January 5, 2013

KyuJong unlocked his office door and led Ilana to the examining table, taking out supplies from a nearby drawer.

- “Why doesn’t Ilana-ssi hop on to the table; then you can show me your hand?” When she stretched her hand out, he realized it was shaking. “Are you cold?” Before she could protest that she wasn’t, he ran off. Meanwhile, she took a steadying breath. Her hand did hurt, but she could bear it. He returned with a sweater and draped it over her shoulders, which surprised her greatly.

- “Thank You, you didn’t have to do that.” She thought the shaking was from fatigue more than from being cold, but it was very kind of him to get her a sweater. Looking down, in case he could read how embarrassed and uncomfortable she was, she schooled her expression once more.

- “Na couldn’t let Ilana-ssi be cold.” He smiled kindly at her. “Ok, let’s try this again.” He gently took her injured hand; he quickly disinfected and bandaged her cut, which was not deep. “Can Ilana-ssi move her fingers?” It hurt and she was only able to move them a little due to the swelling. “Good. I’m going to feel around to make sure nothing’s broken, arraso?”

- “Ah!” Despite her resolve to not to flinch, he applied pressure to a particularly tender spot and couldn’t help by cry out.

- “Young lady, the hand is very delicate and sensitive, you sprained it. Let me get you some ice to reduce the swelling before I wrap it. By the way, when was the last time Ilana-ssi ate?” He stuck that phrase in very subtly, almost like asking for the salt and pepper. Dressed in pants and long sleeves, he didn’t think she was shaking from cold and the air conditioning wasn’t even high.  Her pallor and dark circles and swelling under her eyes betrayed that the cause was something other than crying.  She was very tired and must have been lacking in proper rest.

- “I – I had a bit of sandwich when I got back to the ship.” She was so surprised by the question, she didn’t have time to think whether she would answer him or not.

- “I’m guessing before that you hadn’t eaten anything?” He said as he bent to a small door in the next room. It must’ve been a type of refrigeration unit because he came back with a cool-pack and placed it on her hand.

- “I-I forgot”.

- “If I know my chingu…friends, HyungJun and YoungSaeng, they are still gaming. I’ll get YoungSaeng to bring you down some ramen. It will fill you up and keep you warm at the same time.” He was giving her his sweet smile again.

- “That’s quite alright, he doesn’t have too.” He was being very nice to her, but it was also disconcerting for someone who didn’t like being fussed over.

- “He’ll love too, trust me. There’s a little table in the next room. Let’s go sit in there.” He helped her off the table and pulled his cell phone out his pocket to call Young-Saeng.”

- “Yeboseyo?” Young-Saeng answered.

- “I knew you guys would still be at it?”

- “Ha ha! What’s up? Bogoshipo?  Already?”

- “Ani, did you guys eat all the ramen or is there some left?”

- “Begopah (hungry), still?”

- “Ani, Na have a patient that hasn’t eaten anything most of the day. I wanted to make sure she ate before sending her off.”

- “Yeoja?”

- “Deh…! Yah!  Is there food left or not?”

- “Deh...I'll be right down," YoungSaeng grumbled.  All the restaurants on the ship were included in the cruise price, he didn't understand why KyuJong was making him take some of their food.  "This yeoja better be special," he said, packing a container full.

KyuJong terminated the call and turned to Ilana.  “He’ll be down in a little while. Why don’t we talk a little before he gets here?”

- “It’s ok, my hand feels much better, you can wrap it tomorrow.”   The Doctor was very kind, but Ilana was not comfortable at being alone with him and much less, once his friend arrived.  She was trying not to panic.

- “Ilana-ssi, Na can't force you to stay but I would feel much better about letting you go with food in your stomach.  You’re so pale and I can see how exhausted you are but a little food will help, arraso?”   KyuJong could see that the girl was a little shy or nervous, he did everything he could to make her feel comfortable in hopes that she would confide in him.

Ilana was too tired to protest; oddly the panicky feeling began to subside a bit.  He wasn't threatening or arrogant, but calm and gentle.  Not pressuring her in any way, his genuine kindness made it known that he wanted to help.  "What does arraso mean?” She was too tired to think straight, but she was positive he'd said a few words in a language she didn't recognize.

