***

Day 16 of the first cycle of Chemotherapy.

It’s been a week since ‘Missing Wendy’s Accident’ as Irene's teams refer to the accident at that time.

Since that day, Wendy never leaves her room, the young novelist has been writing her novel so much to the point where Irene needs to confiscate her laptop so the young novelist could rest.

It’s also been a week since the last time Irene came home, this is because The young professor decided to stay at the hospital almost every day to monitor Wendy’s condition.

The young novelist's condition has been worsening for this whole week and Irene has been worried because she can’t find the reason for this. The young novelist CBC and Blood Smear test result is showing the expected result from the Chemotherapy procedure.

Wendy’s cancer is Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, which is a highly variable disease. Sometimes, according to the test result, a procedure should work but in reality, it doesn’t. Wendy is also already have been through a Chemotherapy session so it is possible that her body is developing resistance to the drugs.

Whatever the cause is, Irene is still doesn’t sure so that is why she decided to stay in the hospital and monitor Wendy’s condition very closely.

**

5 pm.

Irene knocks on the familiar door before entering the room quietly. “Wendy, can I come in?” she asks the young novelist.

The young novelist looked at Irene and give her a smile before answering “Of course doctor, come in”.

This is the usual way how she enters Wendy’s room. Irene would knock and then go inside the room, announce her presence, and ask the young novelist if she could come inside.

Wendy would give her signature dimpled smile and respond to her question and then Irene would come towards Wendy to do her check-up.

They had done this at least 18 times a day and they had been doing this for the last 16 days. So it’s safe to say that the young professor has memorized how Wendy would smile, her tone when she’s answering, and her reaction.

And today, something is amiss, Wendy’s smile is different since this morning, like there is something that bothers the young novelist and Irene is curious.

The young professor walked toward the Wendy and do her usual check-up. Wendy is staring at the sky again, and it had been like this since Irene's first visit in the morning.

Wendy doesn’t even touch her laptop, the young novelist's laptop is still neatly placed on the bedside table.

“Is anything wrong today Wendy?” The young professor asks. “You looked distracted since this morning.”

Wendy doesn’t give Irene a response for a moment before she asks “Irene unnie, can I have a walk outside in the garden today?”.

This is the first time Wendy gives Irene a response other than ‘I’m fine doctor, just thinking about something’ today.

Irene ponder for a moment, then she looked at her clipboard, reading Wendy’s condition report for the past week.

Her condition is still not good today

“I’m sorry Wendy, but you can’t, your condition is still weak, I’m suggesting that you just rest for today. Or maybe you could talk to me, I can lend my ears to you”

“But I feel fine doctor, I can even walk!” The young novelist responded.

“Are you sure?” Irene raised her eyebrows

“hundred percent! I can prove it to you!”, Wendy then proceeded to try to get off the bed but suddenly her legs betrayed her. The young novelist's legs wobbled and she’s forced to sit on the side of the bed by Irene.

“Miss Son, in case you forget, I’m your doctor, I know your condition and you can’t lie to me” Irene shakes her head.

“Sometime’s you can get really annoying Professor Bae” Wendy retorted.

“I’ll take that as a compliment Miss. Son” Irene rolled her eye.

“Please? I haven’t left my room for a week!” The young novelist tries her luck once again.

To be honest, Irene understands how the young novelist feels, about always needing to stay in her room for days because of her condition, and eating bland hospital meals for weeks, to endure those conditions constantly can severely affect the young novelist's mental health.

Irene wanted to help Wendy, and as her doctor, it was also her duty to help the young novelist.

But, letting Wendy take a walk alone would be dangerous for the young novelist, with her weak condition, her body can suddenly give up on her and then she could drop and hit her head, or fall from a stair, the possibilities are endless and none of them are good.

After thinking for a couple of minutes, Irene finally said “Okay, but you’re going in a wheelchair with me”.

A bright smile bloomed on the young novelist's face, “Yes it’s fine! I’m fine with that! Thank you, Dr. Bae!”

Is she really that happy to be able to go out?

***

Cherry Garden

Irene slowly pushes Wendy in her wheelchair as they take a leisurely stroll around the big garden.

“What’s been bothering you the whole day Wendy”, Irene asks the young novelist once again.

“Nothing really, I just wanted to go and get some fresh air” Wendy answers

Irene nods, but she knows Wendy is not telling her the truth. There is definitely something bothering the young novelist, but Irene decides not to push her to tell.

All of a sudden, they hear a little girl shouting, "Seungwan Unnie!"

