'Breaking News, just now at exactly 8 PM, the worldwide known writer Keith Lien got into a car accident. Right now he is being rushed over to the nearest hospital, while the police are still investigating the cause of the accident.'
So he's THE Keith Lien, you thought to yourself as you watch several doctors and nurses rushing to the emergency room with his very injured body. He is quite the famous writer who creates fantasy worlds and heartwrenching romances that girls like. You've heard his name quite a few times despite not being interested in books and novels. Your friend who is a huge bookworm idolized this man as if he was a god sent, always attending his signing events, keeping up with his schedules.
You are sure that in ten minutes she will call your phone and cry, asking for updates on his condition.
You are working as a nurse in a rather prestigious hospital in the central city. Due to your work, you've seen quite a lot of famous names ranging from political ones to artists. Some were... quite shocking to see and talk to. But you kept your professionalism and attended to them the way they want to.
After a few hours of silence, the doctors and nurses finally come out with relief expressed all over their faces. But something was definitely not right, especially after seeing the looks in his relative's face.
You see your friend come out of the room with a rather sullen look heading right towards you. She plops down to a seat right next to you and you gave her a cup of water to help her relax after a long surgery.
"Success?"
"Kinda. We managed to close off any wounds and thankfully there weren't any life-dangering ones. But his eyes are another case. He's temporarily blind for the next few months and will have to keep staying here in the hospital until he is fully recovered."
You let out a sigh. Being temporarily blind is truly scary, especially for someone like him who is a writer and needs to see what he is writing. You remember your friend told you that he is currently writing a new series. You feel even more sorry for him to have to stop doing what he loves for a few months.
"Hello there Mr. Lien, I'll be taking care of you for the next few months. If you need anything, please feel free to call me or press the button right beside your left hand."
You were appointed to become his nurse after him kicking a few nurses away because of their lack of professionalism. They used the chance to secretly take photos of him, leaking information regarding his new series and a bunch of other things you didn't want to know.
While introducing yourself, you took the time to personally analyze him. He has rather long silver hair, reaching down to his back. He has his eyes covered with a few layers of bandages, you tried to take a guess on what his eye color is. Is it blue or green? Maybe even brown? You feel like blue fits him better but green adds to his mysteriousness.
"Please take care of me seriously and don't repeat their mistakes."
This is your first time hearing his voice and surprisingly, it suited him well. Hell, it complimented his looks! Now you understand why people are dying over this man. Though for you, he is just another patient that needs to be taken care of. Nothing more nothing less.
"Yes Sir."
The next few days are quite the hellish experience.
Because of his distrust towards nurses, he kept giving you a hard time. Asking for the impossible, making you walk long distances for something that he will throw away later anyway, mocking you. But you kept quiet since you know his previous experiences with nurses. You just hoped that by now he would trust you enough to take care of him properly.
"Do you need anything, sir?"
"Can you shut up? I want to sleep."
"I'm sorry sir. Have a good night"
You decided that leaving the room would be the better option for you seeing as your patient doesn't need your help anymore. The moment the door clicked shut, you heaved a tired huff. You've dealt with stubborn patients before so you didn't have any problems with it. It just makes things a bit harder for you.
You wonder how long would it take for him to stop being childish and realize that you are just there to help him get better. He kept on insisting to walk by himself even though he knows it very well that he still hasn't adjusted to the darkness yet.
And when he stumbled upon something, you who tried to catch him from falling got scolded for touching him inappropriately.
"He is only slowing down his recovery process!"
You vented your frustrations with your fellow nurse friend. You are currently sitting outside Keith's room since he kicked you out for being annoying. You only wanted to change his bandage but he said he could do it himself when you knew he couldn't.
As much as you wanted to force him to comply, you couldn't. You know fully well the power he holds. If he decided to say bad things about you to the director, you could be suspended and you would lose your income.
"You can't really win with patients. On the bright side, you have a lot more free time."
"No... That's even worse. He's my patient so of course, I'm worried about his health. Instead of relaxing, I get worried about his bandages and whether he's taking his medicine or not. I'm trying to do my best for his recovery but he thinks otherwise."
You heaved another sigh as you take a bite out of your tuna sandwich. Your friend who is sitting beside you looked at you with pity and laughter. Pity because of sympathy for your stress and laughter because of your worrisome personality.
You decided to become a nurse purely out of goodwill (and money). You wanted to see your patients healthy and happy when they get discharged. No matter how awful their personalities are, you see them all the same. A patient that deserves to be healthy and well.
"Well, I guess all you have to do is wait until time changes him. I'll be going now, my shift is almost up."
