The hospital was usually quiet in the morning. Most patients still slept and surgeries didn't start for another couple of hours, unless there was an emergency. The soundtrack to Kate's morning rounds consisted of beeping monitoring equipment, the occasional hiss of machinery, and once in a while a patient's groan.

She also came across something else - the woman she had spent lunch with the day before. Because Kate had already prepared for the possibility, she managed not to react with obvious surprise. Her mind, however, was already overflowing with questions. Kate had been half way through her list of patients when the woman approached. Not the most convenient time, but she at least had the decency to approach Kate in between patients.

Kate's lips thinned as she considered how to respond. What had been the woman's name again? Kate frantically tried to remember. Patients were easy because she always could check the case files when in doubt, and usually had the chance to prepare in advance. Currently, the only things that came to mind were images from yesterday's encounter. Not one single name-sounding word.

No, she'd already gone through that once. She remembered creating a trace to help her remember during their encounter at the grocery store. What was it again? It had to do with nature, she felt. The answer suddenly became clear in her mind. Rose, like the flower.

Was that too casual for the setting? Kate felt unsure. Not wanting to appear foolish in front of her colleagues, she decided to omit the name. "Hello."

"Kate," the woman smiled. "I was hoping to run into you."

Kate could only manage a stiff smile at this point. Now she probably looked like the rude one. Most people that weren't staff referred to her as "Doctor Aster", or just "Doctor". She hoped her cheeks weren't taking on color, though they felt dangerously hot. Her heart rate had also increased drastically, she noted.

"Was there something you wanted to talk about?" Kate finally managed. "If it takes longer than a moment you'll have to excuse me, I need to continue my rounds."

Rose blinked before a laugh escaped her. "Oh, yes, of course. Can I drop by your office at nine?"

"I should be available by then," Kate confirmed. Nine, or somewhat later if a patient presented with symptoms that required more in depth discussion or a problem popped up. She had no surgeries scheduled for the day, nor was she on call, so her potential delays were limited.

"Great," Rose beamed before she turned and strode off in her high heels.

Kate did her best to hide her relief in favor of a neutral expression as she returned to her rounds. Her heart still galloped for a while but gradually calmed down as she focused on her usual tasks.

The real problems started when she returned to her office.

***

"Could you repeat that? I'm not sure if I heard correctly," Kate said.

She sat on a brown computer chair in her small office, facing Rose. Kate was working hard to suppress a frown as her gaze flickered between her visitor and the white walls. The news she had just received was not bad, at least not under normal circumstances. In her case things became a bit more complicated.

"Oh, of course." Rose smiled and gave a short laugh. "Trust me, you're not the first person to be surprised. Maybe I should have sent a letter first? But this approach is more personal. I prefer that."

Kate waved her hand. "I wouldn't know. I don't work with that sort of thing." Her face muscles were beginning to grow painful and she wished Rose would just get to the point. Of course, she had heard it all the first time, but she still hoped she had heard it wrong or misunderstood some part.

Rose shrugged and went on. "Sorry, you're right. I shouldn't be bothering you with that." A quick smile, hinting at slight embarrassment. "So, as I was saying, I'm currently working on a research project with the aim of improving our nation's surgical centers. In order to achieve that my team and I are tracking down surgeons with above average success rates and observing them in order to identify possible success factors. And you, Kate Aster, are one of the surgeons on my list."

Kate held her tongue. While she considered it an honor to be chosen for such a program, her achievements were not suitable for scientific investigation. Best case scenario, observation would yield nothing useful. Worst case, Kate's true identity as a witch would be discovered. Her lips pressed tightly together as she tried to think of a good way to respond.

"I don't think that's such a good idea. I work best in my usual environment." Her right hand, which was out of view of the visitor, clawed at her chair cushion. She didn't want someone's eyes on her at all times. "I fear that I would lose focus. As you probably know, I take my share of critical cases. Such a drop in my performance could easily be fatal."

Kate felt strangely proud when she finished the sentence. It sounded like a good argument to her own ears, in spite of the fact that she had made it up on the fly.

Rose nodded solemnly and twirled a lock of light brown hair. "I understand your worries, but I'm sure we can arrange for the observation to proceed in a non intrusive manner. Many people have initial concerns about this part. However, without exception they find that they grow used to the setup unexpectedly quick."

It looked like this wasn't going to be as easy as Kate had thought. She bit her lip. "I think you underestimate the amount of focus my work requires. We are talking about lives here."

"As am I. Please consider it." Rose leaned in closer and looked straight into Kate's eyes. "A lot of good could come from this research."

A notion ran through Kate's head. The blue in Rose's eyes was so bright, so clear- No, now wasn't the time for that. She did her best to shake off the thought. Those eyes stole her focus, so she looked down to avoid them.

Kate shook her head when she spoke again. "I'm sorry, I don't think it would be a good idea."

It was as if a jolt of electricity ran through her when Rose put a hand on her knee. The motion was likely a ploy to manipulate her into saying yes. She had read books that argued for the effectiveness of touch used in negotiations. Well, Kate was having none of that. She rolled her chair back a few centimeters to make her disapproval clear.

"Oh, my apologies." Rose pulled back, a look of worry on her face. "Some sort of trauma? Don't worry, I'm not intending to push the issue." She hastily added the last sentence, probably because Kate's features were pulling into an ugly scowl.

"No, not some trauma. I just don't like strangers trying to manipulate me," Kate muttered in a sour tone. The action had taken her off guard and she wasn't pleased about it. "And don't try to pretend like that wasn't what you were doing."

Rose sighed heavily. "All right. I'll be blunt with you. You are already saving many lives, and that is great, but by participating in this project you can help many more. It's only a little bit of observation, nothing that has the potential to upset your day to day work. I can't understand why you would be so reluctant."

Kate winced internally. When it was phrased like that she really sounded unreasonably selfish. There was more at stake than Rose was aware of, she reasoned to herself. No, it still sounded petty but she realized that she didn't want to put herself out there. While the potential reward was bigger, so was the risk.

Her right fist clenched, Kate shook her head. "I'm sorry, I can't do that. Now would you please leave my office? I'm expecting a patient soon."

Rose stood, but only reluctantly. "Please think this over carefully. I will contact you again soon."

Kate offered no response and didn't move before Rose closed the door behind her.