Hearts Collide (Lingorm)

Chapter 6

Five days passed since that rainy night, and the hospital felt strangely different. Lingling hadn't seen Orm since their confrontation, and a part of her noticed the absence more than she'd like to admit. It felt odd, almost unsettling. She had gotten used to seeing Orm around, used to her bubbly presence—even if she had been a bit too persistent.

The doctor was on her way to the canteen with Dr. Bow and Dr. Tan, her colleagues and frequent lunch companions. They all walked together, chatting about the usual hospital gossip. But as they reached the canteen, Lingling's usual bento box was noticeably absent. Instead, she had only an apple and a cereal bar in her hands.

Dr. Tan raised an eyebrow, his lips twitching as he tried to hold back a laugh. "What's this, Ling? Where's the gourmet lunch? Just an apple and a cereal bar today?"

Dr. Bow joined in, smirking as she added, "Managed to finally drive away your personal lunch delivery girl?"

Lingling rolled her eyes but couldn't quite hide the small pang of guilt that hit her at Bow's words. "She's not my delivery girl," Lingling mumbled, more to herself than to anyone else.

"Oh, come on," Dr. Tan teased, nudging her playfully. "You know you're missing those bento boxes. Admit it."

Lingling sighed, biting into her apple with a bit more force than necessary. " Shut up you two"

Bow raised an eyebrow, "You may also want to admit, you do miss that girl not just the food. Right?"

Lingling felt a tight knot in her chest. "It's just I think I took it far and told her off the other night—really harshly. But you can't blame she was pretty much annoying the hell out of me, that girl never have zero energy it's like she's always connected and charged"

Dr. Tan looked at Lingling more seriously now, his teasing tone gone. "If you feel that bad about it, maybe you should apologize."

Lingling shook her head. "I would if I could, but I don't have any way to contact her. The only person I know who might have her information is Fay, the intern, but..."

"You're right, Fay might know something," Dr. Bow said, nodding in agreement. "Why don't you ask her?"

After lunch, Ling was scrubbing in for a surgery, her mind surprisingly preoccupied. Usually, she'd be focused on the task at hand, but tonight, her thoughts kept wandering back to that young girl. It had been five days since the incident. Five days since Orm had shown up at the hospital with her usual bento boxes and relentless energy.

Ling was feeling the absence more than she'd like to admit. She caught herself scanning the waiting area, half-expecting to see her, but she never did.

Fay entered the operating room to observe the procedure, as she often did, standing off to the side with her clipboard. Ling noticed her and, for the first time in days, debated whether or not she should ask. She didn't know why it mattered to her so much, but the guilt had been gnawing at her since that rainy night.

As they moved through the surgery, and After a long stretch of silence, Ling finally spoke, her voice hesitant and awkward.

"Ehm Miss Riezz" she began, trying to sound casual. "I haven't seen your.. friend around lately... Earn Is she good?"

Fay blinked in surprise, caught off guard by the question. She hadn't expected Ling to bring up Orm at all. "Earn?" she echoed, her brow furrowing almost forgetting that her friend has lied about her name.

" Yeah! Earn she's.. she's I thought you'd know. She's been sick for a few days"

Ling felt a pang in her chest, " Sick!" the guilt doubling as she remembered that rainy night. Orm had gone home soaking wet, after all. Could she have fallen sick because of that?