This chapter is short compared to the previous ones but it's pretty necessary. Hopefully the facts are right... ok bye
"I found the nurse!" Ryujin barges into the room excitedly, but the crinkle on her forehead indicated how determined she was to not drop the numerous snacks she managed to snag as the nurse follows close behind. She's truly happy right now. In fact, she's never been more hopeful. "I also found a vending machine. Thought you might be hungry."
"As sweet as that is, I regret to inform you that sugary snacks are not something we recommend."
"Really??" Both the nurse and Yeji turn to Ryujin, who apparently dropped every item on the floor, arms dangling to the side with a look of defeat on her face. "They can't be that bad, and besides, I just spent like twenty dollars on that ridiculously priced machine."
"I'm, uh, sorry to hear that, Miss Shin." The nurse smiles apologetically, then turns back to Yeji while Ryujin picks up the mess she made. Her smile fades rather quickly, and she looks concerned. "How are you feeling?"
"My head hurts and my stomach's a bit queasy, but other than that, I'm alright," Yeji confesses honestly. Seriously, other than the stupid aches in her head and upset stomach, she feels pretty normal. In fact, she feels so normal that today only seems like it'll be the shittiest aftereffects she's ever had. That's all there is to it.
"I see. That's most likely due to the combination of a hangover and a mild head injury. There's a chance you'll experience PTA."
"What's PTA?"
"Post-traumatic amnesia. If you're missing memories, feel confused, don't recognize someone, that's sometimes expected after a mild concussion."
"I woke up really confused, and aside from the morning, most of my day yesterday is a blur. Does this mean that's nothing to worry about?"
"That's pretty normal, yes. Also, you were under the influence of alcohol, so there's no telling how much you'll remember anyway. Do you still have any chest pain?"
"Not at the moment." She tilts her head a little, recalls Ryujin mentioning she likely had a heart attack, meaning it's probably tied to that. "Did I have chest pain before?"
"Your partner informed us that you had some discomfort in your neck and claimed your chest was hurting. She said you would clench your shirt right here." The nurse mimics Ryujin's actions from several hours ago. "Because you were drinking, it wouldn't have been that hard to believe it was a heart attack. It doesn't happen too often, but if it's a heavy session, it's possible."
Yeji's eyes widen a bit. She's still trying to grasp the fact that she has no memory of this whatsoever. Trying to think about it makes her head hurt even more.
"Are there any, uhm... " She sighs. A part of her wants to hear the answer, yet another part of her opposes that desire. Still, she doubts she can avoid it forever. She thinks she'd rather know and rip that bandaid off now, get it over with before the anticipation eats her alive. "Are there any consequences for my carelessness?"
"Ah, it seems we're on the same page. The answer to your question is precisely why I had Miss Shin inform me of when you've woken up."
Curiously, Ryujin's ears perk up. Of course she's been paying attention, but she's even more attentive now that the topic of conversation has transitioned into something more serious.
"Wh- what can you tell me?" Yeji tries to ask that with conviction, but she knows she failed, can't hear the confidence in her tone herself. Her hands are trembling a little. She's afraid of knowing, has no idea what to do with the knowledge if it turns out to be comprised of unbearable information that's truly terrifying.
"You woke up roughly twenty-five minutes after you fainted, but you were extremely groggy and in a dazed state. After a little while, you were conscious and aware enough to run some tests, just really forgetful. We ran a neurological exam, among a couple others. Afterward, it was clear you were tired, too. At first, that was worrisome, but the doctor factored in the possibility of you lacking sleep recently, something the faint circles around your eyes and your partner confirmed was most likely true."
The lady takes a seat on the stool beside her, close to the bed but certainly a further distance compared to how close Ryujin's is. At her words, Yeji nods to confirm their suspicions. It was true that she wasn't getting enough rest. Her desire to stay distracted during any free time either led to late nights of practicing both routines for the showcase or late nights filled with her thinking to herself in the annoying silence of her home. This past week in particular was the worst, even if she did have hope Ryujin would talk to her.
