Eternally Yours

The next morning, Hana’s eyelids fluttered open to find grayish light filtering through her bedroom curtains. An instant throbbing in her skull made her squeeze them shut again with a groan. It felt like a jackhammer was going to town inside her poor head.

She rolled onto her back, trying to blink past the harsh pounding behind her eyes. That’s when she noticed the glass of water and pills sitting on her nightstand. Hana frowned, her muddled mind struggling to remember putting those there.

Groggily, she reached for the aspirin and water. As she drained the glass, her phone buzzed with a new text notification. Squinting, Hana swiped it open to reveal a message from Mira:

“Someone had a crazy night. Thank God your knight-in-shining-armor brought you back in one piece. Don’t think you’ve escaped telling me about last night’s shenanigans!”

Hana furrowed her brow in confusion, trying to decipher her best friend’s cryptic message. Crazy night? Knight in shining armor? Her mind was completely blank.

With a frustrated huff, she dropped her phone back on the nightstand and made to push herself upright. That’s when an unfamiliar weight on her shoulders made her pause.

Looking down, Hana’s eyes went wide at the long, black coat now draped over her. She ran her fingers over the soft material, a frown pinching her features. This wasn’t hers - where had it come from?

Panic started bubbling up as flashes of the night before flickered through her mind’s eye. Dim bar...spinning bottle...someone saying something...uncontrollable sobbing... But the details were so fractured, she couldn’t piece it all together coherently.

Hana swung her legs over the side of the bed, cradling her aching head in her hands as she fought to concentrate. How did she get home last night? And whose coat was this?

The only thing she knew for certain was that she desperately needed to get to the bottom of whatever had transpired. Clearly, Mira was waiting for an explanation, which meant Hana didn’t have a choice - she had to try and retrace her scrambled memories from the night before.

No matter how foggy or hazy they might be.

The scalding water pounded against Ren’s back as he stood motionless under the shower spray. His hands were braced against the tiled wall, eyes screwed shut as he fought to steady his ragged breathing.

It was the dream again - that same haunting, visceral vision that always left him shaken to his core upon waking. Though the actual imagery continued to elude him, the overwhelming sense of loss and heartache lingered like a thick fog clouding his mind.

Clenching his jaw, Ren twisted the temperature dial until the water ran ice cold. The shock of it caused him to gasp, but it helped further banish the clinging tendrils of the mysterious dream. As the numbness set in, his thrashing pulse finally began to even out.

When he finally emerged from the shower stall, teeth chattering, Ren quickly toweled himself dry and stepped into his bedroom. His brow furrowed at the sight of his clothes from the previous night crumpled in the hamper.

The deep green sweater and dark chinos instantly triggered a rush of fragmented memories from Gracie’s bar. Hana’s panicked sobs in the alleyway...draping his coat over her shuddering frame...half-carrying her to his car when she couldn’t stop trembling...

Ren paused, the damp towel hanging from his hand as he replayed those final hazy moments. He had intended to simply give the distraught nurse a ride home and make sure she was safe. But something indefinable had compelled him to go a step further.

Steeling himself, Ren had maneuvered an utterly unresponsive Hana up to her apartment door, using the spare key she kept in her purse to let them inside. He had guided - practically hauled - her slender, unresisting form to her bedroom where he carefully laid her down. Thankfully, her roommate had called and given him directions.

Only once she was tucked into bed, still wearing his jacket that dwarfed her tiny frame, did Ren finally allow himself to relax minutely. He had lingered a moment, silently studying Hana’s tear-stained features. An unruly lock of chestnut hair had fallen across her brow, and his fingers had twitched with the faintest urge to brush it aside.

But he had quashed that bizarre impulse immediately, turning on his heel to let himself out of her apartment. As he had pulled the door shut behind him, Ren distinctly remembered feeling...unsettled somehow. Shaking his head, he tried to dislodge the phantom ache that seemed to constrict his chest whenever he thought about Hana’s prone form.

“Get a grip,” he muttered aloud, tossing the towel into the hamper as well. Ren ran his hands through his damp hair, pressing his palms against his temples. His arms for a moment, tingled as they remembered her weight in them.

He had done the decent thing, that was all. Ensured his junior colleague made it home safely after having one too many drinks. There was no reason for the nauseating knot of...confusion? Concern? That seemed to coil inside him whenever Hana was involved.

Ren made a sound of disgust at himself as he yanked open his dresser drawer to find fresh clothes. He was in dangerous territory allowing himself to dwell on such distracting notions.

