Nurse on Duty

 

"Mam, whom can we contact to inform that you're admitted in the hospital?" 

 

"No please, don't call anyone. I'll be fine" 

 

"But ma-" 

 

"No please I'll be fine." 

 

"But it's our protocol. You can't be alone.." 

 

"No please I'll be fine. I'll sign anything to prove that this is my choice. Just don't call anyone." 

 

"Okay I won't. I'll bring your medicine in a bit and if you need something just press that button." 

 

"Alright, thank you."

 

The nurse went out of the room, and Tiffany let out a sigh as soon as she saw the door closed. 

 

"What did I just do?" Tiffany couldn't help but blame herself from the accident she was just involved.  

 

She gasped as a thought came across her mind. Her lips trembled feeling worried for what she had caused. She wanted to call in and ask the nurse to ask but she didn't want to be a bother to them. 

 

A good hour later, she heard a knock on the door and the nurse came in bringing a handful of syringe with varying sizes. 

 

"Hi! Good afternoon" She greeted the gloomy patient. 

 

"H-hi!" Tiffany sniffed.

 

"Are you okay? Are you in pain?" The nurse asked worriedly. 

 

"No,  no I'm okay. I'm just worried." She tried to smile but worries evident in her eyes.

 

"Do you want to talk about it?" 

 

The patient meekly shook her head; afraid that she'd get the nurse in trouble if she holds her in the room. 

 

"It's okay you, know. You don't have to worry." She flashed a dorky grin. "I'm Yuri and I'll be your nurse for today, now may I know what your name is?" 

 

Tiffany felt at ease and gave the kind nurse a smile. Her puffy eyes smiled along her lips making the nurse taken aback by the beautiful smile.

 

"I'm Tiffany, Tiffany Hwang." 

 

"Alright, Ms. Tiffany or do you prefer Ms. Hwang?" Yuri asked politely. 

 

"Tiffany, Tiffany will be fine. You're making me sound like an old lady."

 

"Okay Tiffany then. I'd be administering your anti biotic and pain reliever, okay?" 

 

"Okay sure." Tiffany said raising her hand with the IV tubing for an easier access. 

 

"Antibiotic may sting a little, that’s why I'll be administering it slowly. Please tell me if it's hurting you okay?" 

 

Tiffany just nodded thankful for the nurse's consideration. 

 

"So while we're at it, want to talk about what's bothering you?" Yuri asked carefully trying not to sound prying.

 

"Well I just wanted to ask a question." 

 

"I'll try to answer it. Shoot." 

 

"Did I hurt anyone else?" she blurted out almost immediately. Yuri looked at Tiffany, guilt written all over her face. 

 

Yuri smiled at Tiffany, still slowly infusing the antibiotic on the IV port. 

 

"No you did not." 

 

Tiffany sighed in relief while Yuri smiled in sudden admiration. 

 

"Relieved?"

 

"You have no idea."  Tiffany managed to smile. 

 

"Why are you worried about others? You're the one who needs to recover." 

 

"I just don't like the thought of someone hurting because of me." 

 

"Don't worry about it. The only person hurt here is you. So I'll give the pain reliever before the pain starts to haunt you." Yuri said in a teasing manner. 

 

"Is there something I cannot eat? I'm pretty starving and I don't want you to get in trouble because I ate something I'm not supposed to." 

 

"The question should be: is there something I CAN eat?" Yuri said while slowly injecting the pain reliever through the port. 

 

"Why?" Tiffany asked puzzled. 

 

"You cannot eat...yet" she added immediately. 

 

"You're kidding, right?" 

 

"I'm afraid I'm not. It's a precaution. You hit your head during the accident, we don't want you vomiting or aspirating just in case things do not go well and you have to undergo surgery." 

 

"I thought my CT scans say I'm okay? You're scaring me." 

 

"Your CT scans are clear no damage, no injury, no break or whatsoever on your head but we at least need to observe you for a good 24 hours. The brain is a complicated thing, you know." 

