Rio sits at her desk in the hospital's nurse station, her normally pristine white uniform wrinkled from running her hands through it anxiously. Her hazel brown eyes stare unseeing at her phone, Miles's brief message playing over and over in her mind. "Mijo... what are you getting yourself into?" She whispers, her Puerto Rican accent thickening with worry as she braids and unbraids her dark hair - a nervous habit. Her huge breasts rise and fall with a heavy sigh as she leans back in her chair, the fluorescent lights highlighting the exhaustion on her face. "First Jeff disappearing for days, now Miles..." She absently adjusts her name badge, her toned figure tense with stress. "¡Dios mío! Why won't either of them just talk to me?" A knock at her office door startles her, and she quickly puts on her professional smile - the one she's perfected over years of keeping her personal life separate from work. But her usually bright energy feels forced today. "Everything's fine," she mutters to herself in Spanish, smoothing down her uniform over her curves. "Just keep smiling, Rio. Keep being strong for everyone else..." Her fingers hover over her phone, tempted to call Miles again, but she stops herself. Her wedding ring catches the light as she pulls her hand back, a reminder of all the complications in her life.

As the door opens, Rio looks up to see Dr. Khan standing there with a concerned expression on his face. Her first thought is that something must be wrong with Miles or Jefferson - her world seems to revolve around them these days. But she quickly tries to push those worries aside as she offers him a warm smile and replies in English, trying to project confidence and professionalism. "Oh, hello Dr. Khan! No, I'm just... feeling a little tired today is all." She gestures vaguely at her uniform, brushing it off dismissively. "How are you holding up?" Her heart skips a beat as she remembers what he said about them spending more time together outside of work. She tries not to read too much into his words, telling herself that it's probably nothing more than friendly concern for one of her favorite doctors. But still...

"I'm okay," *he

Her heart skips a beat at his words. It feels like it did when she first realized she had feelings for him, all those months ago. She tries to brush it off as merely a friendly gesture on his part, but something inside her refuses to let go of the hope that maybe... just maybe he means more than that. With a small, shaky breath, she forces a reassuring smile and says softly, "I appreciate that, Dr. Khan. I'll be sure to keep that in mind."

As they continue talking about work-related matters, Rio finds herself glancing up at him every so often, wondering what he truly thinks of her. She knows he's handsome and charismatic, but is it possible that he could ever see her as anything more than just his trusted nurse? The idea both thrills and terrifies her all at once.

Despite her internal turmoil,

As they continue talking about work-related matters, Rio finds herself glancing up at him every so often, wondering what he truly thinks of her. She knows he's handsome and charismatic, but is it possible that he could ever see her as anything more than just his trusted nurse? The idea both thrills and terrifies her all at once.

Despite her internal turmoil, Rio manages to maintain her composure on the outside, responding professionally and capably to everything Dr. Khan says. A part of her wishes they could just have this conversation without any work getting in the way; it feels oddly intimate sharing such personal thoughts while surrounded by other people. But she knows that their positions make things complicated, so she tries to enjoy whatever moments they can share like this.

When he finally excuses himself to check on another patient, Rio watches him go with a mixture of admiration and longing

Dr. Khan's gaze lingers on her a moment longer than usual, making her heart race even faster as he turns away to tend to his patient. She tells herself that it's just because they have such good chemistry at work; there's no way someone like him could be interested in her beyond their professional relationship.

But still...

When she finally has some free time, Rio sneaks a glance at her phone, hoping for any word from Miles or Jefferson. There's only silence on both ends, and it worries her deeply. She wants nothing more than to go home right now, crawl into bed, and forget about everything for just one night. But she can't leave the hospital in this condition; patients rely on her too much for that.

With a sigh, Rio pushes herself up from her chair and starts making rounds. As she passes by Dr. Khan again later on, their eyes

She looks at him, her eyes locked with his for a moment longer than necessary before looking away again. "Umm...thank you...for saying that." Her voice is soft and a little shaky as she continues to make rounds, feeling both self-conscious and flattered by his words. She hates the fact that her emotions are all over the place right now; it makes her feel so out of control.

As the day draws to a close, Rio can't help but wonder what would happen if she were to confess her feelings for Dr. Khan...would he reciprocate them? Or would he see her as just another nurse in need of someone to lean on? The uncertainty weighs heavily upon her heart as she finishes up her shift, relieved to finally be able to go home and try forget about all these complicated feelings for a little while.

She pauses in her tracks, blinking at the notification on her phone. A brief flicker of hope ignites within her as she reads Dr. Khan's words and the concern in his tone. Despite herself, she can't help but smile, feeling a tiny bit lighter for that moment. With a quiet murmur of gratitude, she responds:

"Don't worry about me too much, Dr. Khan. I appreciate you looking out for me...but you should focus on taking care of all the other patients here. They need you more than I do." Her reply is short and sweet, but it carries a hint of affectionate teasing that she hopes he'll understand.

With renewed determination to push through her emotional turmoil, Rio finishes up her shift, bidding farewell to the other staff members as she prepares to head home for some much-needed rest. As

She turns her head slightly, surprised by Dr. Khan's offer. Her heart skips a beat at the thought of spending time with him outside of work, but she also knows that things are complicated between them right now. "Well...thank you for asking, Dr. Khan," she says cautiously, trying to sound casual and unbothered. "But I should probably just head home tonight."

Her voice is soft and gentle as always when she speaks to him, but there's an undertone of uncertainty that he can't help but notice. He nods understandingly and watches her carefully before replying with a warm smile:

"Of course, Rio. But please take care of yourself, okay? And if you change your mind...just give me a call." With those words, he turns back to attend to another patient, leaving her feeling even more conflicted about the situation between them.

As

She watches him walk away, feeling a pang of regret wash over her. Maybe spending time together wouldn't be such a bad idea...but then again, she doesn't want to risk making things awkward between them. With a sigh, she heads toward the exit, still unsure what path to take in regards to Dr. Khan and their slowly evolving relationship.

The rest of her drive home is spent lost in thought. She wonders how he really feels about her...and if there's any hope for them outside of their professional setting. The idea both thrills and terrifies her, making it impossible to focus on anything else. When she finally arrives at her modest apartment, she lets out a shaky breath and heads inside, determined to figure things out tomorrow...if possible.

She spends the evening taking care of her household chores, all while her thoughts keep returning to Dr. Khan and their conversation earlier today. Despite her attempts to focus on something else, his words continue to echo through her mind, making it impossible for her to fully relax or forget about him.

Eventually, she decides to try taking a long bath in an attempt to clear her head. As the warm water surrounds her and soothes her tense muscles, she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. "I need to figure this out," she whispers to herself. "It's just...so confusing."

After washing her hair and getting out of the tub, Rio dries off and climbs into bed, still feeling exhausted from both her emotions and the day at work. She tosses and turns for hours, unable to fall asleep despite how tired she is, eventually resorting to watching a movie on her