Hana Shizumi was a strange one, yes - a shy, withdrawn woman who somehow became a force of havoc in his otherwise disciplined life. But that was all there was to it. Right? Exactly. She was a co-worker under his supervision, nothing more.

At least, that’s what Ren continued trying to convince himself of as he went about getting ready to head to work that day. He couldn’t afford to think too deeply about the peculiar pull he felt toward the newest nurse.

Ren’s phone started ringing just as he was finishing up getting dressed. One look at the caller ID and he couldn’t stop the weary sigh that escaped his lips.

Just great...

“Jiro,” he answered gruffly, already knowing exactly why his cousin was calling.

“Renny, my dearest baby cousin!” The boisterous voice on the other end made Ren hold the phone slightly away from his ear. “How’s my favorite doctor doing on this fine morning?”

Ren rolled his eyes at the sickly-sweet tone. “Cut the crap, Jiro. What do you want?”

A dramatic, wounded gasp came through the speaker. “Why must you wound me with such accusations? Can’t a guy just check in on his beloved family?”

“We both know that’s not how this works,” Ren deadpanned, slipping on his shoes. “What is it this time?”

There was a brief pause before Jiro seemed to drop the act with a small chuckle. “Alright, alright, you got me. I’m just calling to make sure you haven’t conveniently ‘forgotten’ about the family dinner this weekend.”

Ren felt his jaw ticking with annoyance. Of course - the quarterly extended family obligation he always tried to wriggle out of. “Look, I’ve got a lot on my plate at the hospital right now...”

“Ah ah ah!” Jiro swiftly cut him off. “No excuses, Mr. Hotshot ER Chief. You know Auntie will have an aneurysm if her favorite nephew doesn’t grace us with his presence.”

“I’m her only nephew,” Ren muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. He could already feel the oncoming headache.

“Exactly! Which is why your absence is not an option this time.” Jiro’s tone took on a rare edge of seriousness. “This one’s important, Ren. We...we need to discuss some family matters.”

An uneasy silence stretched between them at his cousin’s ominous words. Finally, Ren sighed heavily. “Fine. I’ll be there.”

“Excellent! That’s what I wanted to hear,” Jiro replied, the jovial lilt returning to his voice. “Oh, and one more thing before I go - your mother is still crying that you ‘lost the love of your life’ after Lia.”

Ren grimaced at the unnecessary reminder of his mother’s dramatics. “Don’t start-”

“You’d better find yourself a nice girlfriend soon before the family officially starts presuming, you’re playing for the other team if you know what I mean,” Jiro finished with an audible wink.

“Thanks for the reminder to never breed,” Ren growled, though his lips twitched with faint amusement despite himself.

His cousin’s raucous laughter filled the line. “That’s my Ren! Always so charming. See you this weekend, cuz!”

The dial tone followed soon after, leaving Ren staring at his phone and shaking his head. He could only begin to imagine what fresh insufferable melodrama awaited him at the upcoming family dinner.

Maybe whatever Ren was being summoned to deal with this time wouldn’t be catastrophic, hopefully. At least for the span of a few fleeting breaths, Ren felt a lightness he hadn’t experienced in longer than he could remember.

The hospital corridors bustled with the usual organized chaos as Hana made her rounds, distributing meds and supplies to the various patient rooms. Normally she found a calm, therapeutic routine in the motions. But today, her mind remained frustratingly scattered no matter how hard she tried to focus on her tasks.

Fragmented flashes from the previous night at Gracie’s kept surfacing in her thoughts, only to slip away before she could piece the full narrative together. She could still hear Clara’s cutting words like shards of glass, followed by her uncontrolled sobbing. But everything after that moment was shrouded in hazy obscurity.

Hana’s fingers twisted anxiously in the fabric of the dark coat she wore overtop her scrubs - the mysterious coat she had awoken in this morning with no recollection of its origin. She felt ridiculous wearing it around the hospital, but she couldn’t bear to be parted from it for some inexplicable reason.

As she emerged from a patient’s room, Hana nearly jumped out of her skin to find Audra hovering nearby, a look of concern etched across her soft features.

“Oh! Audra, you startled me...” Hana murmured, clutching her med tray tightly.

The older nurse tilted her head slightly, studying Hana with those perpetually worried eyes. “Are you alright, Hana? You seem...distracted.”

