The BBC campus was bubbling with noise as spring becomes summer. Students reuniting with their parents in warm embraces. Some eagerly waiting for graduation, while others embrace their friends. Two students sat beside each other without a word. Bouncing her knee with hands clasped tightly,

 

“Yes!!!”

Chaewon relaxed her tight grip on her phone placing it on her chest as Yerim smiled at her,

“I got the job!!!!”

 

They hugged each other while giggling like kids,

“Oh my god Chae! This is huge!”

 

“I know!!!”

 

“Look at you boo, you’ve grown up so fast I-“ Yerim wiped away a fake tear as they doubled over in laughter,

“So who’s your patient? I hope he’s H O T.”

 

Yerim exclaims shooting a wink to Chaewon. She pretends to vomit,

“I’d rather not.”

 

She shakes off the comment with Yerim’s bright eyes on her still begging for some more information. Chaewon looked at her phone,

“Mrs. Son?”

 

Chaewon looked up confused while Yerim’s eyes became large,

“Mrs. Son is that sick?!”

 

“You know her?”

 

Yerim threw here hands in the air,

“Of course I do! She’s the nicest woman in town, she donates a lot to the hospital!”

 

“Huh?”

 

Yerim looks at Chaewon’s phone,

“What is it? ‘Miss.Son (17) female’”

 

“It’s my patients info.....”

 

Yerim looks puzzled,

“Mrs. Son isn’t 17, she doesn’t even have a child.”

 

Chaewon shrugged,

“I’ll worry about it later! I’ve got to get going, college freshmen Park Chaewon is hired and ready to start!”

 

Yerim rolled her eyes and gave a quick fighting as she headed towards the dorms,

“Okay ‘Miss. Park Chaewon’ be back by 7 sharp and bring chicken!”

 

With that Chaewon giggles as she hummed banana monkey allergy down the campus.

 

-

 

“Ah so you’re Chaewon, professor Kim told us a lot about you.”

 

Chaewon bowed,

“Thank you for entrusting your daughter in my care.”

 

Mrs. Son looked bewildered,

“She’s not my daughter.”

 

“But I-“

 

“She’s my sisters daughter.”

 

“Oh, sorry for the confusion.”

 

Chaewon was dismissed with a wave of her elegant hand. Her face was upturn, almost as if she’d eaten something sour. Chaewon ventured through the large estate. It was decorated with a classic feel, the farther back she went it grew duller.  Pictures of Mrs.Son and her family stared at Chaewon as she went down the stairs. She then rounded the corner to find a bare door. Chaewon’s eyebrows became knitted but she straightened her shirt. She knocked and poked her head in, the room was padded and looked like an expensive hospital room, not a house,

“Hyejoo?”

 

The girl laying in bed with the machines attached groaned, her eyes fluttered open and were almost silver. Upon seeing Chaewon her eyes became large as if frightened,

“I’m Chaewon, your new nurse, may I come in?”

 

She relaxed back into her bed and nodded,

“How have you been feeling today?”

 

She shrugged and Chaewon shrugged playfully back,

“What does that mean? Are your symptoms growing any worse, or do you feel better?”

 

She just stared blankly,

“Too forward huh,” Chaewon scratched her head with bright red cheeks,

“How about you introduce yourself and I’ll do the same.”

 

“I’m Hy,” she sounded like a robot as her words got chopped. She swallowed with a dry throat, the words almost suffocating her, “Hy-Hyejoo.” She was shaking visibly, even if she was a year younger then Chaewon she looked as fragile as a new born. Her eyes were darting around the padded room as if she’d done something horribly wrong,

“Well it’s nice to meet you Hyejoo, I’m Chaewon and I’m a med student training to be a doctor.”

 

“Why would you want to work with people good as dead?”

Chaewon chewed on her lip as Hyejoo’s eyes were trained on them,

“There’s always hope and medication that can make them better.”

 

She nodded and pointed to her Xbox,

“I’ve been, wanting to play for days—- but my-my mom forg-got too turn it on.”

 

Chaewon let out a small laugh,

“Hyejoo, please don’t change the subject I want to make sure your okay for today.”

 

“I feel fine, just a little....bored.”

 

Hyejoo’s face was pale and her flesh clung to her skull. Chaewon shifted her weight as she couldn’t stand still,

“Your mom lives with Mrs. Son that’s up stairs, right? I’ll remind her before I leave to turn it on for you but right now I have to do a check up.”

