A/N: just a quick update :)

There was this constant beeping that was doing her head in. Who in their right mind could sleep with that racket going off? Irked and overly drowsy, her right eyebrow twitches to the rhythm of the mechanical noise, a frown settling in as she's forced awake.

Her eyelids feel heavier than usual. Sleep is a privilege that she wishes she could indulge in, but the littlest thing could set her off and ruin her chances of getting that much needed rest. Like this beeping for instance.

The deep groan that leaves her has her wincing, just air travelling through has her feeling terrible. Great. She's sick. Coughing to clear to gauge just how sick she is gives presence to whatever contraption is hooked up through her nose.

Confused and still sleepy, she moves to yank at whatever's found its way up her nose when something else tugs at her hand. Just what in God's name is going on?

Annoyed that she must open her eyes, another groan can't be helped when it feels like she’s opening them under seawater. Blinking through the settling stings, it doesn't take long for her to realise that she isn't at home.

Blank, white walls with a thick sterile scent stuck to them, Irene is confident she's lying in a hospital bed. Which explains the beeping, as whatever she got herself into warrants her being hooked up to whatever this monstrosity is.

A small mumble sounds between the silence of the beeps, catching her attention. Sitting on the right side of the bed is Joy, looking as uncomfortable as ever as she folds herself onto the guest chair that's obviously not built to be slept in. In her black, office trousers and white blouse, her company ID tag was still hanging off her neck. Did she come here straight from work?

Irene lies there, watching as Joy mumbles something in her sleep, occasionally, shifting her position. When she settles again, and the mumbling quietens, Irene is given the chance to sought through her thoughts.

Just what exactly happened?

Morning with Joy and Ms Murphy. Right. Nothing out of the ordinary. She went to work where she caught a lift with her co-worker, but why and where?

And then it all comes flooding in, throbbing through her skull. The ball toss, it flying into the bushes somewhere, then fire. Fire everywhere. Like she was frolicking through Satan's garden, then she was crawling.

Right, she took a nap right on the forest floor like a genius. Scoffing at her own actions, she shifts on the bed to relieve her stiff back. The movement, however, doesn't relieve her one bit, as it shifts her discomfort to the dull pain situated on her chest.

Good God, this is what she gets for socialising and opting for nature rather than her office for once?

Rubbing her chest to lighten the pain, a small whimper rumbles at when the more she touches the tender area the more she wonders, does she have a darn bruise?

The whimper must have been louder than she thought because there's sudden movements coming from her right.

“Irene? Irene! You're awake! Oh my god, I gotta get the nurse. No! The doctor!” Joy's louder than normal and it's hitting her ears like her heads being used as a drumstick.

“Calm down, I'm fine,” she grumbles.

Joy quietens down. That's strange, Joy never backs down. Averting her attention from trying to check her chest out from under her hospital gown, she sees the motionless Joy, just standing there, staring at her.

Well, this isn't creepy at all.

“You tryna catch a glimpse too?” She smirks, trying to poke fun at the unusually quiet woman.

When Joy instead dodges her eyes and turns a bit, she knows something is up. The Joy she knows would jump at that opening, to either disagree with how gross the thought is, or grab at the front of her gown to make her eat her words. Not avoid her.

“What's up with you?”

The ID tag sitting snugly against her torso is fumbled between her fingertips, oddly childlike. She cranes her head a bit further away from Irene, like she's in thought but doesn't want to see Irene at the same time. She clenches at the lanyard now, before a deep sigh shakes through her lips.

“You're stupid.”

Not a compliment but it makes Irene smile anyways. She was worried, that's what's up with her. With a chuckle, she tries to pacify her friend, “I'm fine, Joy.”

“You were still blue when I got here.”

She still won't look at her.

“Am I blue now?”

She catches the eyes that glances at her, like she had to make sure for herself, before they had the chance to dart away. “No.” She mumbles.

“Then, I'm fine. “

She grumbles something under her breath, but Irene knows it's probably in mockery of her, because Joy finally settles back down into the chair, arms crossed, and an unhappy expression thrown her way.

“How'd you know I was here, anyways?”

“I'm your emergency contact.”

Irene nods at the fact, although she doesn't ever remember putting the woman down as one. “Did you come here straight from work?”

Her fingers are playing with her lanyard again. Like she's embarrassed to show her emotions. “Well, yeah,” is whispered under her breath. “Don't even know if I still have a job to go back to tomorrow,” she fumbles more now.

“What do you mean?” Irene quirks an eyebrow at the statement. Joy's one of their best reps, who would be dumb enough to let her go?

“I ran out during a meeting. Boss didn't even realise until I was halfway to the elevator.”

There's a small smile on her lips, and Irene catches the little glint in her eyes. This is your fault, she conveys just by looking at her, and Irene smiles back.

“Thanks for coming. I can talk to your boss if you want me to.”

And that gets Joy to laugh. “You're not my mum.”

Throwing on an incredulous look, Irene slaps her hand to her chest, exclaiming “Excuse you? I feed and put a roof over your head.” She holds back the pain that shoots through her at the touch of her chest, not wanting to set Joy off again after calming her down.

“That's because you love me,” amusement now twinkles in her eyes.

“Don't kid yourself.”

They both share a mutual smile, and that's enough for Irene to settle back down and get comfortable in her bed. She's successfully damaged controlled Joy, she deserves her rest now.

--

“How's the chest?”

Her hand drops at the question, feigning ignorance. “What do you mean?”

Joy tuts at her attempt. “Please, don't insult me. Really, how's your chest?”

Before she was discharged, her doctor went through a slew of information. She didn't catch all of it and hopes Joy had caught onto what she hadn’t. But in that long list of what happened and what to do now, her doctor had explained the bruising on her chest.

CPR. It seems it was performed on her and now she has the battle wound to show for it. No ribs were cracked, so she should be rejoicing, but she's a baby when it comes to pain, so the discoloured blotch along her chest has her constantly trying to rub it better.

“Annoying.”

Joy chuckles, “That's one way to put it.”

The elevator dings, opening to their floor. Hallelujah, the elevators are up and running again. Thank the repairman, because Irene was ordered to take it easy.

“So, how you gon’ spend your week off work? I'm telling ya, you should've guilt tripped them into a paid month’s off.”

Her boss was beside himself over what had happened. Had readily agreed to everything the doctor had said and advised. Jumped on the notion that Irene should rest and had forced the week off on her.

Paid.

And that was what Joy jumped on. She's getting paid for lying in bed, so why not milk it?

“I'm not pinching his pockets, Joy.”

They both stop at her apartment door, staring at her welcome mat. A clean container with a yellow post-it note sat neatly in the middle of it.

“Granny Rene, back at it again,” Joy snickers from beside her when she goes to pick the items up.

Ignoring her, she jiggles her keys into the lock as she reads the note.

Delicious once again, Ms Murphy!

I'm Korean, by the way :)

It gave me more than enough energy today to save the world, so thank you!

Sincerely,

S.K. 203

Now if only Irene could have her neighbour’s courage to tell Ms Murphy she's Korean too. Irene shakes her head at the thought and note, nonetheless, with a smile.

“So?” Joy asks again once they're in her apartment.

Reading her neighbour’s note again before placing it on her island, it triggers something to mind.

“I want to pay the fire department a visit.” Irene taps at the yellow post-it.

“I have someone I need to thank.”