Lisa dragged her food tray to the cashier lazily. The queue was pretty long since it was lunch time, a lot of employees are having meal here. She purposefully ate at this cafeteria at the hospital basement to avoid certain people. She wasn't a spiteful person, more over to her own best friends. She just needed time with herself to heal. What Yuri said to her was really hurtful though she knew she never meant it that way.
Deep in her soul, she understood their concern. They weren't just some people, they were her best friend, family, her persons. She hadn't asked Jennie what they did at the night she was drunk. They came, and then what?
She sighed as she caressed her brows.
"6,500 won, doc." The cashier informed her bill. Lisa took out her wallet from her lab coat pocket and gave him the amount of the charge.
"Thanks," Lisa mumbled as she picked up the tray looking for empty seat. All of it was occupied, the only one left was near the trashcan. She sighed heavily but moved her limps anyway. She didn't have much time to wait for another table to finish.
She put the tray then sat. She was side-eyeing the almost full trashcan. She nearly lost her appetite if she didn't remember she had surgery and she needed all the energy she can get. Besides, the smell wasn't that bad. She had eaten at the morgue full of dead body and formalin before. She shrugged off the horrible memory otherwise she'd leave her food to puke.
Lisa stick the straw to the juice carton box and slurped the liquid. She started eating. The buzzing around didn't bother her. She was concentrating to finish her food rapidly so she didn't aware of a pair of feet walking closer to her.
"May I sit here?" A familiar voice politely asked her permission.
Lisa looked up only to choke on her chicken.
"Unnie!" the newcomer quickly helped her patted her back. "Oh god! Do I have to perform Heimlich maneuver?"
"No!" Lisa coughed more before she could breathe properly. "No, Sana. Do not do that to me." Lisa caressed her chest then grinned. She stood up as she pulled her dongsaeng into a tight hug. "Welcome home, Sana! Why don't you tell me you're back?"
"Well, I'm hoping to meet you in person rather than to call you." She hugged her back. "It's already been a week, I haven't got the chance to really seek you in this big- big hospital. You know, paperwork, welcoming party and stuff." The younger exaggerated.
"Yeah, yeah. Congratulations by the way. Endocrine, huh? That's pretty cool." Lisa smiled proudly.
"Thanks, unnie. I mean fiiuuh," she pretended to wiped her non-exists sweat. "I thought I'd be dead before I'm done with the fellowship. My supervisor is no joke, unnie."
"Hardcore American people, that's just how they do. Don't think about it too much. Now you're done, you're our ob-gyn attending now."
"Yes, finally." Sana sighed happily. "Why are you sitting here anyway?"
"No other seat." Lisa replied.
"You usually have lunch upstairs," Sana commented as she chewed her food.
"Don't feel like it."
"Or you fight with the unnies?" She said nonchalantly.
"They told you?!" Lisa frowned.
Sana only shrugged.
"They told you!" She said as a matter of fact.
"They don't. I was just kidding then you said that, than it means you guys are totally not in a good term."
Lisa just shut her mouth.
"What happen, Lisa unnie?"
"Sana, you just got home. I don't want to trouble you with something unimportant. It is not a big deal, we argue all the time. This is how we are." Lisa explained.
"I'll dig the other unnie then," Sana shrugged again.
Lisa could only sigh.
*****
"Okay, now that we are all here. Lets talk about this." Sana turned to her unnies after she secured them on call room. She crossed her arms with disapproving look in her face since no one had the gut to say anything.
"Seriously?!" She yelled frustrated. "You guys are older than me, don't be such a kid. Lisa unnie?"
"I have nothing to say." She shrugged with hard expression.
"Seulgi unnie? I look up to you in maturity business, please don't disappoint me."
Seulgi stole a quick glance towards Jisoo and Jihyo then gulped the saliva down to her throat as she looked at Lisa clenching her jaw.
"Well ehem," she cleared her throat "Lisa-ah?" She immediately stopped when Lisa faced away. Seulgi silently pleaded her friends to back her up but the others was bowed their head down.
"We're sorry," she said barely whisper. Sana was kind of suspicious it was more than their usual arguments. It was plain to see it was more than that. She watched them in silence, didn't want to interrupt the confession.
"I'm sorry. It was my fault, I came up with the idea and it messed up and we hurt you. I'm so so sorry." Seulgi explained in one breath.
"What?" Lisa frowned.
"It wasn't her fault," Jisoo finally found her courage. "I said it so it was me to blame. I-"
"What are you talking about? What idea?!" Lisa cut in with high tone making the rest of the people in the worn shrank in their sit.
"Lisa unnie, please calm down. Let them explain first."
"We want to make you jealous of Jisoo," Seulgi spoke again- very quietly. "Because we want you to work out with Jennie."
Sana got more confused than she already was. Jennie? Who was Jennie? Why was she had anything to do with this?
"It better be one heck of explanation because frankly this isn't good enough!" Lisa yelled.
