“Hey there!! _____! Glad to see you back!!” Alicia the nurse greeted you as you walked into the hospital. “The patients were asking about you all weekend. I hope you’re ready for a busy day!”

 

You smiled at the cheery young woman, the first friend you had made in your week volunteering. “Aww, I’m so glad. They’re all such sweethearts. And so are you!” You handed Alicia one of two Starbucks cups you held in your hands. “Chai latte, right?”

 

The tiny nurse clapped her hands excitedly before carefully taking the beverage from you. “Hon, you are a life saver!”

 

“Alicia, you’re a nurse. You’re a LITERAL lifesaver!” You couldn’t help but giggle at your own joke as you gulped down your coffee. Alicia rolled her eyes before doing the same. “Okay guys, where do you all want me?”

 

“I think we need someone to help out in the pediatric ward, would you mind chipping in there? Those kids adore you and I know you like spending time with them.”

 

A smile crept onto your face as you thought about the children you had helped with last week. “Absolutely! It would be my pleasure. But do you mind if I visit Mrs. Anderson first?”

 

“Of course!” The nurse nodded, her expression melting into one of affection. “Poor Mrs. Anderson. She’s still doing all right though. I know for a fact that she was one of the people asking about you, she’ll be ecstatic to see you.”

 

“Thanks Alicia. I’ll see you at lunch time, sound good?” you asked as you walked towards the elevator.

 

“Sure thing _____!”

 

***

 

The elevator deposited you in the hallway of the seventh floor, which was quiet compared to the hustle and bustle of the front desk. You held the door for a family of four who was climbing into the elevator as you exited, and waved to the two nurses sitting at the terminal in the center of the floor. Room 703 was nearly at the end of the hall on the north side of the hospital, but the walk didn’t seem long as you waved to patients of all ages through open doors.

 

Finally you reached your destination and knocked on the slightly ajar door. “Come in!” you heard a frail voice call from inside.

 

You slipped into the room, smiling at the elderly Mrs. Anderson. Her room was quiet and small, undecorated with flowers and cards the way most people’s hospital rooms were. Mrs. Anderson’s status as a widower with only one daughter who had already passed away left her alone with no visitors besides the neighbor who had been with her when she had a . You had met the older woman on Wednesday when you were volunteering on the seventh floor and your heart had nearly broken seeing how lonely she was yet how cheery she remained. Besides the weekend which you had taken off, you determined to visit her every day so she could have someone to talk to besides the nurses and doctors who periodically came in and out of the room.

 

“Hello dear! How have you been? Did you get some rest?” The wrinkled face looked up at you, smiling cheerily.

 

“I did, Mrs. Anderson, thank you. How about you? Are you feeling better?”

 

“Oh, of course!! I might not be a spring chicken but I’m well enough for my age. Besides, I’ve just been sitting here in my bed. They won’t even let me walk to the bathroom by myself! ‘Fall risk’ is what they have on the outside of my door. They don’t know who they’re fooling with!”

 

A chuckle escaped your lips. “Feisty as ever, Mrs. Anderson. Can I get you anything?”

 

“Would you refill my water? And I told you, please, call me Susan. Mrs. Anderson sounds so stuffy.”

 

“Okay, Susan, sounds good.” You smiled cheerily at her as you poured cool water into a paper cup. “Anything exciting happen while I was gone?”

 

“Ooh honey, if only you knew!! There’s this handsome doctor who came in on Saturday. He was on vacation which is why I hadn’t seen him before but he’s a pretty picture to look at. Very nice too. I think the two of you would look nice together.” Susan casually took a sip of her water, oblivious to the furious blush that had crossed your face suddenly.

 

“Well, I’m sure he’s nice. I’ll have to keep an eye out for him.” You quickly changed the subject, asking her for another story about her late husband, who was a veteran of the Korean War. The two of them had apparently had numerous adventures together and you adored hearing Mrs. Anderson tell you all about them. If you weren’t here to volunteer you probably would have sat here all day listening to her.

 

At some point in her tale the silver haired lady began to fall asleep, her sentence trailing off as she recounted the time Mr. Anderson spent all of his money trying to win her a teddy bear in a fair game after he got back from the war. The paper cup in her hand slowly tilted forwards as her consciousness drifted away. You were afraid to embarrass her by grabbing the cup so you faked a sneeze, hoping to wake her up. The attempt worked, and your heart broke a little bit as Susan realized she had nearly dumped her water everywhere, putting it on the table next to her.

