health | jungkook

xv.

"It's been three days since I've seen Taejin. She hasn't been responding to my texts either. Is she alright?" Jungkook asked Jimin as he stood up from the hospital bed, hands on Jimin's forearms for balance.

"Slowly. Don't go faster than me," Jimin nagged when he saw Jungkook trying to walk at a normal pace. "I'm afraid that I don't have an answer to your question Kook, Jihye hasn't told me anything. Maybe they had to increase her chemo treatment and she's adjusting to it."

Jungkook frowned. "But she's not like...dead, right?"

"No, because I would have already known," Jimin guided Jungkook around his hospital room as the boy recovered from his surgery that he had three days ago. "Looks like nothing went wrong with your lower body muscles and nerves. You should be able to get back to walking without me in two days max."

"Can I see Taejin?" Jungkook asked as Jimin escorted him back to his bed.

"I'll ask Jihye when I see her at the cafeteria, okay? But don't expect a yes. I'll be back with your lunch in a few," Jimin answered and exited the room.

Jungkook sighed and grabbed his phone, rereading the messages he had been sending to Taejin.

Thursday - 9:32pm

goldenkookie_
I've been awaiting your message, lovely
I'm not mad tho :)
I will proceed to await your message tomorrow
goodnight sweetheart
I love you <3
delivered

Friday - 8:54am

goldenkookie_
good morning~
wow this is the first time in forever that I
wake up to zero chest pains :O
and and and
nO meDiCinE!!!! :O
this is so exciting baby omg
anyways
I hope you wake up soon and that you
slept well
hyung won't let me get up yet so I hope you
can come see me again
delivered

Friday - 12:02pm

goldenkookie_
baby? are you still not awake?
that'd be very hard to believe since they have
such a strict dosage schedule for you
or are you not okay?
I hope it's just that you're busy
I don't want to think negatively so I will just
await your message
I love you
delivered

Friday 2:15pm

goldenkookie_
okay I'm getting worried
did I do something wrong?
did I hurt your feelings, or offend you?
please tell me if I did
and if I did, I'm sorry lovely
truly if I did something wrong I promise I
didnt mean it
delivered

Friday 7:31pm

goldenkookie_
taejin
please just tell me if you are okay
you dont have to have a full conversation
with me
but just tell me you're okay
hyung hasn't even talked to your nurse
it's like you both are avoiding us
did we both do something wrong?
ugh if I wasn't prompted to stay in bed I would
have already gone to see you
hyung is making me sleep now...
please just answer once
I love you
and I'm sorry

Saturday - 6:42am

goldenkookie_
good morning <3

Saturday - 1:51pm

goldenkookie_
eat well today btw
delivered

Saturday - 8:59pm

goldenkookie_
goodnight <3
delivered

Sunday - 6:07am

goldenkookie_
good morning <3

Jungkook exhaled again, typing a new message and sending it before setting his phone down.

Sunday - 1:19pm

goldenkookie_
eat well, k?
..I miss you
delivered

•••

Jimin walked towards the entrance of the cafeteria before catching the silhouette of a familiar coworker ahead.

Jimin immediately sped towards the nurse and grabbed her wrist before she could get away. "Kim Jihye, I have been looking for you."

Said nurse snapped her head to look at the male, trying to pull her arm back. "Let me go, Park. I don't have time for your games."

"I will after I'm done talking with you."

"There's nothing to talk about. I have to get my patient's lunch."

"So do I, but a five minute delay will do no harm."

Jihye rolled her eyes and Jimin took the opportunity to turn the nurse's body so she was completely facing him, not letting go of her wrist. "Why has Taejin been ignoring Jungkook? And why have you been avoiding me?"

Jihye only stayed silent, gaze to the floor.

"Answer me, Kim."

Jimin's hard expression immediately softened at the sight before his eyes. Jihye, his strong and cold hearted coworker - someone who he knows has gone through hell and back yet has never shed a tear during her hardships - broke down.

Right in front of him.

Jimin immediately pulled the female into the nearest vacant room - which happened to be a storage closet. He closed the door behind them, then wrapped his arms around Jihye tightly. "Hey, what's wrong?"

Jihye only cried harder, burying her face in his chest and clinging onto his scrubs for fear life, almost as if she was seeking some sort of comfort. Jimin rubbed the girl's back and used his other hand to caress her hair, murmuring comforting words quietly near her ear.

After a few minutes, Jihye's cries turned into soft sniffles and she lifted her head slightly to wipe her face. "Sorry for this. Your scrubs are all wet and snotty now."

Jimin only smiled softly and shook his head. "Don't apologize, lovely. As long as you feel better, I don't care about my appearance."

Jihye felt her cheeks burn slightly as she sniffed again to clear her nose.

"You want to tell me what's going on?" Jimin slowly asked.

Jihye felt her eyes pricking again and she blinked back new tears before finally whispering, "Taejin."

"What about Taejin-ssi?" Jimin responded, worry coating his tone.

Jihye looked up at him with pleading eyes. "You cannot tell Jungkook what I'm about to tell you. It will break him...that's why Taejin has been ignoring his messages. She just can't tell him because she knows how he will react. So please promise me you won't tell him, Jimin."

"I promise."

And so Jihye recounted everything she and Taejin had experienced since the day of Jungkook's surgery. By the end of her story, both nurses were shedding tears together.