Hana’s throat constricted as the weight of that exchange threatened to drown her anew. She could taste the sting of humiliation and hurt as freshly as if it were happening all over again. Her cheeks flushed, mouth working soundlessly as she desperately tried to summon a response.

But all eyes were now judging her silent stiffness. The pressure built in her chest, ratcheting up her pulse until she could practically hear the blood pounding in her ears. Tears stung the corners of her eyes as the familiar tendrils of a panic attack began constricting her lungs.

With a strangled murmur of “Excuse me,” she burst up from her chair. She didn’t dare make eye contact with anyone as she barreled through the crowd, desperate to escape the suddenly suffocating confines of the bar.

“H-Hana! Where ya goin’?” Julie hiccuped, pushing herself up from the table with some effort. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes glazed over from one too many drinks.

The other nurses and doctors turned toward the commotion Julie was creating. Ren furrowed his brow with concern, watching it all from the bar afar.

“Jules, leave her be,” Tee said in a low tone, trying to grab Julie’s arm to stop her from stumbling after Hana. But she had already pushed past him clumsily.

“Hanaaaaa!” Julie sang out again, weaving her way toward the exit. “Don’t go, the fun’s just...just gettin’ started!” Hana didn’t even turn around at the calls.

An uncomfortable silence hung in the air, only broken when Lia cleared her throat softly. “Maybe the drinking was a bit much for poor Hana tonight,” she said, shooting Clara a meaningful look.

Clara simply shrugged indifferently and took a sip of her drink, unperturbed by the sudden tension. The other nurses exchanged glances, silently wondering if they should go check on their friend or give her some space.

The cool night air hit her like a shockwave as she burst through the exit, but it did little to calm the spiraling panic gripping her chest. Gasping desperately, Hana finally crumpled to the filthy pavement in the alley, bracing her hands against the ground as she fought for control.

Her body heaved with ragged sobs, panic, and alcohol intermingling into a vicious cyclone of emotion. Distantly, she registered the sounds of raucous chatter still spilling out from the bar’s open door - a stark contrast to her anguished isolation just feet away.

A heavy silence blanketed the group after Hana’s abrupt exit. Ren’s jaw clenched as he watched Julie carelessly call after her. When Julie turned back with that oblivious look, he couldn’t stop himself from shaking his head in dismay.

His eyes were drawn to Hana’s abandoned purse hanging off the edge of her chair. Without a second thought, Ren rose from his seat and started making his way over to it. As he reached across the table, his gaze happened to meet with Clara’s. She flashed him what she probably thought was a flirtatious smile. But Ren’s expression remained unreadable as he straightened back up, Hana’s bag secretly in hand.

“Ren? You off already too?” Lia called out, ever the mother hen.

He paused briefly, letting his eyes roam over the group before responding in an even tone. “Yeah, I’m calling it a night.”

With a curt nod, he turned and started heading for the exit. But as he pushed through the door, his steps slowed at the faint sound of muffled whimpering coming from the alley. Ren felt his chest tighten as he followed the sound around the corner.

There Hana was, crumpled against the grimy exterior wall. Her shoulders shook with stifled sobs as she gasped for air in wracking spasms.

Without a word, Ren shrugged off his suit jacket and gently draped it around Hana’s shuddering frame. “You’ll catch a cold,” he said gruffly, trying to temper the unexpected swell of tenderness. “We already don’t have enough hands at the ER.”

Hana looked up at him with glassy, bloodshot eyes, taken aback by his sudden appearance, “I’m s-sorry, I...I just...” She broke off, needing to gasp a shuddering breath.

But Ren simply held up a hand to stop her apology. “Let’s go,” he stated firmly, extending his other hand to pull her up from the ground. His voice softened ever so slightly. “You’ve got nothing to be sorry for.”

Hana stared at Ren’s outstretched hand as if it were a foreign object. Her brow furrowed in confusion, and she glanced down at her trembling gloved hands, then back up at the jacket now draped over her shoulders. When her eyes finally met his again, something seemed to shatter behind them.

