March 2013

Ilana woke late again; it was beginning to be a habit. Her room felt unusually cold, making her burrow further under the blankets and sleep longer.  For some reason, she felt achy, as if it had been only yesterday they walked all day in Hong Kong.  She must still be tired from their excursion a few days prior and Manila a few days prior to that. "It's cold,” she thought. Sitting up in bed, she was immediately alerted to a migraine forming.  Carefully, she swung her legs over the side of the bed; trembling slightly, she stood up.  zed her head was hurting her.  An action she soon regretted, feeling lightheaded, she stumbled and hit her her hand on the nightstand. "Ouch!”  Sitting back down, she almost felt like she did on the day of her arrival.  It was then, her cousin's words replayed what she wanted to forget.   

"That type of anemia is often fatal."

The memory of those words unsettled and frightened her; maybe she should call KyuJong. "No." She shook her head. She never gave in to being sick and wasn't going to start now.  Managing to stand back up, the sun on the verandah looked inviting. "I'll just sit out there for a little and warm up,” she took out her NOOK to read and her phone for music.  Having wrapped herself in her robe before heading out, she was still cold.  The warm sun felt wonderful on her cold skin and used the warmed throw, on the next chair over, to cover herself with.  She was now, thankfully warm in her solar heated cocoon.  Reading would not be possible, it made her head pound and her stomach queasy; keeping her eyes open wasn't going to happen.  Turning on her music player, she closed her eyes and leaned her head back with in hopes that the pain would soon go away.

- “Saengie Hyeong, I'm bored,” HyungJun complained. Are you hogging my Princess?”
- “Maknae, what are you talking about? Na have been working all morning. Nae hubae, who was supposed to open, wasn't feeling well. Did you try her room?”

 - "Mmm, she didn't answer; Na wanted Ilana-ssi to hang out with me today."

- "Did you check with KyuJong? They usually go to lunch together."

- "Suzy & he haven't seen her either; they've had a few more people than usual today. I even checked with Mal, I'm so depressed”.

- "Get over it; she's probably sitting on the verandah listening to music and can't hear anything. You know how she gets lost in a world of her own when she does that."

- "I guess..."

- "Na will be taking her tea in a few hours. I'll have her take you out for ice cream later." YoungSaeng tried to appease his Maknae.

- "Arasso!" HyungJun was happy at the prospect of ice cream and his Princess."

The hours passed quickly as he was short staffed and had to manage the lounge as well as oversee the other needs of the deck. It was already three in the afternoon, he briefed his hubaes that worked the evening shift and went to prepare Ilana's tea.

YoungSaeng knocked on Ilana's door and there was no answer.  He tried her room phone and cell phone (they had all exchanged numbers in New Caledonia) but she didn't answer. “She's probably got her earphones on," he thought. “I'll just let myself in.” He opened the door and backed in with the food cart.

 - "Cinderella, I'm coming in, I hope you’re decent!" He shouted jokingly, but still didn’t see her upon entering.  Remembering the verandah, he saw that the door was open. "Ilana, do you have your earphones on again?” Her eyes were closed and she did have her earphones, but he noticed her phone had fallen to the floor. She was covered with a blanket despite the warm weather.  More confused, than worried at this point, he removed the headphones carefully and picked up her phone.  The playlist on her phone had already stopped playing. "Ilana?"  He tried calling her again. Gently, he rubbed her arm not wanting to startle her. He took one of her hands from under the blanket in his and felt how cold it was. YoungSaeng began to notice a few more things:  she was wrapped in her robe, beads of perspiration had formed along her hairline, and her ponytail looked like it hadn’t been combed and still slept in.  Gingerly, he reached a hand to her forehead. "You're hot! Eotteoke?” He didn't want to pick her up for fear of startling her. He continued trying to wake her.

Somewhere in her fever-induced fog, Ilana thought she heard someone calling her.  She was frightened at first, not knowing who it could be.

