Disclaimer: All medical conditions/procedures/explanations indicated were researched for the sole purpose of continuing this story only. If you’re curious, pls consult professionals near you ^_^v

“Five more minutes, Sica. You can do it!”

“You’re doing great! Just a little more, Sica-ya.”

Jessica couldn’t even afford to nod as she was panting heavily, her whole body burning from the strain of sprinting for ten minutes straight on the treadmill, multiple probes sticking out from different areas of her petite frame.

It was her quarterly check-up at the hospital and, as per usual, she was subjected to another round of stress tests to determine whether her current medication regimen was sufficient enough to help stabilize her condition until her next appointment, especially since they were off to Japan for their tour in a few days.

The nurse that was assigned to her gradually decreased the speed until she finally slowed to a walk, Jessica’s knuckles bone-white as she grasped the handlebars tightly to keep herself from falling down while the contraption was still moving. The moment she stopped, Hyoyeon and Sooyoung swiftly and efficiently assisted her off the machine and catered to her needs, fanning and wiping the sweat off of her as she tried to keep the oxygen mask on her face steady despite her trembling hands.

“Good girl. That’s it. Deep even breaths, Jessica.”

It was always painful to look at her sad state after every physical testing, for Jessica would always end up deathly pale, oftentimes unable to move even after an ample amount of rest. It would typically take an hour before all tests were done assuming she was in peak health, then the girls would usually go back to the dorm to let Jessica rest for a bit before continuing their day’s activities. They had been doing this routine for years, but for the two members and the entire Jung family, it never became easier, more so when the results weren’t always promising.

It took several minutes for Jessica to regain enough energy before the nurse led her to another room where a different test was waiting for her. Hyoyeon was the one who accompanied the older girl while Sooyoung went back to the waiting room of the lab where Yuri was observing from.

“How can you stand seeing her like this?!”

The younger girl just gave her friend a sad smile, Yuri trying hard to suppress shedding more tears as she recalled her sister’s pained expressions just moments prior.

“It’s never easy, but we need to be strong for her, Yuri-ah. She needs us.” Yuri shook her head and palmed her face as she let out a frustrated sigh.

“She’s been suffering for years. Years, Soo! She’s – she’s too young for this,” she whispered morosely, a few more tears escaping her eyes as Sooyoung hugged her, hoping that she could somehow lend what remaining strength she had for the older girl.

“I know, Yul. Trust me, I want nothing more than for her to fully live the life she deserves. But Jessica’s tough, and she’s stubborn. She’ll keep on fighting, and she won’t give up, so we also shouldn’t give up.” Yuri buried her head on the crook of Sooyoung’s neck.

“But what if she gets tired of fighting?” The younger girl hugged her tighter.

“Then we’ll pull her up and help continue the fight with her. Let’s keep our faith strong, Yuri-ah. For Jessica. ”

“How’d it go, Doc?”

All the examinations were finally done but, since Jessica was hospitalized not that long ago and then immediately went abroad for work, they took a toll on her which rendered her unable to stay conscious enough to listen to what the doctor had to say regarding the results. She got lightheaded and started throwing up right after the last procedure, so the doctor decided to let her rest while they hooked her to some fluids since she didn’t eat anything before they got there because she needed to fast.

The girls asked their manager to watch over her while they talked to Jessica’s doctor since they were her official “unofficial” guardians anyway, with Jessica and her parents giving them clearance to everything in regards to her condition.

The three were anxious as they sat inside the doctor’s office, all hoping that Jessica didn’t worsen in spite of her most recent hospital scare. The doctor smiled at them to somewhat ease their worries, but knowing that everything regarding her patient was always serious business, she should just get straight to the point.

“Good news is that her readings didn’t worsen, although it didn’t improve either. Her 3-day stay here actually helped a lot because she finally had time to rest. There won’t be any drastic changes to what she’s taking right now, and I already sent her results to her doctor in Japan just in case she needs to see her within the period of time that you’ll be staying there.”

All the girls released sighs of relief after hearing that. At the very least, they’d be leaving the hospital with an all-clear that Jessica would be able to go on tour with them instead of having to leave her behind.

“By the way, is she having difficulty sleeping recently?” Hyo and Yuri glanced at Sooyoung for an answer but she just bit her lip and stared back, apprehension etched in her features.

“Actually, Doc, she hasn’t been staying at the dorm for a while now so we’re not really sure. We can call her parents and ask if it’s important.” The doctor nodded and made quick notes on Jessica’s chart. The girls looked at each other, worried.

“Is something wrong?” The doctor looked up and regarded the three, eyes serious.

“It only happened once during her stay here, but I was told by the night nurse in charge of her that Jessica-ssi suddenly woke up gasping as if she was struggling for air whilst asleep. I already asked her family but they said they didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary, which led me to presume that this incident was a first.”

“As you already know, patients with heart problems usually develop several breathing difficulties, as is the case of our Miss Jung. It’s not farfetched that she also develop what we call “Sleep Apnea,” a condition wherein the patient’s breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep.” The doctor paused