Episode 11
970 Words
The examination halls were colder than usual . Silent , sterile , and tense—filled with pages that decided futures and glances that revealed sleepless nights . Karla sat in the third row, her pen moving steadily, but her heart wasn’t entirely in the words she wrote .
She missed him .
The weight of everything was heavier during the silence of exams . There were no lectures to distract her , no glimpses of Christopher’s sideways smile or those rare moments when their eyes locked just long enough to say something without saying anything at all .
Ever since the official exam schedule had kicked in , the original staff had returned to monitor the process—meaning Christopher couldn’t take classes. It was college protocol. Substitute teachers were rotated out. Just like that, he disappeared again .
Only this time , it felt... final .
Karla didn’t expect to hear from him . But three days into the exam week , as she sat cross-legged on her bed , trying and failing to concentrate on revision for OB-GYN , her phone buzzed quietly .
Christopher Hale :
" Hey Karls . How’s the war going ?
Which papers are done ? OB-GYN still left ? "
She froze . The nickname . The casual , familiar way he asked . Her pulse sped up , thumb hovering for a second before she replied .
Karla :
" It’s been exhausting . Done with Peds and Pharma. OB-GYN tomorrow .
I wish you were teaching that one . Missed your lectures . "
Seconds passed . Then minutes .
She tried not to stare at the screen . Tried not to let the aching hope bubble up . He probably had just been being polite . Friendly .
But then —
Christopher Hale :
" Of course it’s tomorrow . Always the grand finale .
You prepared for it ? "
Karla :
" Trying ....
Half my brain is already dead though .
Want to send me cheat codes ? "
Christopher Hale :
" No cheats . Only grind .
And water. And no more scrolling . "
Karla smiled . For the first time in days , it felt natural .
Karla :
" Who said I was scrolling ?
Maybe I just wanted to talk to my favorite professor ? "
She didn’t know where that courage came from . Maybe it was sleep deprivation . Maybe it was bottled-up emotion spilling into the cracks .
Another pause .
Christopher Hale :
" I’m flattered , but flattery doesn’t get you through tomorrow’s paper .
Go study , Karla . "
She frowned at the screen .
Karla :
" But we haven’t talked in days . I’m already taking a break , anyway .
Christopher Hale :
" Then make it a short one .
You’ll thank me when you’re walking out of that hall tomorrow feeling like a boss . "
Karla’s heart dipped . She knew he was right . But that didn’t stop the hollowness inside her .
Karla :
" I just missed this . Talking like this . "
He didn’t reply right away . The typing bubble came and went . Twice .
Finally :
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Christopher Hale :
" Me too .
But focus . Okay ? We’ll talk after you crush the exam . "
Karla stared at the message , rereading it . “ Me too . ”
Two words .
Soft , restrained .
Like he was holding something back—again .
Still , it was enough to light a little hope in her chest .
Karla :
" Deal .
But you better keep your promise . "
Christopher Hale :
" I always keep my promises .
Now go . Text me after your paper . I’ll be waiting . "
That night , Karla studied harder than she thought she could . His words stayed in her head , floating above every line she read .
He hadn’t ghosted her .
He hadn’t forgotten .
He was just... holding back, like always .
But it meant something .
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The next morning , she walked into the OB-GYN paper with renewed confidence . And when the invigilator handed her the question sheet, she smiled .
It was manageable . Not easy—but doable. And that small flicker of belief she’d gotten from Christopher carried her through every page .
Meanwhile , Christopher sat in his tiny apartment , reading over some practice material for his own postgrad exam prep , but his thoughts kept circling back to Karla .
He had tried not to text her . He knew the timing was risky—he wasn’t supposed to cross that line . She was still a student, technically .
But the silence had eaten at him .
She had looked ... distant the last time they spoke . And it wasn’t just the stress of exams .
It was him . He had created this wall . And now , he wasn’t sure how to break it without collapsing everything they’d built .
Still , when she said she missed talking to him , something inside him cracked .
He hadn’t told her, but he missed her more than he should . More than he was proud of .
And when he saw the " Karla is typing ... " bubble again later that evening , he sat up straighter , waiting .
Maybe , just maybe , after the exam storm had passed , there would be a chance to talk honestly . No walls . No masks .
Just Karla . And him .
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- Writer
