Chen shot awake, taking in the area around him. Green walls, orange striped floor. This was the ER. He was not dreaming. Not the least. It was late. Really late. His eyes drifted to the clock before he cringed. His essay was ruined, he was sure of it.

Did that matter honestly? Right now Chen pushed the thoughts about his paper away. The old guy sitting next to him started nagging again.

"I've been waiting for two hours now. Why are they not seeing me? I can't believe this bull. This is supposed to be a hospital."

"Sorry." I said. Chen felt like it was personal, him working at the hospital and all. He never told him. Honestly, Chen wanted a doctor to come and pick him up. This guy was annoying. He knew like any other person sitting here that the doctors were trying to save a woman's life. That explained the delay. Not the doctors 'being lazy and drinking coffee'.

A doctor finally walked out of the door. Chen was so tired he had not noticed until the man stood right in front of him. "Are you Chen?"

"Yeah."

"Your friend is asking for you."

Chen frowned and got up. He followed the doctor into the room and looked at Minseok. He was shaking. Chen noticed that he had sobered up.

"Tell them. Tell them what you told me."

The medical student in the room looked at the doctor. They were hiding a smile. Chen did not know what was happening. This was not how he had imagined the night to end. "Tell what?"

"About the local anesthesia."

"Oh. Oh, no."

"You said quote 'it was the worst thing you felt whatever blabla'." Minseok still had not calmed down. Chen wished he never told him. How was he supposed to know he would break his own finger days after. "Will you... sit next to me. I just don't want to look and all. We could talk."

Chen grabbed a chair and sat down next to him. His hand was covered with a sterile field, there was a hole in it. His broken finger stuck out. There were about to give him the first shot. "The first shot is the bad one. If you've been through that one, you can take on anything." Chen grinned and tried getting Minseok to nod along.

Minseok did not nod. He cried the moment the liquid entered his finger. Chen could not help feeling sorry for him. He had been through this before and to be honest his description was true nevertheless. He would not wish this upon anyone. Chen let him cry and whimper. Tears rolled down his cheeks, tears he tried wiping away with his good hand. Chen kept holding his gaze and when the student pulled the needle out, he managed to give him a smile.

"That was hardcore. I just want to go home. I can live with a broken finger. It's nothing."

The student said she was going to do it again. Minseok gave the same reaction, if not worse. Exactly like Chen had done a month ago. "You're doing great, Minseok." he heard his voice echo in the room. "You can do this."

Not even ten minutes later the doctor gave Minseok antibiotics and some stuff to take care of his splint. "Be sure to take those pills."

"Bone infection," he winked. "Already heard that one before."

"Right..." the doctor and his student walked away after Minseok had thanked them passionately.

Minseok found Chen standing across the hall. "I'm so sorry for-"

"For what, Minseok? Breaking your finger?"

"Maybe. I'm sure you have bette