 

"Ugh! For real?" 

 

"I'm sorry." 

 

"Nah it can't be helped. I'm just craving for pizza right now." 

 

"I'm afraid that needs to wait. Maybe ask your family to bring one tomorrow around 2 in the afternoon? But I'm not assuring you that. It's still the doctor's order whether to let you eat or not." she smiled kindly after withdrawing the needle from the port. 

 

"You guys don't allow delivery here?" 

 

"Huh?"

 

"Well I'm not gonna ask someone to bring me pizza, so delivery will do." 

 

"Still won't tell your family?" she asked consciously "We allow delivery but only they could only go as far as the entrance, we don't allow them to go to rooms so I still need someone to get it for you in the lobby" she continued when she noticed Tiffany avoiding her eyes. 

 

Tiffany sighed in defeat. There's nothing she can do and she definitely won't call anyone to know where she is right now. It's already enough that she's bothering this nurse; she doesn't want to burden her friends. 

 

"Alright, I'll just be in the station and if you need anything and I mean anything, if you have questions or you want to talk, just press the button, okay?" She said with soft eyes and a kind smile towards Tiffany. 

 

"I will. Thank you." Tiffany smiled sincerely to the nice nurse. 

 

Yuri left the room with a wide smile in her face and a heavy heart while Tiffany watched Yuri's retreating back with a small smile and a sudden longing heart.  

 

Where is that coming from? Neither of the two can tell. 

 

After an hour, Yuri checks back on Tiffany who was busy flipping the channels of the TV 

 

"Bored?" 

 

"Yeah!" 

 

"Then let me bother you." 

 

"Please do so. What's up?" Tiffany asked turning off the TV and faced the nurse. 

 

It was amazing how their conversations just started to flow naturally; it was like they've known each other for a very long time. 

 

"Are you feeling anything weird? Like a headache or dizziness? Or maybe having difficulty of breathing?" 

 

"No. Not really. I'm fine." 

 

"Okay. How about vomiting or numbness of your extremities?" 

 

"Nothing at all." 

 

"That's good then." Yuri smiled sincerely at her making Tiffany smile brighter than she already was. 

 

"Does that mean I can eat pizza tomorrow?" She said excitedly. 

 

"Not my call Fany... doctor's order remember?" Yuri smiled awkwardly after realizing her slip. "I'm

sorry I didn't mea-" 

 

"No it's okay. I like it." Tiffany reassured. 

 

Before Yuri could even respond, Tiffany's phone rang and she groaned. 

 

"Excuse me. This will be a quick one" 

 

With that being said, Yuri took it as "stay" and she awkwardly tried to check on the IV fluid while Tiffany answered the call. 

 

"Yes Taeng?" 

 

"I just went out to get something to eat. Go home." She lied. 

 

"No don't wait up okay?"

 

"Alright! I'll call you SeoHyun  or HyoYeon or whomever if I'm not feeling okay." 

 

"Geez! Kim TaeYeon you're annoying me! Don't you have a song to sing or whatever?" That seemed to stop Yuri from whatever she was pretending to do as he heard the familiar name. 

 

"Yes yes and Tae?  Thank you" She said annoyance now gone from her voice. 

 

"I'll talk to you later." she said ending the call and faced Yuri with an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that" 

 

"It's okay. I didn't mean to pry but Kim TaeYeon?" 

 

"Yes, the singer. She's my friend" She said without a hint of offense. 

 

"THE Kim TaeYeon? Blonde, Midget, dorky Ajumma?" Yuri asked with amusement. 

 

"That's the first time someone asked me that but yes Kim TaeYeon blonde, midget, dorky Ajumma" Tiffany said before bursting into a laughter. 

 

"Really?" 

 

"What really?" 

 

"That was the first time you heard that description?"

 

"Not the first time but they usually ask "Kim TaeYeon, the singer" and not the way you described her." she said still with a light laugh. 

