Leaning against the cool wooden door behind her, Dr. Angela Ziegler exhaled a shallow breath. Wiping the sweat that pooled on her forehead, making her blonde hair stick to her face, she was only mildly aware of the blood that mixed in with the movement from her gloves.

The brightness of the lights that illuminated the hallway, the stench of disinfectant, the constant machine beeping, it all blended together and threatened to cause the newly graduated surgeon to topple over right then and there, but she endured. Taking in a deep breath from behind the face mask she wore covering her mouth, Dr. Zeigler slowly pushed off the door and tried not to think about the failure she had committed behind it.

As the young doctor walked away from the room, her body felt fatigued and sore. She could feel the tears pooling behind her dull blue eyes but she blinked them away. Of course she had seen death before on the operating table but never before while she was head surgeon during it. Her first real surgery hadn't quite gone the way she had hoped. It was just supposed to be a simple procedure but…

"The family."

The words just fell out of her mouth as she rounded a corner in the hospital's hallway and spotted multiple people. Standing, sitting, leaning, and whispering, they all had one thing in common that alerted Angela to what she was dreading.

They all looked restless and scared.

Quickly moving back around the corner before she was seen, the young blonde doctor cursed herself for being a coward. She knew she'd eventually have to inform them of the new death in their family but… she just couldn't right now. Of course she could tell one of the nurses to do it but it was a reality she'd have to do herself. She just needed… time.

"Coffee first." She mumbled to herself, feeling as if she were in a daze. "I- I'll do it after a cup of coffee."

The bitter drink always soothed Angela in her darkest times. She always had a cup by her side during her studies back in the day and now she could really use one now. It was almost like a drug to her. Surely it'd calm her down before she had to face the music.

Keeping her head down as she passed a few nurses, she was successful in avoiding any and all small talk. She knew the other hospital workers probably had an idea of what had happened by the look on her face and the slouch in her posture as she slowly shuffled towards one of the many break rooms.

Pushing past the door and doing a quick glance over the small room, the Swiss doctor found a small comfort in seeing no one else here. Being close to one in the morning as well probably helped out just a bit, she mused, looking over at the clock on the wall.

Finally unstrapping the surgical mask that was over her nose and mouth, Angela threw the white cloth in the trash bin before peeling the slightly bloody gloves off her hands as well, dropping them in the garbage as well.

Grabbing some hand sanitizer off the wall, she quickly wiped her hands with purpose before quickly moving to the coveted coffee maker. Taking a moment to inspect it, Angela took her time putting in a new filter, grabbing water from the sink, and putting in the blend she liked the most from the cabinet.

Once it was all in, she hit the button and waited for the drink to brew. Just as she was about to sit on one of the chairs in the room however, her own image caught her sight in the mirror on the wall. Stopping and taking a long look at herself, she felt a shiver travel down her spine. She noted the intense bags under her eyes, her disheveled hair, her skin looked almost clammy from stress, and her lab coat was dirty and wrinkled. She honestly looked awful.

After tonight, maybe I'll finally go home and shower.

She'd been at the hospital for almost a day and a half, bouncing around like crazy. It was a busy week for sure. But after that last… surgery, she didn't really have anything planned. Not like she wanted to do anything anyway. She just wanted to curl up under her blanket at home in her apartment and cry.

Sighing to herself sadly, just as she was about to turn away from the mirror, something quick and small caught her eye. Nearly jumping out of fright, Dr. Zeigler turned around quicker than she thought possible and saw a small child looking back at her near the corner of the room. Dressed in a pink and blue jacket with pink shorts and sneakers, she couldn't be more than six years old. With large brown eyes that twinkled curiously and long brown hair that flowed close to her back, the small girl regarded Angela with a bright smile. Though the most curious thing was the four pink marks that lined her cheeks, two on each one. It looked almost like the girl smeared lipstick on her cheeks in some kind of design.

"Hi!"

It took a moment for the nervous doctor to register that that girl had said something before she quickly mumbled out a quick hello.

Curiosity quickly beset the doctor as she wondered how the child even got in here, but she was too tired to really even care. It wouldn't be the first time patients or family had walked into the breakroom before. She figured the girl got bored and wondered around while her parents weren't looking.

"Are you a real doctor?" The small girl asked, taking a couple of steps towards where Angela still stood by the counter.

Almost feeling a sad smile forming on her lips, the blonde woman nodded slowly, turning away from the girl's bright smile. Almost as if she were ashamed.

"Not a very good one, but yes." Angela replied with a sad chuckle. "I'm a real doctor."

Noticing the girl taking more steps towards her, the doctor shuffled nervously before meeting the girl's curious eyes again, though this time they were scrunched up in worry as she tilted her head, the long brown hair flowing over her tiny shoulders.

"Why aren't you a good one?" She asked, genuine curiosity evident in her tone.

Not wanting to confide her latest failure and cause of something akin to depression to a child, Angela did her best and gave the tiny girl a fake smile, instead brushing her hand against the girl's head, slightly ruffling her hair.

"Well, I'm still new so I'm learning still." Angela instead replied.

