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But in the end, Lester was unable to have the meal as planned. Just as the food was being served, Rita was called away for an emergency. The on-call doctor had something else to attend to, so they had to ask her to step in at the last minute. Rita didn’t hesitate and rushed back to the hospital. Lester stared at the empty seat and sighed. He should have convinced her to change careers earlier. He couldn't bear to imagine the future—eating half a meal, sleeping half a night, always ready to be called away at a moment's notice. Lester resignedly pulled out his phone and called the housekeeper: “Make some chicken soup and bring it to the hospital. She likes it.” The smell of disinfectant still lingered in her nostrils. Rita, rubbing her aching temples, had just entered the emergency room when she heard a commotion at the end of the corridor. Before she could identify the source of the noise, a man in a dark jacket pushed through the crowd, holding a sharpened metal cane aloft, his eye