+++++
Le Hua stayed only twenty minutes before she excused herself. Throughout her visit, she maintained the same gentle, caring smile, soft as ever, never wavering. But the moment the door shut behind her, her expression cracked. The sweetness on her face soured into something twisted. She looked like she had swallowed something rotten.
She flinched—perhaps at her own reflection in the glass door—then straightened up. Her eyes darted to each side of the hallway. Empty. With quick hands, she smoothed the wrinkles from her blouse and rubbed her cheeks with the palms of her hands as if trying to erase what had just surfaced. Passing by a window, she caught her reflection again and forced her usual pleasant smile back into place. Satisfied, she disappeared down the corridor.
.
..
…
Hours later, a knock on the door preceded the soft creak of its opening.
Doctor Park stepped in, followed by Nurse Wen and another woman dressed in a crisp white coat.
