Isla checked her text message when she felt a vibration in class while waiting for her lesson to end for the day.

  Ellie: Babe, could you help me?

  Isla frowned at the text message while wrapping up her class.

  Isla: What's up?

  Ellie: I need to borrow a thousand from you

  Isla: Ok, what's it for?

  Ellie: Nothing serious... I will return the money tonight

  Isla rolled her eyes, agitated at the attitude of asking for favours without stating the reason.

  Isla: I'm not borrowing if you don't tell me why

  Isla concluded before dismissing her class as she packed up her stuff when a reply came.

  Ellie: My mother injured her wrist earlier while working. My sister brought her to the clinic instead...

  Isla sighed and instantly made the transfer to Ellie before sending her the notification.

  Isla: Slowly pay back. Not urgent. You wanna see her? I have just dismissed my class for the day. I can come pick you up

  Isla then sends a text to update Jazzlyn.

  Isla: Ellie's mum's wrist was injured while cleaning at work... Her sister brought her to the clinic instead of you zzzz.... Guess how much flew away?

  Isla knew Jazzlyn would not reply so soon cause during her work hours, Jazzlyn was running a war zone. However, to Isla's surprise, Jazzlyn replied.

  Jazzlyn: Nearly a thousand

  Isla: Exactly! I had to lend her. No choice. Imagine just how much she could have saved and time if she had come looking for you.

  Jazzlyn gave it a thought and knew Isla was right as she sighed at her own situation while sipping her can of coffee. Another text message came from Isla.

  Isla: I'm going to pick Ellie up in a bit to visit her mother. She didn't reply but I know she wants to visit. You wanna join? Why are you so free to reply to me?

  Jazzlyn: Doctors aren't human, are they? I can't have a breather?

  Isla chuckled as she left for her car.

  Isla: You're a superwoman to me

  Isla replied to Jazzlyn before calling Ellie.

  "Hey..." Ellie whispered, and Isla knew she was probably answering from her cubicle.

  "I will be there in an hour or more due to the jam. Just nice to pick you up after work plus overtime..." Isla updated knowing work ends at 6pm for Ellie but blame the bad asian culture, everyone needs to stay a little late to do overtime for show even if there were no any jobs left for the day.

  "You don't have to. I don't intend to visit..." Ellie quickly rejected as Isla sighed.

  "I'm with you... Don't worry. Just drop by to look, and we can have dinner together thereafter?" Isla urged as Ellie finally hummed in acknowledgment before hanging up.

  Isla: We are having dinner together later after visiting her mother. Wanna join?

  Isla sent to Jazzlyn who was still taking a breather when Dr. Wang slowly made his way to her side.

  "A penny for your thoughts?" Dr. Wang stood by her side as she grinned and nodded politely to him to greet him.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  "Dr. Wang, nice to see you out here..." Jazzlyn said formally each time she sees him out of habit. They did not talk much every time they met each other there, but her sixth sense told her he had had unspoken motives for a long while now, just that she chose to ignore them.

  "Your shift is over, isn't it?" Dr. Wang asked as Jazzlyn managed to sneak a monologue.

  Yes, but can't I have a breather here? What's with everyone?

  She may have hidden her words, but her facial expression showed she was annoyed.

  "I'm sorry... I was just randomly asking. I wanted to invite you to dinner. Don't get me wrong... Casually, too 'cause I'm very hungry..." Dr. Wang said when her stomach betrayed her and grumbled.

  They both end up chuckling and Jazzlyn could not say no anymore as they both changed their attire before meeting at the hospital entrance to walk to a sandwich restaurant opposite the hospital.

  Dr. Wang chuckled seeing Jazzlyn gorging down two sandwiches. "Slowly. No one is here to fight with you for food."

  Jazzlyn quickly wiped her mouth and apologised. "Sorry, Dr. Wang... It's been ages since I last ate..."

  Dr. Wang laughed. "Call me Ethan outside... And the hospital doesn't abuse their staff, you know that?"

  Jazzlyn chuckled while choking a little as Ethan passed her drink.

  "Slowly, Dr. Su..." He urged again gently as Jazzlyn smiled, embarrassed.

  A phone call from Isla came as Jazzlyn made a gesture to Ethan that she needed to pick up the call. He nodded while biting into his sandwich.

  "Hello?" Jazzlyn said. "Yo, babe! You didn't reply to me! Are you alright?" Isla asked over the loudspeaker, and Jazzlyn knew she was driving.

  "Drive safe! Why are you calling me?!" Jazzlyn was furious as she was worried of accidents happening.

  "I'm here... She just picked me up." Ellie said, trying to calm Jazzlyn.

