Hadley accompanied Eric to the observation room.

“Is it over?” Eric murmured, his eyes half-open, his voice low and drowsy.

“It’s over.” Hadley nodded gently. “Don’t talk. Just rest for now.”

Eric didn’t answer right away. He simply looked at her and asked, “When are you leaving?”

“I’m not going anywhere,” she said, settling into the chair beside him. “Rest easy. I’ll be here when you wake up.”

“Okay.” With that assurance, Eric closed his eyes. Sleep came quickly.

The door opened quietly.

Phillips stepped in and held something out. “Here.”

Hadley gave a small nod and took it without a word.

It was a tube of anti-allergy cream—something she’d requested from the doctor earlier.

She peeled off the packaging, twisted the cap, and squeezed a small amount of the clear ointment onto her fingertip.

Then, she leaned forward and gently dabbed it on Eric’s face.

As her finger brushed his skin, his earlier question echoed in her mind. “You think I haven’t aged? That I still look good? Even compared to before?”

He had changed, of course. But age wasn’t the issue here.

A man at twenty was not the same man at thirty. Not in body, and certainly not in spirit.

Eric at twenty had been bold—restless and sure of everything.

Eric at thirty—had learned how quickly life could turn, how often it asked for silence instead of answers.

Still bent over him, Hadley whispered under her breath, “You’re still handsome, you know. Just like before…”

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Eric stirred from a brief slumber of just over two hours, feeling remarkably refreshed.

Hadley gently assisted him in sitting upright. “Any discomfort lingering?” she inquired with care.

“Not at all.” Eric shook his head after a moment of self-reflection, confirming he felt fine.

“Wonderful! Let’s have Phillips notify the doctor that you’re ready to be discharged,” Hadley replied with a warm smile.

“Okay.” Eric slid out of bed and touched his cheek, surprised. “My face feels much better too.”

“I applied some soothing ointment while you were resting,” Hadley said, her tone turning playfully stern. “Honestly, what were you thinking, ignoring an allergic reaction like that?”

“I—” Eric began, but his words were cut short by the chime of Hadley’s phone.

She glanced at the screen, her expression clouding over instantly.

“Who is calling?” Eric asked, picking up on her unease.

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