Conflicting waves of relief and apprehension washed over the younger woman. Perhaps Audra held the answers she so desperately sought. But she also feared what revealing her lapse of memory might say about her.

Audra must have sensed her internal struggle. “Did...something happen last night after you left?” she prompted gently.

With a resigned sigh, Hana figured she might as well rip off the bandaid. “I was hoping you could tell me. I’m afraid I don’t remember much after...” She trailed off with uncertainty.

Understanding dawned on Audra’s face as the pieces clicked into place. “Oh, Hana...I’m so sorry, I didn’t realize you had gotten that inebriated. The truth is none of us are quite sure what happened after you took off so abruptly.”

Hana’s shoulders slumped with disappointment, but she tried not to let it show. She should have expected as much. “I see. Thank you for being honest, Audra.”

As the older nurse gave her arm a consoling pat and started to move on, a familiar figure striding down the hallway caught Hana’s eye. Dr. Ren Jenkins, his brow furrowed intently as he listened to the overhead page summoning him elsewhere.

It was like a shockwave ripped through Hana’s psyche, shattering her already disjointed memories in a whirlwind. Disorienting flashes exploded in her mind’s eye - tears streaming down her face...strong arms wrapped around her...the smoky-sweet scent of an expensive cologne...

Hana gasped audibly, nearly upending her tray from the force of the memories blindsiding her. Distantly, she heard Audra calling her name in alarm. But all she could focus on was the rapidly retreating figure of the imposing ER Chief.

It had been Dr. Jenkins - he was the one who had found her in such a compromised state and, inexplicably, ensured she made it home safely. Which meant...

Hana’s fingers tightened almost imperceptibly around the coat enveloping her petite frame. Of course, that’s who it was.

The pounding of her pulse echoed in Hana’s ears, drowning out all the other commotion around them as her vision started tunneling inward. How in heaven’s name was she going to approach him about returning the coat after this, let alone look him in the eye?

“Hana, are you okay?”

Audra’s concerned voice barely registered through Hana’s spiraling panic. With tremendous effort, she pulled her focus back to the patient sitting before her, startled by the disruption.

“I...y-yes, I’m so sorry,” Hana managed to stammer out, hands trembling visibly.

It had been Dr. Jenkins who found her in such a compromised state the previous night. He had been the one to ensure she made it home safely, his coat now enveloping her like a second skin. The shame and mortification came crashing back in waves.

As soon as her duties were complete, Hana found herself practically fleeing to the sanctity of the supply closet.

Without another word, she turned on shaky legs and fled down the hallway as quickly as propriety would allow. She needed to get out of that stifling space immediately before the full weight of her utter mortification came crashing down.

Disappearing into the safety of a supply closet, Hana drew a series of shuddering breaths to stave off her impending panic attack.

She was well and truly in over her head now. How was she ever going to be able to face her mentor again after such a disastrous, messy night laid bare the full scope of her crippling inadequacies?

Sinking to the floor, Hana buried her burning face in her hands as the first tears started trickling down her cheeks. It was bad enough her humiliation had been broadcast to all her colleagues.

Hana drew a shuddery breath, doing her best to compose herself after the wave of panic and tears subsided. With trembling fingers, she pulled up Mira’s contact and hit the call button.

“Hey there drama queen, I was wondering when you’d fi-”

“Mira...” Hana’s voice came out in a hoarse croak, cutting off her best friend’s teasing greeting. “I...I really messed up.”

There was a pregnant pause on the line before Mira responded, her tone shifting to one of gentle concern. “Oh honey, what happened? Talk to me.”

And so Hana did. She unloaded every disjointed, humiliating memory she could muster from the previous night’s disaster - the drinking, the games that went too far, her total meltdown in front of everyone. How she had utterly shamed herself in the worst way possible in front of Dr. Jenkins of all people.

By the time she finished nearly hyperventilating through the tangled recollections, fresh tears were streaming down Hana’s cheeks anew. She pressed her back against the closet door, squeezing her eyes shut as she awaited Mira’s undoubtedly worried reaction.

What she didn’t expect was the sudden peal of laughter on the other end of the line.

“Mira!” Hana admonished, feeling a fresh wave of embarrassment and hurt wash over her. “It’s not funny! I completely disgraced myself in front of my boss and...”

“Sweetie, breathe!” Mira managed to say once her giggles subsided. “I’m not laughing at your pain, I promise. It’s just...from what little you’ve said, I honestly don’t think this hot doctor boyfriend of yours was as horrified as you seem to think!”