- “It means okay or understood,” KyuJong laughed. “Na think we’re supposed to be talking about you, not a crash course in Korean. Does Ilana-ssi want to tell me what all that was about?” He pointed to her hand.

She shook her head ‘no.’

 - “Ok, fine. Tell me about yourself, you’re from Los Angeles, right? So are you some runaway Hollywood princess, tired of all the lights and glamor, yearning for the simple life?” He must’ve come close to the truth because her already pale face lost what little color it had left. “Why don’t you tell me, or I’ll just come up with a thousand different theories until you pick one. I’m very patient; we can sit here until tomorrow if you want?”

- “I just got a little homesick”, it wasn’t far from the truth.

- “Ilana-ssi looks really young, too young to be on a cruise like this. Did you really run away from home?” Ilana couldn’t help it, her eyes were getting teary. “Is that a yes?” KyuJong just smiled at her, trying to encourage her to talk. She nodded her head yes.

- “I just needed to get away for a while.”  KyuJong stayed quiet to see if she would continue. “I found out my family was lying to me about something and it just hurt too much. I couldn’t bear it,” the words came out of their own volition. KyuJong had one of those faces that drew a person into his confidence.

- “Your parents or your siblings?”

- “My cousin, I’m sure my Foster Parent’s knew. I haven’t spoken to either; I just left.” Now she was starting to get angry and that’s what KyuJong wanted. He wanted to her to put a voice to her feelings.

- “You’re adopted? Do you know your birth parents?” Ilana looked down trying to hold back tears.

- “They were…in an accident when…I-was-ten.” She couldn’t bring herself to say the word ‘died’.

- “Aww, I’m sorry to hear about Ilana-ssi's loss. That must have been so hard on you.” With that, the spell was broken Ilana’s walls came back up.

- “Dr. KyuJong, I’m very tired; I’ll just go back to my room now.  Thank you for everything.”

- “Shoot, I lost her,” KyuJong thought.

- “Cinderella! What happened?” Just as Ilana was about to stand up, Young Saeng came walking through the door with a small ramen pot. He looked to KyuJong for answers.

- “YoungSaeng Hyeong! Perfect timing! Keep Ilana company while I get a bandage for her hand.”  KyuJong gave him a look that said: “Don’t let her leave!”

- “Ilana-ssi, what happened to your hand?” His brows creased with concern.

- “I just banged it on accident;” she spoke very quietly.

KyuJong returned to her side with a bandage, tape, gauze and scissors. "Arraso, let’s get that hand wrapped up so Ilana-ssi can eat."   He only took a minute to wrap her hand, knowing she was in pain.  Not knowing she had a high threshold for pain, he smiled at her bravery. “There, na was as gentle as I could.  I know it hurts; Ilana-ssi doesn’t have to be brave with me. I brought you something for the pain and to reduce the swelling.”

- “I can manage, thank you.  I’d rather not take anything.” She was always wary about taking any type of drug since her incident in the past.

- “It’s only Motrin, it’ll help you rest, and you need it.” His tender smile was disarming and she found that she didn’t have the strength or the will to fight it. YoungSaeng was also looking at her like an eager puppy and she reluctantly gave in.

- “Good, now eat.” Young Saeng eagerly commanded her. The ramen was, in fact, delicious and she ate every last bit to her amazement. The pot had been almost full with noodles, broth, a boiled egg, spinach, chicken, onions and even tofu.  YoungSaeng had thrown in a little bit of everything.

A full stomach and the Motrin began doing their job in relaxing her. Ilana's eyes were closing without her permission.  YoungSaeng chuckled, "Ilana-ssi, should I you to your room?”

- “Anieyo," KyuJong interjected in a low voice. "Let her stay in the infirmary; she’s too exhausted to walk anywhere. The yeoja will end up falling down the stairs and taking Hyeong with her.” KyuJong was teasing her and both men were laughing.  Ilana realized she didn’t really mind. KyuJong escorted her to the infirmary next door.  He and a nurse eased her into one of the beds and that was the last she remembered.

A sharp pain startled Ilana from her sleep and reminded her of her sprained hand. She must have cried out, not realizing it, because a nurse knocked on the door and poked her head in.

