Hurricane Diarrhea #39

“Are you okay?”

Taeyeon stopped, looked up and shook her head at Sunny. “I’m not okay,” she replied and resumed dragging her feet towards her room.

“Why? What happened?”

“I don’t really wanna talk about it.”

Sunny closed the distance between them and gave her a hug. “Did something happen at Tiffany’s?”

Taeyeon buried her face in Sunny’s shoulder-length curls and nodded.

“I’m sorry then. Maybe I shouldn’t have let her bring you home with her when you were wasted.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“I feel sorry though. You might have done something to make her angry while you were drunk.”

“It’s my fault for drinking so much.”

“You were down. And hungry. Don’t be too hard on yourself.”

“Tiffany’s angry with me because I drank too much and got drunk and…and ended up with hurricane diarrhea this morning. She said she’s angry because I hurt myself.”

Sunny cupped her face with warm hands and smiled. “That’s because she cares for you. She’s not really angry. It sounds more like worry to me.”

“Really? She’s not angry? She was so scary this morning, you don’t even know. Her eyes were like dragon’s eyes and she was this close to breathing fire.”

“She probably got angry for real from worrying about you too much.”

“Well, she asked me to see a doctor. But it’s a little more than that. You see…”

“What? What is it?”

“I…kinda…” Taeyeon swallowed hard. It was hard to tell this sort of thing even to a best friend like Sunny. “…I…I clogged up her toilet.”

“What? How?”

“I tried to plush my down her toilet.”

Sunny’s eyes were wider than ever and was ajar at this point. “What? Why?”

Oh gosh. It was getting harder and harder to talk about it. “My …well…I-I s-s-inthembyaccident.”

“You what?!”

Taeyeon hung her head. There was nothing left to say. It was terrible. She’d been in plenty of embarrassing situations before but none of them could compare to this one. This one was in a class of its own. It wasn’t just an embarrassing situation. It was a uation.

.

“Oh Taengoo…my poor girl…” Sunny gave her another hug and patted her head. “Don’t be sad. Tiffany won’t be angry forever. See a doctor as she says. It’ll make her feel better since she’s worried about your health. And buy some flowers for her. That’ll make her happy.”

“Flowers?” Taeyeon pouted. “I don’t know the kind of flowers she likes. I’m such a fail girlfriend.” Sunny grinned right then. A cheeky grin. The kind of grin that Taeyeon knew was the product of something naughty she’d done before. “Why are you grinning like that.”

“You’ll have me to thank, Taengoo. Remember the survey I did with Tiffany?”

Taeyeon’s eyes widened with the memory of how Sunny had ambushed Tiffany and rained a ton of questions on her to ‘check her out’. Did one of her questions involve flowers? “And…?” she breathed.

“And I just happened to ask about flowers.”

“And…?”

“She likes pink flowers. Pink roses.”

Sunny squeaked when Taeyeon threw her arms around her and squeezed the squeak out of her. “Thank you!”

“It’s partly my fault after all. I hope you two make up real soon.”

Taeyeon beamed, feeling better all at once. “We will.”

Sunny smiled and patted her . “Good. Now you’d better freshen up. Don’t be late for your 2027 lecture.”

~

Taeyeon’s spirits were dampened. 2027 was a painful lecture to sit through when she knew that Tiffany was angry with her. She kept her eyes on Tiffany the whole time but not once did Tiffany turn her way or look at her. Her girlfriend kept herself busy, arranging papers and collecting assignments the entire time.

“They’re collecting assignments now, Taeyeon,” said Noeul as she handed their assignment to her. “You can hand it up for us.”

Taeyeon thought the better of it and returned their assignment to Noeul. “You go.”

“Me?”

“Yeah. You.”

“…Okay…” Noeul looked puzzled but did as she said nonetheless and she was thankful. It would be too awkward to face Tiffany right now.

Noeul returned to her seat and it wasn’t long before she nudged Taeyeon. “You two had a quarrel?”

Taeyeon shook her head. “No quarrel. I made her angry.”

“Oh.” Noeul patted her shoulder and smiled. “Don’t worry, I’m sure she’ll forgive you.”

“I hope so.”

~

The lecture ended wtihout their eyes connecting even once and Taeyeon was depressed through and through. Noeul made her feel better, however, by giving her a quick hug.

“I’ll be rooting for you, Taeyeon.”

Taeyeon couldn’t help but smile then. Noeul was such a great friend. “Thanks, Noeul,” she said, and set off to the doctors feeling better about things. Yuri, however, was waiting right outside the lecture theatre and pounced on her the moment she stepped out.

“Is Jessica coming out soon?” she asked, her eyes dancing to a merry tune.

“Not for a while. They’re still packing up.”

