I laid on my bed as I grabbed a book about depression, not for me though because I’m far from depressed ever since having the cute eye smiling lady with me. This is for Ms. Kim, my daily patient; I wanted to study about it so I can give it to Sooyoung.

As I was busy reading I felt the mattresses move, a sign that another weight has been pressed on above it. I didn’t face away from the book knowing who just went on the bed, when suddenly I felt a hand being pressed on my shoulder softly. I looked at the direction and saw Tiffany looking at me on her knees while biting her lip and her other arm holding a small pillow, probably debating whether she should get my attention or not.

“What is it?” I asked carefully while looking at her. She didn’t answer but she just kept looking at me. “Hey, Fany what’s wrong? What is it?” I asked again.

She didn’t reply but instead she went closer to me and snuggled. She placed her head on my arm while her head is at the crook of my neck. “So this is what you wanted? You want to cuddle with me?” I asked teasingly and chuckled when she tried to pinch my sides slightly.

“What…are…you reading…?” she asked me while clutching on my shirt and looking at the book that I’m holding.

“A book…” I continued teasing her a bit, which earned me a small whine from her and another pinch. “It’s a book about depression, it’s for Ms. Kim.”

When I told her about Ms. Kim her face slowly contorted into an unreadable expression, it happens every time I mention Ms. Kim’s name. “Come on, what’s with the face?”

“Her again?” I felt a hint of stern in her voice, I don’t know if I’d be proud that she’s kind of coping properly, or I should get scared that she can get quite scary sometimes.

“What do you mean her again?” I asked as I placed the book down and so is my reading glasses and faced her; I hugged her waist and pulled her closer to me. She just placed her face unto my chest while she spoke the following words, muffling them as the words get out from .

“You always…talk…about her…” I smiled hinting at what she wanted. I hugged her tightly and I felt her arms engulf me in a hug too.

“So, in other words…Fany is jealous of Ms. Kim?” I asked in quite an amused tone. I felt a warm feel radiant from her which caused me to laugh a little.

“Is that…bad…” she trailed.

“Hm? What’s bad?”

“That… I… get jealous… of her…?” she continued, I pulled away a little so that I’d be able to see her face. I brushed off the locks of her hair which are barely covering her face, I leaned closely and I saw how she closed her eyes, I gently placed my lips into her forehead letting it stay there for a few seconds before pulling away.

“Nope, it’s not bad at all. Ms. Kim is just my patient Fany…” I told her, but then again she frowned once more.

“I’m just… your patient too…” as she said that, she turned around completely, and just hugged a random pillow. I kind of smacked myself mentally because of my choice of words, but hey… she shouldn’t be feeling like that.

“Fany…” I stood up and went in front her which is at the side of the bed then kneeled so that I would be leveled with her. She hid her face using the pillow in which I took away from her; she was now looking at me, sadness in her eyes. “Fany, you are not a patient for me…”

“But… I… was…” she answered me softly.

“Was, but not anymore…” with that I leaned in once again but this time I didn’t kiss her forehead. I captured her lips instead but I did it as gentle as I can not wanting to make her tense and uncomfortable, and to my delight I felt her lips move with mine, it was a soft tender kiss; something that you would want more. We both pulled away and as I stare into her beautiful eyes “…you’re not my patient Fany, you are more than that. You’re someone that I wouldn’t want to lose or go away when a session is done. Unlike my patients I don’t want you to leave the door and go, I don’t want you to say goodbye to me just because I helped you cure your problems…”

I saw her smile, that smile of hers that makes her eyes form into crescents; that smile of hers that took my breath away. “…I don’t… want… to go… either…” she replied as she intertwined her hands with mine.

“Are you hungry? Do you want to eat something?” I asked her and she nodded like a child. “Ok then, let’s cook something and eat.” I held her hand tightly and she did the same as we both get out of the room and down to the kitchen.

***

We were playing with one another as we prepare our food, I turned around to look for something to cook at the fridge when suddenly I heard something fall and break unto the ground.

