Azalea followed the man into his office, limping slightly as the pain in her foot intensified. Once inside, she took a seat and watched as he pulled out a box. The pain was getting worse now that she was paying attention to it, but she tried to hide it as best as she could.
"You shouldn't leave bruises like that. Sometimes they get worse when you keep treating them harshly," he said, crouching beside her foot.
Azalea felt a sudden, weird sensation in her chest, making her feel slightly weird. She took a deep breath and looked across the room to his desk, where his name was engraved on a glass plate. "Atlas Mercury," she muttered as she read the name, not realizing that she was saying it out loud.
Atlas's ears perked up as he looked at her with a mesmerized expression, just like the one he gave her in the hallway. "Yeah, that's my name," he said in a soft tone.
"Oh!" Azalea realized that she had spoken out loud, and her face flushed with embarrassment. She pulled her foot backward and clenched her teeth, her eyes pinched slightly. "I was just reading the nameplate."
Atlas chuckled and looked down at her foot. "Mind lifting your foot?" He didn't touch her foot as he had noticed her sudden aversion to his touch in the hallway. Though she did it habitually, one could tell if someone was uncomfortable with being touched. Azalea's gaze was offended, and she pursed her lips before nodding. She lifted her foot, and Atlas held her heel with the help of a small towel, blocking his skin from touching hers. His well-thought-out actions made Azalea feel calm on the inside.
"It seems like your foot got crushed by something," he muttered, then sprayed her foot to numb the pain.
"I don't know how that happened… it must be when I hurried to the hospital yesterday," she said, pondering.
"Hm…" he nodded and started to wrap her foot in a white bandage, carefully keeping his fingers away from her skin. "Here! It's all done." He smiled and got on his feet before giving a final glance to her foot.
"Make sure to put ointment on it twice a day. It will be better in a few days," he said, looking at her with a reassuring smile.
"Thank you so much," Azalea replied, feeling grateful for his help.
"No problem," he said, sitting on the edge of the desk and placing his hands on it while giving her a friendly look. "Now that you have become my patient, do you mind telling me your name?"
Azalea chuckled and looked down, feeling a bit shy. She had a short laugh that made her hair fall across her cheek, and she neatly tucked it behind her ear before nodding. "I am Azalea Phoenix. Nice meeting you."
Atlas lifted a brow and looked at her with a tilted head. "That is the most beautiful name I have ever heard," he looked up into her eyes ans spoke with an awe-filled voice. Azalea's chest made a leap as their gaze met and she felt as if her muscles were frozen in the spot. For a second, she realized that she did have a heart inside her.
"Hah!" She gave out a breathy chuckle. "That caught me off guard." She looked down at her hand and smiled.
Atlas was about to say something when the door to his office opened, and a nurse came in with a stiff expression. "Doctor, the patient in room 212 is throwing a tantrum. We need you there," she urged him.
Azalea's ears perked up as she looked in the nurse's direction. "Did you say 212?" she asked,
"You know her?" Atlas turned to look at Azalea with surprise, his eyes widening as he waited for her response. Azalea simply nodded, a gentle smile blossoming on her face. The way she smiled made Atlas feel numb, as though he were experiencing a sudden rush of emotions all at once. Azalea noticed his change in expression but didn't think much of it.
"She is my daughter," Azalea stated, her smile growing wider as she spoke. Atlas couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment or heartbreak at the mention of Azalea's daughter, causing his gaze to fall to his hands. After a few seconds of uncomfortable silence, he lifted his head and smiled once again.
"Then I will have to excuse myself," he said. "You can check on your daughter after we have run tests on her to check for any abnormalities." Azalea nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, go ahead," she replied, reaching into her bag and hurriedly pulling out a business card. "Could you brief me on her condition once in a while? I will not be around here, so..." She gave Atlas a soft look that seemed to bewitch him once again. For a moment, he stood there with a dumbstruck expression, only snapping out of it when a nurse cleared her throat. He took the card from Azalea's hand and nodded, tucking it into his pocket before heading out. Azalea pursed her lips, giving him a wholesome smile as she watched him disappear behind the door.
"Such a kind man," she hummed to herself, her cheeks flushing red as she spoke. Her gaze dropped down to her foot, which was neatly wrapped. A warm feeling filled her as she moved her foot around happily, smiling delusionally. However, her phone suddenly rang, causing her to pause abruptly and her expression to stiffen once more. The sudden change was a wake-up call for her, giving her heart a harsh jolt. Her hand shook violently as she took a deep, involuntary breath, taking out her phone from her pocket and looking at the caller before answering it.
"I will be there by tonight. Just fix the paperwork, and I will sign it as soon as I get there," Azalea said in a bossy voice, not letting the other person speak. "Okay, Madam, have a safe trip," the man on the other side replied before ending the call instantly. Azalea put her phone back into her bag and zipped it up before heading out of the room with a normal walk, as if the pain had completely vanished from her foot in a matter of seconds.