Kai’s POV

“So dude how is she?” Chanyeol asked putting on a pair of gloves.

“What?” I mumbled tying a mask around my face.

“Panchali bro. She seems nice doesn’t she?”

I grinned and said “She’s cute.”

Chanyeol started laughing while I regaled him with everything I’d experienced last night.

“Man, she’s funny! AHAHAHAHA! ” he said clutching his stomach and wiping away tears.

“Yep. Now lets get to surgery.”

“You know what?”

“What?”

“I think all five of us are going to have lots of fun.” He said and winked.

Panchali’s POV

“No no no no no no no no no no no no no…no NO!” I mumbled as I saw a familiar figure standing with open arms at the end of the corridor.

“HOWS MY DARLING!” The person yelled and rushed towards me pulling me into a hug.

I grunted “This is a hospital. STOP. YELLING.”

“Oh Panchali!” I heard a yell and was pulled into an even tighter hug.

I looked at a confused Suho standing with a baby in his arms and mouthed “Help!”

He nodded at me, handed the baby over to a nurse and rushed past.

I continued to be mercilessly squished and sent up a prayer for help when I heard a stern voice say “I do not stand for any indecency in my hospital.”

It was Dr. Miryo.

I was dropped instantly and fell to the floor, coughing since I was basically being choked.

“Dr. Miryo…” I coughed and a hand was clamped firmly on my mouth as the two people next to me said.

“We are her parents.”

                                                          ~~~

We were all seated in Dr. Miryo’s office.

My mother was patting me on the head like I was some sort of a pet.

My father was on the other side my hair.

I sighed.

Hyunseung Cho and Subhadra Chauhan. Why had they married? I don’t know.

Both my parents were huge actors in Korea. Even though my mum was Indian she had been born and brought up in Seoul but I can safely say I have more Indian values than her.

“Dr. Miryo!” my mother cooed “We want the best for our little daughter. She should get the best cases and should be given the best accommodation. We will pay whatever is required!”

I looked up at Dr. Miryo with pleading eyes, desperate to somehow convey to her that this was not my doing.

She looked at me once, nodded, then turned back to my mother.

“Mrs. Chauhan with all due respect this is a hospital. It is NOT a hotel where if you pay more I can give your daughter better services. She is not a patient but is learning to save lives and heal them. I will not let anyone surpass anyone else with any amount of money. If she the potential she can reach the top.

I heaved a sigh of relief but was stopped short as my father said “Er no no you don’t understand. We are very influential! We can pay ANY amount! You just name it!”

I cursed inwardly.

Dr. Miryo turned an icy gaze towards him.

“No Mr. Cho YOU do not understand. No amount of money can convince me to put the lives of my patients at risk.”

He gulped.

Suddenly Dr. Miryo’s pager rang and she rose up to leave.

“I will give you a moment after which I would request you to leave my hospital. Thank you very much for coming.”  She said politely and left the room.

My mother huffed.

“How rude!”

“Oh how does it matter.” My father said and then turned to me, “She is anyways going to get married to a rich producer’s son.”

“STOP!” I yelled, my fists curling into balls.

They both stared at me.

I looked at my mother first. She was just how she was four years ago, when I had started medical school. Mink coats, sunglasses, expensive perfume and not a single damn about how I felt.

I looked at my father next. He was the same too. Expensive suits, new cars, girls all the time and money money money.

“I am not a business deal.” I said through gritted teeth.

My dad started laughing as if he found this very amusing. He really couldn’t have done anything worse.

My mother put one hand on my shoulder and said “But this is all stupidity dear. Why would you want to get dirty in someone else’s blood when you can be happy marrying SBC’s CEO’s son?”

“Because.” I said shrugging her hand off violently “That would just make YOU happy. Not me. I am not marrying that jerk. And I am not a business deal.”

I turned to leave when I heard my father say “You can play at this all you want but you do know that you will have to do what we want in the end. After all we know whats best for you.”

I stopped and didn’t bother to turn “You never have and you never will.”

“And besides,” I added “Saving lives was never easy. You wouldn’t know. You just know how to ruin them.”

                                                           ~~~

I was washing my hands. I had been putting so much force that my palms were now bleeding.

Goodness. Ugh.

“Aish!” I winced as some soap went in at a wrong angle.

“How did you manage that?” I heard a voice behind me.

I turned to see Kai.

“Oh go away. I’m not in the mood to talk.”

He grabbed my hand to examine it as I winced again.

“You’re such an idiot.” He said.

“Thank you very much!” I said, trying to withdraw my hand but he wouldn’t let it go.

“Just stay still for a moment would you?”

“Its just a little thing. It’ll be fine.” I diverted my gaze.

He looked at me and raised his eyebrows, then went back to my hand.

I saw him take a tube out of the first aid kit lying to  my side and he applied just a little on the spots, covered it with a tiny bit of cotton and put a tiny strip of surgical tape.

“Weren’t you in surgery?” I asked.

“It got over much earlier than expected. The patient had a heart attack so all of us were thrown out.”

I didn’t know what to say and after a minute he spoke up “There. Its done. Take care would you?”

“Whats it to you?” I mumbled and the next thing I knew his face was centimeters from mine.

“I was wondering the same thing.” He whispered.

By this time I was stuttering and blushing like an idiot.

He smirked and backed away leaving me with wide eyes and an uneven breath.

“You’re with Luhan in cardio. And oh we’re leaving for that island thing in 3 days.”

Suho came in suddenly. He was panting heavily and was clutching the side of his stomach.

“Panchali. You weren’t checking your pager. Your-“ he huffed.

“I’m sorry! I had to take it off. My what?” I asked helping him sit and giving him a bottle of water.

“Your parents. They’re standing in the lobby and there are tonnes of reporters outside.”

“Oh god no.” I groaned.

                                               ~~~

“Mother! Father!” I yelled pulling them away “WHAT are you two doing?!”

They smiled sweetly at all the people crowded around and said

“We won’t leave until you promise to meet SBC’s CEO’s son.” My mother said and waved at a faraway camera.

“Oh get real!” I said.

“And if you don’t we’ll tell your hospital that you paid to get into med school.” My father said as he grinned and flashed a thumbs up to another camera.

“You’re psychopaths!” I said narrowing my eyes.

I gritted my teeth and closed my eyes to calm myself “Fine. Gosh. I-”

“SUBHADRA KUMARI CHAUHAN. HYUNSEUNG CHO! Get out of this hospital!” a voice thundered and I looked past them to find the only person I had ever considered family.

I heaved a sigh of relief and smiled.

All I could think about as the tiny lady dragged my parents out of the hospital literally by the ear, was how nearly I’d escaped meeting ‘SBC’s CEO’s son’ and how much I’d have to make it up to my grandma.

“Your family is messed up.” I heard Chanyeol say as he nodded behind me.

“Ya think?” I said, patting him once on the shoulder.