The memories of all that happened, not to mention that she's aware she's missing some of those said memories, doesn't ease her worries. Due to how obvious the shaking of her hand had become, the blonde beside her notices the anxious behavior immediately. She expected it from Yeji, knows that she herself is just as nervous. Hand in hand, her thumb rubs the backside of her girlfriend's, eyes still fixed on the nurse who has flipped to a page attached to her clipboard.
Yeji appreciates the gesture. It's soothing to know she has not just anyone but rather Ryujin, her love, by her side. She won't lie and claim her anxieties are gone, but knowing Ryujin is right there with her calms her nerves a bit.
"Because of this, the last few tests your doctor wanted to run had to wait. Also, I should mention that an older man came by to see you. He told us he was your father. It seemed sketchy at first, but because you're quite the celebrity, it was easy to confirm his identity and relation to you."
"Mr. Park was here??" Ryujin asks in disbelief, voice incredibly firm. She sounds angry, which is concerning to Yeji, but she brushes it off for now, wonders how the despicable man was informed. She does make note of her stepfather's name and a little message on a sticky note attached to the back of the clipboard in the woman's hands. It's a little unsettling.
"He was, which was fortunate. He informed us he wasn't blood-related to you, but he had information regarding your mother's health."
Yeji's hand unintentionally clutches Ryujin's at the mention of her mother, and although Ryujin doesn't yet feel comfortable with the topic of conversation, she gives her co-star's hand a gentle but secure squeeze back to let the redhead know she's still here by her side.
"He told us she drank alcohol often, which sparked many concerns. There were possibilities of you having heart-related issues that were genetic."
"Issues, you said?"
"Yes." The woman nods responsively. "There's something called dilated cardiomyopathy, or you might know it better as DCM."
"I've never heard of it, actually."
"It's pretty common. The main concern for this specific illness was because it can be caused by different things. For example, heredity and alcohol."
The cat-eyed woman gulps, eyes tinged with worry. This doesn't sound like it'll lead to something she wants to hear. At this moment, she wants to shut the world out, refuse to listen anymore. She'd rather not know and curl up in her girlfriend's embrace, hide there for as long as she can. She prefers to let whatever it is happen without her knowledge and leave it to chance.
However, that doesn't seem to be an option because the blonde beside her is quick to ask a question she's been wanting to ask ever since the woman mentioned the tests.
"The tests, what were the results?"
"While Miss Hwang was temporarily awake, we were only able to run some blood tests and perform an MRI after the neurological exam. The good news is nothing appeared to be abnormal, and there's no internal bleeding up here." The nurse points at her head, presumably the area Yeji hit against the concrete of her driveway.
"Is there bad news?"
"That I can't say. We have yet to run any heart-related exams, a couple of which we need you awake for."
"And that's when you'll know if she has DCM?"
"You could say that, yes."
"So I have to wait a while?" Yeji implores. Minutes ago, she was frightened. Now, she's eager.
"Mhm. Of course, I'll let you know as soon as we're ready to do the tests."
"Okay." She bows her head, imagines this is where the anticipation is going to kick in and make her lose her mind. Nonetheless, not only does Ryujin notice the sad behavior. The nurse does as well.
"Would you like to hear my opinion?"
"Your opinion?" She asks, a hint of curiosity in her tone.
The nurse nods. "I'm no expert, but I'm already a few years into my studies, and cardiology is my focal point. That said, you're a dancer, are you not?"
"I am."
"Would I be wrong to assume you've been dancing since a young age?"
"Not at all."
"With that knowledge, have you ever had to visit the doctor because of any difficulty breathing, abnormal heart rhythms, or any dizziness and fainting after those symptoms?"
Ryujin watches the latter's expression closely. If there were any occasions related to such, she hasn't been informed about it within the past several months, equivalent to over half a year. They've had deep talks during their days together, and no possible medical conditions were ever mentioned. Before then, she and Yeji weren't close, too consumed by their rivalry to ever discuss things like that.
