Elanor had been pushing himself hard lately. Between the NASA presentation, the upcoming ISS offer, and juggling his regular research responsibilities, he was running on fumes. It was Raya who had suggested they take a break. A short picnic with their friends to get out of the whirlwind that their lives had become—just a day of fresh air, nature, and quiet moments.
The idea of a picnic had started off as casual, but now, as they sat in Raya's living room with sunlight streaming through the windows, they were starting to hammer out details. Her laughter, light and full of life, drifted through the room as she scrolled through her phone.
"So, what about Lakeview Park?" Raya asked, showing him a picturesque image of the grassy hills by the lake. "There's a nice area by the water. We could bring Jasper and Lena, and maybe your friend Derek?"
Elanor smiled. Derek had been his closest friend since college, the one person who had stuck by him through thick and thin. "I think Derek would love that. He's always looking for an excuse to escape his research lab."
"Great, so it's settled. We'll do it this Saturday," Raya confirmed with a grin, already envisioning the picnic. "I can bring some sandwiches, and you can get... I don't know, maybe something that doesn't need you to cook."
Elanor laughed. "That sounds about right. I'll grab drinks and snacks, leave the real food to you."
As the plans for the day began to solidify, Elanor's phone buzzed on the coffee table. He glanced at it, expecting a response from Derek, but the notification wasn't from him. It was a message from David, one of the junior members of their research team.
David: Hey, Elanor. Just got word that Margaret was in an accident on her way to the lab. I don't have a lot of details yet, but she's stable and at St. Gregory's Hospital. Heading there now.
Elanor's heart skipped a beat. Margaret Lin—the driving force behind their research, his colleague, and someone who had been as relentless in her pursuit of understanding dark matter as he had. She had been in an accident? The word "stable" did little to calm the storm of emotions that surged in him.
"What is it?" Raya asked, her brow furrowing with concern as she saw the shift in his expression.
"It's Margaret," Elanor said, already standing and grabbing his jacket. "She's been in an accident. David says she's stable, but I need to go to the hospital and check on her."
Raya stood up with him, her expression soft but filled with worry. "You should go. I'll hold down the fort here, but text me if you need anything, alright?"
Elanor nodded, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. "I will. Hopefully, it's nothing too serious."
With that, he rushed out of the apartment and made his way to his car, his thoughts tangled with worry. Margaret Lin had always been the anchor of their team, unyielding in the face of pressure. The idea of her being hurt—it didn't fit the image he had of her, and that scared him more than he wanted to admit.
St. Gregory's Hospital was a maze of white walls and fluorescent lights. The sterile scent of antiseptic hung thick in the air as Elanor hurried through the lobby, heading toward the front desk.
"I'm here to see Margaret Lin," Elanor said quickly, his voice a little too urgent.
The nurse behind the desk gave him a professional smile before glancing at the screen. "Margaret Lin? Room 312, third floor."
Elanor nodded his thanks and rushed toward the elevators. His heart pounded in his chest as the elevator doors closed, and the soft hum of the machinery carried him upward. He kept imagining Margaret in a hospital bed, perhaps worse than David had let on.
Finally, the doors opened, and Elanor found himself walking down the third-floor hallway. Room 312. He counted the numbers on the doors as he passed: 308, 310, 312.
He took a breath, pushing the door open, only to find that the room wasn't empty. But the woman lying in the bed wasn't Margaret.
The room was dimly lit, a single hospital bed taking up most of the space. The woman, dark-haired and pale, was lying still, her chest rising and falling slowly as though in a deep sleep. She didn't appear injured, but her eyes were half-open, staring blankly at the ceiling as though trapped in a daze.
Elanor froze, confusion clouding his thoughts. "I'm sorry," he stammered, "I think I have the wrong room."
He started to back away when the woman stirred slightly, her head turning toward him with a sluggish movement. Her eyes, a dull green, fixed on him, but there was no recognition—only a quiet emptiness, like someone who had been through far too much.
"I—I'm sorry to disturb you," Elanor added, stepping back. "I was looking for someone else."
She said nothing. Her gaze remained fixed on him, distant and unfocused, her lips moving slightly as if trying to form words but not quite managing it. Her whole demeanor radiated fragility and a deep, unseen hurt.
