“Then ask.” The officer didn’t smile. Didn’t soften his stance either.

If anything—

His expression tightened.

“You’ve had a busy night,” he said, stepping a little closer. Not aggressively But also not casual either. I didn’t move, but I could feel myself tensing slightly.

“Clinic stays open late,” I replied flatly.

“For the elderly?” the other one added. 

A beat.

“…they don’t choose when they get hurt.”

That earned me a look. A longer one. What?! Where I'm from they're always doing something that ends up hurting them or they do deliberately..

His expression was one of a kind, The kind that tried to read between the lines yet could almost tell it's B.S.

“Strange,” the first officer muttered. “We didn’t see many elderly patients coming in.” My pulse kicked once. Hard. But my expression didn’t change.

“You weren’t looking at the right time,” I said. “Or the right entrance.” Not entirely a lie but he doesn't need to know that. Besides, those types of patients are not very friendly. Nor entirely safe either.

The assistant shifted slightly beside me. Just enough for me to notice. 

“Do you keep records?” the second officer asked.

“Of course,” I said immediately. “You think I just guess treatment plans?” He didn’t respond, Just held my gaze. Weighing and Measuring what to do. 

“…we may need to review them,” he said finally, and There it was. The pushy reason they were here. Maybe it's a test.

My jaw tightened just slightly, Not enough to show. But Just enough for me to feel it.

“Then come back with a warrant,” I replied evenly.

Silence. Sharp And Immediate greeted my statement. The assistant’s head snapped slightly in my direction. She probably hadn't expected me to say that, but I know enough to not let myself be bullied by them. The officers didn’t move. Didn’t blink. Didn’t—

Then one of them exhaled quietly through his nose.

“…we’ll be in touch,” he said. Not like a threat. Not quite. But close enough.

They turned and Left. Finally.

And this time—

The door closed behind them without reopening.

The quiet that followed was heavier, Not relief. Nor safety.

Just—

Aftermath. I didn’t move right away. Didn’t speak. Didn’t—

“…you’re out of your mind.”

Her voice cut through it. Low and Tight. Controlled in a way that made me tense.

I glanced at her. She was staring at me now. Not confused Nor worried. But Focused.

“You don’t tell officers to come back with a warrant,” she continued. “Not here. Not like that.”

I shrugged slightly, turning back to the counter like it didn’t matter.

“They didn’t have one.”

“That’s not the point. What if they actually do come back with one?”

I didn’t answer. Didn’t need to. Because I already knew what she was getting at. The possibility of it happening is still there. I know I'm pushing too far. I'm changing things, but hopefully, it'll be for the better.

You’re—

“…what happened in there?” she asked suddenly.

My hand paused. Just for a second. Then kept moving. Cleaning tools that were already clean. Organizing things that didn’t need organizing.

“What do you mean?” Her eyes narrowed slightly.

“With him.”

There it was. Of course it was. She's certainly perceptive.

“He was a patient,” I said simply.

A beat.

“That’s not what I asked.”

My jaw tightened. I turned to look at her this time. Fully. Meeting her gaze head-on.

“And that’s all you need to know.”

The words came out sharper than I intended. Cleaner. Colder. A warning. Not loud. But clear. 

She didn’t back down. Didn’t even look away. But something shifted in her expression. Not fear. Not exactly. But Understanding Of the boundaries I'm setting.

“…you’ve never stayed that close to one before,” she said quietly.

Not accusing. Not loud.

Just—

Observing. And somehow—

That hit harder. Because she was right. I didn’t. And I shouldn’t. I thought I wouldn’t. But what does she know?!

Except—

My chest tightened slightly. I looked away first.

“…long day,” I muttered again. Same excuse. Weaker this time. But She didn’t push it. Didn’t argue. Just watched me for another second longer before finally turning away.

“…get some rest when you can,” she said instead.

Soft. Careful. Like she was choosing not to dig deeper.

For now.

The room felt different again once she left.

Quieter. Too quiet. I exhaled slowly, bracing my hands against the counter. My reflection stared back faintly from the metal surface.

Not mine. Still not mine.

“…what are you doing?” I murmured under my breath.

No answer. Of course not. My fingers curled slightly against the edge. Because I knew the answer. I just didn’t want to say it out loud.

You’re changing it.

The story. The path.

Him.

My chest tightened again.

Not panic.

Not fear. But Something else. Something sharper. More deliberate.

“…you weren’t supposed to matter,” I muttered. At least not this much.

But he did. He Already did. Too much. Too fast.

I let out a quiet breath, closing my eyes briefly.

“…and I wasn’t supposed to care.”

That part—

That part was already slipping, and I didn't know If it would ruin what I had to do.