YoungSaeng saw she was starting to wake and continued to rub her arm and call her name.  A tear rolled down her cheek, making him even more worried.
Ilana tried hard to free herself from the cold fog that had taken over her body.  She wanted to run away from whoever was calling her.
- “Ilana-ya, you're sick; let me help you to the bed, juseyo!”  YoungSaeng could see she was trying to wake up.
- “Oppa?" Ilana struggled to open her eyes as she recognized that the voice belonged to a friend, not foe. 

- “Kaja, take my hand na will help you up.”
Her head still ached and could scarcely open her eyes wide enough to see YoungSaeng.  “I'm fine, just tired from the other day and the weather is a little cooler today.  What time is it?”

- "It's about 4,” he said, supporting her as she tried to sit up.'
- "I must have fallen back asleep," she tried to sit up but her headache made the ship move as if being tossed in a storm.  “Ugh!” She covered her face with her hands, inadvertently leaning against YoungSaeng to steady herself.
- "Let’s try this a little slower, come on." He crouched down next to the chair. “Hop on my back, I'll carry you."
- "Huh?" Lifting her head cautiously, she wondered if she heard right.
- "Place your hands around my neck." He reached back and took one of her hands and placed it on his shoulder.
- "Oppa! I can walk." Not sure that she actually could.
- "Gwenchana, this is the easiest way to get you back inside.  Just close your eyes until I set you back down, deh?  Na won’t drop you; Na have even carried KyuJong after drinking too much.”

Ilana could barely lift her head from the pain and it felt so heavy.  "Arraso,” she reluctantly agreed.  “At least I'm wearing pajama pants," she thought. The wide back under her felt blissfully warm against her cold skin.

Crouching back down next to the bed so that he could let Ilana get off; he then propped the pillows up and made her lay back down.  She gave him a shy smile.  Embarrassed, but she at least felt comfortable with YoungSaeng; perhaps a little more than with the others.
- "I'll get you some cold water and call KyuJong,” he tucked her back under the blankets.
- "You don't need to bother him, I'll be alright. You should get back to work too." She called to him as he was walking to get the water.  Ilana didn’t want to have to answer any health-related questions.
- "Guerae …I'm sure you will be, hajiman KyuJong is the ship’s doctor and should know if one of the passengers isn't well. Naega off duty, now drink." He opened a bottle of water and handed it to her. He then went back to the sink to run a towel under cool water, wrung it out, and walked back to Ilana.
- "Oppa, I'm fine; I just overdid it these last few days." She was uncomfortable with his fussing.  He was softly pressing the towel against her forehead and cheeks.

Ignoring her, he folded the towel and placed it on her forehead.  Ordering her not to move, he reached for the room phone.

- "Doctors office," Suzy answered
- "It's Saengie, is KyuJong in?"
- "Annyeong Oppa, he's with a patient."
- "Can you have him come to Ilana's room when he's done?  Ilana appayo.”
- "Omo!  Several people have come in with different degrees of symptoms. We still have a few people waiting; it might be a while before we can get out of here. What are her symptoms?
- "Mainly fever and chills; headache and fatigue."
- "She probably has body aches, which is the biggest complaint today. Have her take an Ibuprofen."
- "Arraso." He hung up and looked over at Ilana; she was just finishing the water. He decided to give her another.
- "Oppa!" Ilana complained.
- "I'm going to get you some Ibuprofen." Although he wasn't sure about leaving her alone, he didn’t want her trying to get up and then getting dizzy again.
- "I don't take pills unless I have too," she firmly stated.

 - "Oppa says you have too." Stopping her protesting, he called HyungJun. This way he didn't have to leave her alone.

- "Yeobosayo?" HyungJun answered.
- "Maknae, I need a favor. Where are you?"
- "By the Atrium. What's up?"
- "Great, can you get some Ibuprofen from the gift shop and bring it to Ilana's room?"
- "Is Princess ok?" He said worriedly.
- "She's not feeling well, just hurry up will you?"
- "Arasso! Tell Princess I'm running."
 