“I...I can’t...I’m not fit…,” she choked out between ragged sobs that wracked her small frame anew. Fat tears spilled down her blotchy cheeks as she shook her head adamantly. “Mira...I have to...to save Mira!”

Ren’s stoic expression faltered as Hana abruptly broke down into another fit of hysterics. He was at a complete loss for what sparked this tempest of emotions from the normally reserved nurse. His hand remained extended, hanging there awkwardly between them.

“Hana...” he began, trying to keep his voice measured and soothing. “Just take a breath. What are you talking about?”

But she seemed unable or unwilling to heed his words. “I can’t...I can’t quit! If I’m not a nurse, how will I...” She trailed off into unintelligible murmurs punctuated by heaving gasps for air.

Ren felt increasingly out of his depth. Awkwardly, he crouched down in front of her, placing a tentative hand on her shoulder.

“Hana, listen to me,” he tried again more intently. “Whatever you’re going on about, just focus on calming down right now, okay?”

Despite the uncomfortable situation, he found her frantic babbling...oddly endearing somehow. Cute

“You’re starting to worry me with all these hysterics,” he said, the faintest hint of gentle teasing entering his tone in hopes of snapping her out of it.

“What am I going to do with you, Shizumi?”

The next morning, Hana’s eyelids fluttered open, an instant throbbing in her skull made her squeeze them shut again with a groan.

She rolled onto her back, trying to blink past the harsh pounding behind her eyes. Hana frowned, her muddled mind struggling to remember putting those there.

Groggily, she reached for the aspirin and water. As she drained the glass, her phone buzzed with a new text notification. Squinting, Hana swiped it open to reveal a message from Mira:

“Someone had a crazy night. Thank God your knight-in-shining-armor brought you back in one piece. Don’t think you’ve escaped telling me about last night’s shenanigans!”

Hana furrowed her brow in confusion, trying to decipher her best friend’s cryptic message. Crazy night? Knight in shining armor? Her mind was completely blank.

With a frustrated huff, she dropped her phone back on the nightstand and made to push herself upright.

Looking down, Hana’s eyes went wide at the long, black coat now draped over her. She ran her fingers over the soft material, a frown pinching her features. This wasn’t hers - where had it come from?

Panic started bubbling up as flashes of the night before flickered through her mind’s eye. Dim bar...spinning bottle...someone saying something...uncontrollable sobbing... But the details were so fractured, she couldn’t piece it all together coherently.

Hana swung her legs over the side of the bed, cradling her aching head in her hands as she fought to concentrate. Clearly, Mira was waiting for an explanation, which meant Hana didn’t have a choice - she had to try and retrace her scrambled memories from the night before.

No matter how foggy or hazy they might be.

*

The scalding water pounded against Ren’s back as he stood motionless under the shower spray. His hands were braced against the tiled wall, eyes screwed shut as he fought to steady his ragged breathing.

It was the dream again. Though the actual imagery continued to elude him, the overwhelming sense of loss and heartache lingered like a thick fog clouding his mind.

Clenching his jaw, Ren twisted the temperature dial until the water ran ice cold. The shock of it caused him to gasp but as the numbness set in, his thrashing pulse finally began to even out.

When he finally emerged from the shower stall, teeth chattering, Ren quickly toweled himself dry and stepped into his bedroom. His brow furrowed at the sight of his clothes from the previous night crumpled in the hamper.

The deep green sweater and dark chinos instantly triggered a rush of fragmented memories from Gracie’s bar. Hana’s panicked sobs in the alleyway...draping his coat over her shuddering frame...half-carrying her to his car when she couldn’t stop trembling...

Ren paused, the damp towel hanging from his hand as he replayed those final hazy moments. He had intended to simply give the distraught nurse a ride home and make sure she was safe. But something indefinable had compelled him to go a step further.