In a hurry I turned to Tiffany and saw her trembling, a broken plate right in front of her while her foot showing shades of red… it was bleeding.

“Y-Y-Yu…ri…” I heard her call out my name, barely audible. I ran to her in panic while she stared on her bleeding foot, she was shaking like scared puppy. I knew immediately what was wrong, and I blame myself for not being able to prevent such thing to happen.

“Tiffany… just stay there and don’t move an inch, ok? You’re going to be fine…” I tried to tell her, to soothe whatever it was running in her thoughts right now.

“N-No… NO. Yu…ri…” she looked at me, her tears clearly visible in her eyes. I saw her feet wobble as she was about to fall, but I wouldn’t let that happen. I caught her in time before she completely fell down on the floor. I carried her like a bride and I headed to the couch to treat her wounds.

What happened next was kind of expected but I still felt sad about it. “PUT ME DOWN. DON’T HURT ME PLEASE. PLEASE. DON’T HURT ME.” Her eyes closed as she let out her cries while hitting me repeatedly.

“Shhh….Shhh Fany ah, it’s me…” I whispered to her once I placed her down on the couch, thank goodness that she recognized me and she calmed down. As an immediate reaction of hers, she pulled me into a hug as she cried there uttering words that I can barely comprehend. “Fany, relax… I’m here…” I ran my hands on her back, assuring her that it’s ok.

“Yu…ri…Yu..ri…Yuri…” she repeated like a mantra, though she was stuttering she still continued.

“Hey, let’s treat your wound ok?” I patted her back gently as I pulled away from the hug. “I’ll get the medicine kit, just stay here…” I stood up and kissed the crown of her head before going to the bathroom gathering supplies.

When I got back I saw her eyeing the wound in her foot but closing her eyes after a few seconds. I heaved a sigh then went to her; I sat on the couch and placed her foot on my lap. While I try to treat it I can feel her trembling a bit, to prevent this I tend to look at her every once in a while and give her a smile before going back and treating it again. I repeated this process until I was finished.

“I guess there’ll be no more playing in the kitchen now isn’t it?” I told her while shifting her position and placing her foot at the table in front.

“Sorry…” she uttered the word as soft as possible.

“Don’t be… I should be the one apologizing, I wasn’t careful…” I felt her cuddle closer to me and place her head on my shoulder. “I guess we’ll be having pizza tonight.” I stated and she gave me a smile in response.

I felt happy on how she’s coping; again she handled this pretty well unlike before when I tried to treat her bruises and wounds.

Flash back

“Tiffany, I need to treat those wounds or else they’ll get infected…” I told her with a medic kit in hand. But of course to no avail she didn’t allow me, instead she kept on shouting.

“LIAR. LIAR. DON’T DO SOMETHING TO ME, PLEASE.” It hurt me, alright. I just wanted to help her but why does she respond this way? It was a good thing that I was a woman of patience and understanding.

“Tiffany… please, I told you I won’t hurt you… and I would never…” I walked closer to the bed slowly. She looked at me seemingly studying my movements. “I won’t hurt you… I promise…” I smiled at her and that’s when I felt that she had lowered her guards.

Slowly but surely I climbed on top of the bed and placed the kit down, I saw how she tries to separate herself away from mine as far as she could. But she still gave in.

I told her to roll her sleeves, her pants and to show me the injuries she had, and it left me stiffened in my position when I saw how many they were.

I did my job to clean them; she became a hand full at the moment for as soon as the medicine comes in contact to her skin or the wound she would either hiss in pain, shout, cry or hit me with anything her hand could grab on.

It hurt me the most when she made me feel like I’m doing something bad to her, though I don’t even.

Having luck on my side, I was able to treat all of her wounds despite all the violence and piercing screams. One more important thing is how I was able to lull her to sleep as I gently caress her hair and hum a melody to at least give her a dream and not a nightmare.

TBC.