The moment Seven left, Lara pivoted to Sana, offering a gentle smile. “Good morning, Sana. Would you like me to help you freshen up?”

  “Yes, Lara, I’d like to brush my teeth and wash my face," she rasped, still thick with sleep.

  Lara inclined her head, her movements fluid as she stepped into the ensuite bathroom. She rummaged about and returned with some toiletries. As she neared, Sana’s fingers curled around her wrist, her crystalline irises flashing with anxiety.

  “Lara, do I look like hell?”

  Lara blinked, caught off guard by the unexpected grab. She took a step back as she roamed over Sana’s appearance, noting the pallor of her complexion and the faint dark circles under her eyes. “No, of course not. But you look a little pale and tired. Did you lose a lot of blood?”

  Sana nodded slowly, her lips pursing into a straight line. “Yes, I needed a blood transfusion. And it just so happened that Seven and I are the same blood type. He transfused three bags.”

  She paused, a trace of hesitation in her speech, “How’s my hair? Is it like Einstein’s?”

  Lara giggled at the reference. “Not at all. Here, let me snap a few selfies for you.” She quickly captured a bunch of photos and passed her phone to Sana. The latter’s tense shoulders gradually relaxed as she scanned through them, reassured by what she saw.

  “What’s with you today?” Lara mused, noticing her odd behavior. “You’re a patient now, why do you care about your appearance?"

  Sana looked away, her fingers pinching the edge of the blanket, a faint blush shading her cheeks. She didn’t answer. Instead, she asked, “Did my brother say anything about Seven?”

  Lara shook her head, puzzled. “No. Why?”

  Sana sighed. “I’ll explain everything after I freshen up.”

  Lara set to work, tearing open the dental kit packaging and squeezing a line of toothpaste onto the toothbrush. Recalling Seven’s instructions, she asked, “Do you want to brush your teeth, or should I assist you? Seven reminded me you’ve got a cannula on.”

  Sana’s head snapped to the toothbrush, her jaw tightening. The idea of needing help for something as basic as brushing her teeth felt like another blow to her pride. “I’ll do it myself,” she stubbornly insisted.

  Lara retreated, watching as Sana awkwardly maneuvered the toothbrush. Her movements were cautious at first, but as she tried to reach deeper into her mouth, she bent her wrist too sharply, causing the cannula to shift beneath her skin.

  “Ow!” she yelped, biting back a curse as a piercing sting radiated from the site and small beads of blood began to well up where the tubing met her skin.

  Lara quickly stepped forward, concern etched on her features. “Hold still. I think the cannula’s dislodged,” she said, inspecting the area.

  Sana hissed in annoyance, her teeth still coated in toothpaste. “Great, now what?”

  “We need to fix this before it gets worse,” Lara replied. “I’ll call for a nurse.”

  Sana bit down on her lower lip, her frustration evident as she waited for help to arrive.

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  Within moments, Lara led a nurse in. She glanced at both of Sana’s arms, noting the injury to her right shoulder and the puncture on her left hand.

  “We’ll have to put a new cannula in a different spot,” she explained while scanning for viable veins. “Given your injuries, we may need to use your left forearm or your foot.”

  Sana blinked in surprise. “My foot?” Her tone held discomfort.

  “It’s not as unusual as it sounds, and it’s sometimes the best option when other sites are compromised,” the nurse reassured her. “Why don’t we try the forearm first?”

  After inspecting Sana’s left forearm and finding a suitable vein, the nurse inserted the new cannula with practiced ease and secured it with tape. Sana winced slightly but relaxed once it was in place.

  “All set. Just remember to be careful with this one,” the nurse warned, finishing up. Before leaving, she added, “If anything feels off, let us know immediately.”

  Lara thanked the nurse before returning to Sana, whose gaze dropped, a mixture of indignation and exasperation clouding her expression. She handed the toothbrush to Lara, surrendering to the assistance.

  Afterward, Lara tidied up the overbed table and inquired, “Have you thought about breakfast?”

  Sana’s brows furrowed. “Did Seven say anything about me having a latte?”

  Lara shook her head, a trace of sympathy bloomed between her brows. “He advised against it. Said it might be too greasy for you right now. He suggested clear broth, yogurt, green tea, mashed banana, Jell-O, or pudding.”

  A bitter groan escaped Sana’s lips. “What a pain in the ass! Just give me the broth and green tea.”

  Lara nodded and left the room to arrange breakfast. When she returned, she saw Sana staring at the ceiling, lost in thought. Lara decided to broach the topic she’d brushed off earlier.

  “So, Sana, what did you want to tell me earlier?”

  A flush crept up Sana’s neck to her cheeks. She fidgeted with the edge of her hospital gown, eyes darting around, as if searching for the courage to spill her guts.

  “I… although I met Seven yesterday, it wasn’t our first meeting. He was the soldier who saved me five years ago.”

  Lara’s jaw dropped. “You recognize him?”

  “We recognized each other,” Sana corrected, her mind clouded with uncertainty. “Do you believe in fate, Lara? Could it be that Seven and I are meant for each other?”

  Just as the words landed, she recalled something upsetting. Her expression darkened and she scowled. “Oh! My iceberg brother, a.k.a. your Chief, said I might have confused gratitude with love!”

  Lara’s mouth curled at the edges. “Well, do you know how he feels about you? I mean, you really only just got to know each other yesterday.”

  Sana’s eyes dimmed as she let out a dreamy sigh. “You’re right! I guess we’re practically strangers… I–I’m getting ahead of myself."

  Lara chuckled softly. “Come on, you’ll be spending some time with him, right? Let’s see if there’s chemistry, then.”

  Sana’s face brightened. “Yeah, you’re right again. I just… I want to impress him, show him all my strengths. But both times we met, I was at my most vulnerable.”

  At that moment, Lara’s earlier interaction with Seven popped up in her head.

  “Oh! Y’know, when you were still asleep, he called you ‘sleepyhead.’ But when you woke up, he called you ‘Sleeping Beauty.’ Maybe he’s already smitten but doesn’t know it yet.”

  A burst of giggles erupted from Sana. “Oh! Don’t toy with me! I’ve never been in a relationship before… I don’t even know what’s what!”

  At Sana’s words, Lara’s smile faltered, recalling her own awkward moment. “Speaking of, when I thought Director James had died, I cried like a complete fool while hugging Chief.”

  Sana froze, her world tilted suddenly. “Wait, that iceberg let you hug him? Kas has mysophobia!”

  Lara’s cheeks burned. “W–Well, he did! He even hugged me back!” Just as she finished, another faux pas floated into her memory. “Oh, no! While waiting outside the OR… I fell asleep on his shoulder, but he didn’t push me away; he even leaned his head on mine!”

  Sana snorted, her smirk devilish. “Lara, do you have a crush on my brother?”

  Lara’s breath hitched. “N–No! I–I was just emotional!” Her voice cracked, each syllable spilling out shakier than the last. Avoiding Sana’s scrutiny, she stared hard into the linoleum floor, hoping it would open up and offer her an escape from this embarrassment.

  Sana’s laughter filled the room, kittenish and contagious. “Hmm… maybe that iceberg likes you, but he’s just too much of a knucklehead to realize it!”