 

“Excuse me dear. I’m boring myself to sleep! I don’t know how you’ve stayed awake this long.” Her voice cracked and she gave a harsh cough.

 

“No, not at all! I wish I could listen for hours.” You checked your wrist watch. “Unfortunately the kiddos down in the pediatric ward are expecting me, so I should probably go. But I’ll be back tomorrow!”

 

Susan quietly clapped her hands together. “Oh, the children! I wouldn’t want to deprive them of your beautiful smile. Go on dear, don’t worry, I’ll be fine. Just come back-“

 

A soft rap on the door interrupted the woman’s sentence. “Excuse me, Mrs. Anderson? Are you ready for another checkup?” The deep voice came from a tall man peeking through the slightly opened door. His dark hair and kind eyes were a sharp contrast to the fresh white doctor’s coat and thin tie he was wearing. Handsome with a gentle smile, he made your breath catch in your throat when he stepped into the room. “I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”

 

“Oh no! Come right in doctor!!” Susan winked at you as she welcomed the man into the room. “My guest was just leaving anyways. Such a kind soul.”

 

“Volunteer?” he asked, looking you over quickly. “I don’t believe I’ve seen you before.” His nametag read “Dr. Kim”, which didn’t sound familiar, but you knew that you would have remembered seeing such a handsome young man in the hospital before.

 

“Y-yes, I just started last week. I tend to stay in the pediatric unit. Nice to make your acquaintance. I’m _____.”

 

The doctor stuck out his hand. “Himchan. Kim Himchan. And I was out of town last week, so that explains why I’m just now meeting you. I’m sure I’ll see you around though.”

 

“Sure!” you said, giving him a bright smile which he returned. You were grateful he was a doctor because you were afraid that the sincerity and beauty of his smile would stop your heart. “Well, I better go. Take good care of Mrs. Anderson for me. I’ll see you tomorrow Susan!”

 

“Goodbye dear! Have fun with the children.” Susan gave a little wave as you exited. “She’s darling, isn’t she?” you heard her ask as you left the room.

 

Whether it was real or just your hopeful imagination you weren’t sure, but you thought you heard an agreement come from Dr. Kim as you walked away. Thoughts of the handsome doctor carried you as you drifted to the elevator, nearly running into the doors. You shook yourself awake, determined to concentrate on the tasks in front of you.

 

The rest of the day passed without incident, your mind straying from the doctor as you focused on the children in the ward. Stuffed animals were played with, books were read, and pages were colored as you entertained kids, some too young to really comprehend what was happening to their little bodies. At one point you saw Dr. Kim down the hallway, apparently waiting on a nurse. He was watching you play dress up with a young girl who was suffering from leukemia. Your eyes met his and he smiled softly, sending you a quick wave before he was ushered away by the rest of his staff.

 

The little girl you were playing with noticed that you had stopped playing and were staring down the hall. “_____, are you looking at that man?” she asked, her tiny voice weak from the cancer.

 

“Yes, sweetie. He’s a friend.”

 

“He’s pretty,” she said, absentmindedly playing with a long string of pearls around her neck.

 

“Yes, he really is.” You looped a bright pink feather boa around her shoulders and lightly touched her nose with your index finger, smiling at the tiny child. “But not as pretty as you!”

 

***

 

When you woke up the next day, you had full intentions of heading back to the hospital to volunteer again, but your throat was feeling a bit sore and your nose was a tad stuffy. Although you felt like you would be able to go volunteer, you didn’t want to risk taking a cold up to the hospital, since you would be primarily around elderly people and young children whose immune systems were compromised from cancer. You called your friend Alicia to let her know you wouldn’t be in today before downing some vitamin C pills and Zicam. Passing out, you drifted off to thoughts of the little children in the hospital playing dress up.

 

On Wednesday when you arose, you felt much better with no signs of a stuffy nose or a sore throat. However, you overslept by nearly two hours, making you late for your volunteer shift at the hospital. You quickly got dressed and rushed over, eager to get started for the day.

 

Alicia had the day off, so you checked in to the front desk and explained that you would head off to the pediatric ward after you visited a friend on another floor. When you reached the seventh floor you noticed that it seemed unusually quiet, but continued down to room 703 nonetheless. You noticed that the door was open and went to rap on the door frame when you noticed that the room was devoid of patients. A nurse was in the room, folding blankets and straightening up the bedsheets.

