Valentine carefully parked his car in the only available space outside the children’s hospital. To his frustration, the place was particularly busy today – vehicles crowded every parking spot. Each day he arrived here as if it were a job: finishing errands, stopping by his favourite café for a cup of coffee, and hurrying to see his daughter to spend even a little time with her. For several months now, his little girl had been in the clinic.

What exactly was wrong with her, the doctors struggled to explain. Valentine had consulted the best specialists, but they repeated the same thing: the brain operates independently, regulating everything else. This drove him to despair.

“You’re just hiding your helplessness behind these complicated terms!” he exclaimed one day.

The medical staff merely shrugged, their eyes downcast.

“It’s the result of colossal stress. The brain creates barriers we cannot control,” one doctor tried to explain.

“I don’t understand! My daughter is fading before my eyes, and you tell me she can’t be cured?! I have money, I’m willing to give everything! For Michelle, I would give my last!”

“Money is powerless here,” the doctor sighed quietly.

“What then will help?! Tell me! I’ll find it, I’ll buy it!”

“It can’t be bought… Honestly, I don’t even know how to explain this to you… Something special must happen. Or, conversely, something must not happen for the body… the brain… to reset.”

“What nonsense are you spouting?! Should I consult a witch doctor?” Valentine flared up.

The elderly doctor looked at him closely.

“You know, if you decide to, I won’t dissuade you. I’ll repeat: conventional methods are ineffective here. We can only provide calm, positive emotions… and support the body with medication. And one more thing,” the doctor lowered his voice, “if I were you, I would leave my daughter in the hospital. She’s already been brought in by ambulance twice. Do you understand? When she falls into that state, there’s a risk we won’t make it in time. Here, under constant supervision, that won’t happen.”

Valentine clutched his head. He was terrified of losing his wife, feeling it could happen at any moment, and he had no idea how he would cope with her departure. Michelle adored her mother, and he… he worshipped them both. Now he had to put aside his grief, focusing on saving his daughter, also named Michelle.

Surprisingly, the girl accepted the idea of spending time in the hospital with calmness. She stroked her father’s cheek and said softly:

“Dad, don’t worry so much. I won’t cry, and you can work quietly instead of sitting at home with me all the time.”

Valentine didn’t know whether to rejoice or weep. His eight-year-old daughter spoke as if she were an adult.

“Keep her there! Sir!” Suddenly, a shout rang out. Valentine jumped and looked toward the noise. A girl was running toward the hospital, out of breath, with a panting security guard from a nearby shop hot on her heels. It appeared she had stolen something. As she rushed past Valentine’s car, she cast a frightened glance in his direction.

“Good grief… they won’t even spare a bun for a child?” he muttered, getting out of the car just as the guard reached him.

“Stop! What are you shouting about?”

“I’ll deal with you in a moment! Get out of my way!”

The guard, noticing Valentine and his vehicle now, blurted out, “I need to catch her! She stole something!”

“What did she steal?” Valentine scoffed.

“A bottle of water and a bun… Who knows how much more she has in her pockets!”

Valentine pulled out several notes.

“This should be more than enough to settle the matter and even mark the return of what was stolen,” he murmured to himself, watching the guard retreat.

After that, Valentine headed to the doctor’s office. Normally their conversations were formal, but today the doctor kept him a bit longer.

“Valentine, there’s one question… Today Michelle asked if she could interact with the other children in the ward.”

“And what does that mean?” Valentine inquired, taking a seat, cautious.

“In my opinion, it’s a good sign. She’s beginning to show interest in what’s happening outside her room. However, not all my colleagues share this perspective. Many believe that after such long isolation, being around a large number of children can be too overwhelming for her psyche. I can’t dismiss that argument, though I don’t fully agree with it. You need to think it over, talk to Michelle, and make a decision – to allow it or not.”

“Understood, you want to shift the responsibility onto me again,” sighed Valentine.

The doctor removed his glasses, wiped them clean, and also sighed.

“Yes, you’re right. We all want your daughter to recover, but… we understand that if something happens, you would crush us. And there are more than fifteen children in the ward.”

Valentine stood up and made his way to the exit, but paused at the doorway.

“Thank you for your honesty. Perhaps you’re right. I’ll talk to my daughter.”