 

“........ I doubt it.”

 

Chaewon’s cheeks flushed,

“Oh umm, I have to take your blood pressure now .” The room was filled with awkward tension as she took her blood pressure,

“Hey, Chaewon, I bet I can beat you at smash.”

 

With puffed out cheeks Chaewon laughed,

“No way! I’m the smash legend,”

The patients eyes sparkled with life,

“my Kirby skills are unbeatable!”

 

“Oh yeah!,” Hyejoo moved up on her bed but winced in pain, she slowly slumped back and weakly spoke, “can we play games now? I want to see the so called ‘smash legend’”

 

She looked smug and hopeful that if Chaewon said no it would break her heart. With enthusiasm Chaewon practically skipped to turn the Xbox on, but before she gave Hyejoo her controller she ,

“But don’t say I didn’t warn you!”

Chaewon winked and she just rolled her eyes

 

 

“ it! I won!”

Hyejoo laughed loudly, her smile reaching her eyes,

“Round two loser?”

 

“Noooo you’ll just be snake again.”

 

“Well what can I say my snake skills are unbeatable.”

 

Chaewon laughed at her quick comeback as she checked her watch,

“Looks like I have to go.”

 

Chaewon jutted out her bottom lip as Hyejoo just nodded,

“Will you be back tomorrow?”

 

“Of course! I enjoyed playing with you and I have to check up on my favorite patient!”

Chae winked and she scoffed,

“You mean your only patient.”

 

“Whatever you say.”

 

Hyejoo just lowered herself into bed as Chaewon left,

“Sweet dreams Hyejoo.”

 

-

 

The smell of freshly fried chicken filled the dorm. Yerim sat cross legged by the TV as Chae set down their so called feast,

“Dig in! My treat!”

 

Yerim clapped her hands happily and did so,

“Don’t mind if I do working girl!”

 

Chaewon smiled as she watched Yerim bite into her chicken leg. She smiled dopily until Yerim waved her hand in front of her face,

“Earth to Chaewon, what’s up?”

 

Chaewon snapped back to reality with her face becoming heated,

“Are you okay Chae?”

 

Chaewon nodded and quickly picked up some chicken to eat,

“Just tired.”

 

“Then go to bed, I won’t be mad.”

 

Chae dismissed her as they continued to eat. Awkward silence plagued the room as Chaewon’s words became stuck in . She began to speak until the sudden ringing of her phone caught her attention,

“I’ve got to take that.....can we talk later?”

 

Yerim nodded as she answered the call. 

Chaewon’s face tensed,

“Bothering you?”

 

“So shouldn’t you check up on her?”

Her jaw dropped as the line went dead,

“What was that?”

 

Yerim questioned as she snapped out of her stupor and franticly began grabbing her things. Chae had one shoe on as she ran out of the dorm leaving behind a very confused Yerim. 

 

When Chaewon arrived Hyejoo’s shrill screaming echoed through the hallways. Chaewon ran to her room finding Hyejoo’s skin glistening with sweat as she was twisting and turning with vomit covering her room. Hyejoo’s tears were streaming down her cheeks as she yelled in pain,

“MOOOOOM!!!”

 

Chaewon began to try to get Hyejoo to stop moving as she ran to her side,

“Hyejoo I’m here, calm down please.”

 

She was thrashing with words coming out in growls,

“My stomach! It’s burning! Make it stop please!”

 

She vomited and it had streaks of red. Chae thought to her medical books of what the medication was. Her eyes widened as she remembered,

“Trastuzumab. Hyejoo where is it!”

 

She pointed weakly to the cabinet in the bathroom. Chaewon ran and began rummaging through the cabinet. She grabbed the small container and ran back to her side as she grabbed her hand tightly,

“Open your mouth.”

 

Hyejoo squirmed and shook her head,

“Hyejoo open your mouth.”

 

She turned to Chae. Her face slightly green, bloated, and plastered in sweat. Her puffy eyes wet with streaming tears and snot running onto her lips,

“JUST LET ME DIE PLEASE MAKE IT STOP!!”

 

Hyejoo’s voice sobbed out as she clung onto Chaewon, her voice weak as she pleaded into her neck,

“Please, let me be at peace.”