Irene looks towards the direction of the sound and sees a little girl running towards them.

"Hey, little flower, how are you?" Wendy greets the little girl.

“I’m okay now!” The little girl exclaims, “But why are you in a wheelchair unnie? Are you in much pain?”

“No, I just feel tired and this pretty doctor wanted to help me” Wendy answers the girl's question while gently caressing her hair.

“Now why don’t you introduce yourself to this pretty doctor Hyunjoo-yah”

Hyunjoo looks at Wendy and then at Irene. She takes a couple of steps back, puts her hand in front of her waist, and gives the young professor a small bow.

"Hello, Doctor unnie, my name is Hyunjoo, and I am 6 years old," little Hyunjoo cutely introduces herself.

Aww, what a cute little girl, and her name, Hyunjoo, It’s just my name, Joohyun, but in reverse. Irene chuckled.

Irene already knows Hyunjoo from listening to her conversation with Wendy a week ago in the garden. But getting to know the little girl herself is even cuter.

“Hello Hyunjoo, do you want to know unnie’s name?” Irene asks

Little Hyunjoo nods.

“My Name Is Bae JooHyun” Irene smiled.

“Wahh!! Unnie has a beautiful name! And unnie’s name is like my name but it’s not like my name, but it is like my name, but it’s also not like my name?” Little Hyunjoo started to babble.

Witnessing this scene, Wendy and Irene look at each other with amused expressions and let out a small chuckle.

“Hyunjoo! Here you are!”, a young doctor came towards Wendy and Irene, it seems like the young doctor is searching for the little Hyunjoo.

“ah, Professor Irene” the young doctor bows to Irene.

“Hello, Dr. Aeri, are you Hyunjoo’s doctor? Where is her parent?” Irene asks the young doctor while Hyunjoo is still babbling, and Wendy is attentively listening to Her.

“Uh yes, professor, her father is working and her mother is out to buy something for her” Dr. Aeri explains.

“What’s her condition?” Irene asks, curious.

The young professor knows that Hyunjoo is a recent patient in the Oncology department, but Irene never actually checks her medical records because she’s not her attending Physician.

"Stage 4 Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia," the young doctor starts. "Her condition is improving this week; she even starts to run around, but her survival expectation is not more than 2 years, even with therapy," Dr. Aeri shares.

Goddess! As little as her? sometimes the world can seem to be unfair, isn’t it? Irene can help but thinks to herself.

The young professor nods in understanding

“Hyunjoo-yah, let’s go with Aeri Unnie, your mother is here!” the young doctor calls little Hyunjoo.

Hyunjoo looks at Dr. Aeri and nods before looking back at Wendy and Irene. "See you later, Seungwan unnie! Pretty Doctor Unnie!" and then she starts running towards the door.

The young doctor panics and gives Irene a small quick bow before following little Hyunjoo.

“What?” Irene asks the young novelist when she realizes that Wendy has been looking at her for quite some time now.

“You don’t know her unnie?” Wendy asks her.

“No, I don’t, why?”

“She’s an Oncology department patient, just like me, shouldn’t you at least know her as you are a professor yourself?” Wendy responds.

“Well, I am not her attending physician, so I’m prohibited to look at her personal data or medical record unless I needed to,” Irene explained to the young novelist.

“Ahh okay, that makes sense” Wendy nods and then they continue to walk around the garden.

**

"Unnie, can you pick a couple of those cherries?" Wendy asks the young professor, pointing to the cherries above her head.

Irene tilts her head, "You want those?" she asks.

“I can eat cherries right?” Wendy confirms and Irene nods.

“Well, if you want it, I’ll pick a couple of cherries for you”.

The young professor starts to pick a few cherries from the tree. Luckily, the tree is short enough that Irene can easily reach the cherries without needing to climb.

"Here you go, these are for you," Irene hands the cherries to Wendy, who puts them in her pocket, making Irene frown.

“You’re not going to eat that?” The young professor asks.

“Later, I’m gonna eat it later” Wendy answers, “Can we go to the rooftop too Dr. Bae? I want to see the sunset”.

“Oh, I see what it’s like, now you just starting to take advantage of me aren’t you Miss. Son? Because you are a VVIP?” Irene playfully rolls her eyes.

“Yes Professor Bae, you finally realized it? Now take me to Rooftop right at this moment!” Wendy responded, playing along with Irene Jokes.

Irene let chuckles, “It’s going to get cold soon, let’s get you back to your room”.

But Wendy looked at Irene with s