Twenty-four hours.

That’s how long Miyoung had been working alongside Sehun. They had back-to-back shifts due to their recent promotions. Miyoung and Sehun had been promoted to head registered nurses. Before, she followed one registered nurse – who had been her boss from the moment she started her job at the hospital. The current Chief Nursing Officer (CNO), her boss, was retiring. Which meant that the hospital chooses someone to represent the hospital in her place. Hence the promotion for both Sehun and Miyoung. They were now in charge of the nurses, paperwork of their nurses, supervisory roles and assisting doctors. They were hand-picked by their boss. With their promotion, they did have some issues with it because it meant more workload on them – perhaps even take-home paperwork that needed to be finished or inputted into the computer. That was the downside of their newly given title. Though, they were one of the five head nurses – one that covered a department or two. But even then, they had to report to Miyoung or Sehun to give them updates.

The upside of their newly given title meant better pay and they oversaw everything their nurses have done for the patients that come in and out of the hospital. She was definitely happy to have the title if it meant she could call out nurses who slacked off on the job. And she had her own office now. Now, Miyoung took care of the pediatric and the neurology patients. She was rather familiar with the neurosurgeons and pediatric surgeons. She specialized in those area. Whereas Sehun took care of mostly cardiology and general patients. They had a lot on their plates. But at least it got Miyoung’s mind off of Baekhyun’s threats because she kept herself busy for the last few days. Though, she didn’t forget it. How could she?

 It was vivid.

“There’s going to be bloodshed, and it’s all because of you.”

Those same words.

Those same words were on a repeat in her mind. They replayed itself whenever she sat down in her quiet room, whenever she stepped out of the house, whenever she was with friends, and whenever she was at work. See, nothing ever scared Miyoung until recently. Baekhyun’s threats were never empty. He fulfills them, she’s come to notice. Sure, she’d be scared of him, but she tried her best to push that to the back of her mind and take Seungwan’s advice. Her fears and anxieties were his drugs. His intoxication.

Mediation, of course, helped ease her mind a lot more than she expected. His threats; however, she’d take to heart because what if her friends or her family died because of her? Her brother? Or her best friends? It runs through her mind a lot. His visit to her dreams occurred a few days back. A day before her promotion – a day before she had to settle into her new position and take charge. But she continued to think about it even at work. Sometimes, when she’d do her best, he’d plant those words in her mind.

“Miyoung,” the sound of a female pulled her out of her tiredness, startling her out of her thoughts as well. Her head turned to the source of the voice, surprised by the sudden visit of her best friend – Joohyun. The businesswoman smiled, waving to the brunette. “Hey, Joo,” she called out tiredly. A smile plastered her lips as turned her body towards the female. Stirring her away from her office. “What are you doing here?” She queried, eyeing the female with a questionable look.  Joohyun came forward and leaned against the wall, just outside her office. Miyoung tilted her head before motioning the older into her office. “Well, I was in the neighborhood,” she rendered, allowing the brunette to stare at her in question. Miyoung plopped herself down against a couch she’d moved in the day prior. “and I wanted to check up on you. Maybe grab dinner tonight?” Miyoung couldn’t help but smile to her (now) best friend. Of course, they hung out many times before and done a lot of things together, but it was only now that they know so much about one another after several years of just knowing one another. “Dinner?” She questioned, eyeing the businesswoman playfully. “With you? Are you asking me on date, Joo?” Miyoung interrogated teasingly, and this allowed Joohyun to roll her eyes. “You’re so annoying,” she retorted, throwing the pen she fiddled with to the brunette.

She let out a laugh, and it brought some relief to Joohyun. She knew how tiring it was to stress over an entity that haunted her every waking moment. “Dinner or not?” She questioned once again, and this time – sneaker screeches could be heard just outside Miyoung’s office. “I heard dinner,” the voice announced. It gathered the attention of both females towards the door where Taeyong leaned in midair backwards in front of the door. He grinned as he was already in his normal clothes – out of scrubs. “I don’t think we sent an invitation to you, Tae,” Joohyun replied with rolled eyes. Miyoung chuckled just as the male frowned while entering her office. He had invited himself to have a conversation with them. And of course, Joohyun had met Sehun and his friends – such as Taeyong and Youngho. And her friends vice versa. Except, Taeyong hasn’t met Seungwan. “Of come on, noona, I’m hungry.” he whined while Joohyun eyed Miyoung then the male.

“The more people the better?” Miyoung added, tilting her head. “Please, noona, please?” Taeyong pleaded, giving the older the best puppy-dog eyes he could muster up.

“Look at him,” a growling voice mentioned. Without having to see him, she knew that his glowing red eyes were throwing daggers. Threatening a life. “So pathetic.” He added, growling rather loudly in her head. She blinked, clutching her head almost immediately and it gained Joohyun’s concern. But she looked up to her best friend and shook her head. “Maybe I’ll make him my first bloodshed.”

No. She screamed in her thoughts. He could read them, so she made it known that her friends shouldn’t be harmed. But he was still threatening. And he’ll do it without hesitation.

And she knew he’d do it.

Dammit.

“Okay, fine,” Joohyun exaggerated, dropping into the chair behind her. Miyoung smiled while Taeyong fist-pumped the air as he came into the office and throwing his arms around the older female. The businesswoman rolled her eyes with a smile playing on her lips. Miyoung chuckled as she looked down to her watch: “I have one more patient to check on and some paperwork to finish then I’m off.” She announced as she stood up from her couch. “are you okay with waiting?” The pair glanced at one another before nodding. Taeyong taking the liberty to plop onto her couch in a laying position with a thud. Miyoung smiled and wandered off to the east wing – where an elderly patient of hers was in after her neurological surgery. She made it a mission to check on her patient first before wandering to the nurse’s counter where she’d stand and fill out the remaining paperwork. She’d also check on her patient’s charts and update her medication chart.

“Hey,” Sehun called out, exiting his own office on the east wing. Her head lifted from her tablet and paper chart. “are you off now?” Miyoung smiled and nodded her head as he came up beside her. “I spent a whole day here. My replacement for the weekend should be here right about now. What about you?” Good thing for them, they had the same days off and other nurses they can trust to take over the responsibility to take their jobs while they rest and rejuvenate. Sehun sighed as he signed off one of the paperworks that the cardiac surgeon had brought to him. “I get off in thirty minutes,” he replied, “I’m meeting up with Youngho for some beers.” Miyoung nodded her head with pursed lips to her best friend. They’ve rarely spent time together, but they got the highest paying position together. Since the incident, Sehun worked more while Miyoung spent less time working or she’d find a different department to work in. They barely saw each other aside from the mornings where they’d walk out of their houses at the same time. They didn’t carpool anymore either. So, perhaps, it was awkward, but not too much. He tried his best to come over on the weekends unless she was with Joohyun and Seungwan. “Oh,” she uttered, nodding her head for the nth time. The male smiled, handing the chart to one of the nurses sitting there. “Do you want to come?” He asked, but Miyoung simply shook her head. Had he come to her before with plans, she wouldn’t agreed; however, Joohyun drove all the way here to ask her to have dinner with her when she could’ve just sent a text message. “Um