Tiffany gasped at the sight of a small human resting her head on the wall cabinet. Her one hand was holding a pot filled with coffee powder and the other hand grasped a spoon. Her shoulder rose up and down following her steady breath.

Tiffany could tell Taeyeon was sleep standing.

She caressed Taeyeon’s hand successfully made the latter jump abruptly. She was startled by the sudden touch.

“I’m sorry! I don’t mean to surprised you.” Tiffany quickly saved the glass before it fell. “Are you okay? Why did you sleep here?”

“Y – yeah, I’m fine.” Taeyeon wiped the corner of . “I wanted to make us some coffee,” she yawned.

“What time did you get home last night?”

“I just got here…” she peeked her watch. “Fifteen minutes ago. Wow, that was the most effective sleep I’ve had in days,” she rubbed her eyes. “I need to take a shower. I have resident case presentations, intern to teach, meeting with the boards and…”

Hatchim! Hatchim! Hatchim!

She blew her nose to the sink. She blinked a couple time as the tears formed. Her eyes were sore, her nose and cheeks were reddened and her head felt lighter. “Do you mind make the coffee? I really need them.” Taeyeon said with eyes half opened.

“I don’t think coffee is a good idea.” Tiffany put the back of her hand over Taeyeon’s forehead sensing the burning sensation out of her skin. “You’re hot.”

“Thank you,” Taeyeon smirked weakly.

“Not that hot,” she shook her head. “I mean hot – hot. You’re having a fever, Taeyeon-ah.” Tiffany led her to the chair. Taeyeon slumped down as soon as her touched the cushion. “Can you call in sick? You can’t work in this state.”

“Nah, I’m fine. It’s just cold. It’ll go away in no time,” she replied. “I have a lot of work, Fany. I already canceled the skills lab twice. I can’t disappoint them again.”

“You’ve work too much lately. You need to rest, you’re not a robot.” Tiffany brought two bowls to the table as she swiftly took the cereal from the cabinet and a cartoon of milk from the fridge.  

Taeyeon laid her head on the table. “I don’t understand why most surgeons in Korea have no interest in cardiothoracic surgery. They all join plastic or ortho or uro or general,” she slurped her saliva. “My work is challenging, money is not bad, I’m tired being all alone and Seohyun will graduate next year. How am I supposed to do this year?” She grimaced at the thought of handling all job by herself.

“I want to help you but I honestly don’t know what to do either, Taeyeon-ah. Have you talked to the board about it?” Tiffany poured some cereal and milk into the bowls and set it near Taeyeon. “We’re running out of foodstuff. I’m sorry but we have nothing other than cereal this morning. I’ll go do groceries later. Come on eat,” she patted Taeyeon’s hand.

“Thanks. I have talked to them. They said they’re looking for the candidates right now. It’s kind of hard, you know. We’re a teaching hospital, they need specific requirement to hire people.”

“Well then, hang on a bit more? Let’s hope they’ll find them soon.”

Taeyeon nodded, “anyway, can you drop me off at the hospital later? I won’t shower long, I don’t have energy anymore to walk.”

“No, I still think you need proper sleep. Don’t be too stubborn,” Tiffany stated sternly. “Should I call Yuri?”

“I’m fine, Fany. I have things to do. My body is fine.”

“Well then whatever, just don’t call me and say you’re sick.”

Taeyeon walked, more like dragging her feet to the entrance of the hospital looking like zombie. Tiffany shook her head in annoyance as the sight of Taeyeon faded away inside the building.

-----

[From Tae 11.07 a.m.] I’m at home. Can’t take it anymore. I sleep.

Tiffany sighed heavily at the text. She was in the middle of a meeting but she couldn’t wait to open the message when Taeyeon’s name popped up on her screen.

[To: Tae 11.07] I’ll be home sooner.

She sent the text as she pocketed her phone back inside her blazer. She was distracted during the meeting. Her thought was set to the certain person who was lying in her bed, enduring the cold alone.

She wanted to call to be convinced that Taeyeon was okay, to make sure that she took the pill, but the stubborn doctor said she was asleep, she didn’t even reply her message and Tiffany didn’t want to wake her. Her heels clicked in rapid movement to her office. She asked her secretary to remove all her schedule today due to family emergency.

