Doll Figure

Alice breathed out a shallow sigh of relief after the initial surprise startled her but she combined it with a soft laugh. She wished that it was Noah who was the first to greet him as his grandfather roused again, but she would do her best in his stead. "Hello, I'm Alice. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm visiting with Noah."

She wasn't going to lie. It was so awkward, but Alice did her best to try and make everything at ease. It was something that she was going to have to do well and learn over time if she wanted to be good at the job that she wanted to do in the future. Then again, Alice felt that she was versed in such matters.

The older man had his arms in his lap, the various drips in his hands and arms. His eyes were droopy and tired, the medicine still in his system. He had a pale blue blanket covering his lower half, but the smile that the man gave her was genuine in every way. His presence was strong, but his frame delicate, almost seeming as though he would break any moment.

He stretched out his hand toward her, and Alice immediately stood from her seat to take his hand lightly to shake it in greeting. The hand was cold to the touch. It was familiar to her due to Noah's cold body that could still warm her whenever he came too close. She bowed her head formally before he motioned for her to sit back down.

"That's a surprise," the elder man chuckled. "I hope Noah only said nice things."

Alice waved her hands in front of her, knowing that he was teasing them. "Of course. Noah speaks of you often. I'm happy to finally make your acquaintance, Mr. Park."

"Please call me Henry, dear."

Alice nodded to appease his wish. The old man seemed truly content with the new company. "That young boy would stay cooped indoors, not bothering to go out since he was young. I'm happy to see he's brought a visitor."

She paused before slowly nodding. At first, she thought that it wasn't the case, but after thinking it over once more, it made sense that he was holding out despite being surrounded by a lot of different people.

Alice would admit to watching him more often than not after they had spent some time together, and she was able to read him better through his soft body language. 

"He goes outside more often now," Alice joked to lighten the atmosphere of the hospital that was almost veering toward suffocating at times. It was certainly too dark in the corners of the room. She hoped that he didn't feel stuck but enjoyed or rather had a peaceful time. "He's like a sulky cat. Always taking naps."

His grandfather barked out a laugh. "That child is content with simple living." 

Alice smiled. "I agree. Yet, he would sit beside me most days and still feel lonely."

"Noah has always been that way, but he was good at hiding it," Henry said fondly. 

She pressed her lips together as she silently agreed. He didn't seem to have any preferences, but it also likely stemmed from the fact that he didn't know anything. He didn't even know what he liked, and she could tell. Before she thought it might be the fact that he was raised in quite a wealthy family but that wasn't the case.

Everything was new to him. Alice could see it clear on his face with the way his pale eyes lit up in curiosity, a stark change from his blasé expression that she was used to directed at the food she had packed, to the movies that she watched, to the walks they take. It was the random reactions that she saw. And she wanted him to experience it all. In whatever way he wished. 

The old man continued. "He could entertain himself with anything while going on meetings with his parents back then. Ah, it's been a long time since I thought of those times. It was when the company was just starting up and in serious need of a sponsor. I suppose that is a special skill of Noah's. It's his adaptability that shines."

Alice listened carefully as most of the questions she had that were scattered were slowly getting answered. She was slowly getting all the puzzle pieces to see how Noah functioned. It felt a bit like she was intruding into his personal space, but she hoped that he knew that she was coming from a good place rather than before.

"When he was young, he was a doll. Too much like one," Henry said. "Noah was an obedient child, and he still very much is. I wasn't able to see him often due to my son leaving him at a boarding school when he was extremely little. Even as young when he was born, he was in the hands of nannies that were hired by my daughter-in-law."

Alice pressed her lips together. "That's unfortunate."

"That it is. He spends a lot of time on his own from day one and never made a fuss."