  "Oh, Ellie... Hey, you two should proceed without me. I'm a little caught up." Jazzlyn flatly made an excuse.

  "Alright then! Let me know if you need a hitch back home later. Don't drive when you're sleepy!" Isla yelled, and she was so loud that Ethan could hear her as he smiled.

  "Alright, I know, Mother! Get off the phone and focus on driving!" Jazzlyn scolded before hanging up and munching on her second sandwich.

  "You have very good friends..." Ethan praised as Jazzlyn chuckled.

  "They can be overpowering... One cooks and cleans so well I don't even need a cleaner for my house while the other cares so much about my welfare that sometimes I don't even remember paying for any bills..." Jazzlyn rolled her eyes as Ethan grinned, listening to her.

  He was smitten by her candid, relaxed self around him for the first time. He could only thank the hospital for working them so hard that their hunger was unable to be delayed.

  "A blessing to have people looking after you after a tiring day..." Ethan commented as Jazzlyn smiled, noticing she had spoken too much.

  "I'm sorry, I wasn't... I didn't mean to whine to you..." Jazzlyn quickly apologised.

  "It's fine... Thank you for being more relaxed and willingly opening up to me..." Ethan praised as he sipped his tea.

  "You're naturally easy to open up to. No wonder you're most patients' favorite doctor that even those you didn't attend to would come up to you for advice. Probably even if they were to die under your care, they were willing to..." Jazzlyn mumbled the last line, which made Ethan choke while bursting out laughing.

  Jazzlyn was shocked that he must have caught her last line as she quickly handed him some tissues.

  "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... You heard me?" She apologised as he nodded while wiping his mouth.

  Jazzlyn rolled her eyes, feeling annoyed with herself as she laughed along. "I'm still human, alright?" Ethan chuckled.

  "Sorry..." She sat back down apologetically as Ethan decided to get serious and stop teasing her.

  "Jazzlyn, I could call you that?" He started as she nodded while sipping her tea. Once she was done while waiting for him to speak up, she was still holding onto the cup. He gently put it down on the table for her for fear she would spill it, hearing him out next.

  "I think you could tell all along my feelings for you. I have been trying to make it obvious lately since..." Ethan said as Jazzlyn blinked and sighed.

  Oh no, I got trapped... Dang! She scolded herself, and he noticed the change in her expression, panicking a little when he paused.

  "I'm not trying to force you into it. I just wanted to at least take the chance to tell you once. Properly... That I like you. I know you might be worried about our relationship ending like your past... But I'm not a surgeon. And I'm leaving soon..." Ethan announced which made Jazzlyn's nervous self a little sad when she heard the last line.

  No... Not you too are leaving. Then I wouldn't have anyone to look forward to at the park anymore... Jazzlyn looked away from Ethan with sad eyes, finally realising her feelings though a little confused by the fondness that has grown quietly. Like they always say, you never know what it's worth till you're losing it.

  "I'm giving you the chance to work with me. I'm sure you have received the freelancing offer. It's my relative's institute. I will be helping out there, too. It might be tough because you have to build your own portfolio but I promise I would be able to support you professionally if you join us. No doubt, I don't expect you to consider my feelings. I sincerely hope you will be able to help out in the institution because I know how much you have sacrificed for this hospital and what you're capable of..." Ethan smiled, not expecting an answer.

  "I will leave you to think about it. I will make a move first. It was a pleasure to have dinner with you finally, Jazzlyn." Ethan said before getting up and leaving. Jazzlyn, out of instinct, held his arm when he passed her.

  She slowly lifted her gaze to meet his. "How long do I have to decide?"

  "Two weeks..." Ethan smiled as he felt her grip was loosening.

  "See you..." He said before continuing to leave.

  The time frame made Jazzlyn feel like a death sentence given by the doctors to their critically ill patients. She had all along wanted a way out, and the freelance opportunity was also a dream job of hers, but there was one thing anchoring her back to the hospital, and that was the haunting past of her failing to resuscitate Lex, Isla's dead husband, back to life during his accident.

  It became a curse in her career as she always wondered if she was more experienced or if she did not waste any time but focused on him, would he have survived? Wouldn't Isla be happier than now?

  That became a mission for her to stay put in the hospital to be able to redeem herself by saving her friends or their friends and relatives if they were encountered because she knew both of them were not as privileged as her or her medical family background were despite her fallout with her family long ago.

  She left the restaurant and drove to Isla's place. It was her instinct to always ensure Isla was comfortable, safe, and sound nearly every night eversince Lex left; whether discreetly or openly most of the days cause Jazzlyn felt she owed it to Lex.