Medical Center.
"Adam, how is she?"
The moment the Operating Room doors opened, Lily rushed forward.
"I'm sorry, Ted."
Adam shook his head.
"Oh—"
Lily cried out at once.
"It's all my fault."
Marshall blamed himself. "My situation must have triggered Anna's illness."
"It's not your fault."
For once, Ted smiled. "It's no one's fault. We expected this outcome long ago, didn't we?"
"Ted, are you okay?"
Lily looked at him worriedly.
"I'm fine."
Ted smiled. "I'm very well. At the very least, Anna spent her final moments laughing, didn't she?"
"That's right!"
Adam glanced at him. "With you by her side this past year, she was already happy enough."
"I didn't do well enough."
Ted shook his head. "I should have done better."
"Let's go see Anna."
Marshall exchanged a look with Adam. When Adam nodded, he made the suggestion.
"Okay."
Ted agreed with a smile.
In the hospital room.
Anna's body had been temporarily placed here. Soon, it would be sent down to the morgue.
"She looks like she's just asleep."
Lily peeked out from Marshall's shoulder and sighed.
"Just like last time at the Hell Town funeral home."
Ted joked, "Adam, are you sure Anna really went to heaven this time?
You didn't make another mistake, did you?"
"I helped tidy up her appearance."
Adam looked at him. "I'm sure. This time, it's real."
Everyone looked at Anna's body for a while before leaving at Adam's reminder.
Ted went home with Marshall and Lily accompanying him.
Before they left.
"You need to keep a close eye on Ted lately."
Adam reminded them, "According to Elizabeth Kübler-Ross's theory.
When we are near death or experience a catastrophic loss, we all go through five different stages of grief.
The first stage is denial and isolation.
Because the loss is