Trouble with the Curve

Chapter Two | From One Hell to Another

Secretary Jin's reedy voice fills my ears and grates on my nerves as he continues to elaborate on why exactly my father wanted me at the board meeting.

"Secretary Jin, my shift is over at 4. I will leave for Headquarters at 4:15 to be at the meeting. I may be a little late, but—"

"I'll send a driver and a change of clothes that would be appropriate for the meeting. Wearing scrubs in front of investors is not necessarily appropriate or—"

"Secretary Jin, I know my father loves you for some reason, but you realize that if you continue to treat me like this, I will have no desire to keep you on staff when he forces me to take over the business?"

It was a threat I made at least once a month and it always worked for a single day before his nosy, busybody ways took over and he was unafraid to nag me like a second father.

An unwanted second father.

"Miss Lee, you should know," Secretary Jin says softly, "The heir to the Sam Corporation conglomerate will be attending to discuss your upcoming nuptials."

The realization that I would finally be meeting my future husband hits me and I grimace at the thought of meeting him in front a room full of businessmen who see us as a walking merger.

You made the decision to accept the merger, don't forget that part of it. Besides, he can't be as bad as Roh Bong I guess.

"Thank you for the warning; I'll be there."

I end the call and look out the hospital window and into the courtyard below. The people are the size of ants from my spot on the top floor of the hospital and at that moment I can't help but relate to the feeling of a bug about to be squashed by something much larger than itself.

***

The day was draining. I had specifically requested a transfer to the Oncology department. It was one of those places that seemed to scare medical professionals, the reality of death and the uncertainty of healing seemed to scare most people away, but the sterile halls and hopeful faces of patients fighting their own fight was familiar, so the transfer seemed to be a good fit.

Plus you're off nights...

While the transfer was the right thing for me, there were days like today where I wanted to run and hide away from the world. The inevitability of death didn't escape anyone, myself included, but sometimes death came a bit too soon. And today was one of those days as I comforted the mother of Bu Taeyang, a sweet little boy who no longer could fight his fight. He and his mother had made the choice to sign a 'Do Not Resuscitate' order the previous week, declaring that he was tired and in pain and was ready to join his father in heaven.

Watching a child no older than 10 make such a firm decision and the after effects of his mother witnessing her child die in front of her, it would take the life out of anyone. Even someone as cold and heartless as me.

After comforting his mother, my attention was on San Mirae. She was in the room next to Bu Taeyang when it happened and she was fighting her own battle with leukemia, an increasingly rare form that was difficult to manage.

I had managed to keep myself together for the sake of my adopted niece San Mirae, but she was sleeping peacefully now and the emotion clogging the back of my throat was overwhelming me. Drowning me. After letting my coworkers know I was taking a short break, I find myself wandering the halls of the hospital until I am in a familiar space. I exit into the stairway and go between the floors and squat on the landing, letting the pain of losing my first patient since transferring to the Oncology Department overwhelm me.