Mira lay still, the blanket pulled to her chest, the hospital lights dimmed above. The steady beeping of the machines beside her became the only rhythm in the room. It should have felt clinical. Cold. But to her, it sounded like something familiar.
And then, as her eyes closed, time slipped backward.
She was no longer an adult burdened by secrets and grief. She was ten again.
The hospital corridors were longer back then, wider too, filled with the magic and joy only a child could see. Mira's small feet tapped against the polished floor as she tried to keep up with the tall figure beside her.
Her father.
Dr. Han Yoon.
In his white coat and black tie, he looked like a hero. He held her hand gently, but firmly, always protecting.
"Stay close, Mira ," he said as they passed by nurses and patients.
"yes, I am," she replied, holding his hand tighter and puffing her cheeks in mock seriousness.
The nurses beamed when they saw her.
"There's our little intern!, with smiley face " one of them teased, handing her a paper flower.
"Reporting for duty, ma'am " Mira said proudly, placing the flower in the pocket of her tiny doctor coat.
Her father chuckled softly. "What did I say about charming my co-workers?"
"That it's effective?" she replied with an innocent blink.
He laughed. "You're dangerous, Mira"
Together, they walked into the child's wing. The walls were painted with rainbows and smiling animals. Mira loved it here sometimes more than home. She'd pass out little cartoon stickers to the other children, and listen to their stories, even share her snacks.
The staff had grown used to her presence. To them, she was more than the doctor's daughter. She was a ray of warmth.
Sometimes, when her father had night shifts, he'd let her nap on the small sofa in his office. She would curl up in a blanket that smelled faintly of coffee and antiseptic and fall asleep to the sound of clicking pens, and her father's calm voice.
But her favourite moments were not the fancy ones, But,,,,
Like when they sat in the hospital garden during breaks,,,,
Or when he'd stop by the gift shop and secretly buy her a lollipop.
He never shouted. Never scolded her, He had infinite patience with her. And in her eyes, he was perfect.
"I want to be like you when I grow up," she had told him once while swinging her legs on the bench outside his office.
Her father turned toward her.
"Me?"
She nodded. "You help people. You make them feel safe. And everyone listens when you talk, and everyone likes you "
He paused for a second.
"You'll be better than me," he said finally. "Smarter. Kinder. Stronger. Beautiful "
"No, I am going to be just like you," she insisted.
He pulled her close, kissed the top of her head, and whispered, "Mira, that's the best compliment I've ever received."
She never forgot that day.
Those memories fainted away,
Mira opened her eyes to the present the sterile hospital room, the slight ache in her skull.
This hospital wasn't like that place anymore.
She wasn't a curious girl in a lab coat dreaming of saving the world.
She was broken.
But the memory, soft and warm, reminded her of who she once was. And maybe, who she can be.
A gentle knock on the door.
The door opened, and Ares stepped in. Quietly. His eyes immediately found hers.
"You were smiling, Mira" he said.
Mira blinked. "Was I?"
"Just a little." He replied calmly.
"Not a dream," she murmured, her voice too light and too soft. "A memory."
Ares didn't speak. He walked over, took the chair beside her bed, and sat down without a word.
Didn't ask.
And for the first time in a long while, Mira felt a bit of peace.
The hospital hadn't taken everything.
Her father's love was still there,,,,
And the memories of him,