The next day, Chase checked out of the hotel and moved into the hospital-provided housing. During his shift, he overheard a conversation about Wendy and Henry.

“Ms. Quinn and Mr. Henry really have something special. Did you see those old news articles?”

“Yeah, I did. They were childhood sweethearts, supposed to be together, but their families pulled them apart. Honestly, it’s like a romance novel! But… wasn’t Ms. Quinn married?”

“So what if she was? Mr. Henry was too! They even have a kid, but… they must be divorced now. Otherwise, how would they be back together?”

“Breaking up, marrying others, and still ending up together? That’s some drama. But Mr. Henry really does look gentle. Ms. Quinn too.”

Chase stood frozen, until his roommate returned with water. “Chase, what’s up?”

Snapping out of it, Chase shook his head. His roommate, holding a kettle, said, “Come on in. I just boiled some water.” Chase’s movements were stiff as he accepted a cup. “Those nurses just got off shift. The hospital just got sponsorship from Quinn Group, so they’re curious about Ms. Quinn.”

Quinn Group? Chase slowly turned. “Quinn Group? Wendy?”

His roommate, still gaming, replied, “Yeah. You heard about it too? They donated two hundred million in medical equipment. Talk about generous!”

Chase calmed down, sipping his water. He was leaving when his roommate said, “Oh right, you’re scrubbing in on tomorrow’s surgery with the professor. He said you have really steady hands. He left the files in the office—you should go get them.”

Their dorms were behind the hospital. Chase, wanting to see Wendy in love—something she’d never shown him in their five years together—threw on his coat. He entered the hospital through the back, retrieved the files, and wandered aimlessly. The nurses recognized him; he was a high-profile intern assisting in surgeries from day one.

“Dr. Chase, what brings you in? Covering a shift?” a nurse greeted him.

Hesitating, Chase replied, “I’m here for a case file. There’s a little girl named Joy; I think it’s bronchitis. Is she still on IV?”

The nurse paused, giving him a knowing look. “So you’ve heard too, Dr. Chase? That little girl is supposedly Ms. Wendy’s daughter. Quinn Group’s investing in our hospital, flooding us with equipment. They’re in Room 512. Rich folks; a tiny fever, and she gets a private room. Probably done in another thirty minutes.”

“Thanks.”

Room 512 was nearby. Wendy and Henry sat outside, close together on a bench, the atmosphere intimate. Wendy pressed something into Henry’s hand. He looked flustered and tried to return it. “No, really. Joy and I are already putting you out. I can’t take your car on top of that.”

Chase let out a bitter laugh. She was giving her first love a car. Different people, different fates. Chase rarely left home; two years into their marriage, Mandy, his mother-in-law, had gifted him a car. Wendy had been furious, accusing him of taking her family's money. She shoved a card into his pocket, telling him to stop asking her mother for money.