CHAPTER 45: A NURSE WITH A KIND AND BEAUTIFUL FACE CAME. (⁠｡⁠☬⁠０⁠☬⁠｡⁠)

Leo stood up and squeezed Sarah’s lap...

A nurse with a kind and beautiful face came back into the examination room with a wheelchair and a stack of paperwork...

The decision to admit Sarah had already been made, and the hospital’s efficient systems took over... Sarah’s quiet murmurs were not considered; she was no longer just a person making choices, but a patient being processed according to procedures that are beneficial to her health...

She looked at Leo, her eyes wide with panic, as the nurse kindly but firmly insisted she sit in the wheelchair. "It’s hospital policy for new admissions with chronic illness, dear."

"But, I can walk," Sarah uttered, her voice small.

"I know you can," the nurse said gently. "But we’re going to be doing a lot of walking to get you settled, and we need to conserve your energy for the tests."

Leo stepped forward and knelt in front of her again so they were at eye level. "Hey, babe. It’s okay. It’s just for a little bit." He squeezed her hand, giving her a look that communicated he understood but that this was a necessary step...

Sarah gave in, sinking into the wheelchair, pouting. Her parents watched nearby the door, wringing their hands and fingers, their faces were pale...

As the nurse began to move the wheels carrying Sarah out of the examination room, Leo grabbed their bags and followed, her parents moving behind him...

The Walk to the cardiac ward was long... They passed other patients in the hallway, some in wheelchairs, others walking slowly with IV poles on them...

They passed other families with worried faces, and Leo felt a strange sense of disconnect, as if he were watching this happen to someone else. This wasn’t his life. This couldn’t be...

They were assigned a private room at the end of a long corridor. It was quiet, with a large window that overlooked a small courtyard... The room was filled with a complicated-looking hospital bed and several machines that would soon become familiar background noise to Sarah.

Another nurse, a no-nonsense man named Yuta, came in to get Sarah settled. He was calm and professional, which was a small comfort. He handed her a folded hospital gown. "You can change into this. I’ll be back in a few minutes to get your IV started and draw some blood for the initial labs."

Sarah clutched the rough fabric of the gown. Her own clothes suddenly felt like a connection to her normal life, a life that felt very far away now...

When Yuta left, Sarah’s mother stepped forward to help her change, but Sarah shook her head, her eyes finding Leo’s.

"Can you guys wait outside for a minute?" she asked her parents, her voice was quiet and polite...

Her mother looked hurt, but her father put a hand on her arm and guided her out of the room, closing the door softly behind them...

Leo helped Sarah out of her clothes and into the hospital gown. His movements and touch were gentle and careful...

He tied the back for her, his fingers fumbling with the simple knot. It was an intimate, clumsy act that felt more significant than anything they had ever shared. She seemed so fragile, and he was so scared of doing anything that might hurt her...

When she was settled in bed, Yuta returned. He was efficient, his hands moving with ease as he swabbed her arm and expertly inserted the IV catheter...

Sarah flinched at the prick of the needle but didn’t make a sound. Leo stood by her side, holding her other hand; his grip was a steady point of contact. Yuta drew several vials of blood, labeling each one with a crisp, printed sticker bearing her name...

"The doctor has ordered an IV diuretic to help get some of that fluid off your lungs," Yuta explained as he hung a bag of clear liquid on the IV pole... "It will make you have to use the restroom a lot, just so you’re aware. We’ll be monitoring your intake and output closely." He smiled kindly at her. "Try to get some rest. We’ll be in to check on you regularly."

With that, he was gone, leaving them in the quiet room with the beeping of the heart monitor...

Her parents came back in, their faces etched with worry. They tried to make small talk, asking Sarah if she was comfortable, if she needed anything from home. But their words felt very hollow, their presence almost an intrusion on the quiet space Leo and Sarah had created around themselves...

The day passed in a series of interruptions. A technician came to perform an EKG, attaching sticky electrodes to her chest...

A respiratory therapist came to measure her oxygen levels with a clip on her finger...

A woman from nutrition services came to discuss her new low-sodium diet, handing them a pamphlet with a list of forbidden foods. With each new person who entered the room, Leo was the one who answered most of the questions, his voice was calm, composed and steady, while Sarah just lay there, looking up small and lost in the oversized bed...

Her parents, feeling useless and in the way, finally decided to go home for the evening. They needed to get some rest and pack a proper bag with toiletries and some useful items for Sarah...

"We’ll be back first thing in the morning, sweetie," her mother said, kissing her forehead. Her hand trembled as she touched her daughter’s cheek...

"Try to sleep," her father added, his voice filled with emotion. He looked at Leo with an expression of deep gratitude before he turned and left...

When they were gone, the room was quiet again. Leo pulled the armchair from the corner of the room and placed it right next to her bed. He sat down, not letting go of her hand...

"Babe, how are you doing?" he asked warmly. "For real."

"I feel like I’m disappearing," she whispered, her eyes fixed on the IV line in her arm. "Like I’m not me anymore. I’m just..."

"Hey, babe," he said, leaning forward so she would look at him. "Look at me." She slowly turned her head. "You are still you. You are still Sarah. This," he said, gesturing to the machines and the hospital gown, "is just a temporary situation. It’s a place we have to be for a little while so the doctors can help you get better. It doesn’t change who you are, okay."

"I’m scared, Leo," she admitted, her voice trembling. "What if this doesn’t work? What if I’m not strong enough for what’s coming next?"

"Then I’ll be strong enough for both of us," he said without hesitation. "You don’t have to be strong right now. You just have to rest. Let the doctors do their job. Let me worry about everything else. Your only job is to focus on getting better."

Tears welled in her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. "Babe, I love you so much."

"I love you, too," he said, leaning over to kiss her gently on the lips. "Now, try to get some sleep. It’s been a long day."

She nodded, her eyelids already drooping from the emotional and physical exhaustion of the day... She drifted off to sleep within minutes, her hand still clutching his...

Leo sat there in the dim light of the hospital room, watching her closely...

The beep of the heart monitor was a constant reminder of the problem at hand...

He listened to the quiet hum of the IV pump and the soft rustle of her breathing...

He felt really lonely, even with her right there beside him...

He was supposed to be the one who was strong for her. But as he sat there in the dim lights, an honest question entered his mind... (Who was going to be strong for him?)

He pushed the thought away. It didn’t matter. All that mattered was her. He took a deep breath, squeezed her hand gently so as not to wake her up...