Chapter 124
I was Already Inside
Dr. Evans zipped his bag and nodded toward the door. "Miss Alayna. Walk with me."
"Yes, Doctor."
I followed him out of Room 304. The heavy door swung shut, muting the soft beep of the monitors, the shallow rhythm of the minister's breathing. In the hallway, the noise of the hospital faded to a distant hum. He stopped near a window overlooking the rain-slicked parking lot.
He didn't look at me at first, just stared out at the city. "You handled that well," he said finally, his voice a low rumble. "You didn't freeze. You didn't offer empty comfort. You observed and you reported relevant data. That's the job. The only part of the job that matters in a crisis."
"Thank you, Doctor," I said.
He nodded once, still looking out the window.
"Don't thank me," he replied. "You earned it."
He finally turned to face me. Up close, he looked more tired than stern. The kind of tiredness that came from years of making decisions that couldn't be undone.