Nonetheless, she's certain she'd notice her girlfriend ever being lightheaded or dizzy or struggling to breathe while exerting herself in any physical activity, especially when they're dancing together.
Yeji mulls it over and thinks back. It's a lot to do with the amount of pain her head is in, which is frustrating, but she doesn't ever recall going through anything like the woman has described. It's almost reassuring, in a sense. "I don't think so, no."
"I can't guarantee it one-hundred percent, but I highly doubt you've obtained DCM through any hereditary means. In fact, I don't think you have it at all. I'm positive the doctor is only being cautious and doing his job thoroughly. Even if you're a regular drinker, one hefty drinking session surely won't be enough to spark up a disease like alcoholic cardiomyopathy. You're so young. I don't imagine you've been a heavy drinker for long, correct?"
"Not necessarily. Only for a little over the past year. Before that, I drank much less, or rather, I didn't really have the time to with my schedule and all."
The nurse nods, smiles, and Ryujin catches sight of that action quickly. With everything that's been said, she can't help but feel like she wants to smile herself. "And this is good news, right? She doesn't have it?"
"Like I said, I'm no expert. This is just my opinion. I don't want to give you any false hope, but I'm relatively confident in my studies. I can't give you my word, but I think you should rest well. The chances of you having it are improbable. You shouldn't worry."
"Thank you, Miss, uh... " Yeji smiles, tears nearly falling, but she realizes she hasn't learned the kind woman's name. "I don't think I caught your name."
The nurse's eyes widen, acknowledges that she doesn't have her name tag clipped to her shirt, nor did she introduce herself. "Oh! How unprofessional of me. My name's Park Jihyo. And formalities aren't necessary. You can just call me Jihyo."
"In that case, thank you, Miss Jihyo. You didn't have to console me, but I'm grateful. I trust your opinion."
"Anytime. Although, if I ever see you here again after this visit, I hope it's nothing serious. Please take care of yourself. It's been a pleasure to meet you." She stands up, walks to the door, then stops to let them know she'll be back in due time. "I'll see the both of you later. For now, don't stress yourself out— "
"Wait!"
Similarly to earlier, the latter two shift their gaze toward Ryujin, confused with why she shouted all of a sudden. The blonde quickly gathers all of the snacks she bought from the vending machine. She wasn't sure what her girlfriend would want more, so she picked out anything she's seen the redhead eat in the past. Now within arm's distance of the nurse, brows raised, she looks up to her with pleading eyes.
"Please tell me at least one of these is okay for her to eat??"
Yeji chuckles at her lover's behavior, is about to mumble something to get the young Shin to let the lady go so she can continue her shift in peace without being bothered. However, the nurse opened her mouth to respond before Yeji had a chance to intervene.
"This fiber bar isn't too bad. But only this one, okay?"
"Yes, ma'am!" Ryujin bows hurriedly, nearly drops everything again, yet somehow manages not to. She runs over to Yeji while the nurse steps out and shuts the door, then lets every option fall aside from the one that's been approved. She sits next to her co-star, opens the wrapper, and holds it up to the older woman's face. "Eat this."
Yeji giggles, although Ryujin is clearly serious about her, uhm, demand. She finds it cute, can't resist laughing at the urgency and determination in her expression. "What if I'm not hungry?"
"Doesn't matter. Eat"
"Will you cuddle me if I do?"
"I'll consider it."
She pouts. "Why won't you guarantee it?"
"Because you're avoiding eating the snack." The blonde huffs, suspiciously narrows her eyes and leans closer. "Are you brain-damaged?"
"Uh, no...?"
"My Yeddeong would never deny a free snack."
"Is that so?" Yeji laughs again, loves the way Ryujin referred to her, and that's ultimately why she takes a bite of the snack. The way her lover's eyes light up is undoubtedly what motivates her to finish it off despite the lack of appetite she has, loving the presence of those whisker dimples she adores so much. "Are you satisfied now?"
