“Doctor, am I really serious enough to need hospitalization and treatment?”
As he roughly raked his white hair with his hand, he added, “I don’t even know when I’ll be discharged, and thinking about staying in this room all the time makes me feel suffocated.”
Lola nodded in understanding, empathizing with him.
“Mr. Xavier, haven’t you often felt short of breath or like you were choking recently?”
“That’s right. I never felt that way before…”
“You’ve woken up several times at night because of chest pain, haven’t you?”
He nodded.
“What did you feel at that time?”
A complex expression crossed Xavier’s face. Lola didn’t miss the serious change in his emotions.
“Mr. Xavier, you probably felt fear for the first time then. You’ve been experiencing frequent attacks lately, haven’t you? You must have felt uncomfortable in your daily life. Weren’t you afraid to sleep?”
He nodded again.
“Therefore, you need treatment. Don’t think of psychiatric treatment as something too difficult or burdensome. Just think of it as having a comfortable conversation with me.”
With her gentle tone and persuasive explanation, Xavier’s previously tense expression began to soften.
“Panic disorder can be completely cured with a combination of medication and cognitive therapy. So, let’s have hope.”
As Xavier slowly nodded, he was about to say something when a knock sounded, and the door opened.
Upon seeing the visitor, Xavier’s face quickly filled with surprise.
“How did you know I was here?”
Was he a family member?
He was a tall, handsome man.
If he was a guardian, Lola had a few questions to ask about the patient, so she cautiously inquired.
“Excuse me, are you Mr. Xavier’s guardian?”
“That guy is my student. Doctor.”
Xavier answered instead of the man.
“Oh, I see.”
Just as Lola was about to step aside to allow the two to talk comfortably, another knock sounded, and the door opened again, this time revealing two more handsome men.
As Lola raised her head to see the shadow cast in front of her, her eyes widened in surprise.
‘Why is Dylan Eve here at this hour?’
At first, seeing the handsome face that was so familiar, Lola thought he looked a lot like Dylan Eve.
Or maybe I liked him so much that I was starting to see things.
But it was definitely him.
Only from him did I sense a unique scent and an unwavering expression that highlighted his presence.
Even now.
Seeing him suddenly appear in the hospital room, while I was surprised, he seemed to have no significant change in expression, as he always did.
A bit surprised, and wanting to acknowledge him first, Lola stood awkwardly in place.
From behind her, the voice of patient Xavier came over.
“Oh, come on! Has the news of my hospitalization already spread? How did you all find out?”
“They say a bird hears the words in the daytime, and a mouse hears them at night. Rumors spread quickly. I’m sorry for coming late, Professor.”
The first man to arrive at the hospital room said apologetically. His name was Frank.
“Are you our professor’s attending physician?”
Andy, who entered the room with Dylan, quickly scanned Lola, who was wearing a doctor’s coat, and asked with a curious expression.
“Yes.”
Dylan briefly met Lola’s eyes as she answered Andy’s question, but there was no reaction.
“Doctor, please don’t be surprised. These guys are all my students.”
The three men, who looked intimidating and dark, suddenly barged into the hospital room, and Xavier briefly introduced them, worried that the young doctor might be startled.
“Oh, okay.”
Feeling an unusual energy, Lola realized that Xavier was a professor.
A university professor? Perhaps a law school professor.
As Lola made a rough guess, Andy asked with a charming smile.
“How serious is our professor? Is it very serious?”
“I’m sorry, but we adhere to confidentiality principles. Without the patient’s consent, we cannot provide detailed personal information to outsiders, not even to guardians.”
“Oh, I see.”
Andy scratched his head awkwardly at her quiet but firm tone.
It seemed like Lola was responding quite boldly, which Dylan found strange.
Moreover, he was quite surprised that Lola was the attending physician for Professor Xavier.
He was just hiding his feelings.
Should I acknowledge her? Should I introduce her as my girlfriend? He briefly pondered. But it didn’t seem like the right atmosphere, so he remained silent.
“Since the patient is sensitive to sound, please make sure to set your phones to silent mode in the hospital room. And the patient still needs plenty of rest, so it would be best not to talk for too long.”
“Yes. I’ll keep that in mind.”
Despite her stiff tone, Andy responded with a playful smile.
Having said all she needed to, Lola lightly nodded and left the hospital room.