You wave her goodbye before putting your focus back on your tuna sandwich.
Unbeknownst to you, a certain male was eavesdropping on your entire discussion. He has mixed feelings considering the fact that he is the topic of the discussion.
Because of how the previous nurses had acted, he grew weary of them. Opening your eyes only to see nothing but darkness was already terrifying enough and now there are people who are dangering him and his work. All he felt was stress and resentment towards everything.
The moment the doctor told him that he is temporarily blind, the world he had once seemed to come crashing down on him. How could he live without seeing? He's a writer! He needs his vision to write down his novels, he needs his eyes to seek inspiration, to read the novels he loves!
As time went on, without his vision, his other senses began to sharpen. He could hear things better and his sense of smell also seemed to be enhanced. This greatly affected his daily life, he could hear footsteps more clearly, people murmuring, or just the light sound of a bird chirping.
His days strangely become more serene. He can vaguely picture the scenes around him even without the help of his vision. As if he could "see" just from his nose and ears. This was also the adding factor of why he hated those nurses.
Because he is blind, they thought they could just walk in and harass him without him knowing, messing with his work and leaking manuscripts. After he figured what they were doing, he was quick to apprehend them and asked for outside help using a button.
After that, he tried to ask the doctor to not put any nurses around him, that he could do well by himself. But the doctor couldn't trust him, not with his current condition.
And now here he is, contemplating his past actions with you. You had been nothing but accommodating to him. Never crossing the line drawn by him. You are quick-witted as well as punctual. Even if he refuses to acknowledge or cooperate with you, you stayed by his side and wait for him to drink the medicine.
He never heard you entering his room without permission either. You would always signal your arrival with a knock before waiting for his response.
Keith shuts his eyes.
He was indeed too harsh on you.
The next day, as you were getting ready to get scolded by your patient, he surprisingly became very docile. Whatever you say, he would obey it. Every time you say something, he would give a response even if it's just a small nod or hum. The sudden change startled you for sure but in a good way of course.
Nursing him became tolerable in some way and you wouldn't have to be drained emotionally every time. The stress of having to worry about your income is already enough for you. Your brother is still at the hospital and the surgery fee is high. Your savings are hurting a lot from his medication fees alone but if it meant he could have a chance at living then so be it. He is your last remaining family and you've promised your parents that you would protect him.
"Hnh"
You quickly wake up from your daydream as Keith stirs from his slumber. He had taken an afternoon nap since the doctors told him to rest more instead of working. For the past few days, he decided to make you his typist since he deemed text to speech as a devil spawn. The work was very fun to you, though when you typed too long, he would at times get angry and say a few bad words.
"Good evening Mr. Lien, you're just in time for your medicine." You smiled at him while he slowly adjusts his position to lean his back on the wall behind him. His external injuries have healed nicely but his eyes and internal injuries still need time to recover fully. You give him his pills and went back to your seat to wait for his instructions.
"... Do you think my eyes will heal?"
His question took you by surprise. You turn your head towards him with a sad expression even though he couldn't see it. You truly empathize with his condition.
"You know, my brother asked the same thing to me. All I could do was lie and say things to make him feel better because deep down I know the chances are small. But to you, my answer will be yes. Your eyes will heal completely and you'll be able to see the world once more."
His chances of being able to see again are much higher, especially with the high-quality treatment he has. Compared to your brother who only has the bare minimum. Thinking about it made you feel all the more guilty, had you saved more money, he could have his surgery right away instead of waiting for the unknown.
You quickly push these thoughts aside. Negativity would do you nothing. Right now, the most important thing to do is to work hard and earn as much money as possible.
After listening to your words, he remained silent for the rest of the day. Did your words fail to convince him? You began to fret over your words, what if he doubted his treatment and went to another hospital? The director would not be happy.
Before you leave, you went to his side and apologized. "I'm sorry if my words fail to convince you but I promise you that you're getting the best treatment to have! Your health is important to all of us here so rest assured you're in good hands."
Keith turned his head towards the direction of your voice startled. It took him a few moments to load in what you just said. A few seconds after, he surprised you by laughing... a lot. The man has never laughed in your presence, like ever. Hell, he never even smiled! And all of a sudden he's laughing like a mad man over your apology.
"I'm sorry, no I'm not thinking about that. I have full trust in you and this hospital's ability. I was just thinking about you and your brother's condition. If you don't mind, could you tell me more about this brother of yours?"
"Sure? I'll tell you more about him tommorow then. For now, it's time for you to rest. Have a good night, Mr-"
"Keith."
