After a few minutes, Claramond returned with dinner and flashed a smile upon seeing Rose at the window. Silently, he walked to the small table to set things down, then noticed something.
On the table lay Rose's notebook, within which was a highly detailed drawing of Jaume. Claramond picked up the notebook and, looking visibly surprised, gazed at the drawing before turning his eyes to Rose.
He swallowed hard before placing the notebook down and calling out to Rose. She heeded his call and joined him at the table, seating herself on the floor with a small smile. Claramond watched her reaction closely and handed her dinner, then sat down directly across from her.
The two finished their meal together, and after some time, Claramond exited his office to start his shift's work.
Rose remained in the office with the lights on, drawing in her notebook as she listened to the sound of the rain. The peaceful setting gradually lulled her into yawning, a sign of tiredness that quickly led to her falling asleep with her head resting on the table...
Walking through the hospital corridors, Claramond conversed with some nurses about an issue, his demeanor calm until he received a phone call.
"Please take care of that, I'll be there in a second," Claramond said before walking to an empty hallway to answer the call from an unknown number. "Claramond Paxley speaking," he announced, but instead of a response, he heard something strange—a sound of breaking. "Is anybody there?" he asked the phone, puzzled.
Receiving no answer, Claramond hung up and promptly blocked the odd number before returning to his work...
Several hours later, at 4 in the morning, Claramond went back to his office to find Rose, who was fast asleep on the floor, her head propped on the couch. He lifted her into his arms and gently placed her on the couch to rest more comfortably.
She was sleeping soundly, so Claramond took the opportunity to tidy up the table and noticed she had added another drawing in the notebook.
A smile graced his face—Rose had sketched a picture of him "sleeping".
Carefully, he slipped the notebook into Rose's bag, then sat in an armchair beside her, sighing and leaning back, allowing his head to drop. Exhausted, yet burdened with more work, he allowed himself a brief respite before continuing...
...
The following day, Rose awoke to find herself on the couch and, stretching slightly, noticed Claramond asleep in the armchair.
Not wishing to disturb him, she rose quietly and headed for the bathroom, exiting the office and moving through the corridors. Many passed by without notice until they recognized her; whispers started, but she ignored them and eventually reached the restroom.
Once inside, she secured herself in a stall, then overheard two nurses enter.
"Did you see that girl... It's Rosemary Farrell; I've heard she's such a narcissist and braggart," one said.
"To think our boss, such a kind man, is with someone like that... it breaks my heart. Melissa was a far better match," the other replied.
"Definitely, they have similar interests and often save lives together—the perfect duo!" the first nurse exclaimed.
"Wasn't the boss in love with Melissa? Why then did he suddenly pair up with Rosemary?" the second nurse queried.
"I had the same question. But I read on a forum that maybe she paid him to marry her," the first nurse suggested.
"What? But our boss would never do such a thing," the second nurse protested.
"I think they offered the boss something good to help the patients, and with his big heart, he accepted... that would explain why he's with someone like her," the first nurse reasoned.
"Poor Melissa, she must be devastated," the second nurse said.
At that moment, Rose exited and upon seeing her, the nurses looked at her with disdain. Rose ignored them and moved to the sink to wash her face.
After she was finished, she prepared to leave, sidestepping past the nurses when unexpectedly, one tripped her, causing Rose to fall and knock over a bucket of dirty water, slightly soaking her.
"Oops... sorry... you should watch where you're walking," said the nurse who tripped her before exiting the bathroom with her companion.
Rose stood up, swallowed hard as she felt upset, and unwittingly began to bite her lips and scratch the cuticles of her fingers.
Meanwhile, Claramond awoke and, not finding Rose, got up. He immediately left the office and began searching for her, approaching the nurse who had tripped Rose.
"Have you seen Rosemary around?" Claramond inquired.
"Oh... No, I haven't; she probably left. Maybe she doesn't like it here," the nurse replied with a nervous laugh.
"Alright, see you," Claramond said, continuing down the hallway.
As he walked, he saw her wandering aimlessly in another corridor, her anxiety apparent as he noticed her hurting her fingers.
"Rose!" he called out before running toward her. Hearing him, she looked up and then bowed her head, turning to face him. He instantly took her hands, observing the bleeding, noted her lip bitten raw, and sighed. "If you were feeling bad... you should have talked to me..." he said, embracing her against his chest, then felt that she was wet on one side and stepped back to inspect her clothes. "What happened?" he asked.
"I-I... fell..." she stammered.
Claramond swallowed and then walked her back to his office. Upon arrival, he had her sit in a chair and gathered some items to tend to her wounds.
"Take off that sweater," he instructed. She complied, removing the sweater to reveal a blouse underneath, which made her feel cold. He immediately covered her with his jacket, then took her hands and started cleaning her injuries.
She remained silent while he cared for her fingers, her spirits so low that Claramond worried she might have a breakdown, so he thought of a way to lift her mood...
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