The Hospital Name
Elsa continued to pick at her food after Ambros shared the news about the hospital being his surprise gift. Seeing her hesitation, Ambros inquired once more, "Is there something else on your mind, dear?"
Elsa posed a question in response, "Would you be completely honest if I did ask?"
Ambros exchanged a brief glance with Chris, who was also observing the situation, before refocusing his attention on Elsa.
"I could step out to give you some privacy," Chris offered, taking note of the expression on Ambros' face.
"No need to leave, Chris. You can stay. My question is quite simple," Elsa reassured Chris before turning to her father. "I'm curious about something, Dad. Why does the hospital have 'Hera' in its name? Mom's name is Katherina Morgan, so where does the 'Hera' come from? Is it her name as well? A nickname, perhaps?"
Elsa casually took a spoonful of vegetables, making it appear as though she was merely asking a straightforward question. However, her true intent was quite different – she sought answers to the weird happenings around her.
Every time she had asked Ambros before, he had skillfully avoided her questions. This time, she decided to change her approach and feign disinterest in uncovering the truth, hoping it might encourage Ambros to open up.
Ambros replied without looking directly at Elsa or Chris as if discussing a random topic. "Oh, it's not really connected to her. 'Hera' represents the goddess of women, and since the future owner is a woman, which is you, I thought of adding it. I knew you would object if I included 'Elsa' in the hospital's name, you would complain that it's embarrassing."
Elsa expressed her disappointment by pressing her lips together tightly. She glanced at Chris, who offered her a faint smile before they all resumed their lunch.
As soon as Elsa finished her meal, she retreated to her room. There, she remembered Nadel and promptly grabbed her phone to dial her number.
Nadel quickly answered her phone when she saw Elsa's name on the screen. [Thank goodness you called! I'm really, really sorry, Elsa. Are you still upset with me?]
"I'm not sure how I feel, but I do forgive you. You're my best friend, after all, and every best friend goes through a major fight at least once in their life, right?" Elsa replied.
[Yes, that's normal. Um... How is your dog?] Nadel asked cautiously.
"Nile is doing fine, back to his usual self, I should say," Elsa responded with a smile, looking at Nile, who tilted his head upon hearing his name.
[Really?] Nadel interjected with a hint of sarcasm, momentarily causing Elsa to frown.
"Yeah. By the way, I called to apologize for my behavior and to let you know that I understand you were only acting in self-defense. I don't want any lingering hard feelings between us before you return to the city."
[Apology accepted. Jai and I are having lunch right now. If you want, we could swing by to say goodbye before we head back. But please don't make me come to your house. I'm still scared of your dogs.] Nadel chuckled awkwardly.
"No, it's okay. You have work tomorrow, and you should use the rest of your day off to relax. Besides, I have some things to take care of here. I'll see you as soon as I'm back in the city. Goodbye."
"That's two taken care of, one left," Elsa whispered to herself before descending to search for Chris.
She discovered him in the backyard, close to the entrance of the woods. He stood there, locked in a stare-off with her four dogs.
Chris shifted his gaze in her direction as she emerged from the door. He glanced once more at her dogs before all four of them bolted into the woods.
"What's happening?" Elsa inquired as Chris approached her.
"I want to find out who entered the shed last night. Ciel and the others will investigate," Chris explained.
Elsa tilted her head, not fully comprehending his words. "My dogs will investigate?"
"Yes, well, after what happened last night, Ciel agreed to let me inform you that I can communicate with them," Chris clarified.
"You can talk to my dogs?" Elsa furrowed her brow, unsure if she had heard Chris correctly.
"Yes. As a werewolf, I can converse with wolves, and in your world, it seems to extend to dogs as well. I informed them about the intruder last night, but they didn't detect anyone, so whoever it was must have been very skilled at concealing their presence."
"Why didn't you check last night? You claimed to be a werewolf prince, a true alpha, strong and all that," Elsa paused, mimicking Chris's deep voice, only to hear him chuckle.
"Give it another try, you sound adorable," he teased.
"No way, you might fall in love with me and never leave my house," Elsa quipped, ready to laugh, but she noticed Chris' expression turning serious.
"You want me to leave, princess?" Chris asked, sounding hurt and sulky.
"Well, what I mean is that I hope you can find what you're looking for. Anyway, I came to find you because I remembered something when I returned to my room. I had a dream last night."
"Is it the same dream?" Chris inquired with curiosity.
"No, it was the first time I've ever had this dream, and it was incredibly vivid. Normally, when I dream about other things, I forget them as soon as I wake up, except for the one in the forest. But this one was different."
Elsa paused for a moment trying to recall the dream, "I saw my mom and me in the woods, a place I had never seen before, and I can't recall ever going there. In the dream, she was in a state of panic, and I was crying. We were running, and when I glanced back, I saw something or someone engulfed in flames."
"You mean a person who was literally burning?" Chris sought clarification.
"Yes, exactly like that," Elsa confirmed.