The hospital felt the same the moment I stepped inside. Bright lights reflected off polished floors, clean hallways stretched in every direction, and the steady rhythm of footsteps and distant voices echoed through the corridors in a way that should have felt comforting.
Everything was exactly as I remembered it.
And yet, it didn't feel the same.
"Dr. Huo, welcome back!"
I turned slightly as one of the nurses approached me with a warm smile. Her tone was light and familiar, the kind I had heard countless times before.
"Thank you," I replied, forcing a small smile in return.
"You look tired. Long trip?"
"Something like that."
She laughed softly, giving a quick nod before excusing herself and disappearing down the hall. I watched her go for a second longer than necessary before letting out a quiet breath, the weight in my chest settling deeper.
Even this felt harder than it should have.
"Jet lag?"
Sasha's voice cut through my thoughts before I could drift too far. I turned to see her leaning casually against the nurses' station, her arms crossed as she studied me with a look that was far too observant.
"You could say that," I replied.
She raised an eyebrow. "That bad?"
I shrugged slightly as I walked over, reaching for a chart just to keep my hands busy. "Just tired."
Sasha didn't look convinced.
She pushed herself off the counter and stepped closer, lowering her voice just enough so no one else could overhear. "Okay… what happened?"
I blinked. "What do you mean?"
"You disappeared to Paris with Harley," she said. "And now you're back looking like you haven't slept in days. Something happened."
I let out a quiet breath and shook my head. "Nothing happened."
Sasha narrowed her eyes. "I don't believe you."
I looked away, focusing on the chart even though I wasn't reading it. "You don't have to."
"Sophie."
"I said nothing happened," I repeated, more firmly this time.
The words sounded right.
But they didn't feel right.
Sasha studied me for a moment longer before sighing. "Okay," she said slowly. "I'll drop it."
I nodded, relieved.
For about two seconds.
"But I'm not wrong," she added.
I shot her a look. "Sasha."
"What?" she said innocently. "You don't look like someone who had a relaxing trip."
I rolled my eyes faintly and turned my attention back to the chart. "It was fine."
"Mm-hm."
I didn't respond, mostly because I didn't know how to.
The rest of the morning passed in a blur.
Patient after patient. Chart after chart. Conversations I participated in without fully registering. Answers that came automatically even as my mind stayed somewhere else.
Normally, the routine helped. It grounded me, gave me something steady to focus on.
But today, my thoughts kept drifting.
Back to Paris.
Back to the bar.
Back to that night.
Or at least, the parts I could remember.
Fragments.
That was all they were.
A drink. A conversation. The warmth in the air. A feeling I couldn't quite hold onto.
And then nothing.
I pressed my lips together, forcing my attention back to the present as I scribbled down notes. The pen moved steadily across the page, but the unease in my chest didn't go away.
Something was missing.
I just didn't know what.
By the time things slowed down, the feeling hadn't faded. If anything, it had settled deeper, lingering in a way that made it impossible to ignore.
I stepped into an empty consultation room for a moment of quiet, leaning lightly against the desk as I closed my eyes. For a second, I tried to piece it together again—to find something solid in the haze of last night.
The bar. The drinks. The walk back.
After that…
Nothing.
I let out a slow breath, opening my eyes again.
Why does it feel like I forgot something important?
By the time my shift ended, I was exhausted.
Not physically, but mentally. The kind of exhaustion that settles in your chest and refuses to move no matter how much you try to ignore it.
I gathered my things slowly, slipping my pen into my bag before grabbing my coat.
"Leaving already?" Sasha's voice came from behind me.
I turned slightly. "Yeah. I'm tired."
She studied me for a moment, her expression softer now. "Get some rest, okay?"
"I will."
I gave her a small smile before heading out.
The hospital felt quieter at night. The usual rush had faded, replaced by softer footsteps and distant conversations echoing faintly through the halls.
I walked toward the exit, my mind still elsewhere, still trying to make sense of something that refused to come together.
As I stepped outside, the cool air brushed against my skin, pulling me out of my thoughts just enough to notice the world around me again.
For a moment, I just stood there, breathing.
Then—
"Sophie?"
My steps froze.
The voice was familiar.
Too familiar.
Slowly, I turned around.
And when I saw him, my breath caught.
Samuel.
He stood a few steps away, dressed in a dark coat, his expression caught somewhere between surprise and something softer—something I couldn't quite place.
For a moment, neither of us moved.
"You… came back," he said quietly.
I blinked, my thoughts scrambling to catch up. "I—"
But the words didn't come.
Because the past I thought I had left behind…
Was suddenly standing right in front of me.
And just like that—
Everything shifted again.