Hana sputtered incoherently at that, her cheeks blazing all over again. “B-Boyfriend?? Mira, you don’t understand.”

“When I spoke to him last night to make sure he got your stubborn behind home safe, he didn’t sound the least bit put off,” Mira bulldozed on with a dismissive sniff. “Just...concerned for your wellbeing, really. Like a total sweetheart.”

The line went silent again as Hana processed her friend’s words, dumbfounded. Mira had spoken to Dr. Jenkins. And he didn’t seem upset or judgmental in the slightest? She opened and closed her mouth, utterly at a loss.

Mira, however, simply chuckled again at Hana’s stunned silence. “See? I told you you were overreacting. Your sexy doctor prince seems to care for you just fine, despite your drunken hysterics.”

A tiny giggle finally escaped Hana at that, the first hint of mirth piercing through her thick panic. The glimmer of amusement spread, until soon she was dissolving into helpless laughter at the sheer ridiculousness of Mira’s nicknames for poor Dr. Jenkins.

“Oh my god, I can’t...” she wheezed, wiping at the happy tears now trickling down her face. “He’s going to have me committed if he ever hears you call him those things!”

“More’s the pity then,” Mira sighed dramatically. “He’d be one lucky psych patient, that’s for sure. But I’m afraid I’ve got to run - snobby riches to cater to and all. You just take a few calming breaths and quit stressing so hard, Nightingale. I’m sure your prince will still want to marry you when all is said and done.”

Hana laughed again, feeling lighter than she had in days. “You’re impossible, you know that?”

“And you adore me for it,” her best friend sing-songed. “Chin up, babe! Everything will be just fine.”

With that, Mira’s trademark air kisses echoed over the line before the call disconnected. Hana clutched her phone to her chest, allowing the remnants of her giggles to slowly taper off into peaceful silence.

She took a cleansing breath, letting the lingering vestiges of panic and dread finally drift away on the exhale. Maybe, just maybe, Mira was right - perhaps she truly had been overreacting to the whole mortifying situation. A tiny kernel of hope began blossoming in her chest.

If the kind, caring man she knew Dr. Jenkins to be hadn’t seemed bothered, then surely she could face him again soon with her dignity intact. It didn’t excuse her behavior, but it did fill her with a newfound resolve to carry on as normal.

With a steadying nod at her reflection on her phone screen, Hana reached for the closet door handle to rejoin the hectic world of the hospital floors. Only to come face-to-face with the startled form of none other than Dr. Rowan himself.

“Well hello there, Nightingale!” the jovial doctor grinned widely at the deer-in-headlights look on Hana’s face. “Fancy meeting you here!”

Hana could only blink owlishly at the cheerful doctor, her cheeks immediately flushing. “D-Dr. Rowan! I was just...umm, looking for something.”

“In the supply closet?” One of Rowan’s bushy eyebrows arched upwards in playful skepticism. “Don’t they usually keep those items on the floor carts?”

She opened and closed her mouth, grasping for a reasonable excuse. But that sunshine-bright grin of his seemed to disarm her skill for prevarication. Instead, Hana simply offered a meek shrug.

Rowan, however, didn’t push the subject. His expression sobered somewhat as he gave her a more appraising look. “Seems like you’ve been having yourself a bit of a tough go lately, Nightingale. You doing okay after your... night out with the crew?”

Hana felt her blush deepen at his oblique reference to her meltdown. Still, she managed a small nod. “Y-Yes, thank you. I’m alright.”

Though his typical sunny demeanor didn’t waver, something softer flashed across Rowan’s features then. “Well, you know where to find me if you ever need to talk things through, yeah? I’m the self-appointed therapist of ER… maybe the entire hospital.”

The kind offer simultaneously filled her with warmth and slight discomfort. Hana still struggled to get used to Rowan’s overly friendly, boisterous personality at times. But she appreciated the sentiment all the same.

“Thank you, really,” she murmured, unable to meet his gaze fully. With an awkward bob of her head, Hana quickly excused herself and brushed past him to rejoin the hustle of the main corridors.

No sooner had she emerged, however, than a small gaggle of eager-eyed nurses swarmed around her like a cloud of hummingbirds. Clara, Julie, and Audra all quickly converged, interrogating her with looks ranging from innocent curiosity to outright smirking knowingness.

“What was that about, Shizumi?” Clara asked in a tone that could cut glass.

