A Harmony With You: Book Four

Cristina

I can't stop thinking about the little girl, Jordan. I walk to the coffee shop across the street as my mind runs with memories of past visits. She comes with the same kind of bruises every single time. If it isn't the stairs, it's getting hurt at the park or the playground.

Her eyes beg for help every single time.

Children often come to the hospital with that same fearful look. They want to run away and that's why I've looked for all the ways to make them feel comfortable. I understand their fear. The hospital can be a daunting place.

But her eyes are different. They are almost desperate. Even after I give her all the tricks I've done to make children smile, her smile never reaches her eyes. My heart falls at the last memory I have of her. She gave me a look that stabbed my heart. It felt like she was almost angry at me.

I betrayed her in some way.

I find Leanne at our usual table and she waves me over. I find relief in her cute smile as she happily hands my coffee to me. "Here it is. The new coffee they took out this morning."

"Is this your second try?" I say as I sit down and take a sip. My eyes grow wide at how delicious it is.

"Right?!" she says with wide sparkling eyes. "It's so good! This is my second one."

"No wonder you seem so hyper."

She shakes her head. "I had a good night's sleep yesterday and I got to spend the day with my sisters."

"Careful now. Your stomach will hurt if you drink too much coffee."

"It's hurting already."

"Anne!"

She chuckles and I narrow my eyes at her. "What has you so happy today? You're usually so serious and tired."

She takes another sip of her iced coffee with furrowed brows. "Is that what people think of me?"

"Well...no. Somewhat. The interns talk about you all the time. They say that you're always so serious and straightforward. I think some of them are afraid of you, too."

"Good," she says. "You know what I think of giggling all the time."

"You giggle all the time with me."

"Because you're my best friend. You've earned a smile from me."

I chuckle at her silly words. "Good. Seeing you smile always makes my day."

"Oh stop," she says as she clicks her tongue at me. "Did you take the night shift last night?"

I nod with a tired sigh. "I will be going back home tonight. How was your surgery the other day?"

"Good. She made it. The procedure isn't too hard. Oh, I got to have a chat with Dr. Kim before the surgery."

"Dr. Kim? What did he say? He wasn't complaining about me, right?"

"You? No. Why would he?"

"The first encounter I had with him was when he got me in trouble."

Leanne does her sweet laugh. "Oh, that. I think he forgot about that. We had an interesting chat."

She goes back to her serious look and this catches my attention. She often turns serious when she is trying hard to not show her true feelings. I keep close attention to her facial expression as I say, "What did you guys talk about?"

"Not much," Leanne says with a shrug. "It was more about asking each other why we chose the specialties we are doing now. He told me that his mother received a heart transplant and he was going into cardiology because of it."