I was hospitalized because of an illness, and coincidentally, so was Jeff. Even more coincidentally, the hallway outside his room was where I ended up. I got sick in the middle of the night and went to the emergency room, but there were no beds available. I remembered Mona had interned at this hospital, so I called her.
But she didn't answer. I called several times, and she finally picked up, but she sounded extremely impatient.
"Alan, what do you want? I'm very busy right now!"
"I'm sick and in the hospital, but there's no bed available. I want to ask if you have ways. "
"I can't help if there are no beds. I'm not a doctor. Why are you being so delicate? What's wrong with you? Can't you just get an IV? I'm busy. Don't call me unless it's important. "
"But. . . "
Before I could say anything else, she hung up. I remember her saying that she was in a critical phase of an experiment, so I figured she really was busy and didn't call again.
I slept in the hallway that night. But the next day, I saw Mona rushing into the hospital. I thought she was there to see me, but just as I was about to greet her, she walked right past me and into the room next to mine. I didn't disturb her. I just quietly followed her.
Jeff was in the room. He was sick too. I heard from the patient next to me that Jeff had been admitted urgently in the middle of the night. I must have missed him while I was going through the check-in process.
While I was suffering in the hallway, drowning in pain, Jeff was in the room next door, enjoying a quiet room and Mona's care. How absurd. And that room was probably arranged by Mona herself.
She wouldn't do it for me, but she would for Jeff.
So the urgent matter Mona mentioned was Jeff, wasn't it?
I looked through the small window on the hospital room door and saw the two of them inside. Mona was peeling an apple for him. I reached out and called her. She didn't answer, so I kept calling.
She finally answered.
"Alan, didn't I tell you not to call me unless it's important? I'm very busy. " Mona's tone was cold and impatient, but I could see her smiling warmly at Jeff and feeding him the apple.
"But I miss you. What are you doing right now?"
"What else could I be doing? I'm in the lab. I can't talk now. I'm busy. . . " She hung up quickly. I watched as she ended the call and continued chatting happily with Jeff. I couldn't control myself and rushed in!