Remember My Name

8 - Dominant Allele

"Dr. Hyun, I know you're busy as well.." Dr. Son softly said. It surprised her too how steady her voice was, considering all she wanted to do right now is to hug him.

"No.." He replied simply. "I'm not busy."

Instantly, a resident came running into them. He was breathless as he said, "Dr. Son, we need you in the NICU (Newborn Intensive Care Unit)! A preemie just coded!"

Yejin just looked at Bin helplessly.

"Go," he said. "I got her."

Ae-Rin only waved as her mother ran to another child once again.

Bin stared at Ae-Rin, still frozen, until Ae-Rin's voice woke him from his thoughts.

He looked at the small hand tugging on his jacket before hearing that precious voice once again, "I'm hungry, Ahjussi."

-

Bin was a nervous wreck when they got to the restaurant. He was more nervous now than when he operated on the Chief of Surgery's wife and she coded on him.

They sat across each other, and Ae-Rin happily swayed her feet on the chair that was obviously too high for her. She held the menu, too big that it was covering her whole face.

"What do you want to eat, Ae-Rin?" Bin nervously asked. It was his first time alone with his daughter. He didn't want to mess this up, but at the same time he was legit clueless on what to do.

What if Ae-Rin doesn't like him?

What if Ae-Rin asks her mom not to leave her with this crazy ahjussi again?

"Hmmm.. Can I order anything I want, ahjussi?"

"Yes, Ae-Rin. Just order anything you like."

"I want the chicken..spaghetti.. and shake.." Ae-Rin looked at him shyly, "is it okay, Ahjussi?"

Bin just smiled at his daughter. He was actually glad that she has a big appetite. "Of course, Ae-Rin! Is that all?"

Ae-Rin just gave him a silly smile, and Bin laughed at the sight. He immediately knew his daughter wanted to say something.

"Fries too..." She whispered, with her two little hands slightly covering her mouth.

"I'm sorry I didn't quite hear that, what did you say, Ae-Rin?" Bin asked.

"Can I have fries too?" Ae-Rin beamed her smile at her father, and in that moment Bin was ready to buy her all the potatoes in the world.

"Okay. Oh, and what flavor is your shake, Ae-Rin?"

"Banana, Ahjussi."

Bin relayed all their orders to the waiter and they sat in silence. Bin didn't know what to say, but Ae-Rin broke the silence.

"Ahjussi. I'm sorry I ordered too many."

"It's okay, Ae-Rin. You can eat everything you want." Ae-Rin just smiled at him and took out the dolls from her bag. She laid all the dolls on the table, and she grabbed the one that Bin got her to play with it.

"Do you like my gift, Ae-Rin?"

"Yes, ahjussi!!!! It's my favorite!" Bin's heart just dropped to the floor. He was speechless for a moment, but Ae-Rin was a cheerful little girl, and she kept telling him stories about her sweet nothings.

But for Bin her sweet nothings were worth everything.

"I keep asking Eomma to buy me this, because my friend in the day care has one. And ahjussi, her doll has blue hair and she cut it off! I will tell her when I see her again that I now have the mermaid with red hair!"