24 Visits

Visit Five

VISIT FIVE:

Reason: Check up, blood work

Symptoms: None

Time in: 10:00 am August 31st, 2014

Rosie sat in the chair, tapping her foot against the flooring of Doctor Kim’s office. Jennie. It was Jennie’s office. Jennie who was 15 minutes late, but still Jennie. Rosie had said it to herself a few times, practiced it, making sure it sounded natural on her tongue. She liked the name, or at least, she liked it more than its owner.

This was the edge she could get, this was the small semblance of power. She remembered when she first started out as an idol. Saying someone's name gives you a tie to a person, a familiarity, a closeness. Most people loved it when Rosie said their name, they’d blush and get all starry-eyed. But Jennie wasn’t most people.

She was frigid, mean and closed off. Closeness was the last thing she would want from Rosie, so Rosie gave it to her anyway with one, simple word.

Rosie heard loud footsteps outside of the door and knew it was Jennie, so when the door opened Rosie made sure to smile at her. Jennie glanced down to where Rosie was sitting, gave a small grunt, and looked at her clipboard.

“Blood work today, Ms. Park,” Jennie said, not bothering to look up.

“Rosie.”

“Which arm?”

Rosie glared at Jennie, but Jennie wouldn’t even look up from her damn board to see the glare, so really she just looked stupid. “Suzy did it last time, Jennie.”

“Suzy is our only nurse today and is helping out Dr. Choi. Now, Ms. Park, which arm?”

“Call me Rosie, and I’ll tell you.” Rosie flashed one of her famous smiles, the really cute one she used when she wanted something. The one where she made her eyes go all big and-

“Don’t tell me, and I’ll restrain you.”

Of course that wouldn’t work. Rosie pouted, folding her arms one over the other. “Je-jennie can’t do that. It’s not allowed.”

“Well, I can refer you to another doctor.” Jennie finally looked up at Rosie, smiling as she did so.

Damn it. Damn it. Damn it.

“Jennie can be so mean…” Rosie said with a more exaggerated pout. Going with cute was going to have to be the method today, after all, it seemed to annoy Jennie more than any other variant of herself.

Rosie sighed, rolling her head right to left. “Left!”

Jennie went to the counter, pulling out a small, black box. Inside were viles and a needle.

Rosie felt her stomach drop at the sight. With Suzy it wasn’t so bad because at least she talked to Rosie, however - she didn’t expect the same courtesy with Jennie. 

“How have you been feeling?” Jennie asked, flicking one of the needles.

Rosie looked at it and gulped. It was especially unnerving considering the way Jennie was smiling at her. Like she was going to enjoy this. “Uh...good. I guess.”

“Stay still,” Jennie said. She wrapped something that looked like a giant, broken rubber band around Rosie’s upper left arm tight so that the circulation was cut off. Then with narrowed eyes she looked up and down Rosie’s arm. Slowly, Jennie pressed her thumb against the skin of Rosie’s wrist, pushing down on a popped out blue vein. “You’ve got good veins.”

“I think that’s the first time Jennie’s ever been nice to Rosie,” she said, the cute slipping out of her voice despite effort.

Jennie looked down at her arm again, needle in hand, and stuck her.

“Mmph.” Rosie forced herself to look away from the needle and tube and Jennie. Jennie who was staying dead silent while Rosie was clearly in pain. Rosie never thought she’d miss Suzy so much in her life.

Rosie couldn’t even feel the needle anymore, but just knowing it was in her. Each passing second, minute, moment, felt like hours of something draining the blood from her.

And then, without warning, Jennie jerked the needle out causing Rosie to let out a loud whimper. “Hold onto that,” Jennie said, positioning Rosie’s thumb over a small, reddening cotton swab.

She put a bandage over it. “Keep that on for at least an hour. You’ll most likely bruise, but if it is any worse than that call--” she paused, biting her cheek. “A hospital.”

Rosie gave a faint smile. “Your hospital?”

“Examination table,” Jennie said, gesturing towards it.

Rosie stayed reasonably quiet the rest of the appointment. A little tired and, literally, a little drained.