“Okay!” Yuri was bouncy as ever. “And what’s up with you? You look kinda depressed.”

“I’ll tell you some other time. I’m going to see a doctor right now.”

“Doctor? Are you sick?”

“Maybe.”

“Maybe?”

“I’ll tell you about it next time.”

Yuri patted her head. “Alright. Feel better soon, Taengoo.”

Taeyeon managed a weak smile. “I will.”

~

The doctor’s clinic was situated in a corner of an old building on the cheaper side of town. It was the cheapest clinic Taeyeon could find and on top of that, they were offering discounts on their consultation fees. It was a find, for someone as broke as she was. Doctors’ fees were costly these days, especially the ones on the expensive side of town.

She couldn’t go on like this, she decided while climbing the stairs to the clinic. Money was a necessity. She’d have to go back to Bau House and ask if they could give her some work. Noeul could help her to ask. Yeah. She’d send a message to ask Noeul for help. That’d solve her money problems. Great! That was one problem down.

She arrived at the clinic at last. The signboard above it said: The Right Clinic.

Yes, that was the right one. The door creaked open when she pushed it and a gust of cool wind greeted her. Oh boy, the clinic was cold and she hadn’t brought a jacket with her. She could only hope the queue wasn’t too long. Her worry vanished as soon as she stepped in, however, as there wasn’t a soul in sight. There were no patients waiting to see the doctor. Neither was there a nurse manning the counter. There was no one.

Taeyeon stood in the middle of the waiting area, wondering if this clinic was operating. Why wasn’t there anyone? She jumped in her skin when a grunt came from one of the rooms along the short corridor. There were only three wooden doors, each a consultation room, she supposed but it was hard to tell where the grunt had come from. Before she could figure it out, a groan and another grunt startled her again. What in the world was going on in this place?

She spotted a bell on the counter. Should she ring it? It was probably meant to alert the people in the clinic, right? Yeah. She tapped the bell and it rang loud and clear, its ring reverberating through the place and that’s when she heard another grunt and a couple of muffled voices coming from the second room. Sure enough, the second door opened after a moment and a woman emerged from the room.

Taeyeon stared. The woman’s hair was mussed up and her blouse looked as though it’d been buttoned in haste; the buttons were mismatched and one side of the blouse extended beyond the other. Woah, what was that about. The woman flashed a winning smile and that’s when she noticed the smudged lipstick. This woman definitely needed to spend some time in front of a mirror to tidy herself up, she thought. However, she stopped her thoughts and returned the smile out of politeness as she stepped forward.

“Hi, how may I help you?”

“I’m here to see the doctor.”

“Of course you are, hun, but what for? What do you need? A doctor’s letter? Some pills? What?”

Taeyeon blinked. Something wasn’t right with this clinic and she had a feeling she was better off somewhere else but she didn’t have enough money for other clinics. Better to stick to this one and get it done. “I…might have some problems with diarrhea.”

“I see. So you’re here for a consultation.”

“Yes.”

“Right then, head on straight for the Room 2. The doctor will see you now.”

“Okay.” Taeyeon thought it strange that none of her particulars were taken. Most clinics would ask for some form of identification and keep a record of her visit, wouldn’t they? Nevertheless, she knocked on the second door and waited.

“Come on in,” said a feminine voice and she opened the door to enter.

Nothing in the world could prepare her to be greeted by the sight of the prettiest doctor she’d ever seen. Pretty in the diva way. With long wavy chestnut brown hair, smoky eyes and an abundance of cleavage to boot, this doctor was unlike any typical stereotype that most doctors looked like.

“Sit.”

Taeyeon sat and tried not to gape. Even her voice was husky and y. No .

“I’m Doctor Aly. What’s your problem, my dear?”

Taeyeon’s mouth ran dry. Oh boy. Doctor Aly’s voice had sent ripples of screaming pleasure down her spine and now, she didn’t know how she could tell such a pretty doctor about her less-than-glamorous problem.

“I-I have a problem with diarrhea.”

“Mhm…go on, elaborate.”

“I get it a lot.”

“Mhm…go on, elaborate.”

“Er…it usually happens after drinking alcohol or milk and once, after eating a lot of yoghurt.”

“Mhm.” Doctor Aly put her pen down and turned to look at Taeyeon. She tensed up, and her hands didn’t quite know what to do as Doctor Aly leaned towards her and looked her in the eye. “So what’s wrong with you?”

“Diarrhea. That’s what’s wrong with me.”

“Mhm…” Doctor Aly folded her arms and tapped her chin. Taeyeon blinked. What was going on with this doctor and her ‘mhm’s? And she hadn’t found out what her problem was yet. “Lie down.”