It wasn’t totally lie, though not too honest either. Cold wasn’t an emergency situation for all she knew.

She drove her car as fast as she could, cursing at every obstacle in the way. She was indecisive whether to stop at the convenience store to buy some things first or went straight home and checked on Taeyeon.

Taeyeon needed to eat, she thought.

Tiffany made a U turn as she decided to do groceries shopping. Fortunately, she got a parking spot near the entry. She regretted it that she didn’t keep slippers or flat shoes in her car. It’d save her time cause heels didn’t really help right now. She literally took everything she saw without much thinking. She nearly tripped a few times before successfully reached the cashier to do the payment.

The lawyer opened the door quietly as she thanked and gave a little tip to the young security who helped her carrying the heavy stuff to the house. She left the paper bag on the kitchen counter then walked into Taeyeon’s room. Apparently, Taeyeon’s door was wide open. Tiffany could easily see the messy used tissue paper scattered around the mattress and floor.

The sight of a small lump covered under the thick blanket made her sighed. She slowly approached the bed. She couldn’t help but chuckled lowly by the view. Taeyeon with reddened nose and puffy cheeks slept with slightly open as she snored lightly.

“Why are you so stubborn?” She whispered quietly. Tiffany kissed Taeyeon’s brow making the latter stirred a bit.

Tiffany collected all the wet tissues and put it in the wastebasket. The fact that the secretions color was turning into light yellow didn’t make her feel disgust or anything. She just wanted Taeyeon to sleep comfortably in clean a environment.

-----

The movement from the sleeping kid caught the corner of her eyes. Taeyeon stirred to Tiffany’s direction as she yawned cutely. Blindly, she searched for the rectangular box full of tissue to blow her nose again. Tiffany quickly got off from the chair and helped her.

“Fany?” Her voice was hoarse.

Tiffany bit her tongue from saying I told you so out loud. “Have you taken the pill?” She asked instead.

Taeyeon shook her head. Tiffany shot her a disapproving look. “I’m too lazy to look for it. My head is about explode,” she squinted her eyes.

“Have you had lunch?”

She shook her head again. If Taeyeon didn’t look so miserable right now, Tiffany wouldn’t bother to waste any second to nag her.

“It usually go away,” she coughed.

“I’ll go get your food and medicine,” she juxtaposed the box next to Taeyeon and went to the kitchen to warm up the soup she made earlier. 

Tiffany set the food, warm water, cold pill and antibiotics on a tray.  

Taeyeon groaned as she tried to sit up. Her body was aching. She was too weak to sustain her position. She leaned by the bed backrest and closed her eyes.

Tiffany patiently feed her. Taeyeon uttered a small thank you. was sore but the soup was so good that she kept swallowing it. By the time it was only one-fourth left on the bowl, Taeyeon wanted to stop but Tiffany successfully coaxed her to finish it.      

Taeyeon opened by reflex when Tiffany touched her lips with the pill. Tiffany held the glass and let Taeyeon drank little by little. She set the glass on the nightstand and assisted Taeyeon to lie down. She fixed the pillow and set Taeyeon’s bangs aside.

“Better?”

The patient nodded. Despite the awful condition, Taeyeon was more than happy inside. She hadn’t had this kind of care for a long time. She didn’t even remember if she ever had it since she moved out from her parents’ house.

         “Taeyeon-ah, take off your shirt.”

Her head might be dizzy, but the last time she checked, her ears function was just fine.

Tiffany was hesitant with physical contact. They never even had kissed on the lips. Why suddenly, when she was weak and had zero energy, Tiffany asked her to take off her shirt? Normal people would have this one certain thing of activity on their minds when someone said take off your shirt, right?

“What?” Play innocent.

“Take off your shirt,” she repeated.

“Fany-ah, I’m sorry but I’m tired and… I don’t mean to reject you but–”

“I want to put some medicated oil on you, it’ll warm you.” She cut Taeyeon with red face.

“Huh? Oh. Oh right, yeah. Medicated oil, sure.” She rambled nervously. Taeyeon cursed herself for being so dumb. She struggled with her top then she felt Tiffany’s hand on her arms pulling the shirt over her head.  Taeyeon slumped on her back feeling hard to breathe from sim