One night, the whole group was scheduled for a duty shift in the Oncology Department, but they were assigned to different positions. Mai and Tú Linh were in the student lounge, assisting the nurses. Trang was shadowing another doctor on duty in the treatment area, while Quân and Khánh split up between two other sections of the department. Near eleven, the only sound in the student lounge was the soft rustle of turning pages.
Mai sat in front of the computer, her eyes drooping, but she still forced herself to finish her notes. Tú Linh sat beside her, head bowed as she reread the morning's materials. The door suddenly flew open. Khánh rushed in so fast she nearly crashed into the desk.
“Mai! Linh! Something happened, something happened!”
Mai looked up.
“What is it?”
“Something happened at our school. Have you heard the news yet?”
Tú Linh immediately set down her pen.
“What happened?”
“The women's dorm, Building A, caught fire. I saw those people posting it on TikTok, and I was like, ‘Damn, aren't these idiots afraid of the thirty-million-dong fine?’ But then the department youth union group and a bunch of other groups started announcing the fire and evacuation.”
Mai shot to her feet.
“Was it a big fire? Oh my God, what the fuck? Who went all out and set the school on fire? Holy shit!”
“I heard it was pretty serious. The police are investigating. Apparently, people are saying it might've been an electrical short or something. Anyway, it's a huge mess.”
Khánh held out her phone for the other two to see. New messages kept appearing in the student group. Building A had been temporarily sealed off for firefighting and an investigation into the cause of the incident. Another message appeared right afterward. Because the shared electrical system between Buildings A and B had been affected, Building B was also temporarily sealed off. Students were not allowed to return to the area until further notice. Mai finished reading and her face changed.
“What the hell? Building B is sealed off too?”
Khánh nodded.
“We're screwed, you guys.”
Tú Linh looked at the phone screen. Building B was where she, Mai, and Trang lived. She was silent for a few seconds before asking,
“Is anyone hurt?”
“There hasn't been any notice of injuries or deaths. Buildings C and D, the men's dorms, are still fine.”
Mai let out a sigh of relief, then looked at the others.
“What about our stuff?”
Khánh shrugged.
“We probably can't get it yet. Security's still tight, so nobody can go in. But heyyyy... We're so lucky! Building A is the old building that's still being renovated, so barely anyone lives there, and you guys weren't in it either. I'm so relieved... Love youuuuu.”
Khánh fussed over her three favorite girls, but it really was lucky for Linh, Trang, and Mai. A room might be just a room. But inside it were clothes, textbooks, laptops, documents—everything a college student needed for an entire life. Losing the ability to return there, even for a few days, was enough to leave anyone flustered, let alone when the school announced that they might not be able to stay in the dorms for a long time. Tú Linh's phone vibrated. It was her mother calling. She stood up and went out into the hall.
“Hello, Mom.”
Her mother immediately started firing off questions.
“Linh, Uncle Bay, who runs the grocery store near your school, just called me. I also just saw the news about your school's dorm burning down. You weren't in there, were you? Hello?”
“No, Mom. I had a duty shift at the hospital with my friends today, so I'm completely fine.”
“Thank God. As long as you're safe, that's all that matters to me.”
Her mother's voice relaxed considerably.
“Was the place you're staying affected?”
“Building A of the dorms caught fire, but I'm in Building B, Mom. I heard the electrical system was affected, so it's been sealed off too. We haven't been allowed back to get our things. We'll see what happens in the morning.”
“Then where will you sleep tonight?”
Tú Linh glanced through the glass door of the student lounge.
“I have a duty shift at the hospital tonight. Maybe tomorrow the school will arrange something. Don't worry, Mom. I'm fine.”
“That makes me feel better. Your dad and I have been so worried.”
Her mother was quiet for a few seconds.
“Let me know what the school arranges, okay? Oh, I'll ask Aunt Lan. She's an old friend of mine. I'll ask if she knows of any convenient rentals near your school. I'll give you the money to rent a place.”
“You don't have to, Mom. I can find somewhere myself.”
“You're studying, doing your internship, and working duty shifts. How are you supposed to find a place yourself? Don't worry. I have friends in the city. Your dad's friends can help too.”
Tú Linh didn't know how to answer because she loved her mother so much.
“Let me ask around.”
“Okay.”
“Don't worry. I'll call you if I hear anything.”
“Okay.”
The call ended. Tú Linh stood in the hallway for a while before returning. Mai looked at her.
“Was that your mom?”
“Yeah. She's asking around to see if someone will let me stay with them.”
Mai nodded.
“I'm texting Trang too. If anything, the three of us can go back to my place. It's kind of far, but it'll work.”
“Yeah.”
No one thought about it any further. At least for the moment, they still had to fulfill their duties as healthcare workers—as medical interns.
The next morning, the school quickly came up with a temporary plan. Students living in Building B were allowed to return under supervision to retrieve essential belongings. At the same time, the school provided upperclassmen with a sum of money so they could find temporary housing on their own while the dormitory was repaired and its systems inspected, making room for the new students who were still taking their first uncertain steps into college.
The hallway of Building B was packed with people. Mai pulled a suitcase into the middle of the room.
“Just pack the essentials, okay?”
Trang was stuffing clothes into a bag.
“Everything I own is essential.”
Mai turned around.
“Hey, those are all the same.”
“They're different colors.”
“I mean, all three of these shirts look exactly the same.”
“But they're different colors.”
Tú Linh sat beside them and laughed. She didn't bring much: some clothes, her laptop, textbooks for her major, personal items, and a few things she needed for school. The rest had to be left behind. Out in the hallway, Quân and Khánh came running over. Quân looked at the three suitcases.