 

“Excuse me!” you said to get the nurse’s attention. “Where did you move Mrs. Anderson to? Is she doing okay?”

 

A look of concern crossed the young nurse’s face. “Oh, I’m so sorry. Mrs. Anderson passed away. No one told you?”

 

The words the nurse uttered made you feel like you were still in the hospital elevator, plunging down dozens of floors at top speed before crashing to the ground. The idea that Mrs. Anderson was gone could not be processed. “What? No, she was doing fine on Monday, she can’t be gone!”

 

The young man gave you a sympathetic look. “I know, she was doing better. But she passed away in her sleep sometime. I think she was okay though, she was telling us about her husband right before and how much she missed him. I think she’s in a better place now.”

 

You nodded at the nurse, comforted over his last words. As you turned to walk out however, it hit you that the nurse said that Susan had passed away the day before, the day that you had stayed home because you were sick. Thoughts began to assault your brain about how you could have visited her that last day, but instead you stayed home over a small cold. The idea alone pushed you over the edge and you burst into sobs.

 

Voices muttered things around you, but you were too concerned with not falling over while tears streamed down your face. Your fingers gripped the door frame tightly, any sense of balance in your body long gone. Gravity seemed to be working against you; just as you were about to fall however, you felt a strong pair of arms grab you.

 

“Are you okay, ma’am?” a deep voice asked you. Through your tears you could see the male nurse from the room and the women who had been at the seventh floor desk surrounding you. The arms, however, belonged to none other than Dr. Kim. You wanted to talk to him, tell him what had happened, but seeing his dark eyes looking at you with such kindness and concern made you cry even more.

 

“Here doctor, I’ll take her down to the cafeteria,” the young man said.

 

“No, it’s okay. I’m going on break anyways. I’ll take care of her. You two just stay here and help the patients.” As he finished talking, he began to slowly pull you along towards the elevators. You relied on his firm body to guide your way as you still could not see very well through your tears, and watched as the silhouette of the doors closed on the seventh floor.

 

***

 

“Here’s some hot tea. I know it always helps me whenever I’m upset. You probably don’t feel like it but you should drink some.” Dr. Kim sat two steaming cups down on the table as he sat across from you.

 

“Thank you,” you managed to utter, taking your cup and sipping some of the hot liquid. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to cause a scene or anything. You probably have much more important things to do, I’m fine, really, I’m sorry.”

 

“No, no! I’m on break anyways. And usually when I take my breaks I just sit by myself, so really you’re doing me a favor by keeping me company.” He smiled gently at you, concern still hiding in his eyes. “Um.. Did you wanna talk about anything though? I’m here if you need.”

 

A sigh escaped your lips. “I don’t know. I’m glad she’s in a better place. I just… She passed away yesterday, and I couldn’t come visit her because I was sick. She didn’t have any family, she probably died all alone. Oh god, I just feel so heartbroken over her…” You fought the tears b once again at your eyes at the thought of Susan.

 

“Hey,” Himchan said softly. “Maybe you weren’t there yesterday, but you visited her last week and on Monday. Mrs. Anderson was here for two weeks and you were the only visitor she had. I know having you there in her last few days meant more to her than we could ever know.” A quick chuckle escaped his lips. “And I’m not just saying that because during the checkup on Friday she wouldn’t stop bragging about you to me.”

 

Some sort of combination of a laugh, a gasp, and a sob came out of you at Himchan’s comment. “Oh my god, she didn’t.” He nodded, causing you to cover your face with your hands. “Wow. She’s such a sweetheart. I can never repay her for the joy she gave me in the short time I knew her.”

 

“Mrs. Anderson was a wonderful lady and I know she felt honored to know you too. And I have to say thank you. She wasn’t exactly dour when she came to the hospital, but she had brightened up immensely the day I came back-the day I checked on her while you were there-and I know it’s all thanks to you. Seeing someone like you coming around and helping people… Laughter really is the best medicine, and friendship helps too. I’ve seen you with others, with the kids, and you touch the souls of everyone you come into contact with. As a doctor, it makes my job so much easier, and much more fulfilling.”

 

You felt a heat rising in your cheeks as Himchan delivered his little monologue praising you. “Well thank you, that means a lot to me. Knowing that I actually make a difference, you know? But you’re the real hero here, you’re a doctor, you actually save lives. I could never do what you do.” To hide your face you took a gulp of your still warm tea.