She watched the girl's smile widen from the slight head pat and felt a small comfort in it now.

"My mom does that too!" She giggled out, her cheeks puffing out with laughter.

Angela raised an eyebrow before ruffling the girl's head a second more before taking her hand away. She'd be lying if she said she didn't feel a little better from the gesture but in the corner of her eye she glanced at the coffee maker, noticing that it still wasn't ready.

"Oh yeah?" The blonde asked. "Well, I don't blame her, you have very beautiful hair." She finished with a more genuine smile, feeling the girl's infectious happiness rubbing off on her.

Giddy from the compliment, the girl only laughed more before a loud beep resounded in the room, alerting Angela that her salvation drink was finally ready.

Quickly grabbing a paper cup from the drawer, she filled the black liquid in it, not even bothering in putting milk or sugar in it, instead relishing the thought of the extreme bitter taste snapping at her tastebuds to mentally prepare herself.

"Is that cawfee?" The tiny voice asked, pronouncing the word a little odd, but adorably. "Mom says I can't have any until I'm older but it smells weird. I don't think I'll ever ever drink it!" She announced, crossing her arms in defiance as she hopped onto one of the chairs, swinging her legs slowly.

Risking a quick glance at the clock, Dr. Ziegler chuckled into the cup as she took a seat across the small girl, taking a small sip, gulping down the heated drink without missing a beat.

"You shouldn't be so quick to judge things." She answered the child. "You might end up liking it when you're older."

When the girl said nothing, instead looking at her legs that were swinging silently in the chair, Angela decided to speak up once more, not enjoying the silence in the room. It reminded her of what she still needed to do.

"What's your name? Mine is Angela."

She watched the girl as she looked back up at her, a flash of a smile once present again on her face.

"Mine's Hana!" She replied, almost happy from the attention again. "Nice to meet you Angela!"

Smirking from the politeness, Angela reached a hand over the table, wrapping it around the girl's small one when she reached for the handshake as well.

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Hana."

Releasing each other's hands, Angela took another quiet sip from her still steaming coffee. Her eyes were once again drawn to Hana's cheeks, the lipstick smears causing the older woman to chuckle a bit.

"Hana, what is that on your cheeks?"

Hana's eyes never left Angela's, though her smile wilted a bit again as she answered the question.

"It's warpaint!" She answered, almost as it was obvious. "I told my mom that I'd help her get better by fighting the bad stuff making her sick."

Angela mulled it over a bit before nodding her head. "I'm sure she appreciated that a lot."

Hana nodded her head as well, almost sagely.

"It made her giggle!" Though Hana's smile completely faded. "That was earlier this morning, I haven't seen her since then."

Swirling the coffee in her cup Angela was unsure of what to say. Quite frankly she was amazed she even held a conversation this long with a child. She never was good with kids, though Hana seemed to be as good a distraction as any. Though the doctor did feel a cold shiver travel down her spine.

It couldn't be.

"Hana, dear, what's your las-"

Though before Angela could finish her sentence, the break room door suddenly opened causing both girls to look towards the unexpected guest.

"Hana!"

An asian man, at least a head shorter than Angela entered. Looking as miserable as Angela felt, she could instantly see the resemblance between the two. From the eyes to the hair.

"Daddy!" Hana cried out, a small smile reformed as she jumped from the chair and hugged the man.

Though at first he wore a small frown, the moment his daughter hugged him his face turned into a sad smile. Though as Angela watched the small reunion, Hana perked up as she pulled away, pointing a finger in her direction.

"Daddy, this is my new friend, Angela!" She announced, causing Angela to swallow a lump forming in her throat as she gave a small nod to the man.

Fatigued brown eyes met hers as Hana's father returned the nod, still holding onto his daughter's shoulders. The young doctor watched as the man looked at her up and down before his eyes rested on her nametag on her chest.

"Dr. Ziegler?" He asked, finally bringing his eyes up to meet hers. "T- The nurses said you were going to meet us!"

Feeling her eyes widen, all the air in Angela's lungs vanished in an instant. She… had a feeling. All this time as she hid away in the breakroom… She just knew.

There was no hiding.

Flashing her eyes down to Hana's as the girl wore a slightly confused look, her eyes bouncing between her father's and the blonde's, Dr. Ziegler swallowed nervously, fidgeting with the cup in her hands.

"Ah, y- yes um." She blabbered, instead opting to stand up from her seat, nearly knocking it over clumsily. "I was coming to meet you after t- the surgery."

Her eyes couldn't leave Hana's as she spoke. The room felt hotter suddenly, almost as if she was wearing too many layers. Her vision blurred a bit at the edges, her only focus was on the hopeful eyes of the small girl who regarded her with curiosity.

Sweat trickled down her forehead. Her stomach threatened to empty the coffee she had just drank. She knew this time would come but she still wasn't ready. She still wanted to hide.

There was nothing else I could've done.

We… I tried.

I couldn't save her.

I couldn't save your mom Hana.

Please… forgive me.

Licking her lips, Angela took in a deep breath and spoke...