 

"Well that's how my friends describe her so" Yuri explained and shrugged her shoulders. 

 

"You know her?" 

 

"Of course." 

 

"No I mean personally." Normally when people find out she's friends with THE Kin TaeYeon, they'll starting up to her or give TaeYeon endless praises and so on but with Yuri, it was different. She insulted her face on. 

 

"Well she's my friend." 

 

Tiffany could only gasp in surprise. 

 

"In fact she's going to be here to pick me up after my shift." 

 

That must've brought Tiffany out of her trance and started panicking. 

 

"Oh gosh please don't tell her anything. Please I'm begging you." 

 

Tiffany pleaded, even tried to stand so she could reach for Yuri's arms but immediately regretted as she felt the pain on her foot intensify ten times. 

 

"Are you okay?" Yuri asked worriedly. 

 

"I'm fine just please don't tell her." 

 

"Okay sure." Yuri then took her phone from her pocket, calling someone. "Hey taeng!" She started and Tiffany gave her a questioning look. 

 

"Yes about later." She continued, "I don't think I can make it. I'm sorry. Something came up, I promise to make it up to you as soon as I can" silence "yes thanks. I'll see you." 

 

"Why did you cancel?" Tiffany knows she doesn't have the right to pry but she couldn't help but ask about it. 

 

"Thought you didn't want me to tell her?" 

 

"Yes. But that didn't mean you can't see her." 

 

"Meh! We'll see each other."

 

"You don't have to, you know." 

 

"I know but I'd rather stay here than be with her and worry about her friend." 

 

Tiffany thought she heard wrong. 

 

"What?" 

 

"I'm camping here tonight." 

 

"Wait, what?" 

 

"You don't have anyone with you, you don't want anyone to know." 

 

"No you should go home. And rest you don't have to take care of me" She declined politely secretly grateful for the thoughtfulness of the nurse. 

 

"Who said I'd be working? I'd be staying here with you. I hope you don't mind." She said with a smile.

 

"No I don't. But is that allowed?" 

 

"You're a friend and I'm allowed to visit a friend after working hours." 

 

Both were speechless on the situation they were in. 

 

Yuri gave her a nod signaling she'd be leaving for now, she closed the door with a smile still evident on her face. As to why she just did what she did, she doesn't know why. It’s different. Tiffany is different.

 

 

 

Needless to say, Yuri spent the night at Tiffany's room with occasional small talks and surprisingly to the both of them, a very comfortable silence. 

 

"You seriously did not go home?" Tiffany said as soon as she opened her eyes and the kind nurse greeted her with a smile. 

 

"Good morning to you too." Yuri answered with a grin. 

 

"You don't have work today?" 

 

"Nope I don't. That means I have the whole day to camp out here." 

 

Tiffany just stared at the nurse whom she just met yesterday yet treats her better than half of whom she considered friends. "Is she always like this to patients?". Tiffany felt a pang when she taught of Yuri being caring to other patients as well. She liked the taught of hers being treated specially by Yuri. 

 

"Do nurse here always stay with their patients even after their shift?" Tiffany couldn't stop herself from asking.

 

"No not really." 

 

"So you don't have to stay." Even though she enjoys Yuri's company, she couldn't be selfish and stop her from doing what she has to do because she refuses to worry others. 

 

"I don't but I want to." 

 

"Are you always this nice to your patients?" 

 

Yuri paused for a while to think. 

 

"As a nurse, I have to be nice to every patient." Tiffany couldn't help but be disappointed; she's another patient after all. "But this is the first time I ever stayed with a patient." 

 

"Because you don't want TaeYeon to kill you?" Tiffany retorted. 

 

"That" Yuri smiled and whispered "and not every patient is as beautiful and as interesting as you." 

 

It was loud enough for Tiffany to hear.  She couldn't stop the natural reaction of her body, a blush immediately formed on her cheeks. 

 

They don't seem to have any chance to have awkward moments since there was a knock on the door. 