"Hm?"
"Call me Keith. We've been spending time a lot together and I suppose this is the least we could do. I'll call you by (Y/N) as well if that's okay?"
"Alright, then have a good night Keith."
"You too (Y/N)."
You shut the door close behind you before walking towards the staff room to pack up and go home. Keith on the other hand was startled by his own boldness. He couldn't believe he did that so smoothly.
His eyes lingered on the door you just closed for a while longer before resting his head on the pillow. Your presence around him has truly affected him in these past few days. He's been nothing but gentle towards you, which is never the case usually. Something about your voice just soothes him, your scent also never fails to make him feel all relaxed and safe.
When he asked earlier, he was merely asking for reassurance. And when you told him about your brother, he could feel your distress. Were you perhaps struggling with financial issues? Is that what's making you worry? Perhaps after his eyes are healed, he could help you with the surgery bills as a token of gratitude from him?
If his eyes recovered, he could see your face, how you look. What do you look like when you're smiling or when you're pouting? What shape does your eye have? Is your mouth thin or thick? How long is your hair? Are you tall or short?
He could only imagine these things while listening to you.
For a second, he felt as if he saw something bright in his vision.
"Congratulations, Mr.Keith. Your eyes are making huge recoveries. If this keeps on, your eyes should heal completely in around two weeks' time."
The doctor congratulated him with a smile while you stay by his side silently. Hearing his words, you couldn't help but feel excited as well. This was truly good news! You feel happy for your patient.
Keith was also happy to hear the news, if he could, he would jump around excitedly like a small kid who just received a gift. Finally, he would be able to see again, to type again, and more importantly, to see you.
While he was lost in his own fantasy, he didn't notice the doctor asking him to go outside to follow him. You nodded and said a few things to Keith before leaving with the doctor.
"The director is calling for you."
You couldn't hide the surprise in your eyes. Why was the director calling for you? Did you perhaps do something wrong? You recounted the past few days but nothing comes to mind. The doctor who notices your distress taps your shoulder. "You've been doing well so don't worry about it."
You nodded before setting off towards the director's office.
After a few minutes, you're standing right outside the room. You slowly breathe in and out before knocking on the door.
"Come in."
You open the door and came in. The office looks like your typical brown office. A huge amount of books are organized on bookshelves that are standing on each side of the room. In the middle of the room, a big desk lies with a man behind it.
"(Y/N), come and sit down. You're not here for trouble, rather I'm giving you good news."
You take your seat across the director, posture straight as ever from the amount of nervousness building up inside you.
"I've received nothing but praises from the doctors about you. That's why I'm asking you to transfer to our new location. Your pay will be increased by two folds since the new location is located in a high-end market. The location should also be near your home so you won't have to waste money on transportations. What do you say?"
Just from hearing 'two folds', you've already made up your mind.
"I'll take it!"
The director smiled and asked you to sign a few things before sending you out with a smile. Your transfer will happen two weeks from now. You happily hum a song while strolling back towards Keith's room. With this, you should be able to pay for the surgery in around two to three months.
The rest of your days were spent fully on Keith as usual, with you telling him about your day, your brother's condition, him working, and just the two of you casually bantering. The conversations become much more comfortable and fun for you. He also started his physical therapy with you by his side at all times. Every time he's about to try walking, he would ask for you to come to watch him, and every time he succeeds, you applauded and cheered for him.
Keith could feel himself going over heels for you. The moments he spent with you were all special in their own ways. He regards you as someone important and your position in his heart keeps getting higher and higher each day. He couldn't wait for the day when he finally gets to take off the bandage around his eyes and see you standing there with anticipation.
He has already planned everything down to the details when that day comes. First, he'll say thank you to you, and then he'll ask you on a date and then he'll bring up your brother and say he wants to see him. You can't possibly reject him, the two of you have spent so much time together, he should mean something more than just a patient by now.
His imaginations keep running wild with scenarios of your dates, your marriage, you as a mother, and much more. All he needs to do is wait for one more week.
"(Y/N) has left the hospital."
He couldn't believe what he was hearing. You left? His hands slammed down on the desk, his eyes were asking for answers, like a predator ready to pounce any minute.
"What do you mean she left?"
"(Y/N) (L/N) transferred to another hospital yesterday. You could try asking the director."
"... Did she leave anything for me? Anything at all?"
The receptionist shook her head. Keith thanked her before storming away towards his car. He bit his fingernail in frustration. Where did you go? How could you not contact him at all? Was there really nothing between you and him? Is he really just a mere patient for you?