 

“Ah, well, we both do what we do for the best of reasons right? We want to help people, to see them get better. We want to save people. One thing I’ve had to learn in my time in the medical field is that you can’t save everyone. But as long as we do our best to make a difference in this world, that’s all that matters.” The doctor carefully reached his hand over to cover yours reassuringly, his soft long fingers radiating comfort.

 

“Thank you, Dr. Kim.”

 

“Please, I’d prefer it if you’d call me Himchan. You might be a hospital volunteer but when we’re on break I feel like we’ve passed the point of formalities.” Seeing you nod and smile, he checked his watch. “Now I hate to leave you but my break is up. Stay here as long as you need, but I would suggest going home for the day. Maybe even take the rest of the week. Get some rest. Your smile is too vibrant to let something like this dampen it.”

 

Without another word, the doctor stood up and marched out of the cafeteria. You watched him disappear, his white lab coat framing his broad shoulders perfectly. Once he was out of view you stared silently into your tea cup for a few minutes before collecting your bag and heading home to get some rest, just like the doctor had recommended.

 

***

 

The next day you showed up promptly on time, ready to start your day. When you climbed into the elevator, you had to concentrate on hitting the button for the third floor instead of the seventh. Your heart still hurt for Mrs. Anderson, but after mulling over the doctor’s words you decided to focus on the positive and not let it get you down.

 

As soon as you arrived on the third floor you were greeted with a group of kids playing. They waved to you, recognizing you from the previous week. One of the little girls ran up to you holding a book. “_____! Will you please read us another book about Peter Cottontail??”

 

A chorus of “Please!!” echoed behind the little girl, faces from the ages of three to twelve staring at you eagerly. You took the book and cheers rang out everywhere.

 

“You’re my favorite, Miss _____. You do all the voices and everything!” said the first little girl. She followed the other kids over to the area with couches and bean bags that the hospital had set up specifically for reading purposes. You made your way over and settled down, warming up your voice for a long day of reading.

 

The first half of the day went by relatively quickly, full of reading and funny voices. All of the children had just come back from lunch and were getting ready to play with finger paints when you felt someone looking at you. In the doorway of the room stood Dr. Kim Himchan, observing your interactions with the children.

 

“Okay guys, get started. I want to see all of your creations!” you said, leaving the children to their art as you walked over to the doctor. “Hey, what are you doing here? You aren’t usually in pediatrics, right?”

 

“Oh, sometimes I have to come down here to help cover some gaps in the staff. Plus I like seeing the children. What are you doing here? I would have thought you would still be resting.” He looked more concerned than you would have expected over the whole situation.

 

“Well, I thought about what you said, and I realized that I did as much as I could for Mrs. Anderson. I made her as happy as I could in her last few days. And I might as well do what I can for other people. There’s no sense in being sad when people you’re sad for are happy themselves, even if they’re not around. I figure I could honor her memory by making sure all of these guys stay happy.”

 

A look of amazement and joy washed over Himchan’s face. “Wow, that’s a really good way to look at things. You’re such a trooper, _____.” The doctor looked like he wanted to say something else but was interrupted by a nurse calling his name down the hall. “I’ll see you later. Go make those kids happy,” he said, dashing off down the hall.

 

Smiling, you returned to the children at the finger painting tables. Katie, the girl with leukemia walked up to you and asked “Miss _____, do you still think he’s pretty? Are you dating him?! Are you in love??”

 

You laughed off Katie’s claim to hide your reddening face. “No Katie, he’s a very nice man, and yes he’s still pretty, but we’re not dating.”

 

“Why not? Don’t you like him?” she pressed on.

 

“Well, yes, but it’s more complicated than that.”

 

“How come?”

 

“Hmm… First of all, I don’t know if he likes me back. And second, he’s a very busy doctor, so I’m not sure he’d have time for a date.”

 

“Oh no, he likes you,” Katie said, absolutely certain.

 

“Really? And why are you so sure about that?” you said, teasing the little girl by tickling her ribcage.

 

“Hey!! No fair! I saw how he looked at you. He kept smiling at you when you were looking at us. I can tell he thinks you’re pretty. Besides, my mommy says that if you love someone you make time for them. So if he loves you back you two can go on a date!” The smile on Katie’s face made it clear that she felt as if she had just solved all of the problems.