 

A doctor came in with a nurse in his tail. 

 

"Oh Nurse Kwon, are you on duty?"  The doctor asked. 

 

"No I'm not. You're not her doctor, why are you here?" Yuri tried to hide her annoyance towards the doctor. 

 

"My father had an emergency and he asked me to do rounds for him." He said. "And I'm glad he did" he continued as he looked at Tiffany with a smirk. 

 

Yuri respects the young doctor’s father so much but with his son, it's the other way around. He flirts with every nurse or patient he could land his hands on. And right now, she definitely do not like the way he is eyeing Tiffany. 

 

"So nurse Kwon, what are you doing here?" 

 

"Well..." Yuri stalls as she thinks of a reason why she was there. She couldn't say they're friends, are they?

 

"She's my girlfriend." Tiffany said proudly before Yuri could even ponder on her thoughts. She looked at Tiffany in which she saw pleading eyes. With just that, they understood each other. 

 

"Girl..." 

 

"Girlfriend." Yuri reiterated before the smug doctor could even finish what he was saying. 

 

"Since when did you have a hot girlfriend?" He asked in disbelief. 

 

"Excuse me doctor but with all due respect, you don't have the right to talk about my girlfriend, your patient like that."  Yuri defended. 

 

The doctor must've taken aback with Yuri's defensiveness and carried on with his task.  After few questions and thorough assessment, the doctor left Yuri and Tiffany alone.

 

"Thanks for ridding along." Tiffany started.  "I just didn't like how he was looking at me." she explained. 

 

"I understand." she looked at her in the eye "Although I wouldn't mind being your girlfriend." she said straightforwardly. 

 

"What?" Tiffany asked completely surprised by the tactfulness.

 

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to be like that doctor. But I mean it, if you'd give me a chance." 

 

"Well I wouldn't deny the fact that you're nice and very interesting. Sure why not?" Normally, Tiffany wouldn't just jump into agreeing something like this. She is a rational person and would think things over and over again before coming up with a decision but this one, there was no thinking done, just impulse and gut feel. But then again, Yuri isn't also the type to just blatantly ask a person to be their girlfriend especially in the hospital and her patient. 

 

With that being said, Yuri couldn't help but grin like a little kid. 

 

"You mean that?" 

 

"Yes I mean it. But don't you think we should just like umm get to know each other more first?" 

 

"Oh yes how rude of me. Okay sorry. Amm" Yuri fidgeted "Tiffany would you go out on a date with me? Then be my girlfriend if you happened to like me in the long run?" Yuri asked assuring that she's serious about this even it sounds so crazy to her in normal days, but then this isn't like any normal days, this is different, Tiffany is different and she wouldn't want to miss this opportunity. 

 

"I'd like that." Tiffany answered with the brightest smile to the extent of Yuri going blind if she doesn't stop staring. 

 

"You've a beautiful smile, did you know that?" 

 

Tiffany couldn't help but blush again. 

 

"You're a sweet talker, aren't you?" 

 

"Only to you." With the response they exchange, it would seem that they've known each other. This was the first time Yuri felt this way towards another person, the butterflies in her stomach, the pounding of her heart, the smile that only Tiffany would be able to bring out of Yuri, all these new feelings she's having is pleasantly welcomed considering they just met yesterday but she couldn't care less. This is the first time she felt something like this and she didn't mind. Tiffany, on the other hand, feels strongly the same as Yuri but neither of them know their effect towards each other and neither would want to admit about it, just yet. 

 

"So how about I go out and make myself presentable for my date?" 

 

"You do know I did not mean for our first date to be in the hospital, with me looking like , right?" 

 

"I wouldn't want this to be our first date. But I am allowed to take care of my date-to-be and nurse her to health so I could get that date." Yuri answered full of confidence and a glint of happiness in her eyes. "And you don't look , you're beautiful I told you than and I'm not lying. Besides nurses are trained not to give false beliefs." both erupted in a loud laughter. 