- “Hi! I’m Suzy, Doc KyuJong’s assistant? Are you ok? The Motrin must’ve worn off, I’ll get you another.”

- “I’m ok; I must’ve rolled on to it.”

- “Well, you should take another dose anyway. I was just going to wake you up to eat lunch. Doc KyuJong left strict instructions not to let you leave until you eat. After that, you are free to go. You can take the bandage off as long as you don’t overuse your hand.  You’ll want to alternate heat and ice and I have a list of physical therapy exercises for you to do as well. The Motrin will help keep the swelling down; you’ll want to take one before trying the exercises.”

Ilana returned to her room later that afternoon. After having freshened up, she went out to the verandah to enjoy the warm air. According to the itinerary, she brought out with her, they would be at sea for another three days before arriving in Costa Rica. She’d heard it was beautiful, though she’d never been there herself. A knock interrupted her musing. Surprised and a little nervous, she went to open the door.

- “One tea service for our lovely Cinderella.” YoungSaeng immediately pushed forward, not giving her a chance to react.

- “But I didn’t order anything?” She protested.

- “It’s part of the ship service to anticipate the needs of our guests. I’ll stay until Ilana-ssi is done in case you can’t use your hand, arraso?” He had that eager puppy look in his eyes again. Half smiling, she moved out of his way.

YoungSaeng was on his break and sat to keep Ilana company.  “So what does Ilana-ssi do back home?” he asked while they were eating. She didn’t really want to think about home, because then she got sad, and then she wanted to cry and then she’d get angry and make her cry even more. He noticed she looked down at her teacup and deliberately not at him. “Did Na say something wrong? Mianhaeyo.” Ilana shook her head while blinking back her tears.

- “It’s ok, I-I worked for my Father’s company.”

- “Why do you say ‘worked’?” She shrugged her shoulders.

- “I need to do something else now. Stand on my own.”

- “Cinderella doesn’t want to marry the prince?”  Considering the expense of this cabin, she must come from an influential family.  And with that, he thought perhaps an arranged marriage was involved.  Not uncommon in his own country.

- “I-I don’t know what I want.”  She began to get annoyed at herself, feeling the prickling of tears, yet again.  An argument began in her mind.  Why was she telling him all this? “I guess ‘cause I’ll never see him after the cruise is over,” was her conclusion and never admitting to herself that she actually needed someone.

- “You can work for the cruise line and go on adventures with us?”  He offered helpfully.

The thought of dealing with that many people every day made her cringe. She shook her head no.  “I don’t think that’s for me. I’m not a people person.”

- “You’re people person enough for me,” he laughed.  He took this job, wanting something other than being stuck in an office and also the promise of being able to perform in the lounge.  If not, he was as introverted as anyone could get.  This job took him out of his comfort zone.  “I’ll be leaving now.  Get some rest and I’ll see you tomorrow.” He ruffled her hair, bowed to her, and left.

January 6, 2013

Sometime the next morning, Ilana woke to knocking on her door. She tried to ignore it, but it didn’t stop. She wondered if she hadn’t put the ‘Do not Disturb’ sign out. After unsuccessfully trying to tune it out and go back to sleep, she got up to see who was at her door.

- “Good morning Princess!” Hyung-Jun cheerfully greeted her.

- “HyungJun, what are you doing here? What time is it?” Ilana asked trying to get the sleep out of her eyes.

- “Pali Pali! Hurry up and get dressed, you’re going to be my apprentice today.” He was practically jumping from excitement.

- “What do you mean?” Ilana asked still trying to wake up and deal with this confusion.

- “I won’t take no for an answer, eeliwah, come on.”

He gave her no room for protests and dragged her all through the ship, teaching her the workings of the camera and how to take a great picture. They took all sorts of pictures all day long, candid and posed. Ilana was exhausted.

- “I’m tired! Why so many pictures? Everyone has a camera, or their cell phone or tablet have cameras. Don’t they take their own?” Ilana plopped herself down on a nearby chair. Hyun Jun pulled up a chair also and sat facing her.

