Hwayoung #2

Hwayoung didn't want to be here. It wasn't wise to see the family doctor when you were trying to avoid your husband or ex as she preferred to consider. Regardless, she needed to come for a checkup as she had skipped the last one, to know of her growing child's well-being.

“How you doing, kid?” Doctor Li, the one she had been seeing for two years, came into the examination room and greeted. “I haven't seen you for awhile.” Dr. Li was an elderly man with gray hair and a bald spot. He was kind and gentle but got just a bit too nosy at times. Hwayoung knew it was all in good intention but wished he would just back off.
 

Hwayoung shrugged and leaned back against the wall, slouching on the examination bed. “I'm okay.” She wasn't but she wasn't about to tell her doctor that. It had been two weeks since she walked out of her house, leaving her past behind, and she was living from motel to motel while surviving on diner food.

Dr. Li hummed thoughtfully, reading the papers from his manilla folder before pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. He eyed Hwayoung and sighed solemnly. “You know, carrying a child is no easy task...” He began slowly. “You don't need a strict diet but you do have to discipline your eating habits and food intake quite a bit.”
“I know.” She replied softly with a nod.
“Then you do realize you've been neglecting your diet, right?” The doctor then asked, never lifting his strict gaze away from the pregnant woman. “Based on your blood test and check up, you're lacking all the key nutrients the baby needs for healthy development. You haven't been eating or hydrating yourself efficiently and it's going to affect the baby's growth. It's nothing serious at the moment but if you keep this up, it won't be long til you lose the baby.” Hwayoung kept quiet, understanding her mistakes and carelessness but had nothing to say.

“Tell me what's wrong, kid.” Dr. Li probed, easily sensing that something was amidst in the life of the usually cheery girl. “I've known you for awhile now and I know something's up. You look like you're dying on the inside.”
Hwayoung subconsciously patted her sullen cheeks and wondered how bad she looked. She wasn't one to usually care for her appearance, despite her photos sometimes blowing up online, and with her being so stressful on trying to find an apartment, her appearance was even less of a concern. “Nothing's wrong.” She shrugged off the doctor's question. “I'm fine.”
“You can't lie to me. I can see how hurt you are.” He continued to investigate, wanting a straight answer from the girl. “Does Kris know your doing this to yourself?”
She wanted to laugh. He didn't know and even if he did, he wouldn't care. What was happening to her wasn't his concerns anyway. “No.”

“Hwayoung, is something going on between you two?” Dr. Li finally asked the burning question. He knew how strong the girl sittin