 

After about an hour, Yuri came back wearing fresh set of clothes with a training bag on her shoulder and a box of pizza in her right hand.  

 

"Well I sent my friends a text and I was told that your doctor went to see you and I don't mean that douche." 

 

Tiffany couldn't help but giggle. Tiffany lifted the box of pizza and grinned widely. 

 

"So I stopped by the pizza place and got you one." 

 

Tiffany does not know how to respond from this. She felt so well taken care of, her heart is going to burst with this new found happiness. 

 

"And what's with that bag?" She diverted the topic as she noticed the big bag. 

 

"Like what I said, I'm gonna nurse my date-to-be back to health." 

 

"But --" 

 

“I  don't have to, I know." Yuri cut her in "But I want to" She said as she put the bag down and opened the pizza box. 

 

"How about your work?" 

 

"No work til Thursday." 

 

"Ohh!" 

 

They talked like there's no tomorrow, until their eyelids couldn't hold it any longer and they were too sleepy to utter a word. Both slept with a satisfied smile and a light heart that night, just enjoying each other's presence. 

 

 

 

"Color?" 

 

"Pink, duh! Hobby?" 

 

"Gym! Drink?" 

 

"Coffee or red bull" 

 

Yuri made a disgusted face.

 

"What? Don't tell me you don't drink coffee?!" Tiffany protested. 

 

"I didn't say that, but red bull isn't a very healthy drink." 

 

They started their day with just random questions, anything that involves themselves. They never ran out of things to tell each other. It doesn't matter if it was the littlest things or just a silly question; they just never stopped communicating with each other. 

 

"On to serious ones." 

 

"Shoot" Yuri answered confidently

 

"We just met, but how come you went straight forward with your intents? You don't even know if I am into girls." 

 

"Mm?" Yuri paused to think how to say it in a non creepy way. "Let's just say, you're different. You're different from the others. I felt like if I didn't do anything, I'm gonna regret it the moment I walk out of this room." She said with sincerity. 

 

"Same." 

 

"huh?" She asked in confusion. 

 

"You're different. Good different. Thanks for braving up and asking me" She giggled.

 

"If it hadn't for that "she is my girlfriend" I don't think I'd be THAT brave" 

 

 

"Ah! So because of that you assumed that I am into girls?" 

 

"Nope. I know you are into girls." 

 

"Why is that?" Tiffany asked raising an eyebrow at the smug looking Yuri.

 

"Taeng do not have beautiful friends, let me correct that, beautiful straight friends. She doesn't just befriend straight beautiful women. That's a dangerous territory. It only screams heartbreak when she falls for them and gets rejected just because they are straight." Yuri laughed out loud. "Beautiful, gorgeous, y, and sophisticated. And I emphasize, TaeYeon's friend. Which means, cha Ching for me. I wouldn't be that frank if I hadn't known you're TaeYeon's friend." 

 

Tiffany laughed at the dorkiness. Trying to mask the embarrassment, joy, fluttery that she felt when she heard how Yuri had described her. 

 

"Thanks, I guess." 

 

"Nah! it's a win for me! Got myself a date" She chuckled "So my turn?" 

 

"Shoot" 

 

"I could ask anything, right?" 

 

"Right." Tiffany reassured. 

 

"Why won't you call your family?" 

 

Tiffany wasn't surprised at the question. 

 

"They're in the states. I don't want them to worry or stop what they are doing just because of that little accident." 

 

"Why don't you tell your friends then?" 

 

"I-" She stuttered and Yuri saw the hesitation.  Tiffany inhaled deeply. "I don't want them to get involved." She once again hesitated, both afraid and not to tell this stranger about personal matter that even her friends do not know. She's not afraid to tell her because she trusted this person, she felt bare yet protected and she's never felt like this toward someone else's presence yet she's afraid, afraid that she's involving this great innocent person in the chaos. 

 

"Involved in what?" 