“Oh my God. Are you guys moving out or something?”
Trang handed him a bag.
“Oh my God, my darling friend, carry this for me. It's so heavy.”
“Are you paying me?”
“I'll punch you right now.”
Quân laughed and immediately took it.
“Yes, ma'am.”
Khánh picked up the other two bags. The group followed the guidance of the school staff. Mai and Trang invited Linh to stay with them, but Linh refused because her mother had already found a place for her. Khánh and Quân helped the three girls carry their things down to the school's main entrance.
“Let's go downstairs. The car's waiting.”
The four of them struggled to get the luggage down to the lobby. Once everything had been loaded, Mai and Trang took turns getting into the car to go home. Trang rolled down the window and called out,
“Linh, call me if you need anything.”
“Yeah.”
“Don't be shy.”
“I know.”
The car drove away, leaving Tú Linh standing alone with her small suitcase. Quân looked at her.
“You still don't have a place?”
“My mom found one.”
“Where?”
“Some apartment complex near the hospital where we're doing our internship, I think.”
Khánh asked,
“Do you need us to take you there?”
Tú Linh shook her head.
“No, it's okay. Mom sent me the address.”
Quân kept looking at the suitcase.
“Text the group when you get there so we know you're okay.”
Tú Linh laughed.
“I know.”
Only then did Quân and Khánh feel comfortable leaving. Tú Linh took out her phone. The messages her mother had sent that morning contained only an address, an apartment number, and a reminder:
She thought she'd be staying with a distant relative of one of her mother's friends, for a few weeks at most.
A taxi stopped in front of the entrance. Tú Linh pulled her suitcase into the car.
“We're going to Park Way Apartments, right?”
“Yes, sir.”
At the same time, in another part of the city, Thanh An had just finished her duty shift. She got back to her apartment after dawn. She had the morning off after her overnight shift, so she didn't need to go back to the hospital. She had just set down her bag and loosened her tie to breathe more easily when her phone vibrated. It was her aunt, Aunt Lan, calling. Thanh An answered.
“Yes, Auntie?”
“An? Did you just get back from your shift?”
“Yes.”
“Have you eaten anything? Are you tired?”
“Not yet. I'm fine.”
“You're always fine.”
Thanh An smiled faintly.
“But did something happen?”
“Oh, right. I also called because I need to ask you for a favor.”
“Yes?”
“Have you heard about the fire at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy dorms?”
“No, I haven't. What happened?”
“I have a niece, the daughter of a friend of mine, who studies there. Since the place burned down, she doesn't have anywhere to stay.”
Thanh An listened in silence.
“I want to ask you to let her stay at your place for a while. Please help me. I already promised her mother.”
Thanh An looked toward the empty room at the end of the hall.
She thought for a few seconds. She lived alone in the apartment, and the spare room wasn't being used anyway.
“Sure.”
Aunt Lan immediately brightened.
“I knew you'd agree.”
“Have you sent her my address?”
“Already did. She'll probably get there around noon or this afternoon.”
“Okay.”
“I'm counting on you.”
“Okay.”
“Get some rest. After an overnight shift, you need to sleep.”
“Okay.”
The call ended.
Thanh An set down her phone. She went to the spare room and opened the door to check everything. The sheets were clean, and the room was well ventilated. She drew the curtains, tested the air conditioner, and closed the door. It was just a student staying temporarily. There was nothing complicated about it. Thanh An had no idea who the student was, and there was no reason for her to know. Still, it felt strange. After living alone for more than twenty years, she was going to share her home with someone for the first time—and she didn't even know who that person was. It really was a strange feeling.
Early that afternoon, the taxi stopped in front of a luxury apartment complex. Tú Linh paid and pulled her suitcase out. Someone who lived alone had a spare room available, so she would stay there for now. Tú Linh checked the address on her phone again.
The right building.
The right apartment number.
She pulled her suitcase into the elevator.
Ding.
The doors opened on an upper floor. The hallway was so quiet that she could clearly hear the suitcase wheels rolling over the tile. Tú Linh slowed down. One apartment. Two. Three. When she reached the number she was looking for, she stopped and checked her phone one more time. It was right. When the owner opened the door, she would bow her head and greet them politely.
Tú Linh took a breath and raised her hand.
Knock. Knock.
There was no answer. She waited a few seconds, then knocked again.
Knock. Knock.
Footsteps sounded from very close inside. The lock turned.
Click.
The door opened, and Tú Linh looked up. The person standing on the other side left her completely frozen, every word vanishing from her mind. A simple white T-shirt, slightly tousled hair, and the weary face of someone who had just woken up. But no matter what she wore, even without her name badge, Tú Linh recognized her immediately. Tú Linh stared at the woman in front of her, and the woman stared back. Thanh An's eyes slowly dropped from the young woman's face to the suitcase beside her.
Then they returned to that face.
A long silence stretched between them.
Tú Linh spoke first.
“Oh...”
Thanh An looked slightly surprised.
“It’s you?”
Tú Linh hurriedly pulled out her phone.
“Oh... oh... oh my God... Aunt An.”
“What?”
“Aunt Lan said I could stay here.”
Thanh An looked at the address on the screen, then at her. It seemed she only understood now.
“It’s you, Linh?”
Tú Linh stared blankly.
“Yes?”
Thanh An was silent for a second.
“Come in.”
She moved aside to make room, but Tú Linh remained rooted to the spot. There was only one thought in her head: Why did it have to be her? Meanwhile, as Thanh An watched the suitcase being pulled into the living room, one brief thought crossed her mind too.
What a coincidence.
The apartment door closed behind Tú Linh, and from that moment on, the distance between a department deputy director and a medical intern that had existed only at the hospital