Healing (KTH, featuring KNJ)

Chapter 60

Honestly there wasn't much to be said beyond that it was a terribly unfortunate series of events.

From what the hospital relayed Clara had been in the park when someone grabbed her small shoulder bag and tried to dash off with it. Normally it wouldn't have caused such an issue, but Clara lost her balance and hit her head on the adjacent park bench, leading to a pretty terrible gash and a concussion. Some people in the area immediately came to her aid and called an ambulance to transport her to the hospital.

From there things went a little sideways. Clara didn't have any contact information on her and her phone was stolen with her bag. As a result, the hospital wasn't able to get in touch with someone to serve as her guardian.

After she seemed stable the hospital was ready to release her but still hadn't found someone to come and collect her. So the best they could do was offer her a bus ticket to try to help her get home and send her on her way.

The hospital assured Dr. Park that they had checked on the babies and they seemed unharmed, but recommended that she seek follow up care from her regular OB.

From there Dr. Park offered his own assessment. It seemed Clara did have a concussion but she was able to answer questions correctly so it didn't appear to be an immediate concern. By now everyone had seen the large cut on her face, along with the scrapes and bruises he had found on her side. The doctor told the collection of worried individuals that it sounded like the side of her leg was also quite badly scraped, but he didn't think Clara would tolerate him looking right away so he'd need to check it later. And for the moment that was all they would know, at least until Clara was able to tell them her side of the story.

——————-

By the time they returned to the living room Taehyung had moved Clara to his lap and he was gently humming to her while he rocked her back and forth. And for her part Clara seemed to have finally relaxed a bit. She had stopped shaking and was much less stiff than before. No one wanted to interrupt the reunion, glad to see the couple taking comfort in each other again.

Namjoon quietly whispered in Taehyung's ear, and then Taehyung ventured to ask Clara again. "Hey beautiful, can I take you over to your parents apartment so you can lay down and rest more comfortably? I think that would be the best thing for you."

This time Clara softly nodded in agreement so Taehyung gently picked her up, careful to avoid the scapes he now knew were hidden under her clothes, and started to head to the apartment down the hall.

Reaching her bedroom at Namjoon's parents, he very gently laid her down on the covers. As soon as she lost his warmth she began to whine and tear up, so he quickly came to lay down next to her on her less injured side. With some gentle words of love and soft humming, accompanied by strong arms holding her securely, she quickly resettled. And after only a few minutes she had fallen off to sleep, exhausted by the events of the last few days.

As soon as he was certain she was sleeping well, Taehyung went out to hear what he had missed from the doctor. While most of it seemed to fit together, parts of it were strange, like why Clara hadn't asked the hospital to call him, or why she came here instead of going to their apartment. But they would need to ask Clara that when she awoke.

After quickly sharing what they both had learned, Dr. Park and Taehyung returned to the sleeping girl, giving the doctor the opportunity to look over Clara while she was resting soundly and less resistant to a closer inspection.

During his review of her wounds Taehyung couldn't help but notice several frustrated sighs and an overall look of disapproval. Finally unable to wait any longer, Taehyung asked what was wrong.

"Well, I would say she received adequate medical care, but certainly not the best. Like this large cut on her face, these stitches will help the wound heal, but normally a cut this large on the face would be fixed by a plastic surgeon to help minimize scarring. It looks like hers was not done by someone without that kind of training. In fact the stitches look a little uneven which makes me think they may have just been done by an intern in the emergency room. So while it will heal and there isn't as much risk of infection, this is likely to leave a pretty sizable scar."

"And even the way her hair is shaved. They cut away much more than they really needed to and it's quite uneven. And see here, they didn't even fully clean up the remaining blood carefully, they just left it to dry on the skin. While that won't harm her, it is a sign that they treated her more quickly than carefully."

Taehyung was upset, not just because the care could have lasting consequences but because he worried that Clara may have been treated brusquely rather than with the gentle concern he would have wanted for her. And it really still didn't make sense, if she or the hospital had contacted him Dr. Park would have come immediately to coordinate her care and ensure she saw the absolute best specialists.

Like the last time he was called to Clara for an emergency, Dr. Park once again found himself asking if he could stay so he could watch over Clara a bit longer. Specifically, he wanted to check on the rest of Clara's abrasions after she woke. He encouraged Taehyung to find a way to get her showered as soon as possible after her nap so any remaining germs were washed away. Right now she was dressed in what looked like the clothes she was likely wearing when she left the house for her walk. They were dirty, ripped, and covered with blood stains. After she was freshly dressed in clothes that allowed better access to her wounds the doctor would carefully redress any cuts and scrapes, ensuring that they were cleaned thoroughly.

He also hoped to check on her concussion again, and to assure himself the babies were in fact totally unharmed.

About an hour later Clara reawoke, whining in discomfort. She really was quite sore from everything that had happened. The hospital had refused to give her any type of pain killer, a combination of concern for her concussion and her pregnancy. She could tell she was becoming quite stiff, and everything ached or throbbed.

Taehyung was still right next to her, gently but carefully running his fingers across the uninjured part of her cheek to help her wake up, comforted by knowing he was there.

Taehyung started slowly with his request to get her showered and redressed. He sensed if he asked right away she'd just refuse. So he began by gently reminding her of his love, and how proud he was of her, and how good she was doing. How glad he was that she was home, and how sorry he was that this had happened to her, assuring her that together they would figure it out.

When he could tell she had relaxed a bit, Taehyung asked Clara if he could shower her, reminding her that she must want to get out of the clothes that still had the remnants of what happened. Clara tentatively nodded yes, and then softly whispered the first word he'd heard since she'd been found. "Help?"

Taehyung gave her a sad smile. "Of course baby girl, I'm going to be right with you doing everything to make sure you stay comfortable." With this Clara nodded her consent.

Namjoon had already offered Taehyung a pair of athletic shorts and a large t-shirt from his closet that she could change into. It would both fit her growing belly and allow the doctor better access to her injuries. And Dr. Park had provided specific guidance to Taehyung for the shower. He should fully remove any bandages first, then wash thoroughly to within a few centimeters of where any open injuries can be seen. He should wash bruises directly but be particularly gentle as they are likely quite tender. The doctor would take care of cleaning the actual wounds afterward. Dr. Park also reminded Taehyung that he needed to be very careful about keeping the stitches dry, although any non stitched injuries could get wet. And perhaps most importantly he wanted Taehyung to look her over carefully, identify any injuries no matter how small so the doctor could ensure he didn't miss any while attempting to preserve her modesty.

Gently grabbing  Clara's hand, Taehyung steeled himself for what he was about to find.