And after taking a few steps,
“Dylan Eve.”
At the sound of his name being called, Dylan turned around in surprise.
It was Frank.
From the looks of it, he must have taken the same elevator as Dylan, following closely behind.
Why? Dylan’s eyes asked as Frank approached, casually throwing out a question.
“Is the wedding preparation going well?”
Frank was not the type to ask such trivial things.
Surprised by the unexpected question, one of Dylan’s eyebrows shot up.
“Isn’t it strange for you to ask something like this?”
“How does it feel to be getting married? Do you like it?”
What on earth is he trying to get at by asking this?
Dylan’s gaze turned cold as he seemed to see through Frank’s intentions. His tone was blunt and curt.
“If you’re so curious, why don’t you try getting married yourself?”
“Oh, I was just thinking if I’d like to get married too.”
Frank’s expression was calm as he replied nonchalantly.
“Do you think I’d match well with a psychiatrist?”
After muttering something incomprehensible, Frank turned and walked toward Professor Xavier’s hospital room.
“Did you just see everything?”
Frank must already know who the woman he is going to marry is.
It felt like there was some nuance to it.
“Stop being unnecessarily intrusive.”
Although he didn’t know the exact reason.
‘What day is today?’
He felt uneasy and bothered in many ways.
Wondering why he felt this way, Dylan stood in the hallway for a while before moving on.
*****
After lightly knocking three or four times, Lola opened the hospital room door and entered.
The patient, Xavier, who had been standing by the window with his arms crossed, nodded his head in greeting.
“Hello, Dr..”
“Hello, Xavier. How are you feeling?”
Xavier didn’t answer right away. His complex gaze, which seemed to be deep in thought, remained fixed on the outside.
Lola approached him without pressing for an answer and stood beside him, quietly looking out at the scenery.
Although the heat hadn’t completely retreated, the mornings and evenings had been cool lately. It wasn’t dark outside yet, but today, with the occasional breeze, it felt quite refreshing.
Perhaps that was why.
There seemed to be quite a few people outside. Some were chatting happily, laughing together, while children burst into giggles.
“Dr., I used to think my life was boring and dull.”
Every day felt like a repetitive cycle, like a squirrel running on a wheel. Xavier, whose living space consisted only of the university and his home, had never once thought deeply about what happiness was.
“But seeing people living so freely makes me think that maybe happiness is something like this.”
“Isn’t it quite suffocating to be here?”
“It’s not like it’s not suffocating.”
A deep sigh escaped Xavier’s lips. Lola nodded, understanding.
“So, I was wondering, Dr.. Is there any chance for outpatient treatment?”
His gaze toward Lola was filled with longing. While empathizing, Lola remained calm and asked the necessary questions for treatment.
“What will you do after you’re discharged?”
“Well, I won’t live like I used to, at least.”
“How did you live before?”
“Every day was boring and dull, I guess? I had a lot of worries and fears, I think.”
Worries.
Fears.
Lola focused on those words that flowed from Xavier’s lips.
It might be the cause of his panic disorder.
“What are you most worried about, and what are you afraid of? Can you tell me more about that?”
Xavier turned his head and gazed at Lola intently.
A moment of silence passed between them.
Lola patiently waited for Xavier’s next words.
“My daughter is as pretty as you, Dr.. She’s even cuter when she smiles.”
What could be the intention behind Xavier saying this?
Was there some hidden story behind it?
Although it was a non sequitur conversation, Lola felt it was an important clue.
“Your daughter must be very lovely.”
“She is lovely.”
In his voice, filled with emotion, one could sense longing, worry, and love for his daughter.
But Lola didn’t reveal her thoughts honestly. She judged that the time spent with the patient was still too short to have established a solid therapeutic relationship.
Lola moved on to another question.
“Do you still remember how you felt the first time you had a seizure?”
“Fear. I was afraid I might die like this.”
“Can you tell me more about what you were thinking at that time?”
For a moment, Xavier clamped his lips shut. His face turned pale as he looked out the window.
“Dr., shall we stop here for today? I’m feeling a bit tired.”
“Alright. Thank you for your hard work.”
Lola didn’t rush.
The patient was not yet ready to confront his inner fears. So, in times like this, she needed to remain calm and not let her heart race.
