Chapter 277 Do You Still Remember Caroline?
"Wipe your tears." Lina gave the order in a very cold tone. "Don't get the medical records dirty."
Alexander immediately used the back of his hand to wipe the tears from his face. But the more he wiped, the more tears came. He couldn't stop them no matter how hard he tried.
"One more thing." Lina's voice rang out again, giving him no room to breathe.
"Stay professional and stable. Your emotions will affect the patient's condition. If you make Hannah's mood worse today, you can't afford the consequences!"
Alexander's hand froze in mid-air.
Lina stared at him, enunciating each word, "You've already caused the deaths of many people. Do you want to cause another one?"
Alexander slowly lowered his hand, forcing himself to keep taking deep breaths, then exhaling bit by bit. After a long time, his emotions barely returned to a controllable range.
He picked up his notebook and began taking notes against Hannah's medical records, writing down what he considered key points one by one.
Alexander actually wasn't sure what he should be recording. He just felt he had to do something to make himself look more professional, and to keep his inner self from continuing to spiral out of control, like being dragged along by a storm.
Lina observed him for a while, then turned back to sit at her own spot.
Hannah arrived in no time.
Lina went out to meet her personally. Alexander stayed in the room, standing by the window, watching the girl at the door through the glass, looking somewhat at a loss.
Hannah was much thinner than in her ID photo. Her blonde hair looked dry and lacked luster, there were obvious dark circles under her eyes, and her face was so pale it was almost bloodless.
After Lina brought Hannah in, Hannah's gaze swept around the room and naturally noticed Alexander.
Alexander's heartbeat suddenly skipped a beat.
He didn't know what expression, what posture, what tone to use when facing her. He worried that as soon as he opened his mouth he would expose his emotions, worried that as soon as he looked up she would see through him, and even more worried that if he loosened up even slightly, those emotions that shouldn't appear here would leak out.
Hannah just glanced at him, then her lips moved slightly, showing a restrained smile.
"Hello. Are you the new assistant? I haven't seen you before."
Alexander's tense shoulders suddenly relaxed, and he could finally exhale a complete breath.
Good, she didn't recognize him.
"Yes." His voice was hoarse.
Worried that his condition was too obvious, he immediately cleared his throat and added, "Hello, Hannah."
Hannah nodded and followed Lina into the consultation room.
Lina sat across from her, her tone gentle, "How have you been lately? Are you sleeping well?"
Hannah lowered her head, stayed silent for a while, then shook her head.
"Not very well. I still can't sleep. Sometimes when I finally fall asleep, I have nightmares. When I wake up I don't remember what I dreamed about, I just know I was very scared, so scared I don't dare to sleep again."
Lina nodded and made a few notes in her book.
"Are you still taking your medication on time?"
"Yes." Hannah paused, as if looking for the right words.
"But I feel like it's not really helping. I'm still the same. Sometimes I feel a bit better, then a few days later I fall back down. It feels like riding a roller coaster, up and down, and I'm very tired."
Lina didn't press further, just looked at her with a steady gaze.
"Hannah, do you remember Dr. Caroline Neville?"
Alexander's pen tip stopped.
Hannah's body also stiffened. Her fingers holding the cup tightened, her knuckles turning white.
"I remember." She nodded lightly, "Of course I remember."
When she raised her head, her eyes were already red.
"She was the best doctor I've ever met. She never interrupted me, and never rushed to give me advice. She never made me feel like I was just a case file. She would listen to me, listen to me say those confused, embarrassing things that even I felt ashamed of, and then tell me, it's okay, these are common reactions, I'm not alone."
Hannah's voice began to tighten.
"Then she suddenly disappeared. I didn't know what happened, no one told me. I called her, couldn't get through. I emailed her, no reply either."
Her fingers rubbed back and forth on the cup wall, round and round, as if trying to suppress her emotions.
"I thought I did something wrong. I thought she didn't want to see me anymore." Hannah's voice was very low, finally unable to control her choking.
"I was sad for a long time. That kind of sadness was even harder than the illness itself."
Alexander's pen dragged a very long line across the paper.
He kept his head down, his eyes heating up again. He bit down hard on his jaw, barely pushing back the tears that were about to rush out.
Lina gently pushed the tissue box toward Hannah.
Hannah pulled out a tissue and pressed it against her eyes.
"I'm sorry." After a long time, she barely composed herself, "I shouldn't have said all this. It was a long time ago."
"It's okay." Lina's voice was softer, "Talking about it will make you feel a bit better."
Hannah sniffled, clutching the used tissue in her hand, then unconsciously tucking it into her sleeve.
"I'm much better today, really. After talking to you about this, I feel a bit lighter."
Lina nodded, then gently held Hannah's hand, giving her a steady pause.
"Dr. Neville didn't abandon you." Lina said, "She got sick. She was always very worried about your situation, but she had no way to come back to be with you."
"Really?" Hannah looked up at Lina, "Dr. Neville... really didn't think I was too much trouble?"
"Of course not." Lina smiled, "It's just that before, due to privacy and logistical reasons, I couldn't explain too much to you. Before Dr. Neville left the clinic, she handed over all your information to me and asked me to continue your treatment. You can trust me the same way you trusted her."
Lina told a protective lie—she didn't tell Hannah that Caroline had long since passed away.
Hannah was just an ordinary high school student. She didn't understand the complex privacy arrangements and social relationships in the adult world, so she easily accepted Lina's explanation.
"Will I still have a chance to see Dr. Neville?"
"Not for now." Lina shook her head, her tone still gentle, "She values her dignity and doesn't want others to see her vulnerable side. You can understand that, right?"
Hannah nodded, "I understand."
Lina didn't continue this topic. She asked a few more questions about recent developments, and Hannah answered them one by one.
This time Hannah's condition was a bit better than before. After confirming that she hadn't been abandoned by Caroline, the burden in her heart was clearly lighter.
Soon, today's session ended.
Hannah stood up and sincerely thanked Lina, "Thank you."
She then turned to Alexander, her lips curving slightly, "Thank you too, Sir."
Alexander gripped the pen in his hand tightly, trying hard to make his expression look natural, "You're welcome, Hannah. Be safe on your way home."