The Fib - In Betweens

Fright

Kim Sabu paced back and forth in his office, his mind racing with worry. He had just received a call from one of the nurses' in the lying-in, informing him about his wife's condition. He had no idea why his wife didn't message him directly. It couldn't be that bad, could it? He was just waiting for Director Park to confirm he'd be able to cover for him–he was supposed to operate on a patient, but he was of two minds, worried about his wife.

When he finally received Director Park's go signal, he didn't waste any moment; he grabbed his coat and rushed out of Doldam, determined to find his wife.

Meanwhile, Oh Myungsim sat in the lying-in's waiting room, her hands trembling as she clutched onto her purse. She tried her best to remain calm, but anxiety washed over her in waves.

In a moment of pure panic, she had forgotten to message her husband and instead went straight to the lying in. She also forgot to bring her phone with her. She didn't think she'd be this nervous over anything, but seeing those spots of blood on her underwear rattled her immensely. She was not a young mother and so all sorts of scenarios plagued her as she immediately jumped into conclusion that something must be terribly wrong with her baby.

When she reached the lying-in, she finally thought of informing her husband. Since she didn't have her phone with her, she asked the nurse in the reception area to please get in touch with Kim Sabu in Doldam Hospital.

As she was waiting for her doctor, her eyes scanned the small waiting area, which also served as the emergency room. It was really small compared to the emergency bay of Doldam. She was seated on one of the two available beds. On the other side of the room, there were five empty chairs that lined the wall.

Suddenly, she spotted Yongju hurrying through the lying-in doors, his eyes scanning the area until they locked onto hers. Yongju rushed towards her, his steps quick and purposeful.

"Yeobo! Thank goodness you're okay. What happened? Are you alright?!" His voice was laced with worry as his eyes scanned her form from head to toe.

Myungsim's voice quivered as she explained, her worry mirrored in her eyes. "I–I found some spots of blood on my underwear. I got scared, so I rushed here–sorry I forgot to call you. I even forgot to bring my phone with me." The nurse explained.

Boo Yongju took a deep breath, his hand gently squeezing Myungsim's as he tried to reassure her. He could feel how cold her hands were. They both didn't like overt displays of affection while in public but Yongju couldn't help but pull his wife towards him as he gently rubbed her back.

"You did the right thing," he mumbled and planted a soft kiss on Myungsim's head. "I'm glad you went here right away, but let's not jump to conclusions just yet. We'll get you checked and everything will be okay."

They were finally called into the examination room where Myungsim's OB-GYN, Dr. Cho Seo-yoon, performed a thorough examination. Boo Yongju stood by Myungsim's side, holding her hand tightly, his worry etched on his face. He might be a triple board surgeon but he was also smart enough to let the experts do their thing. Obstetrics and gynecology wasn't all foreign to him, but his knowledge was limited, so he let Dr. Cho examine his wife, listening intently to everything the soft spoken doctor discussed.

"Based on the examination, it appears to be a minor complication, most likely from stress. There's no immediate cause for alarm, but we'll keep a close eye on you and the baby." Dr. Cho reassured them and offered a small smile to the couple.

Oh Myungsim let out a sigh of relief, her tension slowly easing.

"Gomawo, Cho sunsangnim. What can I do to ensure the well-being of the baby?"

The OB-GYN smiled reassuringly as she removed her gloves.

"First and foremost, you need to take it easy. Avoid any strenuous activities and get plenty of rest. I think it's about time you also consider not scrubbing in on surgeries," Dr. Cho smiled apologetically and looked at both Myungsim and Kim Sabu. She knew who Kim Sabu was and Oh Myungsim even before the nurse was her patient.

"I don't want you standing for long hours. You can still assist if it's a short surgery–say, an hour-long surgery–but I doubt there are many cases like that in Doldam." The doctor chuckled. "We'll monitor you closely and provide further instructions, but for now, I suggest you take a day off and stay in bed. And don't hesitate to reach out if anything changes."

The couple nodded solemnly, ready to follow to a tee everything the doctor said.

----------------

As they left the lying-in, Boo Yongju wrapped his arm around Oh Myungsim, pulling her close.

"I'm so glad it's nothing serious. I was so worried. We'll take all the necessary precautions and make sure you both stay healthy." Boo Yongju consoled his wife. "I'll talk to Director Park, too. Mianhae yeobo, but I'm banning you from the OR...and ER–"

"Omo–why ER?!" Oh Myungsim exclaimed, pulling away from her husband's embrace, disbelief and annoyance written on her face.

"Because the ER is really busy too! And we never know what type of patients we're getting–what if they have measles or chickenpox or some other communicable disease–do you really want to risk it?"

Myungsim didn't respond but looked at him with daggers in her eyes. She knew he made perfect sense but his suggestions were still quite an adjustment on her part.

"Tell me if you want me to resign now–" Myungsim hissed indignantly, her hormones taking over the rational part of her brain. She knew her husband was right. It was just not easy to accept that so many things in her life were changing so fast. She was finding it hard to adjust to everything all at once.

"Ya.." Boo Yongju softly called, understanding of the frustration his wife must be feeling at that moment. "You can handle the ICU–it's not too heavy–and you have enough staff." He tried to bargain and reassure Myungsim as he gently pulled her in again for an embrace.

Oh Myungsim knew her husband was on point, but she still couldn't help the tears that sprung in her eyes. She immediately blamed her hormones for making her too emotional and sensitive these days. Sighing, she leaned into Yongju, trying to find solace in his embrace.

The nurse clucked her tongue in annoyance but also surrendered. "You're right," she sighed. "Thank you for being there for me, yeobo. I couldn't ask for a better partner in this," she mumbled. "I promise to take it easy from now on and focus on keeping this little one safe."

Kim Sabu smiled, his love for the nurse shining brightly in his eyes.

"Gomawo. I know you're going through a lot–but I also couldn't imagine anyone else as my wife and the mother of my child," he muttered as he placed a gentle kiss on Myungsim's forehead. "We'll navigate through this together–I'm not going anywhere."

Myungsim nodded, savoring the moment. As they waited for the taxi to take them home, their hearts were filled with hope and determination. They knew that no matter the challenges they faced navigating the new journey of their life, their love and support for one another would always guide them through.

fin.