After some time, Marcus came back with the doctor and a tray of food — a bowl of warm chicken soup, some bread rolls, and a small carton of apple juice.
"How do you feel, Ms. Harrison? Any discomfort?" the doctor asked as he approached her bed.
"No, doctor. I'm feeling quite well," Sophia answered politely.
"I'm glad to hear that. Let me check you first," the doctor said.
He examined her carefully, checking her pulse, eyes, and the small cuts on her feet and legs. After a few minutes, he smiled and said, "Everything looks good, Ms. Harrison. Your cold seems to be going away, no fever. Your little scratches and cuts will heal quickly with the medicine we've prescribed. However, you still need to stay a bit longer until we get the results of your tests from last night. Then we'll be able to discharge you."
"I understand. Thank you, doctor," Sophia said sincerely.
"You're welcome," the doctor replied before leaving the room, leaving Sophia alone with Marcus.
After the doctor left, Marcus picked up the tray from the table and brought it to Sophia.
"You should eat something. You need your strength," he said, setting the tray carefully on her lap.
"Thank you," Sophia said softly, picking up the spoon and starting on the chicken soup. The warmth of it immediately soothed her.
As she ate, Marcus's phone rang. He glanced at the screen — it was a call from the company. He sighed lightly and answered it, stepping a little away from the bed to talk.
Sophia ate quietly, pretending not to listen, though she caught a few words about meetings and reports.
When he ended the call, she looked at him and said, "You don't have to stay any longer. You've already done enough by staying with me the whole night. Once my examination results come out, I'll just take a taxi back home."
Marcus frowned. "No," he said firmly, pulling a chair and sitting beside her. "I'm not leaving until I make sure you're really alright."
-------
Sophia finished her soup slowly, the warmth spreading through her body, easing the cold that still clung to her from the night before.
Marcus remained quietly seated beside her, occasionally checking his phone but never once making a move to leave.
After a while, Sophia put the empty bowl back on the tray and leaned back against the pillow. "Thank you for the food," she said, her voice a little shy.
"You're welcome," Marcus replied simply. "You needed it."
Sophia fiddled with the blanket covering her legs, then looked at him again. "I must have been a lot of trouble for you."
Marcus shook his head. "It wasn't trouble," he said, his tone low but sincere. "I'm just glad I saw you in time... It could have been worse."
Sophia smiled faintly. "Still, you didn't have to stay the whole night."
He leaned back on his chair, crossing his arms loosely over his chest. "Maybe I didn't have to. But I wanted to."
Their eyes met for a brief second before Sophia quickly looked away, feeling a strange flutter in her stomach.
She wasn't used to kindness without strings attached.
An awkward silence settled between them, broken only when a nurse knocked and entered to check on her IV.
Marcus stood up and gave her space, but stayed nearby, his presence solid and unhurried, as if he had all the time in the world to wait for her.
Sophia couldn't help but wonder—
Why would someone like him, who obviously had an important job and a busy life, waste his time looking after a stranger like her?
She tucked that thought away for now and leaned back against the pillows, feeling the first true sense of safety she had in a long time.
Just as Sophia was starting to relax a little, the door opened and the doctor stepped back into the room, a file in his hand and a serious look on his face.
Marcus stood up immediately, sensing the change in atmosphere.
The doctor cleared his throat lightly and said, "Ms. Harrison, I have your examination results."
Sophia sat up straighter, her heart starting to pound against her ribs for no reason she could explain.
The doctor's face was gentle but firm as he continued, "I'm afraid... it's not good news."
Sophia's hands tightened around the blanket unconsciously.
"The trauma from the accident caused significant damage to your pelvic area, particularly to your ovaries," the doctor said carefully. "The impact likely disrupted blood flow, leading to what we call secondary ovarian failure. In simple terms, your ovaries aren't functioning properly. They're not releasing eggs, and hormone production is impaired."
The words fell heavily into the room, freezing the air.
Sophia stared at him, her mind blank, almost refusing to process what he was saying.
"I'm sorry, Ms. Harrison," the doctor said with real sympathy. "Based on what we're seeing, it's very unlikely you'll be able to conceive naturally."
Silence followed, thick and suffocating.
Sophia opened her mouth, but no words came out. She looked at Marcus, who seemed just as stunned, his brows furrowed, his jaw tight.
The doctor gave her a moment, then said gently, "We'll arrange for a specialist to speak with you about options if you wish. There are treatments, but I want you to be prepared... it will not be easy."
Sophia barely nodded.
The doctor placed the file on the table nearby. "Take your time," he said, before stepping out quietly, leaving Sophia and Marcus alone in the room.
Sophia sat motionless, her mind spinning in a chaotic blur.
Everything she had endured in her life—everything she had fought to protect—felt like it was being stripped away from her in a moment.
And for once, she didn't know how to be strong anymore.
Marcus stood frozen for a moment, struggling to find the right thing to say.
He saw how Sophia just sat there, silent, her face pale but dry, not shedding a single tear.
Yet somehow, her stillness, the way she gripped the blanket tightly, made it even harder to watch.
Slowly, Marcus stepped closer to the bed.
"Sophia..." he said quietly, his voice a little hoarse.
Sophia blinked and turned her head to look at him, her eyes strangely calm, but empty — like all the life inside her had been drained out.
Marcus clenched his fists. He had no idea why, but seeing her like this twisted something deep inside him. It wasn't fair. None of it was fair.
"You're not alone," he said firmly, almost surprising himself with how serious he sounded. "I know it's... hard to hear. But you're not facing this by yourself."
Sophia gave a small, bitter smile, more heartbreaking than if she had burst into tears.
"We're just strangers," she said quietly. "You don't have to say that."
Marcus opened his mouth, but no words came out at first.
How could he explain it?
He didn't know her. And yet, from the moment he found her in the rain, collapsed on the side of the road, something inside him refused to look away.
"I know," Marcus said finally, his voice low. "But maybe... not anymore."
Sophia's throat tightened painfully. She looked away, staring at the white walls of the hospital room, pretending she didn't hear the sudden emotion that cracked slightly in his voice.
Marcus stayed silent after that, simply pulling the chair closer and sitting down beside her bed.
He didn't touch her. He didn't crowd her.
He just stayed there — solid, quiet, unshakable — letting her know in his own way that he wasn't going anywhere.
And somehow, without a single word, it meant more to Sophia than anything else anyone had ever said to her.