Chapter 19
Elina
Lost in thought, I replenish tongue depressors and disposable needles. Two days have passed since I spoke my mind to Noah. Two days in which I've been eagerly awaiting every moment in the clinic to catch a glimpse of his rugged face. Two days of constantly reaching for my phone, staring at his contact details, only to put it aside again.
If he finds out that I stole his number from his patient records, he'll think of me as a stalker.
My gaze drifts to the clock. In five minutes, my weekend shift will be over. What if I just went to see him afterward?
"But then he'll consider you even more of a stalker," I admonish myself.
I open the drawer of bandaging materials and check the supplies. I can't count them since Noah consumes my thoughts too much.
"Alright, let's start with the facts," I speak aloud, finding solace in vocalizing the chaos in my mind. "Clearly, he has health issues. Pale skin, sunken cheeks, obvious signs of exhaustion, and difficulty concentrating. The potential causes for his abnormal bloodwork are vast."
The adhesive bandages and gauze seem to be in order, so I open the lower cabinet and neatly stack thedisarrayed wound dressings. "And then there's his guardedness. He doesn't want anyone to get close to him, especially someone who cares about his physical or emotional well-being."
Once again, I delve into my memories and find several instances that support this theory. When I was with him, there were moments when I could even coax a smile out of him. But only as long as our conversations remained superficial.
He doesn't trust me.
Why?
Maybe he doesn't trust anyone? Or does it have something to do with me?
"And let's not forget his gaze." As a doctor, I shouldn't be interested in such things. It would be better if I dismissed the thought immediately. Yet I can see Noah before me.
He smiles at me. His eyes shimmering like amber.
Is there affection in his gaze? Or am I simply imagining it?
"Firefighter," I remind myself with a sharp voice to bring myself back to reality.
I close the cabinet, rising from my crouched position, and scan the room for further tasks. That's when I spot Helene in the doorway, startling me. Hopefully, she didn't overhear my monologue. "Was it busy this morning?" she asks, smiling.
Either she didn't hear anything, or she's pretending not to. "A child with tonsillitis. I prescribed antipyretics to reduce the fever and antibiotics for the bacterial infection. Otherwise, it was quiet."
Too quiet, but that seems to be the curse of this valley anyway.
"Alright, I'll take over now." She walks to the desk and turns on the computer. "Enjoy your weekend."
I would love to, but doing laundry, writing job applications, and watching Netflix aren't exactly what I envision as a weekend. However, there isn't much else to do here.
"Do you have any plans for the day?" my boss asks, adding to the already overwhelming situation.
I shrug. "No idea."
Her skeptical gaze meets mine. "Why not go for a hike? The weather is perfect."
Hiking? Me?
Maya already tried that unsuccessfully. Just yesterday, during our phone call, she once again urged me to give the mountains a chance. "I'm not so sure about that."
"Take the Lazarus Trail up to Wipfel Lake. You can stroll along the shore there." Her expression is filled with joy, her tone dreamy. "Don't worry, the route is suitable for beginners," she adds, probably because she senses my skepticism. Then she stands up from her chair, turns to the shelf, and pulls out a small booklet, which she hands to me. "It's hike number five."
I lower my gaze to the mountain guide. On the cover, an athlete is depicted standing on a summit at sunrise, arms outstretched to the sides. The whole world seems to be at his feet.
Maybe I should actually give it a try.