"The real question is are you satisfied?" Ryujin gently pokes Yeji's clothed belly, stares at the area like she's waiting to hear her stomach growl or something. "Was that enough, or should I go get another?"
"I have a feeling that if I let you leave this room you'll come back with more than one."
"That's probably true."
Smiling, Yeji scoots over, motions for the other to sit next to her, and Ryujin complies without hesitation. Honestly, she was only teasing earlier. She would've cuddled her girlfriend regardless.
"So, when did you get these two?" The cat-eyed girl questions, points to both plushies resting on the seat of the sofa.
"Special delivery by Monday, actually. She wanted to see you, but visiting hours prevented her from staying. They only let me stay because I was with you from the start, but she said she'll be here later."
"Sounds like her." Her tender smile grows wider for a few seconds as she can already picture how Monday will react tomorrow. It's something she looks forward to. Still, another individual comes to mind, someone she's not exactly okay with right now. "Did... was someone else with her?"
Ryujin pauses for a moment, letting the question linger in her mind, but it doesn't take long for her to catch on considering there were only two other people who tagged along with Monday. "Yeonjun came, but San was with her too. He said he had a gut feeling something was wrong. He wants to talk, and since it seems you want to, how about I arrange that for you one of these days?"
Yeji nods eagerly, can't envision what it would've been like to have died while being on bad terms with her brother.
"I'll talk to him. Just let me handle it." Ryujin puts her arm around Yeji, and in turn, the redhead comfortably leans her head on Ryujin's shoulder. She sighs, closes her eyes, wishes she was at home and in her bed so they could cuddle properly, but this would have to suffice. Ryujin's lips press a kiss to the latter's forehead, then she rests her chin on the top of Yeji's head. "You can sleep some more if you're still tired."
"That depends on what time it is."
"Well, the sun is starting to rise. It's probably close to seven."
"Do you know when visiting hours start?"
"At eight."
"Then I don't want to sleep." She snuggles her head closer, repositions her face so her nose presses against Ryujin's neck. Her scent is soothing, relaxing, eases her nerves, something Yeji needs right now because while her eyes are still closed, her brain is busy recalling the sticky note she noticed on the back of the nurse's clipboard earlier.
"Why not?"
"He's coming again, and he's the type to show up as early as he can to get his point across."
"Wait, what? Who's coming??"
"My stepdad."
Ryujin turns her head. She doesn't mean to forcefully brush Yeji off her shoulder, but there's a building fire inside her chest, and her left fist unknowingly clenches. "How do you know?"
"He must've asked Miss Jihyo to tell me ahead of time. There was a note on her clipboard."
"Then I'll tell her that he's not a welcome visitor— "
"No."
"No??"
"Yeah. Let him come."
Ryujin recalls the last time Yeji and her father had a conversation. Honestly, the thought of him and Yeji being in the same room didn't seem like a wise one. "Yeddeong, I don't know if that's a good idea. He's too manipulative. I don't trust him alone with you."
"I'm not asking you to trust him." Yeji stares into Ryujin's eyes, can see every trace of fear and anger and doubt. She doesn't like it, but it's not enough to change her mind. Nothing is. She doesn't just want to talk to him. She needs to. There's something she wants to point out. "But can you trust me?"
"Yeji— "
"Please?"
This evidently doesn't sit well, but she knows it's really not up to her. Sure, she could still say no, and sure, she believes Yeji will back down from it if she asks her to, but Ryujin doesn't fight it any further. Yeji asked her to trust her, and that's exactly what she'll do, even if she doesn't trust Mr. Park. All that's left to do is wait for him to show up.
Ryujin won't lie and say she didn't hope the nurse would return and steal Yeji away to go run a test or two because she did. In fact, she grew fond of the possibility of being able to talk to the man first, not that she knew what to say yet.
Nonetheless, that's not how things happened. Actually, events turned out quite different than the couple thought they would've.
Sooooooo..... how are we feeling?