 

Eyes locked as Chaewon promised,

“No, I won’t let you die. I’ll stop the pain temporarily, but it’ll stop, only if you let me,” Hyejoo’s eyes shimmered with sadness, and begged for death with Chaewon gently held her shoulders, “So please, open your mouth.”

 

Hyejoo shook her head as she heaved heavily, giving Chaewon a warning to back away. She doubled over and vomited more intensely, Chaewon held the medication in one hand, as Hyejoo saw it she began thrashing her body to avoid it. Chaewon climbed on to the bed in a last attempt as she straddled Hyejoo. With her pinned under her Chaewon tried pushing the pill into as Hyejoo pursed her lips avoiding it,

“Hyejoo I’m sorry.”

 

Chaewon warned before she pinched her nose closed forcing open. She got the pill in watching as Hyejoo’s chest rises and falls heavily. Her eyes slowly becoming heavy enough to close. The room felt eerie at the sudden silence as Chaewon embraced Hyejoo’s still form with silent sobs. She glanced at the missed calls and texts most consisting of, ‘keep the noise down.’

 

She softly cursed as she glanced to Hyejoo’s side profile. The vomit covering her face just made Chaewon wince more as she began cleaning.

 

The room was clean as Chaewon went into the bathroom and stripped off her dirty clothes. Her skin was dyed with a light hue of red. 

 

As she let the water rinse over her, her mind ran. What if she didn’t wake up and chocked? What if I’m not in town and she has another episode? Why didn’t her mom bring her to the hospital for proper treatment? Why did they choose me to take care of such a serious case? Is it too late? She obviously hasn’t been properly treated. 

 

Hyejoo looked at her frightened and a little disappointed,

“Why am I still here, why are you still here?”

 

Chaewon stayed silent as she checked her vitals,

“Chaewon? What happened?”

 

“You fainted.”

 

She looked puzzled,

“But why are you still here?”

Her eyebrows were knitted in confusion,

“I stayed because I wanted too.”

Her facial features softened,

“You wanted to stay with me?”

 

“Yes, and I still do.”

 

She began to tear up but Chae quickly whipped them away,

“No, don’t do that. You’ve done enough crying for a lifetime, just let me help.”

 

She nodded and sniffed,

“Can...can you hold me? I’m....scared.”

 

Chaewon held her hand,

“I’ll go find your mom, okay?”

 

Her eyes widened as she gripped onto Chae’s hand,

“No, please don’t. She’ll be mad, please I just want you now.”

 

The nurse smiled softly and wrapped her arms around the patient, the dampness of her tears was on Chaewon’s neck,

“I thought I said not to do that.”

 

“I’m sorry Chaewon, I couldn’t help it.

 

“It’s okay. Call me Chae, all my friends call me Chae.”

 

“Okay...Chae.”

 

Chae pulled back and examined her matted hair and dried bile,

“It’s time to take a bath. Can you sit up or should I get the remote?”

 

She sighed,

“I need the remote.”

 

With that Chae grabbed the IV stand and helped Hyejoo walk to the bathroom,

“Let me get you some new clothes and I’ll start to run the water.”

 

Her face was deep red which made Chaewon immediately feel her head,

“Hyejoo do you feel okay?”

 

“Yeah but I, umm, need help with my clothes.”

 

 Chae smiled awkwardly as she helped her out of her clothes leaving her in her underwear,

“Lets get you into the tub and I’ll take off the rest, okay?”

 

She nodded shyly as Chae picked her up and into the tub,

“Have you been eating well?”

 

She crossed her arms around her legs pulling them into her chest,

“Not really...”

 

Che could see the outline of her ribs and hip bones. The only extra skin being the plump on her abdomen,

“You should be eating three meals a day and lots of water.”

 

Hyejoo just frowns,

“My mom forgets....”

 

There were red blotches covering her pale skin which looked infected. Chaewon thought of her own parents. They weren’t the best but now they are as hell seem like it,

“Hyejoo, can I meet your mom?”

 

Hyejoo bit her lip, drawing blood, Chaewon was quick to clean it. Almost as if reveling a horrible secret she whispered,

“You’ve already met her....”

 

Hyejo’s body was tensed, then as the water warmed she relaxed as Chae took a cup and filled it with the bath water then dampened her hair. Taking the shampoo and lightly massaging her scalp she laid her head on the bath tubs edge with her eyes shut,

“What’s it like at college?”

