A TIME TO LOVE ✔

My Attractive Patient

I opened the door to the examining room and there he sat. He was a small guy, well over 165lbs and 173.6cm in height, yet he had a gentle presence. I looked down at the chart.

"Park Jimin?" I asked.

"That'd be me," he replied. His low voice was pleasant, which immediately put me at ease. I'd been working in this office for only a few weeks and was still uncomfortable, so any time I could feel at ease, I was grateful. I glanced back up and him and smiled.

"Mr. Park, I'm Y/n, a nurse practitioner student working with Soyeon. I hope you don't mind, but Soyeon has asked that I meet with patients first just to go over the basics before she arrives. Is that alright with you?"

"It's only a problem if you keep calling me Mr. Park. My name's Jimin. You're here to discuss my health, which is intimate enough that we should probably be on a first name basis."

I could make out the slight humor in his voice, and I knew from his half-smile that he had no problems with my presence. You'd be surprised how many people do. I liked this guy from the get-go. He had a disarming nature. We chatted about his health-he was in to get a prescription change. Looking back over his charts from the past three months, I noticed he'd shed nearly 10 pounds. I decided to comment on that.

"Well done, Jimin. Are you on a diet?"

He shrugged, sheepishly. "Not really. Just trying to do a little portion control. I try not to eat unless I'm really hungry."

"That's good. What's motivated you to do that?"

"Lots of things. I'm tired of being winded when I play ball with my friends. And I have a son, so I'd like to be able to keep up with him if I can."

I noticed how his eyes sparkled as he talked about his brother. "That's great. So you exercise?"

"Not much. Football or basketball once a week. I go on an occasional hike and I work in my yard. That's about it."

"Well, if you can keep up the portion control and maybe ramp up the frequency of exercise, I'm sure you'll be happy with the results."

"I'm not too sure about that." I glanced back at him to try and read his comment, and he had a nice, big grin on his face. "Won't be as much of me to love."

I laughed at the comment, and then Soyeon burst through the door. She went over his prescription situation, changed his drug and recommended he return in three weeks for a follow up.

"It was nice to meet you, Jimin," I said as I reached out my hand to shake his. His hand swallowed mine in a warm cocoon.

"Nice to meet you, too." I watched him head down the hallway and around the corner before moving to the next patient.

My mind was on Jimin the rest of the day. Gentle Jimin, I kept thinking. I was surprised that he dominated my thoughts. However, there was just something in the way he talked and smiled that radiated goodness. It just made me happy thinking of him. I realized that it's not every day you come across people like that, and whenever you do, you just have to take a moment to mark it.

During the next few weeks I learned a lot about life in a clinic. Not only did it pay off to know your stuff, but it really paid off to be warm and friendly, even if the patient was crotchety. There were more than a few of those. I had mixed feelings as my internship was wrapping up. One Friday morning, exactly a week before I left, I opened the door to find Jimin. He looked up at me and smiled, which of course immediately brought a smile to my lips.

"How are you, Jimin?"

"Just dandy." He replied, jovially.

I settled in the desk next to him and scanned through his chart. "You've lost three more pounds. Good work. Still doing the same routine?"

"Yep. Nothing new."

"Have you increased your exercise?"

"Nope. I know I should, but life has a way of refusing to relinquish control."

I smiled, leaned back in my chair and looked at him. "I know what you mean. Still, it would be great if you could work more exercise into your everyday routine. Maybe you and your wife could take your son for walks in the evening." I noticed a hint of sadness wash across his face. His mouth still showed a smile, but his eyes betrayed him. I was a little surprised, but I had apparently touched a raw nerve. He just shrugged and was silent.

Soyeon strode in and began her portion of the visit. As she did, I allowed myself to visually examine the sweet man in front of me. I was somewhat mad at myself, because whatever I said obviously hurt him. I had only mentioned his son and his wife, so maybe there was something there. I wondered ... He seemed to have brightened up, his small face with both sharp and soft features.He has cheeks that are perfectly chubby with a natural rosiness to it.. I shook my head. Why was I noticing these things? He was attractive, but he was not my type. I was a cheerleader in high school and had dated football players, but they were usually quarterbacks or running backs or the like. This guy was like a lineman. I looked for guys a little more fit and trim. Not only that, but he was a patient. Yet, there was something undeniably attractive about the man. Suddenly I realized that everyone was standing, so I followed. Jimin and I shook hands again, and felt my heart flutter just a little.

"Well, Jimin. I probably won't see you again since my internship is almost over. Keep up the good work and take care."

He smiled his warm smile at me. "You take care, too. And good luck to you."

We parted company and went our separate ways. I wrapped up my internship the next week, and said goodbye to my new friends at the clinic. It wasn't long before Gentle Jimin began to fade from my mind.