He was very perceptive. Callie propped herself against the table behind her, putting some distance between them, feeling a bit uncomfortable.
“There’s been some stuff at home, but it’s all sorted now. You know, the usual problems.” She forced a smile, trying to brush it off.
Tobias could see the exhaustion on her face. “You’ve been really tired lately.”
It wasn’t a question; it was a statement.
“Tobias, aren’t you a physician? How come you sound like a psychologist, reading me so well?” Callie half-joked, trying to lighten the mood.
Tobias tossed the orange peel into the trash. “Well then, let this psychologist guess. Is it life, work, or money that’s wearing you out?”
“Pretty much all of the above.” Callie gave a helpless smile. “It’s everything. I just have nowhere else to turn, and it’s frustrating.”
“Callie, if you’re really that tired, maybe it’s time to cut yourself some slack. You don’t have to carry all this on your own.”
Listening to his gentle coaxing, Callie didn’t quite grasp his meaning. “If I don’t handle it, who will? You know, there’s almost no one I can count on.”
“Who says you don’t?” Tobias spoke quickly, almost instinctively.
Callie looked puzzled.
“I mean, you got me. I can help take care of your father.” Tobias cleared his throat, slowing his speech, afraid of scaring her.
Callie seemed to understand somewhat, just as she was about to respond, the head nurse walked in. She seemed surprised to see Tobias there. “I haven’t thought Dr. Tobias would be here.”
Tobias stepped aside upon hearing this.
“Callie, come sign this form. Haven’t seen you in a while.” She handed Callie a document.
It was a medication consent form. Callie had signed countless of these over the past three years and was quite familiar with the head nurse.
“Sorry, I’ve been busy lately.”
“It’s okay. Dr. Tobias is here.” The head nurse gave a teasing look between the two of them.
Callie didn’t think much of it and quickly responded, “Yeah, without Dr. Tobias, I wouldn’t know what to do. I’m really grateful for his help.”
The head nurse was about to say more, but seeing Tobias’s displeased expression, she stopped.
Callie chatted with her for a bit. At that moment, her phone rang. She glanced at it, apologized to the two, and stepped out to answer, “Hello?”
Inside the room, the head nurse patted Tobias on the shoulder. “Well, you still have a long way to go.”
Tobias smiled softly, watching Callie’s figure through the door. “No rush, I’ll take my time.”
It was an unfamiliar number.
“Callie, it’s Ximena!” came a female voice on the other end.
“I figured. I saw the area code and guessed it was you.”
Ximena hadn’t contacted Callie for a long time. Now, calling her out of the blue probably meant she had settled down in another city.
“I told my parents I’m on a business trip for a while. They didn’t ask much, and it seems like Joaquin hasn’t bothered them. Callie, is it that Mr. Oconnor helping out behind the scenes?”
Callie paused, “Yeah… it’s him.” Not much to do with her, though.
Ximena started pouring out her gratitude, telling Callie she was doing well in another city and that Joaquin hadn’t found her. “I’m just worried about you. Joaquin hasn’t been troubling you, has he?”
Not really, thanks to Nelson. But it was odd that she hadn’t seen Joaquin around these days. It was like he had vanished from Ylosea.
“No, he hasn’t.”
“That’s good.” Ximena said a few more things before hanging up.