"Doctor?" A soft, melodious voice called out. The woman was leaning down, observing Elias and Raphael's close heads and the doctor's hand, clutched in the other's hold, with an almost unreadable expression. She wore a fashionable skirt and jacket, holding a mask and bucket hat she had had to put on as a precaution against paparazzi.
"...Excuse me? Doctor?" she repeated, her slender fingers lightly tapping the doctor's shoulder.
Elias was startled awake by the sudden touch. All those sleepless nights and late-night emergencies had made him a light sleeper. He sat up quickly, his hair disheveled, and his expression disoriented. He had, after all, fallen asleep in a very awkward position.
"Huh...?" He blinked at the sunlight streaming through the window, lifting a hand to rub his forehead. His scrubs were creased, and his limbs ached.
"...Are you his doctor?" the woman repeated when she saw him wake up. She was smiling, her expression slightly curious.
Elias blinked again, rubbing away the sleep from his eyes to focus. At her voice, he turned, coming face-to-face with the woman. He put on a polite, professional expression, his gaze observing her. Anyone could see she was strikingly beautiful. Her skin looked soft and supple, her petite frame adorned in an elegantly styled outfit. Long brown hair fell around her shoulders in soft waves. Her heels made a soft clinking sound on the marble floor as she moved closer, her gaze shifting to Raphael.
"Yes, I am," he replied. Though he knew he didn't need to, he felt a strange sense of guilt and offered further explanation. "Mr. Morgan had a high fever, so I stayed to monitor his condition. And you are...?"
The woman extended a hand, smiling politely. "I'm Ashley, but people just call me Ash. I'm Raphi's friend."
The nickname made Elias pause, though he didn't comment on it. It was irrational anyway. Why should he care if his ex's friend called him by a nickname? It was none of his business.
He nodded. "I see. As I mentioned before, Mr. Morgan had a high fever, so he'll probably be asleep for a while."
"Ah, I see," she replied amicably. "It must've been quite high, considering you spent the night doing cold compresses on his forehead." She nodded to the basin of water and the cloth beside it. "It's unusual, you know. Most doctors wouldn't stay for that. Much less an accomplished doctor like you..." She paused as she read his name from the tag on his coat, "-Dr. Kang."
Elias didn't know how to respond, so he simply nodded. Ashley didn't seem to expect a reply, instead looking at the chair he was sitting in. Though there was another sofa was in the room, it seemed there was only one chair.
"Is there another chair here?" she asked cheerfully, though the answer was obvious. "I'd like to sit by his bedside while I wait for him to wake up."
Elias nodded, rising from the seat, understanding her meaning. "Of course. Please, take this seat. I was just about to leave anyway."
Ashley took the seat, though she asked, even if she was already sitting down, "I hope it's not any trouble?"
He shook his head. "No, no. Of course not." He made a show of checking Raphael's vitals and the monitors, though he'd practically memorized them after his many checks through the night.
He glanced at Ashley, who was now holding Raphael's hand- the same hand that had pulled Elias closer the previous night. Right. She was his friend; she could hold his hand. He mentally scolded himself for being irrational again. Maybe it was the sleep deprivation that was leading him to such unnecessary thoughts.
He noticed Ashley also glanced up at him from the corner of her eye, though she said nothing. Elias sighed, finishing his final check on Raphael. He had other appointments and knew it was time to return to his office and the day's tasks, anyways.
"Well, I'll be going, then. You can call for a nurse if you need any help by pressing that button, though there's little chance of complications. The fever has dropped."
Ashley simply nodded, her gaze fixed on Raphael.
"I understand. Thank you for your service, Dr. Kang."
"It's no trouble."