Chol didn't wait for her response.
He had started walking down the theatre corridor with that same calm confidence, his hands tucked casually into his scrub pockets, shoulders relaxed, steps steady and sure. It was almost irritating how unbothered he looked, like he wasn't carrying the whole weight of the hospital on his back.
Ziana followed behind with her bag. She told herself it wasn't anything. It was just a lift. Nothing more.
Sarah appeared from the changing room door at the same time, tying her scarf around her neck as she walked out. Sarah was one of the theatre nurses Ziana met when she came back, the kind who always looked neat and always had gossip ready, even in emergencies.
"Ziana!" Sarah called, her voice bright. "You're leaving now?"
Ziana smiled, relieved to see a familiar face. "Yeah. I'm tired."
Sarah walked closer and looked her up and down. "You still look like you just came for orientation. Your face is too smooth. I hate you."
Ziana chuckled. "Stop it."
Before Ziana could say anything else, Chol's voice cut through their conversation, deep and calm.
"You're both leaving?" he asked.
Sarah blinked and turned quickly. "Yes, doctor."
Chol nodded once. "Good. I'll drop you."
Sarah's eyes widened slightly, like she didn't expect that offer, but she didn't refuse. Nobody refused Dr Chol when he spoke like that.
"Thank you," Sarah said quickly.
Chol didn't respond. He simply continued walking, already moving ahead of them, his steps measured, his back straight, like he was leading soldiers instead of two tired women leaving a hospital.
Ziana and Sarah followed behind.
At first, Ziana was focused on the corridor, on her bag strap, on the tired ache settling in her shoulders. But then her eyes lifted, and she caught herself watching him. Watching the way his shoulders moved slightly with each step, the way his head stayed steady, the way his whole body carried confidence without effort. Even from the back, he looked like someone who knew exactly who he was.
Without realizing it, Ziana's steps started syncing with his.
She didn't notice until Sarah nudged her slightly.
"You're walking like him," Sarah whispered, amused.
Ziana's heart jumped.
"What?" she whispered back.
Sarah grinned. "Look at you. Same pace, same style. Eh, Ziana, you're not even trying to hide."
Ziana glared at her. "Sarah, shut up."
Sarah laughed quietly, but she didn't push further. She just kept walking, her smile still playing on her lips like she had already seen something interesting.
Outside, the air was cooler. The hospital compound was dimly lit, with only a few lights near the parking area and security gate. It was late enough that the crowds had thinned, but not late enough for Avalon to ever truly sleep. Ambulance sirens could still be heard in the distance, and the occasional shout from a patient's relative floated through the night air.
Chol walked ahead of them without looking back, he reached a black car and clicked the button on his keys. The lights flashed once, the car unlocking with a soft beep.
Sarah sucked her teeth. "Of course."
Ziana glanced at her. "Of course what?"
Sarah leaned closer. "Of course Dr Chol drives a car like this. These surgeons are not suffering like us."
Ziana didn't reply. She was too busy watching Chol open the driver's door, slide in smoothly, and adjust his seat like he had done it a thousand times. Everything about him looked controlled. Even the way he sat behind the wheel looked like he was about to perform surgery again.
He leaned over and unlocked the back doors.
"Get in," he said.
Sarah entered first, slipping into the back seat like she belonged there. Ziana followed, settling beside her. The leather seat was cool against her skin, and the inside of the car smelled clean—like antiseptic mixed with expensive cologne and something warm, like vanilla.
The door closed behind them.
For a moment, there was silence.
Ziana adjusted her bag on her lap, her fingers playing with the strap. Sarah sat comfortably beside her, already relaxed, as if she had decided this was normal.
Chol started the engine.
The car came alive with a soft hum.
He didn't play music this time.
No Afrobeats.
No jokes.
Just silence.
Ziana expected him to speak, to tease again, to say something like he did. But he didn't. He simply reversed out smoothly, then drove forward, heading toward the gate.
The security guard opened for them quickly.
And then they were on the road.
At first, it was fine. The road outside Avalon was familiar, rough in some places, smoother in others. The street lights were scattered, and the night air felt heavy. Ziana leaned her head back slightly, staring through the window, watching the city pass by like a blur of shadows and lights.
Then Chol accelerated.
Not slowly.
Not carefully.
He accelerated like the road belonged to him.
The car surged forward, swallowing distance in seconds. He overtook a taxi, then another car, then another. The speed was smooth but aggressive, like he was chasing something.
Ziana's stomach tightened.
Her fingers gripped her bag strap.
The car sped past a boda boda, then swerved slightly around a pothole without slowing down. Chol's hands were steady on the steering wheel, his eyes forward, calm and focused like he was doing the easiest thing in the world.
Ziana swallowed hard.
She wanted to speak.
She wanted to tell him to slow down.
But her mouth refused.
Because she didn't want to look weak.
She didn't want to sound like she was scared.
And she definitely didn't want Sarah laughing at her.
So she stayed quiet.
But her eyes… her eyes betrayed her.
She kept glancing at him through the rear-view mirror.
At his face.
At his jaw.
At the way his eyes stayed sharp even in the dark.
He looked like the kind of man who enjoyed control. Not loud control. Not dramatic control. The quiet kind. The kind you only noticed when you realized you were already following him without questioning.
Ziana's heartbeat picked up again when he overtook another car sharply, rushing past it like it was standing still.
She inhaled slowly, forcing her breathing to stay calm.
Sarah, on the other hand, was unbothered. She leaned back, scrolling on her phone, acting like this was a normal evening ride.
Ziana wondered if Sarah was fearless… or just used to men like Chol.
The car kept moving fast, the road lights flashing over their faces in quick streaks. Every time Chol swerved slightly or accelerated, Ziana's body tensed without permission. Her nails dug lightly into her palm, and she kept swallowing like her throat was dry.
She couldn't even blame him completely.
He drove the way he operated.
Fast.
Precise.
Confident.
Like mistakes weren't allowed.
And that was the scary part.
Because if Chol made a mistake at this speed…
They were all finished.
The silence inside the car grew heavier, broken only by the sound of the engine and the tires hitting the road. Chol didn't speak. Sarah didn't speak. And Ziana didn't speak.
But her eyes kept watching him through the mirror.
At some point, Chol's gaze flickered upward.
Straight into the rear-view mirror.
Straight into her eyes.
Ziana froze.
Her heart jumped like it had been caught doing something illegal.
For a second, their eyes locked through the mirror. His expression didn't change, but the corner of his mouth lifted slightly, like he knew exactly what she had been doing the whole time.
Ziana quickly looked away, pretending she was staring out the window.
Sarah didn't notice.
Or maybe she noticed and didn't care.
The car slowed slightly as they reached the drop-off point. Chol pulled to the side of the road, stopping smoothly.
Sarah leaned forward. "Doctor, this is my place."
Chol nodded once. "Okay."
Sarah opened the door, then paused and smiled brightly. "Thank you, Dr Chol. You've saved me from boda bodas tonight."
Chol replied without looking at her. "Go well."
Sarah laughed softly and they both stepped out, closing the door behind.
Chol drove past immediately as if he was rushing to pick up something. Ziana watched him go past, she wanted to speak. She wanted to tell him to slow down. She wanted to tell him she didn't like this reckless driving but then again they just met.
But her pride held her hostage.
She told herself she could endure it.
Her heart slammed hard against her ribs, fear finally breaking through her stubbornness.
She inhaled, then spoke, voice low but firm.
"Dr Chol, the man that you are."