eeping of machines and the low murmur of nurses exchanging quick notes filled the otherwise quiet morning. It was business as usual-a day of sav

ltered by the hospital's central air system, brushed over his skin, but it

n Co

tend. But her voice, that undeniable passion laced in every word she spoke the night they met, came rushing back to him with ever

d as they spoke. His fingers had long since put down the files, and his mind h

thoughts. Her eyes were steady, calm even, yet there was something vulnerabl

tly on the desk, but inside, his hear

s voice cool but his mind scram

e the faint tension around her eyes. "You

familiarity that made him feel exposed in a way he didn't want to be. He cleared his throat, pushing

e than just tight. It's like... something's in the way. And I don't know if it's stress or if it's something wors

issue. There was an undercurrent of fear she tried to mask, but it bled through every s

This was medicine. Cold, detached, scientific. This wasn't some emotional enta

's take a look. If you don't mind, I'll need to exam

e storm she was obviously facing, made Brown pause. She wasn't just any patient. She was a woman who commanded a room with nothing but

, he couldn't help but notice the way her eyes never left his. Her gaze was

t Lounge. The way her voice had risen above the rest, laced with emotion, truth, and a kind of f

ront of him. Vulnerable. Needing hi

s he turned his attention back to the task at hand. "It's likely from ove

hat's the life of a performer. We push ourselves to the edge because we want to make an impact. And

see it now-the exhaustion, the strain, the weight of her career pressing down on her. It was more

s. It's not too serious, but you'll need to rest your voice for a while. Take it easy,

ension in her eyes that remained. She was thankful, of course, but there was more lurking underneath. H

sn't entirely convinced himself. He had made his living on cert

aused, her lips curving slightly into a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "It's not j

live for something, to dedicate every waking moment to a dream, only to find it at risk? He had his own dreams,

ke this to the pharmacy. Rest for the next few days. And we'

sing as she took the prescription from his

Dr. Immanuel, I-" She looked over her shoulder, her eyes meeting his on

swallowed, unsure of how to respond. He was a doctor, not someone who let emotions run wild. But the way she spok

she was gone, leaving only a

better. But something lingered in the air-something between them that neither of the

dered world, was beginning