Everything had been quiet, Ilana started to doze off again and YoungSaeng was sitting on the couch when someone knocked on the door. HyungJun began plaguing YoungSaeng with questions as soon as the door was opened.
 - "Will you keep it down, she's resting?" YoungSaeng tried shushing him.
 - "It's ok, I'm awake."
 - "Princess, can na get you something?  Ice cream? Or some soup?  Tea?  Just tell Oppa and Na will get it for you."
 - "No, thank you, HyungJun Oppa.  I don't really feel like anything right now. I'm just a little tired."
- "Here take this,”YoungSaeng handed her a water bottle, while he opened the Ibuprofen.  “It'll help with the body aches and hopefully bring down your fever." She refused the ibuprofen, she pushed his hand away.

 - “Princess, it will make you feel better," HyungJun tried.
 - "Shiro!”  She hoped they'd understand in their own language.
 - "Cinderella, please. Your fever is really high and ara your head is hurting enough to where you can hardly keep your eyes open."  YoungSaeng tried again.
 - "I just prefer using natural remedies and not put chemicals into my body," she gave them the first excuse she could come up with.  It was the truth, after all.
 - "Arasso, but if your fever doesn't go down, you're taking it." He left no room for argument and Ilana just shook her head in acknowledgment. "Sleep now."
 - "I'll go get you something from the kitchen that will help you feel better. I'll be back Princess." HyungJun ran out the door excitedly.

Ilana was in a deep sleep when KyuJong and Suzy came several hours later.
 - "What are her symptoms?"  KyuJong asked YoungSaeng.
 - "Fever, chills, um…headache, and she's really tired. Oh! It’s really weird, her hands are cold."
 - "Most of what we've been seeing all day, but only one other patient has a fever." He silently wondered about the cold hands.
 - "I'll just wait outside, while you work." YoungSaeng said.
 - “Just check her vitals,” KyuJong instructed.  “We don’t have consent to treat and Na don’t want to have her wake up and get startled.
 - "Her temperature is over 102 and her pulse is a little fast." Suzy said.
 - “Let’s try and remove her robe and one of the blankets. That should help bring her fever down."
 - “Ilana…It’s Suzy, I’m going to take off your robe, arraso?”  Suzy tried to get a response from the sleeping patient.  Ilana woke on being lifted; her tired eyes made contact with Suzy and managed a nod once she repeated herself.  Easing their patient back down, Suzy discovered a bruise on Ilana's forearm when she removed her robe.  "Uissa, look at this bruise?  Na took her pulse on other wrist and didn’t see it.”

 - "Hmm. Let YoungSaeng Hyeong back in, Na want to check something." A diagnosis was already forming in his head.  A fever naturally brings up the heart rate, but she boarded the cruise with a fast heart rate.  The easy bruising also made him think there was an underlying condition.  It could something as simple as Anemia or as complex as Leukemia.  Either way, he wanted to find out.
- "Is she ok?" YoungSaeng asked when he back in.
- "It seems some people were exposed to a virus, but Ilana and a Halmoni are the only ones with a high fever. How long has she had the fever, do you know?"
- "Na think all day, as you can see, she never dressed for the day. And she refused to take any medicine."
- "Na was just going to ask that,” KyuJong sighed.  "Stubborn Agassi," he mumbled. Pointing to her arm he asked:  "By the way, what do you know about that bruise on her hand?"
- "Na didn't notice it, earlier."
KyuJong checked his watch.  “Na have to check on our patient in the infirmary, can Hyeong stay here and call me when she wakes up? Na want to talk to her." He wanted to know why all the other patients had only mild symptoms except a Halmoni and Ilana. How was it that her immune system was that weak?  What was her underlying condition and how could he help her while she was on the cruise?
HyungJun returned as KyuJong was leaving, bearing a tray with food for Ilana.  "Can we wake her up?" HyungJun asked. "Na brought her Spicy Kimchi soup."
- "It won't hurt for her to eat, it should help, actually."
- "Princess needs to eat, wake up." Hyun Jun shook her gently until she started to wake.
- "No tengo hambre (I'm not hungry), Nana." Ilana was still half asleep.
- "Pabo…HyungJun Oppa, not Nana."
- "Oppa?" She slowly opened her eyes to see she was surrounded.
- "Mokda (eat)" HyungJun had the spoon poised and ready to put in . He gave her no chance to protest.
- "It's good, a little spicy though." The spice had caught her off guard and she reached for the water bottle on the tray.
- "The heat will bring your fever down," HyungJun said.
- "I'll be back in a while to check on you, agassi." KyuJong motioned to YoungSaeng before he left. "Can Hyeong make sure someone stays with her until I get back?"
 

