"Is this the patient you were talking about?"
Li Jie crouched silently beside Harleen in the corridor outside the hospital room, peeking over the bottom edge of the window with only their eyes showing as they watched the bright green patient on the bed.
"She's so interesting. Look at her hair! Why hasn't it turned green? Why is it still fiery red?"
"Doctor, I didn't bring you here to study her hair." Li Jie pointed inside. "I wanted you to take a look at this patient. Also, why are we sneaking peeks in this ridiculous crouch?"
"Uh... because it's more fun this way." Harleen stood up as she spoke. "I really love the color of her hair."
"Please hurry up," Li Jie urged. "Her attending physician only gave us half an hour to talk."
"I'm not wasting time." Harleen gestured lightly toward the room. "First, she examined her surroundings, then lifted the covers to check her own condition. Her expression quickly settled back into composure, which suggests exceptional calm and an ability to adapt quickly to her environment. Even so, she still took a moment to tidy her hair. That points to a strong need for control and a sense of self-efficacy."
She glanced at Li Jie. "If she's really an extreme plant supremacist, like you said, she probably won't be easy to persuade. Let's go in."
"That's settled, then. I'll come see you again tomorrow."
Harleen smiled and waved to Pamela Lillian Isley on the hospital bed. Isley smiled back, and even her gaze toward Li Jie had softened considerably. She actually said, "Goodbye, Sheriff."
"Uh... I'm honestly flattered."
Li Jie closed the hospital room door and walked beside Harleen down the corridor. "I still don't understand what the hell you said to her. Something about life and