- “I want to stop the world from spinning; life and vacations from passing us by. I want to capture every moment:  weddings, births, birthdays, and just ordinary days. Don’t you look back at your old pictures and time just stops still? A face tells a thousand stories.” ‘Click’, went the camera as HyunJun snapped her picture while she was staring past him and not paying attention.

What stories did her face tell that she didn’t want told? She didn’t want to stop time; she didn’t want to relive the past; she just wanted to fast forward.  Blinking back tears and not meeting his gaze, she said:  “HyunJun, I’m a bit tired. I think I’ll go back to my room, ok?”

- “Aww, you sure?” She nodded her head and turned to go when he took her hand. “Ilana-ssi, you could’ve missed the pain, but you would’ve had to miss the dance?”

Ilana knew the quote; classical music was more her Mother’s love, while her Father also enjoyed Country Western music.  “I didn’t know you guys had Garth Brooks’ songs in Korea?” Ilana gave a reluctant smile. “HyunJun? I think that’s a chance I’d be willing to take.” She walked away quickly before he could see the tears in her eyes.

January 7, 2013

Kyu-Jong called Ilana’s room the next day.  “Ilana-ssi, why don’t you come by my office and let me see how your hand is doing?” KyuJong had a strong suspicion that Ilana was suffering from depression; though, it didn’t look like she realized it. He spoke with the other two guys and came up with a plan. They would keep Ilana busy so she didn’t have time to think negative thoughts and ‘accidentally’ hurt herself again.

- “Oh, it’s ok. It feels much better, you don’t need to trouble yourself over me.”

- “It’s no problem, it’s my job, remember? You don’t want to get me in trouble do you?” He pouted cutely.

- “N-No…, but…” Ilana was tired. Yesterday had been not only physically, but also emotionally tiring. On her return, she threw herself on the bed, sobbing and hugging her parent’s picture.  YoungSaeng had come by and she ignored the door as well as any phone calls. Staring at her puffy eyes, she knew KyuJong would be worried if he saw them. But for some reason, she didn’t want to be alone with her memories. KyuJong could hear her indecision and responded quickly.

- “Great! See you in a few minutes.” He ended the call.

- “Ohhh! Did I say I’d go?” She whined to herself. After pacing in her room, trying to think of a valid excuse not to go, and not coming up with one, Ilana left her room toward Doc’s office.

Kyu examined Ilana’s hand and was pleased with the progress. Most of the swelling had gone down and almost had full movement of her fingers, without too much pain.

- “You’re hand is healing nicely. It’s about lunchtime, why don’t you join me?” Ilana opened to say she wasn’t hungry, but KyuJong cut her off once again. “Let’s go to the Terrace Grill, it’s really good. I won’t take no for an answer,” he smiled at her knowing she was trying to reject his offer.

- “But, I’m really not that hungry, just enjoy your lunch, I’ll eat later.”

- “Then keep me company. We can walk around the ship later. If I’m needed Suzy will call me;” he hooked his arm around hers and started walking to the restaurant.

KyuJong ordered a hamburger and Ilana just had a salad. Without much of an appetite, she tried to eat a little for KyuJong’s sake or else he’d pout and start scolding her in Korean. She had to admit, he was kind of funny. Actually, the three of them were very silly, but sweet and she actually felt comfortable with them. They kept her mind from wandering where it shouldn’t and made her so tired, she slept solidly without nightmares.

After lunch, they lazily walked around the ship, while Kyu tried to coax more information from her. They were relaxing in a secluded spot in the Atrium when KyuJong received a call from Suzy.  “I have to leave you, thank you for keeping me company today. Tomorrow we will be in Costa Rica; do you plan on going ashore?

- “No… I’m just going to relax in my room. If I need to see land, I’ll sit on the verandah.”

KyuJong knew that HyungJun would be taking her ashore with him tomorrow.  "Enjoy the rest of your day"

Ilana was grateful to return to her room.  Exhausted, she lay down on the bed for a nap. Her room phone rang, just as she was starting to drift off to sleep.  “Yes?” Ilana answered, a little annoyed.

- “Apprentice! Be ready at ten AM, you’ll be helping me take pictures in Costa Rica tomorrow. We will be taking a small group with us.” Hyung–Jun excitedly announced.

- “I’m ddoing what?!”

So, what do you guys think? Will Hyun Jun convince her to go?