Ilana finished eating and HyungJun left her to get some rest.  "I'm feeling a little better Oppa, you can go now, too." Ilana tried to convince herself as well as her YoungSaeng.
- "Haengbohkae (I’m happy), Cinderella thinks so, hajiman Uissa’s orders were to stay with you until he came back to check on you. Cinderella won't get rid of me that easy." The stew had helped bring some color back into her face, but YoungSaeng could tell her head was still hurting.  "Your head still hurts?"
- "Deh, a little," She sighed.
- "Sleep, whatever KyuJong wanted to talk to you about, can wait." 

Regardless if she wanted too or not, Ilana could no longer stay awake.

Ilana's fever raged all through the night and through the next day. It wasn't until the next evening when the fever finally broke and allowed her to get a restful sleep. She woke on the morning of the third day to find Suzy sitting next to her on the bed flipping through a magazine. They had all taken turns coming to check on her during the last forty-eight hours. Ilana could only slightly recall being woken up at times to drink water or eat.
- "Ilana! You're awake. Good." Suzy got up to get Ilana some water.
- "How long have you been here?" Ilana asked trying to muster strength enough to sit up. Suzy helped her arrange the pillows so she could sit up.
- "Not too long, Uissa will want to know you're awake, though." Suzy handed her the water. "I took your temperature a little while ago. It's finally stayed down, but still not gone. "Take this," Suzy handed her an Ibuprofen.  "You're overdue, but I didn't want to wake you. This is the only thing that kept your fever under control; it’s a good thing Saengie Oppa got you to start taking it." Ilana vaguely remembered a conversation with YoungSaeng.

- "Ilana, you need to take this, your fever has gone up, not down. I won't take no for an answer. If you refuse to take something for your fever, you will end up in the infirmary with an IV. Is that what you want?" 

- "Thank you," Ilana took the water and medicine from Suzy without protest, surprising them both. She didn't want to get scolded by YoungSaeng again. " Suzy, where did this bear come from?" Ilana just noticed the Teddy Bear that was tangled in the blankets.
- "HyungJun Oppa brought it for you. He said something about you crying in your sleep and you stopped shortly after he tucked the bear in with you. "
- "That was sweet of him." Ilana hoped she didn't say anything in her fevered sleep.  "I hope I didn't stress poor Oppa, he's so sensitive."  She was a little worried about causing him or the others to worry about her.  That's the last thing she would ever want was to make them sad or distressed because of her and yet she did it to Nana and Kike all the time. It made her want to cry just to think about it.
- "That's Maknae for you, don't worry." Suzy's voice broke through Ilana's musing. "I'll call Uissa;" she walked over to the sitting area and called.

