“And then she ing laughed at my face,” ears turning red as he grunted in fury. Jaejoong tried to stifle his giggles hard, his face creasing everywhere. Changmin is definitely the funniest when he’s mad. This kind of moment, he just wished he could tackle the younger with tickles while laughing his life out.

“GUYS!”

A satisfied grin spread across the elder’s face.

“Now you know how it feels to be dumped by someone,” Yoochun chimed in as he placed their drinks on the table. Same things all over again yet they never got tired of it.

Yoochun made used his entrepreneur skills to open his own café just a few blocks away from their apartment while Changmin settled on being a chemical engineer for a well-known oil company. Jaejoong on the other hand stuck with the hospital long hours. They rarely had time for each other but the weekend hangout in the fourth week of the month some way turned out to be one of their rituals.

That weekend, Changmin blabbered on his latest conquest which was probably the third one for that month. It was a fact everyone knew, the youngest one was no up for commitment. To him, his job was his life and parties were his playground with girls as the recreational equipment.

“Thanks,” he was still frowning, sipping on his latte. “This tastes different.”

“Do you like it?” Yoochun wiggled his brows, taking the vacant seat near the big window.

Changmin was not quite sure if he knew what the other means but he nodded anyway, thinking it was about the drink. Yoochun grinned just a little, and Changmin didn’t see what so funny about it until—

“I never know you like getting dumped.”

It had always been like this. They would chatter for hours about the most nonsensical things, yet still laughing at the lamest jokes ever. They knew each other so well, as if they’ve met in the previous life.

Jaejoong’s phone rang abruptly, making him jolted in his seat and he briskly answering it after muttering apology.

““Yes, Kim Jaejoong speaking.”

“Dr Kim, I’m sorry for disturbing you but I was told to call you if anything happened with Miss Haeri—”

“I’ll be right there,” Jaejoong stated, voice remained steady though his qualms grew much more. He hung up, standing up straightening his jacket and put the phone back inside his pocket. Eyes were on him, and he gave them a tight smile whilst saying, “Duty call,” in a sad tone.

- - -

“What’s the situation?”

Walking next to him was a nurse holding a turquoise clipboard along with a black pen. They were heading to the cardiology floor. His latest patient in care went by the name Cho Haeri. Found unconscious in the hotel’s bathroom by housekeeping, hand still grasping tightly on a syringe. She almost died due to heroin overdose. If they didn’t rush her to the hospital, Jaejoong was not sure if she could continue living.

“Heavy sweating. Her heartbeat and blood pressure went up profusely,” the nurse informed, cheeks flushed with all the running.

07-11 carved on the door. Jaejoong rolled up his sleeves as both of them entered Haeri’s ward. He gazed at her sleeping figure. As he strode closer to the hospital cot, her brown locks fell across her face and Jaejoong brushed it off, revealing her oval shaped face. Watching her chest rising and falling with each intake of air, the body totally in peace.

Jaejoong searched for any bruises on her hand, afraid she had hurt herself beforehand. She was admitted almost four days yet she hadn’t open up to him. There were too many walls to break through. He was afraid by the time he got in, she had fallen too deep for him to be saved.

“How much did it take to put her to sleep?”

“We had to double the dosage.”

“Stop the naloxone for a while. Monitor her closely,” he requested once done checking her heartbeat, stethoscope hung back in place. “Any progress, please tell me immediately,” Jaejoong added. The nurse scribbled it across the clipboard.

“Is that all, Dr Kim?”

Is that all?

“Tell the nurses in charge of bathing her to check for any bruises on her body. Put sharp tools away. Check her regularly,” Jaejoong ordered. The nurse nodded and jotted it straightaway. Just a typical procedure. Self-harm mostly done uncalled. Better late than never.

“Leave the clipboard for me. That’s all. You may dismiss.”

