S U L L I

Something’s awfully strange with Yoona.

First, she looks as if she was always drunk because whenever she walks, she would always sway to and fro. And then she would hold on to furniture to keep herself from falling. (But Yoona’s not drunk. I checked with Yoseob.)

Next, Yoong is pale. I know her skin is already like snow, but this time, she looks even paler! I know that’s impossible, but it’s true! You better believe me. Her cheeks aren’t even that pink anymore and her eyes look sunken.

Lastly, Yoona gets tired easily. We were just walking from the entrance of the mall to the ice cream shop when she said she needed to sit down and rest. This really shocked me because a long time ago, she can walk all the way to the other end of the mall, go up the stairs twice and walk to the coffee shop on the third floor!

Something’s awfully strange with my cousin.

And although I’ve heard of what happened in Taiwan (it’s all over the internet: Super Junior Donghae hugged her and his crazy fans sent Yoong death threats), I know that what she’s going through now is beyond the symptoms of lovesickness.

She needs a real doctor.

That’s why I pushed my uncle (that’s the King, you guys) to bring her to the hospital.

~~~

T H E     K I N G

Today was the most painful day of my life.

The bad side of having a job with too many responsibilities is that you barely have enough time for your family. That’s why I didn’t immediately find out about the changes in Yoona’s health. That’s why I was the only one not aware of what was happening.

Hyun Bin is our family doctor who graduated from the country’s top universit, and studied in England and in Harvard, Massachusetts. He’s also a good family friend.

“Pallor, easy fatigability, and general malaise,” Dr. Hyun looked up from his clipboard and squinted at Yoona. “When did these start?”

“A couple of days after we returned from Taiwan,” Yoona answered.

The doctor wrote something on his clipboard. “Did you eat or drink anything?” 

Yoona shook her head.

“I assume no ?” then before my daughter could answer, Dr. Hyun looked up at me. “Sorry, Your Highness. Protocol.”

Hyun turned to Yoona, who was shaking her head vigorously.

The interview went on for a couple more minutes. Then the doctor sent us to the lab to get tested. By the time we were finished, Yoona looked even more tired than before. I put my hand on her forehead and realized that she was burning. Immediately, we rushed to the doctor’s office and left Yoseob to wait for the results.

“Sir, she has a fever,” I announced as soon as we were inside the room. The good doctor instantly gave her a dose of Paracetamol and had her sleep on one of the stretcher beds located at the back of the room. The nurse gave her a tepid sponge bath.

As I sat there looking at my daughter – at her pale face - I couldn’t help but worry. I usually believe that things will work out, but at that moment, I felt like a very helpless, hopeless man.

Finally, Yoseob arrived with the lab results and handed them over to the doctor. Hyun carefully looked over each sheet of paper, his expression revealing nothing. I couldn’t precisely describe how I was feeling as I sat there watching him interpret the values printed on those pieces of paper. I was holding my breath and my palms have turned sweaty. I wanted to know what it all meant yet at the same time, I was afraid of knowing.

Finally, Dr. Hyun looked up at us. “Your Highness.”

I nodded.

“These lab results confirm my suspicion,” Dr. Hyun continued. I realized that he wasn’t looking at me as resolutely as he usually would. I sensed fear in his eyes, in his actions.

“Go on,” my voice strained.

“Your daughter has Fullerton’s Disease,” he said. “It’s a rare illness that attacks the immune system. It is common among females and symptoms usually manifest when one reaches the early adult years. Chances of survival are slim.”

Slim? You mean…

“And the cure?” I immediately asked. “Is there a cure?”

“As of now, there is no cure to Fullerton’s,” Hyun Bin avoided my gaze. “But they are developing a new kind of drug that will supposedly kill off the malignant cells…”

“Then give us this drug now,” I demanded, sounding so unlike myself, sounding so desperate.

“Your Majesty,” Dr. Hyun managed to keep his voice calm. “This drug is still undergoing meticulous research and is still not available in the market. But I could secure a sufficient supply. She will have to take it for a week. Then we could evaluate its effectiveness.”

“Please, Hyun,” I begged. “Do whatever it takes to save my daughter.”

“Let us hope the drug will work,” Dr. Hyun told me. “Because if it doesn’t, it would probably hasten the disease process and shorten the princess’ life.”

I gazed upon my daughter, who was sleeping so peacefully on the stretcher bed.

Good Lord, please don’t take Yoona away from me. Please make this drug work.

Please let her live.

That day, for the first time in a long time, I cried.

~~~

Author's Note: I made up that disease, so you probably won't be able to research it. After writing this, I actually felt like crying. Yes, that's how emotional I get. Anyway, I'm trying to finish this before school swallows me up again. Thank you for all the comments. Again, I'm sorry if I'm bombarding you with two to three chapters a day.