Elsa had just finished changing and was ready to leave. She glanced at Elie, her smile lighting up the room.
"I've finished changing, I need to go now!" she announced with a hint of impatience.
Intrigued, Elie asked her, "Where are you going?"
"To the hospital!" she replied without hesitation.
Elie nodded in understanding. "I see!"
"Come on, I'll see you tomorrow!" said Elsa as she headed towards the door.
"But shouldn't you rest a bit?" he asked, concerned for her.
"I've had enough rest this week. Thank you so much, it was thanks to you!" She gave him a warm smile before adding, "Come on, I have to go! See you tomorrow!"
"Alright! See you tomorrow!" Elie replied with a sigh, watching Elsa walk away. Then he took his phone and started dialing a number. "Yes! Can we meet? ... Alright, okay!"
A few minutes later, Derick made his appearance.
"I'm here!" he announced as he entered.
Elie looked up at him. "You took your time!"
"Sorry, I had one more patient to take care of," Derick explained as he approached.
Elie then inquired about Elsa's family's situation. "So, how is her family doing?"
Derick lowered his gaze, looking troubled. "Badly, very badly! I think they should change hospitals as soon as possible."
Elie frowned. "Is it that serious?"
"Believe me, it's really serious! It needs to be done as soon as possible," Derick insisted seriously.
Elie nodded. "Alright, I'll talk to her tomorrow. In the meantime, take care of the paperwork needed for the transfer. We'll do it tomorrow if possible!"
"Okay! But there's one thing you should know about her," Derick added before starting to share what he knew.
The next morning, sunlight filtered gently through the curtains, illuminating the room where Elie was sleeping peacefully. A familiar silhouette stood near him; it was Elsa.
"Are you awake?" she asked softly.
Elie, half-asleep, nodded with a slight "Mhm!" "Have you been here long?" he inquired, still groggy from sleep.
"Yes, but I didn't want to wake you. You look so handsome when you sleep!" she said with a mischievous smile.
Elie stared at her, surprised by her words.
"But what's with that look? Are you disappointed that it's me who said it? You should have hidden your feelings; it hurt me a little!" she exclaimed.
"For your family...!" Elie began hesitantly.
"What does my family have to do with this?" she replied, perplexed.
"My friend said that if you don't want to lose them, you should think about transferring them to another hospital. Let's say, the best one possible!" Elie explained, his tone serious.
Elsa's eyes darkened. "I know, I already know all that. But I don't have the means to do it, so what else can I do?"
Elie took a deep breath before responding: "I've already done it!"
"What?" she exclaimed, surprised.
"We're transferring them today to another hospital. My friend who was taking care of them during your absence owns a large hospital. He is even the director, and he's a better doctor. He will take care of them instead, and you won't have to sleep at the hospital anymore. I know you're tired, but I want you to know that you're not alone in this. I'm here, and you can count on me! And as for the money, you can spend it however you want; no one will say anything to you, so you're free. You can use it as you see fit; that's what you're here for, right?"
With tears in her eyes, Elsa whispered: "Thank you... sniff! Thank you so much... sniff! So, so infinitely thank you!"
Elie smiled gently, shaking his head. "You don't have to thank me. Just say that you did a good job!"
"Okay! And I will work even harder to thank you!" she promised with determination.
Elie chuckled lightly. "And stop crying now. You look like a child!"
"I can't; I'm happy after all! And don't make fun of me; it's your fault anyway," she retorted while wiping her tears.
"Okay, I'm sorry! It looks like I've made my wife cry. What am I going to do?" he joked.
"Stop with that!"
"Alright, I'll stop! But don't cry anymore, okay?" he asked with a smile.
At that precise moment, Mrs. Seo was standing by the door, listening to their conversation with a small smile on her lips. She murmured to herself: "I think I'll come back later!"