While they were waiting for KyuJong, YoungSaeng knocked on the door before letting himself in.
- "Annyeong Oppa!" Suzy greeted.
- "Annyeong." He bowed to the two ladies. "Cinderella! You're awake. That's great, how's your fever?" Immediately putting his hand on her forehead to check.
- "It's better, Oppa," Ilana said, a little guarded.
- "It really is better, Oppa. It's almost gone. If she continues with plenty of liquids and rest (stressing the word 'rest') her fever will be gone soon."
- "I'll order you some food, then," YoungSaeng told Ilana. "Don't bother telling me you're not hungry."
- "Now that you're here, Oppa, I'm going to go help Uissa. Our Halmoni patient is being transferred to a hospital on shore. It seems she has other health issues that are being complicated by the virus. You don't mind, do you, Ilana?"
- "I suppose." She gave a mock sigh of resignation as she looked at YoungSaeng. "I'm sorry about your patient."
- "Deh...take care of her Oppa, she listens to you."
- "Not really, but I try,"YoungSaeng replied.
- "Uissa should be along shortly. I can finish any orders or calls that need to be made." YoungSaeng sat on the edge of the bed facing Ilana and ruffled her hair.  "What was that sigh for agassi?"
- "I'm not talking to you." She stuck her tongue out at him, pulled the blankets over her head and feigned sleep."
- "Ungrateful dongsaeng," he laughed. ”Wae is Cinderella not talking to Oppa?"
- "You threatened me!" A muffled shout came from beneath the blankets.
- "Mmm, Cinderella remembers that?"
- "Vaguely." She really didn't intend to be so stubborn. She was powerless to control the irrational fears that usually plagued her.
- "It was not a threat, it was a fact, and your fever did finally go down." He grinned at her. "You had everyone worried, troublemaker."
- "It seems I'm good at that." She mumbled under her breath.

The fever had still left her weak but was tired of sitting in bed. After much argument, she had managed to talk YoungSaeng in helping her to the couch. When the initial dizziness wore off, she sat on the couch without further incident. That is where KyuJong found her sometime later when he went to check on her.
- "Ilana-ssi is feeling better?"  KyuJong greeted his patient with a friendly smile.
- "Yes, thank you."
- "I'm going to check your temperature and your vitals. I also need to speak to you."
- "Should I go?”YoungSaeng asked.
- "Only if Ilana wants you too, it’s not a big deal if you stay. I'm just checking vitals and have a few questions I want to ask."
- "It's okay, you don't have to go." Ilana was a little nervous at the concerned, yet determined look on KyuJong's face; she figured, if she was going to get scolded, she'd rather have YoungSaeng by her side for support.
- "Good news is Ilana's fever is gone. Your pulse is still fast, though..." KyuJong sat next to her, taking a hand in his.  " ...and your hands are still cold, but Ilana-ssi is always a little cold, deh?"
- "Just a little."
- "Occasional dizzy spells and fatigue too?" She didn't answer, but he kept going anyway. "Have you ever been told you have anemia?"  He figured he'd start with the least frightening diagnosis.
- "Y-yes." KyuJong had let go of her hands and she began to fidget with the blanket on her lap. Knowing where this line of questioning was going, she wasn't ready for it.
- "What kind of anemia?" Kyu asked.
- "I-I don't know what you mean?"

YoungSaeng watched her bite her lip and smooth a nonexistent wrinkle on the blanket.  He reached over to stop her hands from their nervous fidgeting.  "Ilana," YoungSaeng said firmly but not without kindness. "I think you do know." He jumped in to try and help KyuJong get the answers he needed. If he could tell she was avoiding the question, he knew his friend could too.
-"Ilana, I need you to tell me. One, because we're your friends now, remember? Ilana-ssi knows she can trust and count on us for anything." KyuJong added. "We'll always be Oppa to you."

She wondered if she could ever really trust herself to put her trust in others. "It didn’t go well, before," the thought sprang inside her brain. Ilana hadn't allowed herself the luxury of a friend since her parents’ accident. Since she was sixteen she didn't get close to or trust anyone. Even with Nana & Kike, she was still guarded.

 - "...Two, I am a Doctor, and I want to help you."

I didn't forget that our Ilana-ssi was sick. :) I just love our Kyu/Saengie tag team and who can't love our sweet Maknae.

So, please let me know who's out there! Tell me about yourselves! Subscribe, comment, vote!

Who's your bias? Mine? I don't know if you can tell, it's Kim Hyun Joong. But a very close second is Heo YoungSaeng.