Hana opened and closed her mouth once more, panic rising swiftly in her chest. She wasn’t at all prepared to be put on the spot like this, especially about the already humiliating events surrounding her night with Rowan and the other docs. Mercifully, the man himself cut in before she could stammer out a reply.

“Nothing to see here, ladies!” Rowan announced jovially as he stepped up beside Hana. “Just getting a quick consult from Nurse Shizumi about a patient’s chart is all. You know how us doctors are - we need all hands-on deck sometimes!”

A chorus of disappointed pouts and grumbles met his words as the nurses realized there was no salacious gossip to be gleaned from this particular encounter. Wearing matched looks of disappointment, they finally dispersed in a flurry of whispers and sidelong glances.

For her part, Hana could only stare at Rowan with an odd mixture of gratitude and uncertainty. She hadn’t expected him to outright deflect for her, especially not about something so innocuous. Opening her mouth, she fumbled for what to say in response to his unwarranted shielding of her.

But Rowan simply gave her one last wink and buoyant grin before clapping her lightly on the shoulder. “Duty calls, Nightingale! Maybe next time, eh?”

With that parting quip, he strode off down the hall without a backward glance, leaving Hana to shyly tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. Well...that had certainly been an unexpectedly eventful trip to the supply closet.

Perhaps she could take it as a sign that her worry over last night’s disaster was truly overblown, at least among her male colleagues. A tiny, hopeful smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she too turned to head back to her tasks for the day.

But first things first, she needed to return Dr. Jenkin’s coat to him.

********************************************

Hana’s heart thundered in her ears as she paced back and forth outside Dr. Jenkins’ office door. The paper bag containing his coat crumpled between her tightly clenched fists with every pivot of her steps.

“Go in, drop it on his table, and leave”

This was it - the moment she had been agonizing over and psyching herself up forever since that fateful night at Gracie’s came flooding back to her memory. She had to return his coat and face him like a professional after her embarrassing breakdown in front of him.

Drawing a fortifying breath, Hana planted her feet and straightened her spine. No more delaying the inevitable. She could do this. Squaring her shoulders, she turned and strode purposefully through the office door before she could second-guess herself.

The room was dim, only the lamp on his desk providing a soft halo of light. Hana moved forward on instinct, carefully depositing the bag containing his coat on the edge of the desk. Yes, just leave it there and make a hasty retreat. That was the plan.

She was about to spin neatly on her heel, already working up the nerve to simply bolt from the room. Only to feel the breath catch in her throat as a pointed cough broke the tense silence from somewhere behind her.

“You know, it’s generally considered rude to enter someone’s private office without their permission.”

Hana froze at the deep, velvety baritone that could belong to none other than Dr. Ren Jenkins himself. Slowly, she turned to find him rising from one of the chairs in the corner, an unreadable look etched across his chiseled features.

Their eyes locked and all rational thought fled from her mind in a dizzying swirl. He was here...she was alone with him...he had seen her enter unannounced! Panic set in swiftly, leaving Hana rooted in place and gaping soundlessly like a fish out of water.

“I...I...um...”

The words simply would not come, even as Ren began descending on her with that intense, surgical precision in his stride. His midnight eyes behind transparent lenses remained locked on her, briefly flickering down to the bag on his desk before snapping back to her pale, frozen face.

Transfixed, Hana could do nothing but shrink back instinctively with every purposeful step he took until the solid edge of his desk cut into her lower back. She was utterly trapped between the immovable object of the furniture and his overwhelming presence bearing down on her from across its surface.

He didn’t stop advancing until mere inches were separating their bodies, his free hand planted firmly on the desk to either side of her trembling frame. Hana’s breath caught sharply in her throat at his proximity, her doe eyes squeezing shut tightly in a desperate bid to block out the dizzying reality of the situation.

Only the unmistakable rustle of him retrieving the bag made her realize she still needed to breathe. Hana’s lids snapped open, blinking up at him owlishly as he held the package from her loosely in one hand. The barest hint of a smirk played across his lips when their gazes reconnected.

“I believe this...is mine.”

His low, rumbling murmur seemed to vibrate through her core, sending a frisson of an indecipherable emotion shuddering down her spine. All Hana could do was nod numbly, utterly disarmed by his nearness and still grappling with her panic.

At that moment, she was utterly powerless and at his mercy. All either of them could do was hold the suspended breath between parted lips and wait for the other to finally shatter the spell hanging in the air.

“Y-yes...” Hana’s strained whisper was barely audible, even in the suffocating silence enveloping them.

