Present

“So, like I told you earlier, Taeyeon wasn’t feeling well because of her headache. I called you to come get her--

“Sunny. I know you don’t like me. I understand why. But can you just please tell me where she went?” Tiffany grabbed the cheeky one by the elbow and spun her 180, meeting the latter’s eyes desperately. She’s very familiar with the way Sunny finds joy and fulfillment in torturing people with over the top sarcasm. It’s one of the unique qualities that made her and Taeyeon such great friends. However, Tiffany finds it difficult to communicate and at times downright frustrating because she would be spending an unnecessary amount of time to get a simple piece of information out of her.

“If you’d just stop interrupting me, I’d tell you everything by now. Geez” Sunny rolled her eyes, one hand grabbing a vacuum hose and the other switching the device on. Now the girl is beaming as she screams the next part of the story while she’s vacuuming the sawdust “SOMEHOW, SHE MUST’VE SNAPPED OUT OF HER COMA AND DECIDED--

Unbelievable. Tiffany can’t handle this crazy person anymore. She walks across the room and yanks out the power cord, cutting off the vacuum.

“WITH JESSICA”

“What?” confusion is a slight understatement to describe how Tiffany feels.

“Oh my god. You’re going to make me repeat everything I just said aren’t you?” Sunny exasperated.

“Where. Is. She.” Tiffany’s low and husky voice made the sun in ‘Sunny’ set.

“She called a cab and left.” Sunny shrug nonchalantly. “Said she’ll get back to the apartment on her own.”

Tiffany sighed, “And you LET her leave by herself when she’s in pain. What a great friend.”

“Well I was there all those years when you weren’t. So yea! I’m a DAMNNNNN great friend. Bet you don’t even know what a cluster headache is.” Sunny laughs and waves goodbye to an angry Tiffany walking out. “YOU’RE NOT GOING TO ASK ABOUT JESSICA?! THEY WENT ON A BREAKFAST DATE IF YOU’RE CURIOUS! YOU’RE WELCOME!”

Tiffany waved back with both her delicate middle fingers, the sounds of her heels ringing the whole building as she stormed out.

“PFT. That’s the Tiffany I knew.” Sunny chuckles.

XXX

“Hey Prince…” Tiffany hushly greets the bouncing ball of energy as she takes off her heels.

The worried woman spent all her time in the car ride googling ‘cluster headaches’. Headaches that occur in patterns or clusters. Bouts of frequent attacks, known as cluster periods, may last from weeks to months, usually followed by long periods of relief (remission). During remission, attacks may stop for months or years. Pain is severe on one side of the head, accompanied by symptoms such as nasal discharge, or red or tearing eyes. Injected medications, inhaled oxygen, steroids, and preventive medications can help.

She wondered how long since Taeyeon had been dealing with this. She doesn’t remember Taeyeon going through anything of sort when they were living together back then. Tiffany sighed, she feels disappointed in herself for not knowing. But how could she? They’ve spent so much time apart, and time changes people. Sometimes in good ways, and other times challenging ways. Tiffany takes a deep breath and tells herself that she’ll do better. She’ll try harder to know Taeyeon more because she hates the feeling of being the last person on Earth to know anything about Taeyeon.

Tiffany tread quietly into their apartment where she found Taeyeon passed out on the couch, shoes still on, and hands hugging her head. From what she’s read the pain doesn’t seem to stop and will climb until it eventually passes. That could mean hours if she’s not medicated. Tiffany walks over to where Taeyeon is lying, she puts the bottle of prescribed medication she had picked up on the way back on the coffee table and gently places a hand on Taeyeon’s shoulder.

“Tae…?” Tiffany whispers ever so softly.

“Mm…” Taeyeon’s groan is barely audible. The girl is not asleep, she’s just twisted up in pain. So much so that she has completely forgotten to take her shoes off, lock the front door, or even notice that someone else had sat down beside her. Her senses have abandoned her. The only sensation she feels are the pins and needles in her head.

“Let’s have you lying down in bed” Tiffany said, her hands already working on removing Taeyeon’s sneakers. “I’ve got your medication as well. Sunny told me you’ve had food this morning right?”

“Mm..” Taeyeon inhales and exhales sharply, her fingers digging deeper into her head aggressively as she tries to rub the pulsating nerve on her temple.

Tiffany wraps an arm around Taeyeon’s shoulder, supporting the contorted girl so that she can stand. The two takes small steps until Taeyeon collapses into the bed, her hands burrowing deeper now into her skull.

Taeyeon had a lot of regret about not taking care of herself. Especially how careless she was with her sleep schedule. But sleeping has been undeniably a challenge with the whole sharing a bed and alternating sleeping rights with Tiffany. That, and along with the mounting numbers of protects. It’s no wonder her hectic sleep cycle had triggered her headache.

Taeyeon knows she’s losing the battle with her illness when she starts to justify that perhaps pulling her hair out might also pull the feeling of a thousand pins jabbing into every nerve out as well. She tries to open her eyes and locate the medication that a voice had mentioned earlier, but her left eye declines that privilege. It’s sealed shut and Taeyeon realizes she had her palm pressed deeply into it this whole time to suppress the bundle of suffering.

Suddenly, she felt an unexplainable coolness that descended on her head, soothing the screaming nerves. Ahh. Then, a comforting warmth that blanketed over her contorted body.

“Is this where it hurts most?” A small voice asked and Taeyeon nodded “Then hold it here. The ice will help sooth the pain. Can you sit up? I brought medication.” Another nod and Taeyeon felt a firm hand pulling her gingerly to a sitting position.

Taeyeon’s right eye is able to open, although only mildly useful with a few white spots and unclear images, it’s able to identify two medium sized white pills cupped in a hand that’s not her own. The hand raised to her lips and Taeyeon gratefully accepts the pills followed by a straw that sends much needed water to flush them down.

“Ok. Lie down and rest now.” The sweet voice lulls Taeyeon into the pillow. She feels