He fishes out his phone to call his assistant. After a few rings, the other person picked up the call. "Call the director of the hospital and ask him where (Y/N) is transferred to. If he doesn't answer, tell him I will spread his secret affair to the world."
Without waiting for an answer, he immediately ended the call and drove home. He will find you and when he does, he won't let you get away again.
Never again.
"Alright, visit again after two weeks to retrieve the result of the scan."
"Thank you, doctor, you too nurse."
"Your welcome, miss."
You said before opening the door for the patient to exit. The doctor breathed a huge sigh before drinking some water to ease his sore throat. You took the empty cup and filled it with warm water again before putting it on his table.
"You're a lifesaver, (Y/N)."
"It's the least I could do. You're the real lifesaver amongst the two of us anyways." You giggled. The doctor chuckled at your joke before chugging down the warm water. After emptying half of the glass, he puts it down and wipes his mouth.
"Ready for the next patient?"
"Yes please."
You opened the door and walk out to call for the next patient.
"Next patient, Mr. Keith... Lien."
"I'm here."
A familiar-looking man stood up from his seat and walked towards you, spending plenty of time staring at you. You kept your smile in place as you ushered him in. Inside though, you were questioning this man's presence here.
His eyes seemed to have healed nicely, you could see the faint scar from the accident but if you look at it from far away, you would not be able to see it. His walk seems to have improved as well compared to the last time you saw him practice. It was a week since the last time you saw him. So much has changed in a short amount of time. You admire his perseverance and secretly applaud him.
During the checkup, you could feel his eyes on you all the time. Only when you look at him would he avert his eyes somewhere else. The doctor pretended to not notice it and continued with his check-up.
"Seems you're healthy as ever, Mr. Lien. Is there anything worrying you?"
"... I've been feeling uneasy about something. I can't sleep properly even though the doctor instructed me to rest more. I also eat less and don't want to work despite being a workaholic. Is there something wrong with me?"
"Did something huge happen perhaps last week? Something that made you feel like you've lost it all."
"Someone I know decided to leave me behind without any words." While saying this, he averted his eyes towards you while you flinched from his words. Did he mean you? Was your absence so huge to impact his life to this degree?
The rest of the checkup went by and you couldn't focus at all. Luckily, Keith was the last patient for your shift so you could hurry and go home to rest.
"Alright, that concludes the checkup, the medicines I prescript here are for sleeping. Don't take too much, just one and it can knock you up till the sun rises again."
"Thank you, doctor. You too, Miss (Y/N)."
He smiled at you before leaving the room.
Something about his smile felt off for you, you couldn't relax no matter how much you tried to. Even after leaving the hospital building, you still feel unsettled. Just as you were about to take out your bike, a car stops right in front of you. The front window slides down to reveal the man himself.
"Get in."
You paused for a second before getting in his car without any protest. The guilt and fear kept you from doing anything rashly. The car immediately went forward, driving to god knows where. The car ride went on silently, no one initiated a talk.
"Why did you leave so abruptly without any word?"
Your head snapped to him quickly. You opened your mouth to say something but nothing came. You were so excited about the transfer that you didn't remember to inform him about the news. The day you transferred, you didn't get to say goodbyes due to being busy.
"I'm sorry... I was too busy to... tell you. I thought you would forget about me as well... so.."
He clenches his fist around the stirring wheel, his knuckles turned white in a matter of seconds. How could you think of him so little? Even though you've been the only thing in his mind for the past week.
"I was shocked when they told me you had already left. Luckily, the director told me about your new location. I wanted to see you no matter what."
"Well, now you've seen me. Uhm, and may I ask where are we going?"
"We're going to my home. You're going to stay there since it's going to be your new home from now on."
...
"What?"
"I'll pay for your brother's surgery in exchange for you. I'll even pay for his tuition fees. That way, you wouldn't have to work anymore right? I don't like it when you work with anyone other than me. All of your focus should be on me and no one else."
"Wait, slow down. You're not making any sense. Is the lack of sleep causing you to speak nonsense? Maybe you should go home and get some rest, Keith. Just put me down here and I'll walk home."
"I'm making perfect sense, (Y/N). I am not taking back what I said and I won't take no as an answer. You leaving me opened my eyes to how important you are to me. You're the only one who could make me feel things. You're my breath of life and I'm not planning on suffocating any time soon."
istg when I'm writing this, i always imagine "vision" as genshin impact's vision lmao
i forgot abt christmas and didn't write a special chapter for it sjakdjwal im sorry guys and happy new year! hope everyone's year goes off to a good start.