 

Chaewon hummed,

“It’s like high school but with more work.”

 

She nodded,

“But I don’t know what that’s like either....I was homeschooled.”

Chaewon nodded as she began washing the soap out and started lathering her hair,

“I miss reading. My mom forgets to bring me my comics from my old room.”

 

Chaewon couldn’t help but furrowed her eyebrows,

“Your mom seems to forget a lot, huh?”

 

She sighed,

“Yeah, sometimes I wonder if I’m even real, if I’m already dead cause I’m treated like a ghost.”

 

“Oh Hyejoo, let me get your comics and anything else you need. I’ll give you my cell and you can call anytime.”

 

She smiled widely her eyes becoming like crescents,

“I’d like that.”

 

Chae finished with her hair and began washing her body,

“Can I remove this?”

 

Hyejoo’s face reddened but she nodded. Chaewon gently rubbed the soap into her body making sure to be gentle but clean her well. She hummed and leaned into her making Chaewon laugh,

“Hyejoo I can’t wash you with you all over me.”

 

“Well then why don’t you join me?”

 

“Join? I-“

 

She pouted and held her hands loosely beckoning her to the water,

“I can’t, I already took a shower and  I umm yeah kinda weird but I yeah, you’re serious huh, I-“

 

Of course she pouted even more but she just looked like a baby wolf. Cute,

“Next time okay? I promise.”

 

She huffed but still nodded,

“Pinky promise?”

 

“Sure”,  they intertwined their pinky’s and Chaewon finished washing her,

“You feel clean?”

 

“Yeah, thanks Chae.”

 

Chaewon hooked her arms under hers and lifted her out of the tub, sitting her on the toilet seat as she got a towel and ointment,

“Do those red spots hurt?”

 

She nodded vigorously,

“Alright, I’ll put this cream on it and it’ll sting a bit but it’ll make it feel better.”

 

She winced as Chae applied it,

“There all better!”

 

The nurse smiled as she began drying her off.

 

With her bathed and changed Chaewon placed her back into bed,

“Sleep tight, I’ll be right back.”

 

“Good night Chaewon.”

 

“Good night Hyejoo.”

 

She was still asleep when Chaewon slipped in her comic books. She placed them next to her bed and checked her charts once more before leaving,

“You’ll be okay Hyejoo, I’ll make sure of that.”

 

She was trembling while she was asleep with her eyebrows furrowed, Chaewon watched as she curled into a ball, coughing and splattering blood on the sheets. Chaewon’s eyes became teary,

 

“You’ll be okay.”

She didn’t know if she had said it to comfort Hyejoo or herself. She left quietly but not before placing a tender kiss on her forehead.

-

“Mrs. Son, it looks like your niece needs some serious help.”

Chaewon pursed her lips,

 

“With all do respect ma-“

 

She scrunched her nose,

 

“That’s disgusting, she can be cured easily if it’s in its first stages.”

 

She slammed her fist in the table as Yerim watched her carefully,

 

“You’re choosing money over a life? Do you even have morals.”

 

She pulled the phone back and took a deep breath,

 

“If you won’t get her a CT scan, a Laparoscopy, And or a barium meal X-ray I will. I’ll be there to pick Hyejoo up in fifteen minutes.”

 

Chaewon slammed her phone down as she ran her fingers through her hair.  Her eyes were drooping as she nursed the cup of coffee Yerim made,

“You okay Chae? You didn’t come back till 2 am.....”

 

Chaewon nodded as she twirled the  spoon in the cup,

“What was that about?”

 

Chaewon massaged her temples,

“My patient, she’s really ill Yerim.”

 

Yerim just nodded,

“Oh okay.”

 

Chaewon began to hyperventilate with loud sobs escaping. Last nights stress falling on shoulders,

“Hey, hey, hey it’s okay Chaewonnie.”

 

Yerim wraps her arms around her as Chaewon buries her face into her chest. Chae whimpers out an apology as Yerim cradles her,

“No, it’s okay Chae, it’s all going to be okay. I’m right here.”

 

Chaewon cried herself out quickly,

“Thank you Yerim.”

 

She smiled,

“What are best friends for?”

 

Chaewon smiled bitterly repeating the phrase, ‘friends’ under her breath.

 

-

 

Chaewon knocked on Hyejoo’s door before entering, she was reading her comic books with a goofy grin plastered on her face. It brightened Chaewon’s mood and caused her to smile widely,

“Hyejoo?”

