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A STRONG HEART
Monday, February 18th, 1980.
Doctor Lisa walked down the quiet hospital corridor, her footsteps steady. The fluorescent lights buzzed softly overhead, casting a faint glow as she made her way. It was a routine she knew well.
As she walked, her eyes skimmed the rows of doors, searching for the familiar one. The steady beep of monitors filled the air.
She stopped at the door marked Charlotte and gently pushed it open.
Inside, a young girl lay nestled in crisp white sheets. Charlotte looked up at Lisa.
Lisa smiled warmly, instantly bringing its calm to the room. "Hey, Charlotte," she greeted softly. "How are you feeling today?"
Charlotte managed a small smile. "Better. The pain's not so bad today."
"Good," Lisa said, her voice full of relief. "We've been working hard on that." She moved closer, her touch light as she examined Charlotte, checking for any changes.
Once she was done, Lisa sat down beside her, locking eyes with the young girl. There was no need for words, just a quiet understanding between them.
Lisa said softly, her admiration clear. "Keep fighting, okay?"
Charlotte's eyes shimmered, and she nodded, trusting Lisa completely.
With one last reassuring smile, Lisa stood up, ready to face whatever the rest of the day had in store.
Lisa stepped into another room with a warm smile, her eyes full of compassion and hope.
By the bedside sat Mrs. Anderson, a mother looked down with worry. Her daughter, Emma, was in a tough battle against leukemia.
"Mrs. Anderson," Lisa started, her tone bright with optimism, "I have some good news."
Mrs. Anderson straightened up, her hands clasped tightly. "Please, tell me."
"Emma's latest test results look really promising," Lisa said, smiling wider. "Her blood counts are stabilizing, which means her body's responding well to the treatment."
Mrs. Anderson's face lit up, a spark of hope in her eyes. "That's... such a relief. You have no idea how much this means to us."
Lisa said softly. "The chemotherapy's been tough, but she's really fighting hard. We've still got a way to go, but with the progress she's making, there's every reason to believe she's on the right path."
Mrs. Anderson, her emotions flooding through, reached out and took Lisa's hand. "Thank you. I just pray it keeps getting better."
Lisa squeezed her hand gently, her eyes filled with empathy. She knew that her job wasn't just about treating the illness. It was about giving families like the Andersons the hope to keep going.
As the day wound down, Lisa finally took a well-deserved break from her demanding shift. She slipped into the break room, where a group of nurses were huddled together, laughing and chatting about love, crushes, and hospital gossip.
Lisa sat quietly, sipping her coffee, listening to their animated stories. They were joking about which ward had the most handsome patients, trading playful glances and teasing each other.
"Come on, girls," one nurse laughed, nudging her friend. "You know the orthopedic ward always has the cute ones!"
"You just say that because you're always assigned there!" another teased, causing a round of giggles.
Lisa smiled faintly but kept to herself. She wasn't really in the mood to join the banter, though the lighthearted chatter was a nice break from the hospital's usual intensity.
Suddenly, one of the nurses, Mina, turned to Lisa with a mischievous grin. "Dr. Lisa," she said, leaning in as if about to share a juicy secret. "We've all been wondering-tell us about your fiancé! How's it going with him?"
The room grew quiet, all eyes now on Lisa. She blinked, caught a little off guard. "Taehyun?" she repeated softly, stalling for a moment. "He's... good. Dedicated to his work, just like me."
The nurses exchanged eager glances, sensing there were as more. "Come on," Mina urged, playfully. "What's he like? You two must be like those lovey-dovey couples who can't stop sending a letter to each other, right?"
Lisa chuckled lightly, but there was a hint of unease behind it. "Actually, we're both pretty busy. We support each other's careers, but we don't have a lot of time for the, uh... romantic stuff."
One of the younger nurses piped up, eyes wide. "Wait, so you're like, workaholic partners more than anything?"
Lisa hesitated. "Something like that," she said with a small, tight smile. "We try to make it work, but...yeah, the challenges."
The nurses exchanged looks, sensing there was more under the surface. "That sounds tough," Mina said sympathetically. "But you seem to handle everything so well. What's the hardest part, if you don't mind me asking?"
Lisa shifted in her seat, taking a moment before answering. "Honestly, it's the distance. He's in Melbourne for his residency. We hardly see each other these days, and when we do, it's more like... catching up on life than being, well, romantic."
There was a pause before Mina asked, "Long distance? That's got to be rough. Do you guys talk often?"
"We try," Lisa replied, her voice soft. "But, with the time difference and our schedules, it's hard. Sometimes it feels like we're living in two different worlds."
Another nurse, Jinny, chimed in, "At least you know he's coming back, right? Once he's done, things will settle down."
Lisa's smile faded slightly as she thought of Taehyun's reluctance to return, how he had accepted the residency partly to avoid rushing into their marriage. "Yeah," she said after a pause. "That's the hope."
Taking a sip of her now-cool coffee, she listened as the conversation shifted back to lighter topics.
As the nurses' laughter filled the room again, Lisa let herself get lost in the moment, putting thoughts of Taehyun aside.
She had always been someone who focused on what she could control, and right now, that was her career, her growth, and finding her own happiness or whatever that might look like.
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