The mornings after? They’re difficult

Dara woke up feeling languid, like she had battled against a horde of patients all night and there was no one else that she could turn to.

Somewhere, she could hear a man’s voice laughing aloud. She tried to concentrate and remember what had happened last night. She knew that Seunghyun had ordered her home, that Ji was the one who dragged her here, that her Mai-unnie had come to look after her, and that Ji and Young Bae had come afterwards to volunteer to take her to the hospital but she had refused, and that Ji had allowed her to stay at home saying “I won’t go so easily on you the next time we talk”.

What could that mean?, she wondered as she looked to her bedside table and was glad to find water.

She moved to sit up, her arms a little wobbly and supported herself via the headboard. The man’s laughter was now joined by another man and Dara thought “At least they’re having a good time” as she drank in some water.

Her room was softly lighted as only a part of her curtains were parted. There – on the lounge beside her bed – was her book, “The Count of Monte Cristo”. Somebody seemed to have been reading but she didn’t have an idea who. She was sure they all stayed up to watch over her but she wasn’t sure who would have left this.

Inhaling and exhaling, she gathered all her strength to walk towards her shower room. She was sure she looked like a drought victim and she shouldn’t care about it at all but by God, she didn’t want Ji to see her looking like this.

“He most probably will remind me every day of my life in that clinic how I looked while I was sick and tell everyone about it” she told herself – a lie she was holding on to because the alternative reason why she must be doing this was something she knew she should just stop thinking about.

The bathroom mirror had told her what she doubted – her lips were cracked dry, her eyes had rims under them, and her hair was as mousy as wild bushes.

“My first morning after with Ji and I look like a mess” she thought involuntarily and shook her head – stopping herself again with those thoughts.

She rummaged through the bathroom and finally decided to take a hot bath.

The water felt so good against her skin but she didn’t stay in too long. She knew she couldn’t push her body just yet and so she reached for a towel and began to pat herself dry.

She had just wrapped herself in the towel and was about to go out when the bathroom door suddenly opened and in came Ji – his eyes wide in surprise as his vision immediately connected to hers.

“WHAT THE?!?” she exclaimed – the same time with him.

“Get out of here!” she immediately ordered and Ji instantly backed away and closed the door of her bathroom.

She reached out for her bath robe and immediately tucked herself in it – red creeping up all over her face. What the hell was the man doing suddenly popping up her bathroom? And how could she have been so stupid not to have locked it?!?

It was a good thing that he had not opened it while she was still in the bath.

She opened the door of her bathroom and found Ji standing at the very door of her room, looking like a bull ready to fight.

“What were you thinking not locking your doors?” he demanded “Young Bae or I could have just walked in on you like what happened now and it was lucky for you that you’ve already finished with your bath.”

Dara was surprised at his tone – he seemed really angry and concerned when it should be her who should be angry and “concerned”.

“There is no need to shout at me like that Dr. Kwon!” she answered, seating on her bed as she didn’t trust her legs too much to not wobble. “This is my room and my house! I didn’t see the need to lock that door.”

“But there are men in YOUR house!”

“Who should have knocked!”

“Woman! I was looking for you and there wasn’t any noise around… how the hell was I supposed to know you were in your bathroom waiting for whatever Adam to walk in and see you like that?!?”

“I WASN’T WAITING!” she told him angrily.

“What is going on here?” a head – Teddy’s head to be exact popped out the door.

“Nurse Park here – apparently – wants to be the talk of the town” Ji explained.

“Ow! Shut up will you?” Dara told him and finally walked towards the door where both men were standing. What was she thinking arguing with him? And why was he sounding all so justified and dignified? “I bet you’d seen a thousand women already – knowing who you are – and to set things straight I was WRAPPED in a towel! So, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go LOCK this door and get dressed or you might just walk in on me again and NAG at me like you’re my keeper!”

She closed the door, fuming, and suddenly asked herself “What was that all about?”