Soon after her ‘thank you’, the door creaked silently, leaving Jaejoong alone with his patient. Cho Haeri. Dad a politician, while mum a designer. She was the only child. According to her profile, she was admitted here for several different cases before. For someone who’s born with a silver spoon in , she had a haunting childhood. Life couldn’t be more devastated.

Easy was not exactly a word to describe her. She might be as hard as brick on the outside, but her insides were fragile as glass. Once break, considered shattered. Living a dejected life, it was long ago when she crushed into pieces. Jaejoong wondered…. how did she survive after all this time?

- - -

“Hi, I received a call about Cho Haeri around yesterday. Is she still here?”

“Please wait for a moment, sir,” the nurse replied, hands fast typing, searching for memos left on the said patient name. “Are you by any chance, Mr. Jung?”

“Yes.”

“Her room is on level 7, room 7-11. Her doctor would like to see you afterwards,” she informed while handing him a visitor pass.

- - -

They were discussing on a certain illness when someone knocked the door.

“Yes?”

“I’m sorry for interrupting both of you. I’m here to inform that Miss Cho’s kin is here, Dr. Kim.”

“Thanks. I’ll be right there in a moment.”

Jaejoong sent a pitied look to his colleague. It was hard for them to see each other due to busy schedule, and this discussion had been prolong for a quite a while already. Their final project was important, but for now, his patient’s well-being came first.

“I’m sorry, but I really need to go. Maybe you can stop by my apartment tonight after work. Dinner’s on me and we can continue where we left off,” the lad promised while pulling on his white coat.

“See you tonight,” Taeyeon shrugged him off, getting up to leave the room.

- - -

A tall man was sitting outside the room 07-11, face-palming his face which was obvious of tears streak when Jaejoong was walking down the hallway. He fastened his stride, wondering if it was Cho Haeri’s kin. From a far, the figure seemed familiar.

Once he scrunched next to the said man, he finally realised it was his Friday’s night date.

Eyes widened, “Yunho?” He called out the latter.

Somehow, a moments later, stopping by the toilet so that Yunho could wash his tears away, and eventually, both of them sitting at the rooftop, breathing the fresh air. We sat across each other in stony silence for about ten minutes.

Finally, Jaejoong said, “I have two nurses checked in on her, along with endless round of doctors. One from the cardio department while another one from my department.”

“At first, we’re giving her naloxone to reverse the effects of heroin. She responded quite well to be honest. For almost three days, there weren’t any withdrawal symptoms, until yesterday. She had her first relapse yesterday, which why we tried contacting her next of kin, but you’re the only one who answered the call,” Jaejoong explained. The latter hadn’t say a word to him, which worried him.

They just sat in the empty silence, each lost in their own thoughts, and it reminded Jaejoong of other situations he encountered before, how hard was it to express news like this, to patient’s families. One would collapse, and break down at that moment, some would be enraged, and Yunho was indifferent. He was the quiet one, making Jaejoong feeling much guiltier.

The medical resident reached for the latter’s hand, Yunho’s fingers were warm against his. “I don’t know what’s your relation with her, but whatever it is, I understand how important she is to you, just like how important you are to her,” he paused, “She needs you. You’re much stronger than this.”

Jaejoong wasn’t the type who’s usually emotionally involved with his patients. Pulling him into dilemma of haunting past, Cho Haeri’s case hit him hard. It was a battle between him and time. Much more, now that he realised her kin is Yunho, how could he maintain the disclosed matter out of Yunho’s knowledge.

Yunho nodded his head in response, “What can I do to help?” His voice was rough and husky.

“There isn’t much to do. You can talk to her daily, nothing exclusive, just be there for her. I’m sure it means a lot to her since she had been calling out your name in her sleep,” Jaejoong advised.

Haeri longed for warm love and tender care. Though as much as they can cater, it was insufficient, it wasn’t the same one she’s searching for.

“Come,” Jaejoong pulled him up, “Let’s stuff your tummy with good food. This time, I’m paying.” His lips curved into a deep smile, displaying his dimple.

- - -

A/N: overdue update tbh