 

“Chaewon!”

 

She smiled as she went to her side,

“I brought ramen, after I check your vitals we’ll go on a trip!”

 

Hyejoo smiled but then frowned,

“I’m not hungry....”

 

Chaewon places the bag of food down,

“You have to eat something while I’m here,” Hyejoo pouted, “but if you’re not hungry now then that’s okay!”

 

Chaewon went to check her vitals while she excitedly caught her up on her comics. She was smiling and slowly began to frown. She clutched her stomach and bit her lip,

“I feel worse today Chae. My stomach is upset and my heart feels like it’s burning. The pain behind my eyes is coming back too. Does this mean I can’t go on todays trip?”

 

She looked heartbroken but Chae just dismissed her as she went to pick out an outfit for her to wear. She scrunched her nose as Chaewon’s hand floated over articles of clothing. Once her face relaxed she knew it was what Hyejoo wanted to wear,

“Can you walk today? I brought a wheelchair if needed.”

 

Hyejoo looked determined to walk as she carefully pulled herself to the edge of the bed. She tried to hide the fact that she was already exhausted. She looked crushed as she looked at the vacant wheelchair. She dropped her head into her hands. Chaewon understood,

“Hyejoo.....you aren’t weak just because you need it. It’s like the fact that I need oxygen,” Hyejoo looked up from her hands, “Come on let’s get you dressed and into the chair.”

 

Chaewon hugged Hyejoo tightly suddenly,

“I’m going to make sure you get better,” she looked into Hyejoo’s eyes, “I promise.”

 

Hyejoo nodded with wide eyes,

“I dreamed of an angel kissing me last night.”

 

Chaewon laughed lightly,

“It made me feel save for once, I think,” Hyejoo looked in Chaewon’s eyes with a twinkle of hope, “I think I want to live.”

 

Chae smiles widely,

“And I’ll make sure you do.” 

 

-

 

The breeze felt nice as Chaewon pushed Hyejoo’s wheelchair. She was humming to herself and soaking in the fresh air,

“Any requests before we meet our destination?”

 

She coughed a bit and looked nostalgic,

“Not really, where are you taking me Chae?”

 

Her eyes sparkled,

“The hospital.....”

 

Her mood dampened as she fiddled with her fingers,

“Oh.....”

 

Chae rubbed her shoulder,

“Don’t worry, once it’s over we can do anything you want.”

 

She smiled slightly,

“I’m nervous, will you leave me?”

 

Chaewon shook my head no,

“I have no reason too.”

 

Hyejoo sighed,

“Well if I’m going to die we might as well do some karaoke then?”

 

Hyejoo laughed as Chaewon nagged her for her dark humor,

“Yah!”

 

-

 

The room was flashing colorful lights as the two sang there heart out,

“IMMA A BANANA ALERGY WONSGI OH YAAAAAA OH OH OH OH YEAHHHH OW!!!”

 

They laughed at their purposeful ugly singing,

“I didn’t know you liked Oh My Girl this much!”

 

Hyejoo laughed,

“I don’t but I think I do now.”

 

“Why’s that?”

 

She smiled,

“I don’t think I’ll ever forget this moment, thank you Chae. I have a good memory before I meet my doom.”

 

Hyejoo’s dramatic voice while she made a spooky expression caused Chaewon to laugh do hard she fell on the floor.

 

“Oh so you’re laughing at a cripple now?”

 

Chaewon laughed harder while trying to gather herself,

“Jeez, what am I going to do with you?”

 

“Send me to the hospital to see if I live or die.”

 

Chaewon just rolled her eyes, 

“Live for sure.”

 

Hyejoo pounders,

“I don’t know..... we can hope.”

 

Chaewon made a fist and Hyejoo returned the gesture. Chae Hughes her before wheeling her out into the crowded Seoul streets.

 

-

 

The doctor came out after hours. His face said it all,

“Are you Son Hyejoo’s guardian?”

 

Chae nodded,

“It’s worse then we thought.”

 

Chae swallowed the lump in ,

“It’s high-grade, if she doesn’t get the tumor removed soon, I’m afraid she won’t make it.”

 

Chaewon knew, she knew, her chances are low. Only a miracle would save her. Let’s hope.

 

But now what does she tell Hyejoo?