But then the dam suddenly burst, his nearness seeming to unlock a torrent of words she had been desperate to unleash.

“I’m so sorry about that night, Dr. Jenkins. And thank you...thank you for making sure I got home safe. I’m mortified that you had to see me in such a state...and I just feel awful about how Mira had to get involved that night, she can be a lot sometimes. I wonder how I have managed to be friends with her for so long. Sorry, I'm rambling”

Hana continued, wringing her hands anxiously. “Please, just excuse me, I should go...”

The moment the name “Mira” tumbled from Hana’s lips; Ren felt an involuntary sense of relief wash over him. Of course - Mira was her roommate, her friend who had been attempting to track Hana down after her emotional unraveling that night.

He mentally shook his head at himself for the brief twinge of...disappointment? Uncertainty? That had flickered through his mind when he first overheard Hana frantically rambling about this mysterious “Mira” person during her drunken meltdown.

She made a hasty move to sidestep around the desk, to put much-needed space between their charged proximity. But Hana gasped sharply when Ren’s hand instinctively shot out, his fingertips grazing her forearm in a gentle vice meant to halt her escape.

An instantaneous tremor rocketed through her at the simple point of contact between their skin. Hana’s eyes blew wide, every nerve suddenly alight and hyper-aware in anticipation of...something. Memories of her affliction, faces, and flashes of vivid scenes usually accompany any sort of physical touch.

But in that endless, suspended moment, there was nothing but eerie silence echoing through her mind.

Why? Why can’t I see anything?

The anomaly was so rattling, so contrary to how her abilities had manifested her entire life, that Hana didn’t immediately register Ren withdrawing his hand. Blinking hard, she finally refocused on his stoic features, his expression now guarded once more.

“You don’t need to apologize,” he stated in that low, grounding timbre. “I simply did what any decent person would do in that situation.”

Hana blinked again, finally untethered from the strange vacuum that had momentarily consumed her consciousness. “Still, I...I’d like to repay you somehow, for your kindness and discretion.” She swallowed hard, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear anxiously. “Please, it’s the least I can do after such an incident.”

Her wide, expressive eyes snapped up to meet his again, reminding Ren of how disarmingly youthful and vulnerable she could appear when she was not safely ducking away from human sight. It plucked an unfamiliar chord deep within his chest.

“That’s unnecessary,” Ren demurred with a shake of his head. He took a measured step back to put a more professional distance between them once more. “I assure you, there is no need for that.”

But Hana remained insistent, unable to simply let his graciousness slide without any attempt at reciprocation. “Please, I must insist. If there’s any way I can make it up to you, any favors you need...” She trailed off, silently pleading with her eyes.

For a long pause, Ren simply stared at her intently, as if weighing the sincerity of her entreaty. Then, finally, he inclined his chin in a curt nod. “Very well. I’ll...keep that in mind.”

The words were clipped, noncommittal, giving no hint of whether he truly intended to take her up on the offer or if it was simply easier to acquiesce and move on. Hana could only nod in turn, a strange sense of defeat washing over her despite having seemingly gotten her way.

An awkward beat passed between them before Ren cleared his throat, effectively severing the tension. “If there’s nothing else...?” He arched an inquisitive eyebrow in a clear dismissal.

“No, I...thank you again, Dr. Jenkins.” Hana forced the softest of smiles, willing her cheeks not to burn too brightly. “I’ll let you get back to your work now.”

With that, she quickly saw herself out of his office, exhaling harshly once the door was closed behind her. Hana leaned back against the wall, fingers unconsciously tracing over the point on her arm where Ren’s hand had been only moments before. She replayed the entire encounter in her mind, utterly baffled by the bizarre cosmic silence that had blanketed her mind upon their touch.

What did it mean? What was so different about Dr. Ren Jenkins that her abilities simply...refused to engage?

Ren watched her go, letting the silence linger until she had disappeared around the corner before allowing himself to exhale heavily.

Running a frustrated hand through his hair, Ren turned and walked back toward his office, mentally attempting to unravel the tangled knot of...whatever it was that seemed to coil inside his chest whenever he interacted with Nurse Shizumi these days. Too dangerous.

For now, he would chalk it up to misplaced concern for her wellbeing in light of such an incident between a mentor and his admittedly solemn subordinate. Nothing more, nothing less.

At least, that’s what Ren continued trying to convince himself of as he settled back into his office and the comfortable routines of his day.