Feeling a strange mix of sympathy and unease, Elanor hesitated. "Are... you okay?" he asked softly, unsure if she could even hear him.
The woman's lips twitched, forming a single, whispered word. "Alina."
Elanor blinked. The name didn't ring a bell, but there was something about her—something tragic, as though life had been crueler to her than most. He couldn't place why, but the sight of her—pale, bruised, fragile—tugged at him.
"I hope you feel better soon," he said, offering the only comfort he could think of. Then, without another word, he turned and left the room, letting the door click softly shut behind him.
He stood outside for a moment, trying to shake the unsettling encounter. Who was Alina? What had happened to her? He didn't know, and for now, he couldn't linger on it. Margaret was the reason he had come, and he needed to focus on her.
He quickly made his way to the nurse's station and explained the mix-up. The nurse apologized and directed him to Room 306—just a few doors down. When he finally entered, Margaret was sitting up in bed, her arm in a sling and a few bruises dotting her face, but she was very much alive and alert. David sat beside her, looking relieved but tired.
"Elanor," Margaret greeted him, her voice dry but steady. "I heard you were on your way."
Elanor exhaled in relief, his body unclenching as he saw her upright and speaking. "Margaret, thank God. What happened?"
Margaret shrugged with her good arm, her expression wry. "Car accident. Some idiot ran a red light and hit me on my way to the lab. Got a broken arm, a few cuts and bruises, but I'll live."
Elanor pulled up a chair beside her, his mind racing but his relief palpable. "We were worried when we got the news. How long are they keeping you here?"
"Just a night for observation," she said with a small, tight smile. "I'm fine, really. The doctors just want to keep an eye on me because of the impact. It was pretty bad."
David chimed in, his voice filled with gratitude. "She's tough. Already planning how to keep the lab running from her hospital bed."
Margaret smirked. "Someone has to make sure you lot don't fall apart."
Elanor chuckled, feeling the tension ease from his body. Margaret was going to be alright. He had imagined the worst, but here she was, still planning experiments from a hospital bed. "Don't worry. We'll hold down the fort. You focus on healing up."
The three of them talked for a while, mostly about what had happened and how the team would manage the lab while Margaret was out. She was eager to get back to work, but Elanor and David insisted she take it easy for a few days.
After ensuring that everything was settled, Elanor stood up to leave. "I'll check in tomorrow, okay? But seriously, don't rush back. We need you healthy, not running simulations with one arm."
Margaret waved him off, though there was a grateful smile on her face. "I'll try not to let the hospital walls drive me crazy."
When Elanor left the hospital, he felt lighter, his heart not as heavy as before. He sent Raya a quick message.
Elanor: Margaret's okay. Nothing serious—just a broken arm and some bruises. They're keeping her overnight for observation.
Raya's response came almost instantly.
Raya: Thank God! I'm glad to hear that. Are you coming back soon?
Elanor smiled as he texted back.
Elanor: On my way.
As he drove home, the earlier encounter with Alina lingered in the back of his mind, like a strange puzzle piece that didn't fit into the day's events. He couldn't shake the image of her lying there, fragile and lost, and he wondered about the life that had led her to that hospital bed. But, for now, that mystery would have to wait. Margaret was safe, and he was heading home to Raya.
When Elanor returned to Raya's apartment later that evening, she greeted him with a relieved smile, pulling him into a warm hug.
"I'm glad Margaret's alright," Raya said, resting her head on his chest. "You seemed so worried when you left."
Elanor kissed the top of her head, grateful for her presence. "Yeah, she's tougher than I gave her credit for. She'll be back on her feet in no time."
They settled back into their earlier conversation about the picnic, deciding on the spot at Lakeview Park and who to invite. The earlier tension melted away as they planned what they hoped would be a peaceful day with friends—a much-needed escape from the intensity of their daily lives.
As they talked, though, Elanor couldn't shake the image of Alina from his mind. He hadn't known her, and yet there was something about that brief encounter that stuck with him—a reminder that everyone carried their own burdens, some heavier than others.
But, for now, Elanor pushed those thoughts aside and focused on the present—on Raya, their friends, and the simple joy of spending time together, away from the pressures of the lab and the universe's mysteries.