He thought he saw the doctor sigh in relief. Before entering the room, Valentine attempted to stretch his lips into a smile. He couldn’t go in to see his daughter with a gloomy expression. But no matter how hard he tried, the smile felt forced. Now he would see his little girl, who had barely moved and could hardly eat— not because she didn’t want to, but because her body refused to accept food.

The door creaked open, and Michelle turned her head. At first, she looked fearful, as if not recognizing her father, but then she smiled:

“Hi, Dad!”

Was it just his imagination, or did a faint blush truly appear on her cheeks?

“How are you feeling?”

“Fine.”

A strange sensation washed over Valentine, as though his daughter wanted him to leave quickly. But that was impossible— apart from nurses and educators assigned to VIP wards, she hadn’t seen anyone else. He settled into a chair beside her bed and began pulling out treats.

“I stopped by the shop… Look at these beautiful apples!”

“Ah, yes, Dad. Thank you,” Michelle replied softly.

Valentine’s hand froze over the table. There were plates—dinner had just been served. But what surprised him more was that the plates were completely empty.

“Michelle, what’s going on here?”

The girl sighed and spoke off to the side: “Come out, don’t be afraid. I have a kind dad.”

And then Valentine saw a girl emerge from behind the curtain— the same one who had run past his car. She looked at him warily, while Michelle continued:

“Daddy, please don’t chase her away! I beg you! I’ll share my apple with Katie. Where will she go? She has no one, and it’s cold and dark outside, and she was hungry and scared…”

Valentine looked at his daughter, perplexed. She sat in her bed, biting her lip, and her cheeks betrayed her with a blush. He turned to the girl, who seemed older than Michelle, perhaps by a year or two.

“Are you Katie?” he asked.

The girl nodded.

“I’m Valentine, Michelle’s dad.”

Katie nodded again, then timidly asked, “Are you really Michelle? What a lovely name!”

His daughter smiled weakly.

“No, I’m Masha. But my mum called me Michelle, and I always responded…”

“Oh, right… no more mum,” Katie sighed. “I no longer have a mum either, but that was so long ago that I don’t remember her at all.”

Valentine silently observed as the girls connected. Katie cautiously perched on the edge of the bed, pulling back the sheet to avoid soiling the bed with her worn-out clothing. ‘She doesn’t look great,’ he thought, instinctively slicing the apple into wedges. He handed a piece to Michelle and Katie. The girls took them, continuing their whispers. Valentine couldn’t help but smile.

“I see you have plenty to chat about.”

His daughter looked at him imploringly.

“Dad, please let Katie stay! She can lie there, on the little couch. And we can talk a bit longer.”

Valentine pondered. The girl seemed harmless, but one never knows what might happen.

“Listen, Katie, there are clothes of Michelle’s in the cupboard. Take what you need and run to the shower! And make sure you come out looking presentable. I’ll tell the doctor that Michelle has a sister visiting and staying the night. But just keep an eye on my daughter!”

Michelle clapped her hands joyfully.

“Thank you, Daddy!”

Katie dashed to the cupboard, opened it carefully, and gasped with delight. She picked a light pair of trousers and a t-shirt. “I’ll be quick!” she called and vanished into the bathroom.

When the door clicked shut behind Katie, Valentine turned to his daughter.

“How are you doing, sweetheart?”

“Dad, it was so boring today! I even felt like crying. I asked to join the other kids, but the doctor said it needed your permission. And then Katie climbed in through the window… can you believe it? The window is so high!”

“Indeed… Are you sure you want her to stay?”

“Of course! When you leave, could you ask them to bring us sweet hot tea?”

Valentine’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. He merely nodded. He had to work to arrange for Katie’s overnight stay. He even paid for the VIP room. The doctor shook his head.

“I don’t know… You know best, of course, but keep in mind…”

“I’ve heard you. I’ll come back in the morning for breakfast. Michelle asked for hot sweet tea… two cups. Who should I ask for it?”

The doctor looked at him, astonished.

“Two? For the girl and for yourself?”

“Precisely.”

“I’ll take care of that… You know, a cautious person is blessed.”

“What do you mean?”