Steeling himself, Ren had maneuvered an utterly unresponsive Hana up to her apartment door, using the spare key she kept in her purse to let them inside. He had guided - practically hauled - her slender, unresisting form to her bedroom where he carefully laid her down. Thankfully, her roommate had called and given him directions.

Only once she was tucked into bed, still wearing his jacket that dwarfed her tiny frame, did Ren finally allow himself to relax minutely. He had lingered a moment, silently studying Hana’s tear-stained features. An unruly lock of chestnut hair had fallen across her brow, and his fingers had twitched with the faintest urge to brush it aside.

But he had quashed that bizarre impulse immediately, turning on his heel to let himself out of her apartment. As he had pulled the door shut behind him, Ren distinctly remembered feeling...unsettled somehow.

“Get a grip,” he muttered aloud, tossing the towel into the hamper as well. Ren ran his hands through his damp hair, pressing his palms against his temples. His arms for a moment, tingled as they remembered her weight in them.

He had done the decent thing, that was all. Ensured his junior colleague made it home safely after having one too many drinks. There was no reason for the nauseating knot of...confusion? Concern?

Ren made a sound of disgust at himself as he yanked open his dresser drawer to find fresh clothes.

Hana Shizumi was a strange one, yes, but that was all there was to it. She was a co-worker, nothing more.

At least, that’s what Ren continued trying to convince himself of as he went about getting ready to head to work that day.

Ren’s phone started ringing just as he was finishing up getting dressed. One look at the caller ID and he couldn’t stop the weary sigh that escaped his lips.

“Jiro,” he answered gruffly, already knowing exactly why his cousin was calling.

“Renny, my dearest baby cousin!” The boisterous voice on the other end made Ren hold the phone slightly away from his ear. “How’s my favorite doctor doing on this fine morning?”

Ren rolled his eyes at the sickly-sweet tone. “Cut the crap, Jiro. You only ever call when you want something.”

A dramatic, wounded gasp came through the speaker. “Why must you wound me with such accusations? Can’t a guy just check in on his beloved family?”

“We both know that’s not how this works,” Ren deadpanned, slipping on his shoes. “What is it this time?”

There was a brief pause before Jiro seemed to drop the act with a small chuckle. “Alright, alright, you got me. I’m just calling to tell you about a family gathering coming up.”

Ren felt his jaw ticking with annoyance. Of course - the family obligation he always avoided. “Look, I’ve got a lot on my plate at the hospital right now...”

“Ah ah ah!” Jiro swiftly cut him off. “No excuses, Mr. Hotshot ER Chief. You know Auntie will have an aneurysm if her favorite nephew doesn’t grace us with his presence.”

“I’m her only nephew,” Ren muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. He could already feel the oncoming headache.

“Exactly! Which is why your absence is not an option this time.” Jiro’s tone took on a rare edge of seriousness. “This one’s important, Ren. We...we need to discuss some family matters.”

An uneasy silence stretched between them at his cousin’s ominous words. Finally, Ren sighed heavily. “I'll try.”

“Excellent! That’s what I wanted to hear,” Jiro replied, the jovial lilt returning to his voice. “Oh, and one more thing before I go - your mother is still crying that you ‘lost the love of your life’ after Lia.”

Ren grimaced at the unnecessary reminder of his mother’s dramatics. “Don’t start-”

“You’d better find yourself a nice girlfriend soon before the family officially starts presuming, you’re playing for the other team if you know what I mean,” Jiro finished with an audible wink.

“Thanks for the reminder to never breed,” Ren growled, though his lips twitched with faint amusement despite himself.

His cousin’s raucous laughter filled the line. “That’s my Ren! Always so charming. See you this weekend, cuz!”

The dial tone followed soon after, leaving Ren staring at his phone and shaking his head. He could only begin to imagine what insufferable melodrama awaited him.

Maybe whatever Ren was being summoned to deal with this time wouldn’t be catastrophic, hopefully.