?" he asked.
This time—
there was no control in his voice.
The doctor nodded.
"She will," he said. "But she needs rest. Complete rest."
A pause.
"No stress."
Another pause.
"No emotional triggers."
His gaze shifted again—
toward Keigen.
"Especially for the next few days."
The meaning was clear.
Keigen looked down.
Guilt settling deeper.
"I recommend observation for a while," the doctor added. "If she wakes up disoriented, don't overwhelm her. Let her come back slowly."
Keifer nodded once.
Firm.
But inside—
nothing felt steady.
Because one thing stayed in his mind.
She was hurt.
And even then—
she chose to stay.