“Hold on tight,” Alex said as he turned the handlebar, the motorcycle engine purring beneath them.
Naosa wrapped her arms around his waist, the night breeze brushing her face, the city lights blurring into motion.
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They stopped at an old burger shop tucked into a quiet street corner, its neon sign humming softly in the dark.
“Is this place okay?” Alex asked as he helped her off the bike, watching her take in the modest diner.
“Yes! It looks great,” she said, her voice full of genuine curiosity and warmth—somehow making the plain place feel special.
They chose a quiet table at the back, where the lights were softer. When the waitress handed them menus, Alex didn’t bother to open his—he always ordered the same thing.
Naosa, however, studied hers intently, eyes darting across every line as if she were reading something sacred.
Amused, Alex leaned back. “Guess this kind of place isn’t really your style.”
Naosa looked up, surprised. “No, I like it! I’ve already decided on a chicken burger—but this Bottomless Side says you can pick only one. I want both fries and onion rings, so I can’t decide.”
Her brow furrowed, dead serious.
Alex burst out laughing. “Then I’ll get fries, you get onion rings. We’ll share.”
Naosa pointed at the menu, scandalized. “It says here, please don’t share bottomless sides.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Alex said with a smirk. “Everyone shares.”
“I’m not a cheater,” she replied firmly—then smiled, relenting. “But okay… onion rings it is.”
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While they waited, Alex thought about Deb’s words—how to bring them up. But before he could, Naosa asked, “Why did you decide to become a physician-scientist?”
The question caught him off guard. “I didn’t, really. Back in England, I wanted to be a football player. I was the top striker at my school.—had a future, too. But then I got badly injured. That ended everything. My friends moved on without me. My girlfriend… she started dating the new striker before I was even out of the hospital.”
Naosa listened in stillness, her expression open and kind.
“I got angry. Acted out. Smoked for the first time. Got into fights.” His voice was steady, unguarded. “But I was always good at math. Formulas come to me like… music notes, I guess. I didn’t plan any of this—it just happened.”
“Thank you for telling me,” Naosa said softly. “It’s amazing that you rebuilt yourself after something so painful.”
Then she smiled, eyes bright. “I get what you mean about formulas. I see music that way—notes float up and dance around me whenever I sit at a piano.”
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Their food arrived, steaming and fragrant.
“This looks amazing!” she said, delighted.
“Go ahead—have some fries.”
“No,” she said, mock-serious. “We agreed. No cheating.”
Alex chuckled, shaking his head. “You really live by the rules.”
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For a while, they ate in easy silence. Then Alex found his moment.
“Nao, how long do you plan to keep volunteering in pediatrics? Some people think you’re getting special treatment. Maybe it’s time to step back.”
Her smile faded, the light in her eyes dimming.
“I didn’t realize how it looked… I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to be selfish.”
He exhaled, relieved by her calm response—
but she went on.
“But I want to keep going. As long as Maggie’s there. She’s… like a miracle to me. I want to make whatever time she has left feel happy.”
Alex fell silent. He knew Maggie didn’t have much time. Asking Naosa to stop now felt wrong—almost cruel.
“You know Dr. Lucas, the pediatric director?” he said gently. “He’s a good man. Maybe talk to him?”
“Okay,” she whispered, eyes downcast.
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He repeated Deb’s words, softer now:
“If you really want to be a pediatrician, you can pursue it later. You’re still young. You’ve got time. But kids aren’t like lab mice. You should focus on what’s right in front of you.”
Her fingers tightened around her cup, knuckles white.
“I don’t want to be a pediatrician,” she said quietly. “And I’m not treating those kids like data.”
She paused. Then, even quieter:
“I was one of them. I spent my early childhood in hospitals. Cold rooms. Fear. Wondering if I’d see my friends the next day. Watching them get sicker… and then disappear.”
Her gaze stayed fixed on her hands.
“But they gave me strength. They smiled. They fought. They gave me hope. So no, I’m not doing this for research. I just… want to be with them.”
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Alex didn’t speak. He just listened—really listened. Her words shifted something deep within him.
“Why did you choose lab science, then?” he asked softly.
Naosa hesitated. “When I was three, I was diagnosed with a rare illness. It worsened when I was six. My mother became my donor—but she didn’t survive the transplant. She saved my life, but… I wasn’t cured. My father never forgave her for it.”
Her voice wavered. “I just miss her. I want to understand what happened. Why she had to die. Why I lived. What the point of her sacrifice was—when none of us ended up happy.”
Tears slipped down her cheeks, glinting in the warm diner light.
Alex moved beside her, shielding her gently from the room.
He placed a hand on her head, unsure what else to offer.
“It’s not your fault,” he said quietly. “If you were the mother… wouldn’t you have done the same?”
She didn’t answer—just cried softly, grief unburdened at last.
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Then, suddenly, she reached across the table and plucked a fry from his plate.
Still tearful, she smiled. “Don’t move. I’m cheating right now—if someone finds out, it’ll be terrible.”
She picked another fry and offered it to him, pressing it lightly to his lips. “Now you’re an accomplice.”
Alex laughed—helplessly, genuinely. Their eyes met.
Her blue-hazel gaze was luminous, steady, impossible to look away from.
And in that instant, it struck him like lightning. His pulse stumbled, warmth flooding his chest.
Oh no, he thought, recalling the girl’s voice from the ward—
Don’t look into her eyes, or you’ll fall in love.
And he knew, with sudden, undeniable clarity—
the warning had come too late.
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