16
The surgery was a success. Given that it was a brain operation, Mira was transferred to the intensive care unit
for observation.
Time seemed to stretch endlessly, each minute passing slowly.
Finally, after four hours, Mira’s eyelids fluttered open.
She glanced around, confusion clouding her gaze as she took in her unfamiliar surroundings.
“Mira, don’t move,” a familiar voice spoke softly from beside her. Frederick stood by the bed, his presence calming. “You’ve just had a craniotomy. You need to rest and be observed. I’m your doctor, Frederick.”
Mira’s eyes fluttered half–open. Her expression was vacant, as if she were trying to make sense of it all. “Am I sick?” she asked, her voice distant, as if she were speaking from a fog
Her mind was in turmoil, a chaotic swirl of memories flooding her thoughts like an old black–and–white film.
Faces came and went, but they were all strangers to her.
Frederick’s gentle voice broke through the haze. “If you feel any discomfort, tell me right away.”
Mira nodded slowly.
Two days later, she was moved to the general ward.
Frederick entered with a quiet, reassuring presence, holding something in his hands. “This is for you,” he said. handing her a notebook. “Before the surgery, you mentioned that you were afraid of forgetting things, so you wrote
them down.”
“Thank you,” Mira whispered, accepting the book.
As he left, she opened the notebook and turned to the first page, her fingers gently brushing the edges of the
paper
3:30 PM
The room was silent, save for the soft rustling of the pages as she read through the story of her life.
It didn’t take long–forty or fifty minutes–before she had quickly skimmed through her twenty–eight years.
Mira, her name. Single, no children. Both parents gone. A former visual animation worker in Maryland, now in the UK for surgery due to a brain tumor.
The pages were filled with details–her academic achievements, her passion for astronomy and wildlife, her love for concentrated chocolate. She had been a dedicated student, often earning scholarships, and later, her career was marked by good relationships with both leaders and colleagues. But her health had forced her to quit her job in Maryland
When she finished reading. Mira closed the notebook and stared at the ceiling, her expression blank.
The confusion and disorientation that had gripped her when she first woke up had begun to dissipate.
Now, with the knowledge of who she was and what had happened, a sense of clarity settled over her. She had spent another week in the hospital, and her recovery was progressing well. All her indicators were normal, and though the road ahead was still uncertain, she felt more grounded, more herself than before.
On the tenth day, the doctor carefully checked the wound on Mira’s scalp and removed the stitches
“Dr. Hale, thank you for running around for me these past few days,” Mira said, her voice warmer now as she and Frederick had grown closer. “I’ll treat you to a meal when I’m discharged.”
Frederick smiled, pleased to see her recovery progressing well. “Okay,” he agreed, his eyes bright with happiness for her.
The soft sunlight filtered into the room, casting a gentle glow on Mira. She was seated at the computer, working on her resume, already thinking ahead to finding a new job once she fully recovered.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the ocean, in Seattle, it was just past seven in the evening. The drizzle fell softly, the faint hiss of rain mixing with the hum of car engines. The asphalt road glistened under the headlights.
“Elias, thank you for being with me these past few days,” Vera said, unbuckling her seatbelt, a reluctant look on her face “Let’s… stop here. After I get back, I’ll delete all your contact information”
Elias nodded quietly, his expression unreadable.
In the past
st ten days, they had spent their time together without restraint, but the end of it all was drawing near Mira’s return was imminent, and it was time for him to part ways with Vera:
Vera opened the car door, leaning out as if to leave, but before she could fully exit, Elias grabbed her arm, pulling her back. His hands were rough with urgency as he pressed her back into the seat, his lips crashing against hers in a forceful kiss