 

Tiffany remained quiet. 

 

"Was this why you were in that accident?" 

 

Tiffany avoided Yuri's obvious worried eyes and kept her silence. 

 

"What happened?" 

 

"I don't want you to get involved than you already are." 

 

"Please?" 

 

Yuri wouldn't push this if she knows Tiffany do not want to tell her. She won't pry, but she knows that Tiffany wants to tell her. Something is just bothering her, something is stopping her. 

 

"I want to protect you. I want to know." 

 

With Yuri's encouraging words and worried eyes, Tiffany's eyes couldn't hold the strong front she's been staging for almost a year anymore. 

 

Yuri's worry just intensified. She quickly sat on the bed, wrapped her arm around her shoulder soothing her back and allowed Tiffany to rest her head on her chest and cradled it with her other hand. 

 

Yuri remained silent allowing Tiffany to regain her composure. With the silence, Yuri let Tiffany felt that she's not alone, that she will we with her in this, and amazingly enough Tiffany understood, she felt safe, secured and protected. 

 

"My ex boyfriend..."

 

Yuri patiently waited for Tiffany to continue... 

 

"My ex boyfriend. He's been following me since we broke up a year ago." 

 

"He wants you back?" 

 

Tiffany nodded. 

 

"But I cannot continue being with him, we've only been together for a month until he started being possessive. I couldn't talk to anyone, he would start being jealous with just a mere touch from someone." 

 

"Did he hit you?" the thought of someone's hand landing on Tiffany's porcelain skin is terrifying already. She gritted her teeth stopping herself from saying something. This is not about her it's about Tiffany. She realized how strong her feelings are towards this person is. The connection and the sudden urge to protect her are too strong.

 

"I liked him after few dates but then he started telling me he loves me...but I was never able to say it back. He grew impatient I think, that's when he started to become possessive and jealous. I ended it but he kept on bugging me." 

 

"I managed to avoid him... that explains me oceans away from my family. I never told anyone why I wanted to transfer here." 

 

"Why don't you tell them?" 

 

"I thought I could sort this out. I don't want them to get involved. My parents would've panicked and hire some guards. I didn't want that, I was doing well without any of those here until he found me." 

 

"What about your friends then? Why don't you tell TaeYeon? Or report it to the police." 

 

"He'd harm them. Besides TaeYeon already has a lot on her shoulders. And about the police...he's one. So no one will actually believe me." 

 

"But you're in Seoul! they won't know him." 

 

"Well that's what I thought when I first saw him." Tiffany said with fear evident in her voice. 

 

"What did he do?" Yuri gritted her teeth in anger. 

 

Tiffany tried to smile to ease Yuri's tensed posture. She didn't want her to worry. 

 

"Well I'm here." 

 

"He did this to you?" 

 

"Not exactly. But he found me, apparently he's been following me. Luckily Tae hasn't arrived when I saw him. I tried was escaping from him, lost control of the car then here I am." 

 

Yuri sighed sharply and tightly wrapped her hands around Tiffany. 

 

"I'm here don't worry. I'll protect you." 

 

"No. I don't want you to get hurt." 

 

"I don't want you to get hurt either. Please let me protect you." 

 

"But you don't know me. We just met." 

 

"You're Tiffany Hwang, a very good fashion designer, a pink maniac, Kim TaeYeon's biual friend, your eyes smile along your lips, you're loud, you're selfless, responsible and down to earth and also stubborn. My soon to be girl friend. We just have met but I do know you Tiffany." 

 

Yuri remembered those trivial answers from Tiffany but the rest; it was because of her observations. From the way she tells her stories, the worried eyes every time she talked about her loved ones, and she remembered when they met the first time, how she worriedly asked if she hit someone else. That etched a mark on Yuri's mind. 

 

"Thank you, Yuri." that's the only way Tiffany knows how to respond. 

 

It's safe to say that because of this openness, they became less shy and closer, less awkward and more comfortable and more importantly, they are how