 

“Maybe you’re right Katie… But right now Dr. Kim isn’t here, so we should make our pictures, and maybe if he comes back we can show him!!”

 

***

 

Finally an hour later, the kids were cleaning up the paint from their adventures that day. It was very important to you that the able-bodied kids learned how to clean up after themselves, so you made sure they all knew how to put up the paints and clean their stations. As they were cleaning, Katie caught sight of Dr. Kim and rushed up to him with her art.

 

“Dr. Kim!! Look at what Miss _____ had us do with our finger paint!”

 

“Wow, Katie, that’s really pretty. Is that a daisy over here in the corner?” The little girl nodded, smiling up at the tall doctor. “Good job!”

 

Soon Himchan was surrounded by a dozen children, all clamoring to show him their drawing. He patiently looked at each one, admiring some specific aspect of every picturing and making the youth smile. Every once in a while he would look up and your eyes would lock. The pure enjoyment in his eyes made you smile even brighter, then the two of you would look away with flushed faces and return to the task at hand.

 

Once every one of the kids had been given a chance to have their art admired by Himchan, you ushered the kids back to the tables. “Okay guys, everyone pick up your paintings and scoot your chairs in. It’s time to go back to your room for a rest.” A resounding “Awwww” came from the youth. “No arguing! I know you guys are tired, because I’m tired. We all need a rest. We’ll do something fun after rest time if you guys clean up quickly!”

 

No further arguments were heard and soon the room was empty, all of the children returned to their own rooms. The place had been tidied relatively well considering the occupants, so you only had to straighten up a few things. As you gathered papers Himchan walked over to you. “So, did you enjoy seeing everyone’s drawings?”

 

The tall man chuckled. “They are all very creative children. I look forward to seeing what they do with their talent.”

 

“They really like you, you know? I know you don’t hang out around here much but the kids remember you. Asking about you, begging to show you their drawings… You’re a hit down here doctor.”

 

“Well, I’m honored. I know they adore you, so to be in such good company is flattering.”

 

Finally you finished putting up papers and took a seat in one of the tiny chairs at the painting tables. “So what brings you here in the first place?”

 

Himchan remained standing, but suddenly seemed to become uneasy. His smooth and calm demeanor appeared to slip and he began to fidget with his coat. “Oh, well… Um. I’m actually on break now…”

 

“That’s good,” you said, hoping to relieve the awkward pause that had settled in the room.

 

“Yes. Well, I haven’t had lunch yet. So I think I’m going to get some food.” Here Himchan broke eye contact and glanced around the room.

 

“Food is always good…”

 

“All right, well, I think I’m going to get something to eat.” Himchan spun around and promptly took a few steps out of the room.

 

“Have fun!” you called after him, amused and bewildered by the doctor’s behavior. As you watched he walked out, stopped, took a deep breathe, and walked back to where you were.

 

“What I mean… What I’m trying to say-ask, I mean…. _____, have you, uh, had lunch yet?”

 

“No, not yet,” you said. Himchan’s face had turned bright red and you were more concerned about him spontaneously combusting than what he was asking at the moment.

 

“Oh good! I mean I would love to have some company and you always make everyone happy when you’re around them and you make me happy when I’m around you so would you do me the honor of joining me for lunch?” The entire sentence was said in one breath, leaving Himchan looking even more flustered than before.

 

“Well, doctor. That’s quite a confession right there.” Himchan gave a half-hearted laugh, obviously nervous over everything he had said to you. “You know Himchan, I think it’s cute how you can operate on people and talk to sick patients and just maintain this confident façade but when you start talking to someone you like you get all embarrassed.”

 

Dr. Kim smiled at you, a glint of hope returning to his eyes. “So is that a yes?”

 

In answer to his question, you grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the room. “Come on, I know a great deli just a few blocks from here. Besides I owe you for the tea yesterday.”

 

As the two of you climbed into the elevator, Himchan looked at you curiously. “I’m the one who invited you though. It’s my treat.”

 

“You know, everyone keeps saying I’m the happy and nice one, but I think it’s really you. You’re a sweetheart.” You stood on your tiptoes and gave him a kiss on his cheek as the doors to the elevator opened onto the ground floor. The blushing doctor froze for a moment. “Come on, doctor, I’m hungry! Let’s go get food.” Himchan followed, watching you with a look of amazement that promised this was only the beginning of a beautiful and loving relationship.