Gap: Eternity

Chapter 4: Don't want to see a doctor

I feel like Khun Sam is playing an MV. She stands with her arms crossed, looking absentminded, like she's thinking about something. But instead of doing her thinking in her office, she's doing it in the open workspace, causing everyone to feel tense. And it seems like I'm not the only one who thinks she's playing an MV when Khun Kirk, the key business partner, walks over to greet her with a smile.

"Which MV are you in?"

I almost burst out laughing when I heard that. We think the exact same thing. Khun Sam frowns and squints at her ex- fiancé turned friend.

"Gap the series, Pink Theory."

"Thanks for answering! What are you thinking about? You're making everyone nervous."

Khun Kirk sweeps his eyes through the open workspace. Everyone looks down. Some seem to be arranging something, some typing something on the computer, though their work doesn't require doing that. But if they don't seem to be doing anything, it would look like they are freeloading at work.

"I'm thinking about having a baby."

"Hmmm? Having a baby." Khun Kirk looks at his friend and then at me. I have heard about this before, so I'm not surprised, but I didn't think she would take it this seriously.

"Yes, I'm thinking about having a baby after getting married. I'm studying up on it."

"How will you have a baby? IVF (Gift)?"

"Probably so. Or maybe adoption." Khun Sam turns to me. "How does that sound, Mon?"

"Any is fine." I answer with a smile. "Up to Khun Sam."

"But personally, I want to be the one who carries the baby."

"What a sacrifice?" Khun Kirk says this with admiration as he puts his hands on his chest. "Where will you do the IVF (gift) ?"

"Probably overseas. It is not yet supported in Thailand. I've got to have a husband to be able to do it here."

"If you married me, you wouldn't have to think this hard... I'm kidding, boo-hoo." Khun Kirk turns to wink at me, not wanting me to feel bad or guilty about the bad joke he just made.

"Because Sam has a wife, Sam will have to do it overseas. It sounds like a bit of a hassle, but nothing I can't handle."

"Why will you carry the baby yourself? Why not let Mon do it?"

"I don't want Mon to be hurt. Sam can't stand the thought of that." She says it flatly, but it hits me straight to the heart. "Sam wants mini Mon running around the house. It would be so cute."

"You're the one pregnant; how can you have mini Mon running around?"

"I already have it all thought out."

After the talk with Khun Kirk, it's lunchtime. Khun Sam and I came out for lunch. I see that Khun Sam is still searching for scientific ways for us to have a baby on her phone. I reach over to grab her hand and shake my head.

"Eat first kha. Khun Sam is too obsessed."

"I take everything I do seriously."

"How will Khun Sam be the one to give birth to Mon's baby ka?"

"Well..."

Khun Sam's phone rang to interrupt our conversation before she could answer me. So we both forgot about the topic.

"What's up, Kate? I'm having a serious conversation, and you always call to interrupt. Hmm? Got a slot? Ahh. You go with her, then. Why does the entire gang have to take her to see the doctor?" Khun Sam replies P Kate with a flat voice. It seems like P Kate calls to say she already made an appointment with the doctor. "I don't need to get a checkup!"

"You have to kha." I walk over and rudely take the phone from my girlfriend, as I know I can, and talk to the person on the other side of the line in her place. "P Kate ka. It's Mon. You made a doctor's appointment for P Jim already ka? Please make an appointment for Khun Sam also; Mon will take Khun Sam to do a checkup."

[Geez, so in love. Ok, I'll make an appointment for Sam as well. Which doctor do you want?]

"Any doctor that can diagnose headaches kha. Khun Sam's headaches act up too often these days."

[Ok. Drag her to the hospital tomorrow. She's so hard to convince.]

After I hang up, I glare at the stubborn one who refuses to go see the doctor by looking over the tip of my nose.

"Khun Sam can't run away kha. You have to get a checkup. Even if it's nothing, at least it will ease my mind and you can get some medication."

"You didn't have to make it a big deal."

"Khun Sam promised."

"I didn't mean that in a bad way."

She made a long face but agreed to go nicely because it was a promise she gave me. After P Kate made a doctor's appointment for us, the next day I took Khun Sam to the hospital. Everyone was there, wanting to give P Jim full support. P Jim didn't come all dressed up like usual today. She came in a t-shirt and jeans, looking grumpy like this was a waste of her time; she had the same look as Khun Sam, who whines about not wanting to come see the doctor.

"Coming to see a doctor makes you have this look like you just ate dog shit?"

"I'm not crazy. Why do you have to take me to see a psychiatrist?" P Kate shakes her head at P Jim, who still thinks that only crazy people would come see a psychiatrist.

"You're not crazy, but you need to get treatment. Your condition may destroy your marriage."

"I want it destroyed. I already told you that I want a divorce. I want to be single."

"What about your children?"

"Let my husband raise them. I will go out and party. Let men pamper me like the old days and say... come surround me, gather around me."

"Hurry up and take her to the doctor." P Tee says, looking very annoyed with P Jim.

"And Sam, you go see your doctor. When both are done, come meet up here and let's go get something to eat, since we already met up."

P Tee set up the plan. We all nod and do what P Tee suggests by splitting up to go to different departments. Everyone goes to support P Jim. I was the only one who went with Khun Sam. The sweet-faced lady still didn't really want to go see a doctor but went in to see the doctor in a room while I waited outside.

Khun Sam went in for over 10 minutes and came out to tell me that the doctor wants her to go into a tunnel to check something. From thinking that it was migraine and will get some medicine to take home, it turns out that she will have to do a detailed checkup. She didn't tell me much, but she agreed to take the test easily. Khun Sam did the checkup for over an hour, and then the doctor talked to her again. They talk for a long time. Everyone is back from taking P Jim to see the psychologist and is now sitting with me to wait for Khun Sam.

"Why does E Yoi take so long?"

"I'm not sure kha. She had to go into a tunnel for a detailed checkup." I suddenly have a bad feeling about this. Around five minutes after talking to P Tee and the gang, Khun Sam comes out of the doctor's room with a straight face, not showing any emotion. P Kate, who was waiting, asks nosily.

"What did the doctor say? Why are you playing it bigger than E Jim?"

Khun Sam shrugs as if she doesn't care.

"It's nothing."

"What IS nothing?" P Tee asks. P Jim still sits quietly with her arms crossed, but she is looking on with interest at Khun Sam. Normally she would be the one who asks nosily, but today it seems like she's too lazy to speak.

"Well..."

"Well?"

Khun Sam looks at me and signs.

"I told you not to take me to the hospital. Nothing good ever comes out of it."

"What is IT ka?" I start to rub my thumbs together nervously because Khun Sam seems hesitant to speak. All her friends look at her straight face, pressuring her until Khun Sam unavoidably says

"The doctor found a tumor in my head."