"Look Lisa, I will tell you the whole story. But please, hold it before I finish." Jisoo chimed in. "When we had dinner in your place, it was time that we all agreed that Jennie was good for you. She's perfect for you. But you're stubborn, you are too drown down to your past you can't realize the great thing is right in front of you. We resolve to help and see if the attraction at least there. Were right, you like her." The cardio surgeon scrunched her face at the more sentences that coming out from Jisoo's mouth.
"I met Jennie, Chaeyoung and Irene by accident one afternoon when I was craving for Sushi. I went to this restaurant way before and it apparently near their office, I decide to go there since the sushi was good."
"We start hanging out and I really don't have a clue that Jennie didn't tell you about that. I only had lunch- just the two of us- once. At that time, it was supposed to be the four of us but suddenly Chae and Irene couldn't make it. I'm sorry about what !said that day. It was hurtful and you have the right to be mad or even hate me."
"You know whatever happen between me and Jennie is none of your damn business!"
"Would you be in this stage with her if it wasn't because of us?!" Jihyo who was been silent finally snapped at the latter.
"You really need a slap on the face to finally aware that you need someone else to take care of you! We've tried long enough, Lisa. You don't change. I'm sick of seeing you sleeping around and defend you from all the bad talking behind your back! It is none of my damn business but you. are. my. stupid. damn. person!" she emphasizing each word.
Lisa's mouth agape, she was speechless by the sudden outburst. Her anger somehow subsided.
"We try for years, Lisa. You knew Jennie just a few months back yet she can change you for the better. We want the best for you. However, what I said to you was horrible, it was unplanned and I'm terribly sorry. I never meant to hurt you, we never meant to hurt you. The plan was stupid and unnecessary."
Lisa sighed heavily. Never in million years she would've thought her best friends made up such a stupid plan. Although in some way it succeed- It did collide some sense to her.
"It is not stupid," she eventually uttered some aspiration. "I'm sorry I'm a jerk. Thank you- for caring."
"I have to agree with you on that, Lis. You're a total jerk, but I won't stop to knock some sense into you." Jihyo stood up closer to her and hug her best friend followed by the others.
"I'm sorry, Lisa-ah." Jisoo said sincerely as she joined the group hug.
"Don't mention it. I know you didn't mean it." Lisa patted her back.
"Unnies, I'm so lost of what's going on now so lets go grab snacks and tell me the whole story."
The other groaned, dislike the idea of story how they got into this mess.
"Also, I want to see this Jennie." She grinned widely.
*****
She tied her hair as she put on her cap and she tied it. Her steps were light, the grin never left her face. She was in good mood today- recently to be exact. She had reconciled with her friends, and the progress with Jennie was awesome. Ever since she let loose to her feelings, her life was better than way before.
The scare of Jennie left her for good was bigger than her concern of getting hurt again. She was still learning but the road seemed promising. It felt like she had nothing to worry about. Jennie would catch her whenever she fall.
Lisa stood on her toes waiting for her phone to get picked up. She was about to go into surgery but before she scrubbed in, she wanted to call her.
"Lisa-ah?" The receiver finally greeted her.
"Hey," she smiled. "What are you doing?"
"I just finish my meeting, why do you call? Do you need anything?" Jennie was confused, Lisa never called her just to asked 'what are you doing?'.
"Nah, I just want to call you, for no reason. Is that weird?"
"Actually? Yes, it is." Lisa chuckled.
"Well from now on, don't be so surprise anymore. I'll call you more often."
"Why?"
"Is this so weird to you? You ask too many questions. I don't have to have a valid reason to call you, maybe I just want to hear your voice." Lisa said solemnly.
"Okay then," she beamed at the statement. "You are very welcome to call me anytime you want, Miss Lili." The lawyer teased her as she leaned at her office wall, suppressing her wide smile.
Lisa chuckled.
"Have you eat lunch?"
"About to-"
"It's 2.23p.m, Nini. You always scold me to not skip meal." Lisa cut her.
"Meeting was out of my hands today, Lisa-ah. I'll eat now, promise."
"Okay, I still have one last surgery. I'll be home after I do post op on my patient. So, dinner?"
"I'll be waiting." The conversation ended with extensive grin on their faces.
*****
"Lisa?"
"Hm?" she slurped her coffee as she read medical magazine that just came this morning.
"I don't know if it is a right time to ask but I really need to know," she looked at the doctor.
"What is it?" She asked nonchalantly.
"The PTSD thing, do you regularly see your psychiatrist?" Jennie asked.
That made Lisa stopped; she took a sharp breath and looked at the girl beside her- meeting with the gentle eyes as she shook her head.
"I'm okay now, no need psychiatrist." She said, Jennie tilted her head and smile. The smile that made her wanted to pour all her heart out and say whatever she wanted to say without holding back. "I don't want to depend on drugs, Nini. I can control my emotion and the dreams- it rarely happen and not that severe anymore. So..."
"Okay then, Lili. If you need anything, you'd tell me, right?" She didn't want to put anymore pressure on Lisa's sensitive issue.
"Will do," she backed to her coffee, silently thanking Jennie for her care.
Jennie dropped her at the hospital after the breakfast. Lisa squeezed her arms and mumbled a soft thank you before she stepped out from the car. She waved Jennie goodbye and not taking her eyes off the can before it disappeared at the corner.