“I won’t say anything yet. Let’s wait and see how it goes tomorrow. Then we can discuss it.”

Valentine felt that something had changed with Michelle today. But whether it was good or bad, he couldn’t quite tell. That night, he slept fitfully, waking several times. Eventually, he contacted the on-duty doctor, Michael Peterson.

“Sorry for calling so late.”

“Not a problem at all. Honestly, I expected your call earlier. Everything is fine. They chatted until midnight, and then Alla had to send them off to sleep. They’re sleeping now. Michelle’s blood pressure is normal, no spikes. She drank her tea herself.”

“Thank you, Michael,” Valentine exhaled with relief, and immediately sank into a restless sleep.

The hospital was filled with the familiar scent of porridge and something indescribably childlike. Valentine carefully navigated through the little patients who scurried about the corridor. Surprisingly, those on crutches moved as swiftly as those who had merely a bandage on their heads.

Finally reaching his daughter’s room, he breathed a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to open the door, it swung open unexpectedly. Standing in the doorway was Alla, the nurse caring for Michelle. This kind-hearted young woman had always inspired trust. She looked at Valentine, discreetly wiped away a tear, and softly said:

“You’re not just a father… You’re the best father. No one would have guessed this is what she was missing.”

With those words, Alla left, and Valentine, stunned, followed her with his gaze. ‘I’ll sort this out now,’ he thought, and froze in the doorway. The girls did not notice him. How could they, when all their attention was fixed on the television screen, where a cartoon mouse was tormenting a cat?

They sat on the bed, legs tucked under them, each holding a plate of porridge. As they gobbled it down, they burst into laughter, with porridge sometimes spilling out of the plates. Michelle’s clothes were clearly too small for Katie – something needed to be done.

Valentine watched his daughter intently. She scooped up a spoonful of porridge, sent it to her mouth – and nothing happened! Michelle calmly swallowed and continued laughing at the cartoon.

Katie spotted him first. She quietly nudged her friend with her elbow and gestured toward their father. Michelle turned around. Valentine couldn’t help but gasp in surprise. Just yesterday, her gaze had been empty, as though she didn’t want to see or hear anything around her. But today, before him sat a lively, cheerful girl… albeit worn down.

“Daddy!” Michelle exclaimed joyfully.

He silently approached the bed and hugged his daughter tightly, then Katie. Yes, in that moment, he was ready to do anything for that stranger’s child. But then Katie suddenly sniffled. Valentine grew anxious.

“Sorry, did I hurt you? Did I squeeze too hard?”

Katie shook her head, while Michelle firmly grabbed her hand and looked sternly at her father.

“Dad, don’t hurt her anymore!” she declared.

Valentine hastily nodded. Katie wiped her tears and quietly said, “It’s not that… It’s just that no one has hugged me in so long.”

A week later, Valentine took his daughter home. All this time, Katie had been by her side. Michelle had visibly strengthened, running through the corridors with other children, chatty and lively. While the doctors, astounded by the “phenomenal” recovery of the girl, conducted a thorough examination, Valentine focused on Katie.

Katie’s mother had disappeared when she was just two years old. No one knew where she had gone, but everyone was certain she was no longer alive. Her life had not been without its troubles. After her disappearance, Katie was left with her grandmother, who had passed away six months prior. The girl was sent to an orphanage, where she had a conflict with one of the caretakers. The woman had raised a hand to the child, prompting Katie to run away. That was her sad story.

When Valentine arrived to pick up Michelle, Katie had already collected her modest belongings. She stood up, embraced her friend tightly, then looked shyly at Valentine.

“Thank you… I’ll go now…”

“And where are you planning to go?” he asked.

Their eyes met.

“Probably back to the orphanage. It’s cold outside now.”

Valentine thoughtfully extended, “So I arranged a room next to Michelle for nothing? You… don’t want to be her sister?” he cautiously proposed.

Michelle squealed with delight and threw her arms around her father’s neck. Behind her, Katie hugged him too, tears in her eyes. As they left the hospital, all the nurses who had gathered to see them off were in tears. But Valentine only saw Alla and her kind, understanding gaze.

And six months later, he could no longer imagine his life without Katie. Like sisterly bonds—Michelle and Katie— they grew inseparable from one another.