Huh? Lie down? Where? Taeyeon stood up and followed Doctor Aly who was opening the door next to the desk. She entered a larger room and saw a bed. The sheets on the bed were messy and Doctor Aly hastened to straighten them before flashing a confident smile.

“Here.”

Taeyeon had no choice but to do as she said. So, she dragged her feet to the bed and looked. It seemed clean enough although she’d begun to wonder if someone had been on the bed earlier, with all the grunting and groaning she heard while waiting. Argh.

She lay down on the bed and looked at Doctor Aly, awaiting instructions but none ever given. Doctor Aly yanked up her t-shirt and began pressing her abdomen from left to right and back again. She yelped at the sudden touch, out of surprise and Doctor Aly’s cold fingers, and tried not to blush as the doctor’s fingers moved down towards her hips. Her jeans were ed as well and that’s when Taeyeon squeaked.

Doctor Aly cocked a brow and shot her a curious stare. “Does it hurt when I press?”

Taeyeon could only shake her head as Doctor Aly ped her jeans and pulled it open. The fingers returned, pressing her lower abdomen and Taeyeon could only feel relieved that her choice of for the day wasn’t a cartoon for once. Nope. It was black. y black and quite sheer. Perhaps a little too y to be seen by anyone but Tiffany. But doctors were fine, right? Doctors saw every day, right?

Right.

“Mhm…zip up, button up, come back out.”

Taeyeon did as she said and went back to the outer room and sat down.

“There’s nothing wrong with you.”

“Really?”

“I’m a doctor, don’t you trust me?”

“Uh, of course I do.”

“So don’t question me. If I say there’s nothing wrong with you then there’s nothing wrong with you.”

“Okay.”

“What you have is anxiety and an allergy.”

“Anxiety and allergy?”

“Mhm. You’re easily anxious, no?”

“I…I guess I’ve been kinda stressed out lately…”

“Mhm. And you’re allergic to alcohol and intolerant of lactose.”

“I’m allergic to alcohol?”

“I said. Don’t. Question. Me.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Mhm. Alcohol dehydrates you. Irritates your digestive tract. It trashes you pretty quick.”

“That’s right. I get drunk pretty easily.”

“Mhm. Of course I’m right. I’m a doctor.” Doctor Aly rolled her eyes and Taeyeon could only stare. “Lactose. Your body doesn’t like. Can’t handle. Avoid it. Yoghurt isn’t so bad. Take in small amounts.”

“Okay.”

“Mhm. Drink lots of water. Sip it. Don’t gulp. Get some rest.” Doctor Aly put her pen down and smiled. “That’s all. You may go.”

“That’s all?”

Doctor Aly’s smile vanished. “Don’t. Question. Me.”

Oh boy. It’s time to go.

~

“Miss, your bill is ready.”

Taeyeon walked to the counter and got her money ready. “What kind of medicine do I have to take? How much do I have to pay you?”

“You don’t need medicine. The consultation is a hundred dollars.”

Taeyeon went pale. “I…don’t have enough…”

“You came here without money?!”

Oh no. The nurse’s widening eyes were scary. Almost as scary as Tiffany’s. But the memory of the discount she saw, came to her mind just then. “Isn’t this clinic offering a discount? I only have to pay 20% right?”

The nurse appeared to be stunned but recovered her smile right away. “Oh right, I forgot about that. Well, in that case, you only have to pay twenty dollars.”

Taeyeon sighed. It was painful to part with her money but the white-washed walls and strips of green were getting to her and she was eager to get out of this freaky place. She looked sadly at the two ten dollar bills in her hand. That was the last of her money. Bye bye cash. She sniffed and put her money on the counter. It was snatched up by the nurse who smiled and said, “You can go now. See you again soon!”

And that was it. Taeyeon bolted out of the shop and never looked back again.

No .

~

She knocked on Tiffany’s door and waited. She heard a sharp little yip and the pattering of bare feet on the ground and the door was opened.

Fwa-ny…

Taeyeon took a step forward and entered her apartment as Prince walked between her legs and circled them, stopping to her feet at times. She took no notice of Prince, however. Her eyes locked onto Tiffany and refused to let go.

“Fany, I just saw a doctor.” She took the stalk of a solitary pink rose out from her bag and presented it to Tiffany. “Please don’t be angry with me anymore.”

Much to her relief, Tiffany the fire-breathing dragon didn’t burn her to a crisp. She accepted the rose and said, “Come in and sit down. Let’s talk.”

It sounded like the talk was going to be a scary one but it was still better than no talking so Taeyeon scooted in and planted herself on the couch. She was ready to talk her way out of this one. May the powers of her y black see her through this. She needed every bit of help she could get.

No .

~