Chapter 18 — The White Coat Oath

The morning after the proposal, Yen still couldn't get over the feeling of euphoria as if she were living in a beautiful dream. The engagement ring sparkled on her finger every time the hospital room light shone on it, causing her to unintentionally smile to herself many times while recording patient records.

Minh Thu was the first to discover it, pulling Yen's hand into the nursing room as soon as she saw a strange light sparkling on her friend's hand. "Oh my god, is this real?" she shouted, her voice cracking with excitement, causing a few other nurses in the room to look around curiously.

"Shh, keep your voice down," Yen smiled, both shy and happy, pulling your hand out of everyone's sight. "That's right, Khoa proposed to me last night, at the riverside restaurant I told you about the other day."

Minh Thu hugged her friend, her eyes filled with tears because she was so emotional. "I told you, you two have been a perfect match since the day you had a heated argument on your first shift. Tell me the details, don't leave anything out!"

Yen recounted that entire moment, from the dessert cake with the word chocolate written on it to the moment Khoa knelt down with the ring, her voice still shaking with emotion every time she recalled it. Minh Thu listened attentively, occasionally exclaiming with excitement at the most romantic details.

The news spread quickly throughout the Emergency Department, then to the General Surgery Department within just a few hours. Many colleagues stopped to congratulate Yen when they met her in the hallway, their eyes full of sympathy at the love story that has become a source of inspiration for many people in the hospital over the past time.

Nghia, upon hearing the news, immediately ran to find Khoa in the Surgical Department duty room and patted his best friend's shoulder with excitement. "You finally did it! I thought you would hesitate for another year, I knew you were overly cautious."

"I almost hesitated too," Khoa laughed, scratching his head awkwardly. "But after everything we've been through together, I realized that no moment is absolutely perfect. The important thing is that I'm ready, and I don't want to wait any longer."

"So when are you planning on getting married?" Nghia asked, his voice full of curiosity.

"Not sure yet," Khoa replied, pondering for a moment. "Both of us are still in a busy residency period, so we may need to discuss carefully to choose a suitable time that doesn't affect work too much."

Even Ms. Tam, the patient, was almost in danger because of Dr. Phat's surgical-gauze incident. When he came for a routine check-up, he also heard the good news from the nurses and could not hide his emotion. She held Yen's hand tightly when she saw her again, her voice trembling with sincerity. "I'm very happy for you. From the day I met you in that difficult situation, I always prayed that you would have a very happy life, worthy of your heart."

"Thank you," Yen replied, gently squeezing Mrs. Tam's hand, her heart filled with warmth at that sincere feeling. "Your story is also part of the reason why Khoa and I are determined to pursue this reform to the end. Without you, perhaps many good things would not have happened."

Ms. Tam's daughter, Ms. Hoa, also contributed congratulations, her eyes sparkling with joy on behalf of her family's benefactor. "I hope you two will invite my family to the wedding, even if it's just a small guest."

"Sure," Yen smiled, touched by that heart. "Your family is an important part of our story."

That afternoon, when Yen and Khoa ate together at the hospital cafeteria, many colleagues from other departments also stopped by to congratulate them, making their small dining table much more crowded than usual. A few young resident doctors, who had heard the story about the reform of the duty regime from Dr. Phat, also expressed their admiration for the love that has overcome many challenges together to reach today.

"You are truly the ideal role models that we always admire," a first-year resident doctor said, his eyes full of admiration. "Being good at his profession, creating positive changes for the whole system, and also having such a beautiful love story."

"We are just normal people, working together every day," Khoa smiled, humbly responding to that compliment. "The important thing is to always maintain faith in the values you pursue, no matter how difficult the path is."

That evening, Khoa took Yen home to officially announce the good news to Associate Professor Truong. He was sitting in the living room reading the newspaper. He looked up at them both with questioning eyes when he noticed his son's strange, nervous expression.

"Dad," Khoa said, his voice trembling rarely, "I and Yen have some news to tell you."

Yen raised her hand with the ring on it and smiled shyly. Associate Professor Truong looked at the ring, then looked at the radiant faces of both, a warm smile that rarely appeared gradually bloomed on his normally serious face.

"You finally asked her to marry you," he said, his voice filled with undisguised emotion. "I've been waiting for this moment for a long time, ever since the day I realized the way you look at Yen is different from anyone else's."

He stood up and hugged them both in sincere happiness. "I congratulate you both. Yen, from today, you are officially a member of this family, not just an excellent colleague of my son."

"Thank you," Yen replied, her eyes filled with tears because she was touched by that warm welcome. "I promise to always try to be worthy of the trust that you and my whole family have in me."

"You don't need to try to prove anything," Associate Professor Truong replied in a rare gentle voice. "Just what you have done over the past time - from courageously speaking up about medical errors, to accompanying my son in building a meaningful reform project - is enough to prove that you are the right person for this family."

That evening, the whole family had a cozy dinner together, briefly discussing future plans, although they had not come to any specific decisions about the wedding date. Associate Professor Truong suggested contacting Yen's mother in advance so that both families could have a chance to officially meet as soon as possible.

"I think we should organize a meeting between our two families as soon as possible," he said, his eyes full of thoughtfulness. "Even though work is busy, traditional rituals still need to be properly respected."

"I will call mom tonight to discuss a suitable time," Yen replied, her heart filled with warmth at Khoa's family's thoughtful care for her.

That night, before going to bed, Yen made a video call to her mother, unable to hide her excitement as she recounted the whole story of last night's romantic proposal. Her mother, even though she was hundreds of kilometers away, still couldn't hold back her tears of happiness when she saw the sparkling ring on the phone screen.

"I'm so happy for you," she said, her voice choked up. "Your father would definitely be very proud if he could witness this moment of yours."

"I think so too, mom," Yen replied, tears welling up in her eyes. "I wish you could be here to see how happy I am."

The call ended in complete emotion and happiness, marking a meaningful day not only for Yen, but also for the two families who are gradually connecting together through the strong bond of love between her and Khoa.

Before turning off the phone, Yen's mother also told a few more things, her voice was both serious and full of love. "Remember to take care of your health, don't forget to take care of yourself because of busy work. It's okay if the wedding is a little late, as long as you two are really ready and happy."

"I know, mom," Yen replied, smiling at that familiar concern. "Coach and I have also discussed that perhaps we will wait until we both complete the residency program to officially hold the wedding, so we can focus on preparing without being influenced by work pressure."

"That's reasonable," Yen's mother nodded in approval through the screen. "The most important thing is that the two of you build a solid foundation together first, all external rituals are secondary."

After the call, Yen lay on the bed, her hand still gently twirling the ring on her finger, her heart filled with plans for the future. She texted Khoa, recounting the conversation with her mother, not forgetting to ask his opinion about the time of the wedding.

"I think your mother is right," Khoa texted back soon after. "We don't need to rush. The most important thing is to be together, and the wedding ceremony is just a way to publicly confirm that to everyone."

"Agreed," Yen texted back, along with a small heart emoji. "So let's just let everything happen naturally, without any specific time pressure, okay?"

"Agree," Khoa replied. "Good night, my future fiancée."

Those words made Yen laugh alone in the darkness of the room, her heart pounding as if this was the first time she felt the full meaning of those two words for herself. She put down the phone, closed her eyes, her heart filled with a peace and happiness that she had never dared to dream of during the years she struggled alone to face the losses of the past.