The sound of pen scribbling on paper echoed through the small room, almost blending into the stillness of the night.

The disinfectant's scent clinging to the lab coat hanging neatly on the rack mingled with the smell of black ink, creating a distinctive aroma for the old room.

At its center, the yellow light coming from the table lamp served as the only source of light. As usual, Adrian again busied himself with patient records. Facing the risk of the hospital being dissolved soon, his daily workload was even more overwhelming than usual.

Accompanying the young Border Collie was only the ticking sound from the wall clock, occasionally punctuated by the rustling of branches outside the window, sometimes gently caressing the windowpane.

Suddenly, three soft knocks on his office door made Adrian almost drop the pen in his hand. Taking some time to regain himself, Adrian finally spoke up. He tried his best not to show the upcoming guest any sign that he had just been startled.

"Please come on in, the door's not locked."

Appearing from the doorframe, a middle-aged wolf slowly stepped inside. A quiet, relieved sigh escaped from the young dog as he recognized the familiar figure.

"Burning the midnight oil, I see?" the wolf spoke up, slowly making her way closer to Adrian's office desk. A few boxes filled with books inside, some of which were just personal belongings, blocked the wolf's way, making it a bit difficult to pass by.

"Ah. Mrs. Evelyn, I'm just finishing some of my patient records. Is there a reason you came to meet me this late?" Adrian stood up instinctively, offering her the chair across from his office desk.

Evelyn sat down with a firm nod.

"There's no need to be so tense, my dear. This isn't a routine check-in, so we're all good."

The wolf let out a small chuckle that soon turned into a more unreadable expression.

"But I do have something important to tell you."

"I'm ready to stay a little longer... if there's something urgent." Adrian now settled into his seat.

"Then allow me to get straight into the point. You're aware of our situation, aren't you? The hospital is... precarious, to say the least."

"Right... Is there anything we can do about it?"

"Luckily, yes. We just recently received an invitation from a reliable source offering us to take on a project that, if successful, could secure this place for the foreseeable future."

"That's... a relief to hear, ma'am. So what is the project about, exactly?"

"Details will come later. For now, what matters is that they're looking for the right people."

She paused, looking straight into Adrian's eyes.

"And the first person that crossed my mind is ...you."

Adrian stiffened before he could stop himself.

"Me?" A quiet breath escaped from him. "Don't you think there's still someone better than me who can handle such a big responsibility?"

"It's never because of your experience, my dear," Evelyn said, unbothered. "But because you're careful and truthful."

She leaned back slightly.

"That is what this project truly needs. Did I make it clear?"

Adrian looked down at the edge of his desk, his fingers brushing the wood as if grounding himself.

"I... I wasn't expecting this."

Noticing that Adrian was still hesitant, Evelyn showed no sign that she had given up.

"After everything you've done here, it would be strange not to consider you."

The young dog swallowed, his ears lowering despite his effort to keep them steady.

"If... just if, hypothetically, I were to consider this... How can I assigned for it?" His eyes avoided Evelyn's gaze.

"The project handover meeting will be held next Monday. If you feel ready to proceed, Director James would gladly see you personally in his office. You'll find his perspective quite... reassuring."

"You mean... I have until Monday to consider the offer?"

"Correct. Think it through."

Evelyn deliberately took up the cup of chamomile tea Adrian had prepared earlier, now long gone cold, then took a small sip.

"I better leave now, I must have been bothering you long enough for tonight."

The wolf stood up while adjusted her cloak.

"Rest assured. And Make sure to consider what I said."

She turned toward the door, then paused."But remember this, my dear," she said softly."Opportunities like this don't come often."

With that, Evelyn stepped out into the hallway. Her clogs echoed briefly against the wooden floor before fading into complete silence.

Adrian let out a long breath, reaching for the pen beside the paper stack in front of him. He told himself to resume his work, to finish the patient records.

Yet, oddly enough, the pen in his hand hovered on the records' surface...

Unmoving.