The dawn sky was overcast, as if carried a heavy secret in its chest. A light drizzle fell slowly, tapping softly against the glass windows of the emergency ward at Hospital Metro Kuala Lumpur. The sharp smell of antiseptic mixed with the aroma of the cold coffee in Aisyah's hand. At the end of the on-call table, a patient monitor beeped a slow heart rhythm, seemingly mirroring the turmoil of her own heartbeat.
Aisyah stared at the digital clock on the wall — 6:17 AM. She had just finished an emergency caesarean section, but her mind was still racing, not about the patient, but about someone who was talking with the head of department at the end of the corridor: Dr. Sebastian Ariff.
That name alone was enough to make her heart beat out of rhythm. Five years had passed since she last heard that name — in a news report about a patient's death that sparked a major controversy at General Hospital. Back then, Sebastian had disappeared. No one knew where he went, as if swallowed by time.
And now, the man stood before her — calm, mature, but still carrying the same aura: mysterious, cold, and dangerous to her soul.
"Dr. Aisyah," a soft but firm voice from the doorway broke her reverie. Nurse Nina walked in with a file in her hand. "The patient in bed seven is stable. But the new specialist wants to review the medication orders."
Aisyah flinched slightly. "New specialist?" she asked, even though she already knew who it was.
Nina nodded, with a meaningful smile. "Dr. Sebastian. He wants you to join his ward round later. The head of department said he wants to see how we coordinate with the new specialist."
Aisyah only responded with a small nod. But in her chest, a storm was brewing. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.
This is just work, Aisyah. Just work. Don't let the past interfere with your professionalism.
Yet, the moment the ward door opened again and the tall figure of a man in a white coat stepped in, all theories about "professionalism" vanished in the blink of an eye.
Sebastian was still the same as before. His face was slightly gaunt, with dark, piercing eyes — not sharp, but seemingly able to read a person's heart. The slight greying at his temples added a mature aura, making every step he took feel like it carried an unfinished history.
"Dr. Aisyah," his voice was flat, deep, and controlled. "We've worked together before, haven't we?"
The tone seemed to hide something. Aisyah turned slightly, trying to control her heartbeat. "Yes, Doctor. At General Hospital, five years ago."
Sebastian only nodded. No smile, no acknowledgment of nostalgia. But his gaze was enough to send a million feelings that Aisyah herself couldn't decipher.
The morning ward round was tense.
Sebastian gave quick instructions — each case was dissected one by one, every clinical decision questioned with meticulous precision. To the other doctors, his style was firm and professional. But to Aisyah, every question felt like a test of her own past as well.
"Why did you choose that medication for the postpartum anemia case?" Sebastian asked without turning.
"Because the patient's hemoglobin levels were still dropping even after the blood transfusion. I suspected a hidden hemorrhage, so I started tranexamic acid." Aisyah's answer was fluent, but her voice trembled slightly.
Sebastian finally turned, looking at her for a long moment — as if assessing not just the answer, but the courage behind it.
"Good," he said slowly. "Rational. But make sure you monitor renal function. Tranexamic acid isn't without risks."
He walked away, leaving Aisyah with a heartbeat that for some reason felt like she had just finished a marathon.
That afternoon, after the ward round ended, Aisyah sat in the small garden behind the hospital. The rain had stopped, leaving the calming scent of wet earth. In her hand, a paper cup held coffee that was almost cold — her second cup since morning, yet it still couldn't chase away the unease.
"Still like your coffee without sugar?" A voice from behind made her choke slightly.
She turned — Sebastian stood there, leaning against the wall, both hands in the pockets of his white coat.
Aisyah smiled faintly. "The bitter taste is more honest than the deceptive sweet," she answered slowly.
Sebastian let out a small laugh — a rare occurrence. "Still speaking in metaphors, I see?"
Aisyah didn't answer. Her eyes gazed into the distance towards the half-overcast evening sky. "I didn't expect you to return to Malaysia, Doctor."
"Sometimes, we can't run from fate. We just go in circles, but eventually we meet at the same crossroads," Sebastian replied, his tone deep, as if carrying a heavy burden.
Aisyah swallowed. There was something in that tone — something she had heard before, five years ago in the operating room, when a patient named Mariam couldn't be saved. That case haunted them both — because that's where it all began… and ended.
"Do you still remember Mariam?" she finally asked, her voice soft but sharp.
Sebastian looked down. His hand gripped the half-empty coffee cup tightly. "I remember every second," he said. "And I still regret it until now."
Aisyah turned, looking at the man's face — and there, for the first time, she saw a crack in the cold wall that had always surrounded Sebastian. There was an unspoken sadness, and perhaps, a little of the same guilt that she carried.
"That case wasn't entirely your fault," Aisyah said slowly. "We did what we could. But—"
"But I was the one who signed off on the delayed surgery decision," Sebastian cut in softly. "And I was the one who lost everything after that."
Silence. Only the sound of birds returning to their nests and the distant wail of an ambulance in front of the hospital.
Aisyah clenched her own fingers. "Why come back now?"
Sebastian raised his head, their gazes locking. "Because I heard… there's someone who still hasn't forgiven me."
Aisyah's heart stopped for a moment. Her breath caught in her chest.
She wanted to say something — that she had never hated Sebastian, only been disappointed. That she had never truly forgotten the man, only learned to live with the loss. But her tongue was tied.
Sebastian walked closer, his steps calm but sure.
"But that's not the only reason," he continued, his voice slower, almost like a secret. "There's something I left behind back then. Something I need to clarify myself."
Aisyah looked up. "What do you mean, Doctor?"
Sebastian didn't answer. Instead, he pulled something from his pocket — a small silver locket with the engraved letter 'A' in the center. Aisyah started. It was the locket she thought she had lost on the day of Mariam's surgery.
"This…" her voice was almost a whisper.
"I found it again when I was in Geneva," Sebastian said slowly. "And I knew… one day I would have to return it."
Aisyah stared at the locket, then her gaze rose to Sebastian's face. There were thousands of questions she wanted to ask, but time seemed to freeze between them.
Sebastian smiled slightly — not a happy smile, but one filled with regret. "Perhaps there are too many things I've hidden, Aisyah. But I will explain them, one by one."
Aisyah took a breath that felt heavy. "Then… I will wait."
Night fell. Aisyah returned to the on-call room, opening a patient file while trying to calm her thoughts. But every sheet of paper seemed to carry Sebastian's shadow — his voice, his eyes, and the burden of the past they shared.
Her mobile phone vibrated — a message from Nurse Nina:
"Doctor, there's a new patient admitted to the ICU. Head trauma case – patient's name: Mariam Binti Iskandar."
Aisyah's heart stopped beating for a moment.
That name — the same as the patient they failed to save five years ago.
She immediately ran out of the room, rushing down the long corridor towards the ICU. As soon as she arrived, she froze — behind the white curtain, Sebastian was standing by the patient's side, his face pale, his hands trembling slightly.
"Mariam…" he whispered, barely audible.
Aisyah approached slowly. "Doctor, is this a coincidence… or—"
Sebastian looked at her, his gaze dark, full of secrets. "There are no coincidences in this world, Aisyah. Everything that happens… has a reason."
And in that moment, Aisyah knew — whatever secret Sebastian was carrying, it was far bigger than just a painful past.