Try

"Oh...yeah, I remember now." He Zifeng's expression dimmed. "Chen Kaori...she..."

"I heard it was a hit-and-run?" Su Lianghao understood the concern of his colleague on this patient's relative.

"Hmmn." He Zifeng slightly nodded.

"Well, you need a shower. If you're visiting the ICU, you can't go in smelling like that." Su Lianghao swished his hand in front of his face, trying to drive off some of the smell.

"Oh...yeah...uh, sorry. I was just..."

"I get you worry about Chen Kaori. I bet you didn't even sleep for these past few days. However, you need to take care of yourself more. How can you take care of her when she's out of the ICU if you fall sick as well?"

Convinced, He Zifeng nodded and walked away, back into the suite.

Su Lianghao sighed. He looked at the retreating back then he turned around and continued walking until he reached the intensive care unit.

He reviewed the chart once again as he glanced at the patient from behind the window. Chen Kaori was almost unrecognizable. He noted the findings of the other doctors, the ongoing medications and her vital signs.

Su Lianghao went into the room to examine the patient. He noted in his mind about her coma scale so he also introduced stimuli to try to wake her up. Then he examined her pupils, then her reflexes. After his thorough examination of the unconscious patient, he sighed.

Chen Kaori is in a comatose state, and she had no sign of waking up anytime soon.

Su Lianghao went out and scribbled his findings and his orders on her chart, then he walked out of the intensive care unit with furrowed brows.

After doffing off the full gear, he wiped his sweat with his handkerchief and walked back to the doctors lounge for the neurology department.

The cool air in the room cleared his thoughts. 'Su Lianghao, don't take it too hard. She is just another patient.' He closed his eyes to take a nap, but his mind was vigilant for any call coming through his phone.

He is already a senior resident neurologist and he had been used to seeing patients in a coma. However, this case was too familiar for him to handle with minimal emotions.

Chen Kaori is his first love and it was an unrequited love. He knew she only had eyes for He Zifeng and Su Lianghao had convinced himself multiple times that he should step aside so that she could be happy. He thought that He Zifeng would eventually come to his senses and cherish her.

Su Lianghao was not too surprised to know that Chen Kaori is engaged to He Zifeng, but he did not expect that he would find out through these circumstances. When he saw He Zifeng along the corridors, he wanted to blame him, for being unable to protect Chen Kaori, for wasting his sacrifice. However, as he looked closer at He Zifeng, he knew that the man before him was dying inside and that beating him up on the outside would be too harsh.

Su Lianghao suddenly opened his eyes. He got up from the sofa and browsed through Chen Kaori's files again.

.

It took He Zifeng two whole hours to shower and change into new clothes. He threw away all the clothes he was wearing which smelled of cigarettes. He brushed his teeth twice and used mouthwash. When he was sure that the odor from smoking was all gone, he slowly made his way to see Chen Kaori.

He patiently got dressed up into the full gear and went into her room. He brought a hairbrush with him that day and gently brushed her hair, afraid he might dislodge a tube or wire on her.

"Kaori...I met Su Lianghao today. You remember him? You went to the graduation ball with him instead of me..." he chuckled, but he was in the brink of tears. "...well, it was my fault for going with someone else first. I saw you that day, you know. You were gonna ask me...but I was a coward. I thought I was trying to protect you, but I hurt you instead." He sniffed, "Kaori...Su Lianghao is a doctor now...your doctor...he will take care of you. It would be a nice surprise to see a familiar face when you wake up, right? Kaori...you have to hold on. I'm not rushing you to wake up, but please don't...Kaori, I...don't leave us."