Chapter 3. Jessica : What to do?

What to do?

What to do?

One minute I'm happily fooling around with Soojung then the next minute she suddenly vomits like crazy. And now, the stench of her puke barely leaves the room, she's abruptly falling on the floor.

The scene unfolds before my very eyes as her name escapes my lips. Hastily putting the glass in my hand down, I helplessly reach to break my sister's fall. It's too late though, with what seems like the loudest thud I have ever heard, my sister’s frail body hits the linoleum floor.

“Soojung! Soojung! Oh my god.”

My sister doesn't move. Her eyes closed, her lips so pale they look blue, and sweats bead on her forehead.

“Soojung! Wake up.” I cry her name out, resting her head on my lap to shake her shoulder. My tears fall, I never have to directly deal with such situation before. Is it her anemia again? Did she hit her head on the floor so hard she lost consciousness? I have no idea of what is actually happening. I can’t think of what to do next.

“Soojung…” I hug her tight, trying to clear my mind. Breathe, Jessica, breath, I reprimand myself.

Mom!

I need to call mom.

I set Soojung back on the floor gently, dashing into my room to retrieve my phone.

Mom doesn't pick up though, not even after I ring her for the third time. I come back to be on Soojung’s side then dial the next number, Dad’s number.

Dad doesn't pick up too. Where was everybody? The clock on the kitchen wall says it's almost 2 p.m now. Shouldn’t everyone be having lunch or something?

My next thought is to call Yuri, my husband, the most reliable man after Dad I have ever known. But then it comes to me that we are not exactly on speaking term at the moment. I don’t know where he is anyway. For all I know he might be thousand and thousand miles away, running his business as usual.

Then I remember Sooyoung, my friend who also has been our doctor for the last few years. I scroll through my contacts and call her immediately.

“Hello,” she picks up after the third ring.

“Sooyoung! Soojung fainted! She threw up and-“

“Jessica?” She cuts me short, “Calm down, okay. Tell me what’s happening, slowly.”

“It's Soojung,” I sniff, squeezing my sister’s cold hand in mine. “She fainted. She doesn’t move. What to do, Sooyoung? What to do?”

“Okay. Relax. I’m driving right now. Let me find somewhere to stop first okay?”

I wait anxiously, yet feeling a little relieved that I have contacted Sooyoung. She's a great doctor. She will know what to do. She will help our Soojung.

“Okay. Tell me what has happened?” Sooyoung finally speaks again.

“She vomited, a lot, and then she lost consciousness just like that. She fell on the floor. And now she doesn’t even open her eyes no matter what I do.”

“She fell on the floor? Can you check her head for a bump? See if her ears bleed, her nose too.”

I do as I told. I feek Soojung forehead first, then the back of her head, I check thoroughly. “No bump, Sooyoung. No bleeding too.”

“Good. Is she having trouble breathing?”

I watch Soojung’s chest rises and falls slowly as she breathes. “I don’t think so. But she seems very weak.”

“Okay. Do you have some aromatherapy oil? Peppermint or eucalyptus? Put it under her nose; see if the smell could revive her. You can use coffee too.”

“Sooyoung, she puked because she couldn’t stand the smell of coffee.”

“Really? I thought Krystal like coffee like the rest of the Jungs.” Sooyoung makes a remark, “Go find the aromatherapy oil then. I’m just a few blocks away; I’ll drop by to check her.”

“Thank you, Sooyoung. Thank you.”

“Don’t panic okay? Put some compress on her forehead if you could. I’ll be there in a moment.”

“Okay.” I stand up, finding a washcloth in one of the cabinets. For a moment, I ponder if the compress should be cold or hot. I crouch to touch Soojung’s forehead again. It feels clammy to the touch and I decide to just wet the washcloth under the faucet. Once I wring it dry, I set the fabric on Soojung’s forehead. “Soojung-ah, wake up, don’t scare your unnie like this.”

She doesn’t respond still. It feels so helpless just by staring at her seemingly lifeless body.

Be strong for your sister, Jessica. I talk myself out of my reverie.

I run to my parents’ room, keep looking back for Soojung as I climb upstairs. Mom loves aromatherapy stuffs. She better keeps one bottle of eucalyptus oil in there.

Various scented candles greet me atop of mom’s bedside table. I search the drawer to luckily found little bottles of aromatherapy oil.

Rose. Jasmine. Sandalwoods. Eucalyptus. Gotcha!

I run downstairs, my steps echoe loudly as if reflecting my heartbeats. I'm so upset, so confuse, I don't like not knowing what best to help my sister. Once I get to Soojung’s side again I cradle her head in my lap once more. I open the bottle of eucalyptus oil and set it under her nose, praying for the best.

She stirrs.

My heart leaps.

“Unnie…,” Soojung opens her eyes slowly, her hand reaches for the washcloth on her forehead.

“I’m here, baby. You’ll be alright.”

“My head hurts.” She tries to sit up only to fall back on my lap. “Did I fall?”

“You did.” I takes the cloth from her hand, putting it back on her forehead. “Stay still. Sooyoung is on her way.”

“Sooyoung unnie? Doctor Choi?