Remember

Encounter

In the bustling morning at Bangkok Medical Center, a loud alarm has been ringing for the past ten minutes inside the young medical resident's dorm room. The girl just keeps letting it ring, unbothered by the call to wake up.

"Rebecca, for God's sake! Your alarm is going to break my eardrums soon enough. Just get up and be ready for the morning briefing. You don’t want to earn another penalty point for being late, do you?!"

Another young girl, clearly Rebecca's roommate, is busy scolding her while trying to put on her medical coat, frustrated by Rebecca’s decision to keep dozing off.

"Rebecca! Just fucking wake up, or I'm really going to pour a bucket of ice water right on your face!"
The older girl called out again.

"God, P'Nam. Why do you keep screaming at me?! Alright, alright. I’m getting up," Rebecca said, finally making her way to the bathroom.

"Hey, I'm not waiting for you, okay? It’s getting late, and Saint will definitely kill me if I'm late again. Just make sure to get ready fast, alright? I'll see you in the hospital building!"
Nam shouted a little too loudly to ensure Rebecca heard her.

What a great morning
Rebecca thought.

This was the second year of the residency program for Rebecca and Nam. Despite having both completed medical school in New York, their backgrounds couldn't be more dissimilar. Since she solely lived with her mother, who had a small store in the city and made every effort to support her, Rebecca had dedicated her life to obtain the international scholarship that had enabled her to attend college. Nam, on the other hand, hailed from a more affluent family, and their opposing experiences affected the dynamics of their connection during their four-year studies in New York that started when Rebecca was helping Nam alot for English related stuff as Rebecca was coming from a British father, making it easier for her to talk and learn in English.

Eversince their first encounter, they were inseparable, trying their best to support each other during their study. So when graduation day arrived, Nam's offer felt like a beacon of hope.

"I’ll help you secure your internship and residency at the same hospital,"
she said, her eyes shining with determination.

For Rebecca, it was more than just an offer; it is like a golden ticket for her to settled down her life in Bangkok as it was a very rough time for her during their final year of study.

"P'Nam, I think all the light in my life has been extinguished; it has been taken along with my heart by her."
Rebecca weakly said as she leaned her fallen body toward Nam, continue crying her heart out in the older woman arm.

Without Nam, Rebecca knew the path ahead would have been filled with uncertainty and despair. The thought of facing the daunting world of post-graduation alone was terrifying, but with Nam by her side, hope flickered like a candle in the dark.

The deep thought have made it longer for Rebecca to finish cleaning her body and prepare for the morning briefing at the surgical department office in the hospital building.

Shit, it's already 9.10 in the morning. Saint is going to kill me for sure!

Rebecca kept on cursing her lazy self as she navigate her way to the office.

It took a whole ten minutes to got into the hospital building, so when Rebecca stepped into the office, all eyes are turning into her as they have started the briefing.

Nam could only shook her head softly seeing her friend continually challenge the nerve of their head residency team, Saint.

"Rebecca Patricia Armstrong, do you know what time it is?"
Saint speak sternly.

Rebecca could only let out a deep sigh. She hated being the center of attention, and her current condition made her feel very uneasy. She could even hear the other residents letting out a few audible whispers, speaking badly about her.

"I'm sorry P'Saint. I overslept earlier. I promise I won't be late again"
Rebecca could only offer a honest explanation for it.

"This is the last time, Rebecca. I know that you have a brilliant mind and hand. But if you keep on being late like this, I still need to process you according to our hospital regulation. Do you understand?"

Rebecca could only nodded swiftly before making her way to stand alongside other residents, settling down beside Nam.

"Alright, everyone, sorry for the disturbance. Moving back to our morning briefing: today, I would like to announce that our team will have a new joiner. She was previously completing her residency in New York, but she is now moving to Bangkok and will continue the rest of her residency at our hospital."

This is new, Rebecca thought.

It was very unlikely for the surgery department to accept a transfer residency, as it was one of the best surgery departments in Bangkok, making it quite difficult to secure a position here.

But Rebecca did not pay another attention to it because she simply don't care about it.

"Nong, come here. I'll introduce you to everyone"

Rebecca could hear Saint is calling the newcomer to join him in the morning briefing. But still, Rebecca does not even bother to look at the newcomer face. She is still in her own world when Nam voice disturb her.

"Bec, I think you should see this"

Rebecca could only give Nam a confused look before trying to divert her attention to the newcomer, who is supposed to be a mere stranger for her.

Or thats what she thought.

Rebecca could see the newcomer from behind as she spoke with Saint, facing him. As she kept watching, Rebecca found the girl’s back profile to be eerily familiar. Her heart began to pound loudly, making her feel as if it might burst out of her chest. Her mind became flooded by a sea of memories she had tried to lock deep within her for the past two years—memories that had almost destroyed her and taken away every light in her life.

"I love you, Bec. I always will, so please promise me that you’ll fight for us."

Rebecca shut her eyes, too afraid to remember. When she opened them slowly, the girl had already turned to face her fully. Rebecca finally saw her face, and then it hit her—the worst nightmare she could imagine was right in front of her. The face that had almost driven her insane, yet she’d kept yearning for it over these last two years. The same face that took her breath away, making her feel as if she’d stopped breathing, and which kept making her fall all over again every time she looked at it.

Rebecca could only freeze, clutching Nam's arm tightly.

“Bec, are you okay?” Nam's worried voice echoed in her head, but Rebecca remained frozen, her body trembling.

"Hi, everyone, nice to meet you. My name is Sarocha Chankimha. You can call me Freen. I hope we get along well during our residency," the new girl said softly, giving a wide smile to the other residents.

And Rebecca lost it. That voice. The voice she used to hear every day, whispering sweet things that made her heart flutter. The voice that had never stopped saying "I love you" every single second.

And then, that smile. The smile that used to be Rebecca’s favorite—the one she had once been the sole reason for.

And Rebecca finally got her sense back and finally realize who is standing there, just a few step from her.

It's Freen.