Endless work

At the hospital…

Julian got dressed and prepared to leave the hospital. The creak of the door turning on its hinges drew his attention, and he found himself face-to-face with Daphne, a basket of fruit clutched in her hands.

"Daphne!" he said, a flicker of surprise crossing his features.

Daphne, too, seemed taken aback by Julian's readiness to leave. She had envisioned him tucked away in the hospital bed for a few days, recovering. To see him dressed and seemingly ready to depart was unexpected. "Hi," she greeted sheepishly, offering the basket forward. "I brought you some fruits."

"Thank you, but I'm actually being discharged today," Julian informed her.

"That's great." She smiled a little. "You recovered quite quickly."

A wry smile played on Julian's lips. "I urged the doctor to discharge me," he revealed. His gaze lingered on her for a moment. "Thank you, Daphne. Thank you for bringing me here and for contacting Esme."