"Time for your medicine ,Miss Blake " Joan handed her the pills with water.
She then moved on to the next patient.
"Nurse, I need to use the facilities " said a flustered patient .Joan didn't know her name ,as she is not under Edith's care . It's natural to help when under pressure.
"Of course, let me help you stand ," Joan said, reaching under her armpit.
"Take this to the utility room,and bring fresh sheets to bed number seven" Edith instructed Joan , handing her a wooden bucket with bed sheets in it .
After morning rush and feeding, Joan headed to the dining room starving.
"I wish some of the New Year spirit was still on the table today, not that I hoped for too much, " Joan said, rubbing her stomach .
"Hey Jinen, it's rare to see you at lunch. Anything new?"said Joan , when she saw Jinen sitting with them, because the emergency shift is sometimes unpredictable .
"Well , nothing new ,Rose didn't have an appetite ,so I came early. " Rose is her colleague , usually she will be the first to have lunch and dinner, and from what they heard , she is not easy to get along with.
"I heard there is a new doctor started at the emergency room today, so how is he ? handsome or not?"Lily asked with sparkly eyes.
"Wow, as expected from you, Lily– it's not even the end of the day, and you already know. I'm in the department and I didn't even know before today, " said Jinen , almost clapping.
"You can't blame the lovable me for having connections " Said Lily , lifting her head proudly.
"Wow ,it's the first time I have seen someone so proud of being a gossip, " Helen interrupted with a chuckle.
"Humph, What's wrong with a little gossip? Our life is already boring ,besides you all are also curious " Lily refuted her friends, then continued her interest in the young doctor.
"So ,is he married or not?"
"Well he is very handsome, but I heard he is engaged, " Jinen answered with some regret .
"Ah , why are all good men taken ?" Lily groaned, dropping her head onto the table.
"If they're not taken, are they leaving them for you?" Joan teased, tapping her lightly on the head.
Lunch ended with bickering and laughter.
The ward had settled into a quiet rhythm after lunch. Soft footsteps, the faint rustle of sheets, and the distant clink of metal trays filled the space. Joan stood by the bedside, noting a patient's temperature before closing her notebook.
A sound broke the stillness.
"…Nurse…"
It was faint—almost lost between breaths.
Joan turned immediately.
Miss Ruth lay stiff against the pillows, her hands trembling slightly above the blanket. Her breathing had changed—shorter, uneven.
Joan stepped closer without hesitation.
"What is it?" she asked, her voice low.
"I… I don't feel right…" Miss Ruth whispered.
Joan placed two fingers gently against her wrist.
One beat.
Then another—
Irregular.
Too fast.
Her gaze sharpened, though her expression remained calm.
"Try not to move," Joan said quietly. "You're safe."
Miss Ruth's fingers tightened weakly around the sheet.
Joan adjusted the pillow slightly, raising her head just enough to ease her breathing.
The tremor hadn't stopped.
Joan counted silently.
The rhythm refused to settle.
She turned her head slightly.
"Doctor!" she called—not loudly, but with urgency that carried across the ward.
A nearby nurse glanced over.
"Fetch Doctor William, please. At once."
Moments stretched longer than they should. Joan kept her fingers at the patient's wrist, steady despite the rapid pulse beneath them.
"It will pass," she said softly—not as a promise, but as something to hold onto.
Miss Ruth's breathing hitched, then steadied—just slightly.
The tremor began to lessen.
Not gone.
But easing.
Footsteps approached.
Doctor William arrived, already reaching for the patient's wrist.
"What happened?"
"Sudden tremor," Joan replied, stepping back just enough. "Pulse rapid and irregular."
He nodded briefly, continuing the examination.
Joan remained beside the bed, her hands now still at her sides, watching.
After a few tense moments, the rhythm began to slow.
Not normal.
But no longer racing.
Miss Ruth exhaled weakly, her body sinking back into the mattress.
Doctor William straightened slightly.
"She must remain at rest," he said. "No exertion."
Joan gave a small nod. The ward gradually returned to its earlier quiet.
But something lingered.
Joan glanced once more at Miss Ruth before reaching for her notebook.
She paused—just for a second longer than usual—before writing a few notes on her condition and the exact timing.
"I've always wanted to know about the soap you use to clean your hair with. Every time you take your shower I smell a refreshing scent, like coffee, "Jinen said, eating cookies while sitting on Joan's bed.
After knowing each other for some time, settings like these became normal from time to time.
"It's something my mother made , if you want, I'll scope some for you " said Joan, after taking a sip of her tea.
Thankfully she replaced her shampoo and other necessities' outer packages with wood and glass containers.