Friendships Desires and Secrets

Twists and Turns

Namjoon had left Alex in the hospital room to find something to eat. Having no good luck in the cafeteria or lobby, he walked to the nearest chicken place. Two young girls walked toward him on the narrow sidewalk, and when they glanced at him, they froze. They giggled together as he passed, and he smiled wistfully at them. Baby ARMY could be so cute.
There was a robotic looking chicken on the door. ING wasn't his favorite place, but he dared not walk farther without an escort. He needed to get his old life back. He wanted to find that old self who didn't fear walking in the streets of Seoul alone. The restaurant was warm and the air thick with aromas from sizzling meat. His mouth watered.

***

Alex was hungry but was nodding off in the corner of Tara's hospital room. The beeping and whirring of the machines only served to dim the thoughts that Alex had been fighting with since they landed in Incheon. Thoughts of Yoongi and Tara. Thoughts of Jimin and babies. Thoughts of weddings and dreams.
Tara's surgery had gone well, but they still had her under sedation. Until yesterday, when they slowly cut back. Now she wasn't on any, and they were just waiting to see if she would wake. She was breathing on her own, and all he vitals looked as well as could be expected. The baby seemed unaffected by all the going ons, and the prenatal care team had hooked a doppler up to Tara's abdomen. The whoosh whoosh whoosh of the little mass growing just a few feet away never fluttered. Never registered when its vessel suddenly awoke.
Alex startled when Tara moaned. Sleep fled and was replaced by a rush of adrenaline.
"Tara? Tara girl, are you okay?"
Tara croaked, and Alex grabbed the mug of water that the day nurse replaced an hour ago. She held the straw to Tara's cracked lips.
"Drink girlie. It's water."
Tara took a sip and choked a bit. She drank a bit more and shook it away.
"What the fuck is that noise!?" Tara's voice was still raspy, but not enough to cover the annoyance.
"Which one?" Alex asked, feeling stupid and a bit shaken.
Tara blinked a few times as if trying to separate the sounds that assaulted her. "All of them, I guess. They are making my god damned head hurt."
She reached up and touched the bandages that encircled her skull like a gauzy halo. "What the FUCK!" She screamed, then winced. Obviously, she regretted the decision to scream instantly.
Alex paged for the nurse, who it seemed, had already been en route.
"What's wrong, Miss Algren?" The nurse asked politely.
"Why is everyone screaming?" Tara barked then burst into tears. "What is happening?"
The nurse rushed out of the room to her cart and came back quickly with a syringe. She plunged the needle head into the IV catheter line that fed into Tara's arm. Tara's face relaxed, and she instantly quieted. Although not asleep, she took on a glazed-eyed appearance and sighed as though all the air she had taken in during waking was suddenly released.
Alex was too stunned to respond, so the nurse left. About half an hour later, the older doctor appeared quietly in the doorway.
"I heard she woke up in quite a cantankerous mood."
Alex nodded, still a bit wide-eyed.
The doctor nodded. Alex didn't know if he always wore a slightly amused expression or if he was simply amused by the circumstances.
"Her hearing may have been damaged during the stroke." He said more to himself than Alex as he examined Tara. "There was definitely some damage across all areas of swelling. Hmmm. We will have to wait a bit longer."
"I don't- I mean is she...why is she like this?" Alex's bottom lip was almost quivering.
"The brain is an interesting and phenomenal organ. We simply don't know how it will heal or if. She may be different indefinitely. She may wake up ten years from now and be normal again."
Alex nodded heavily. He eyes moved slowly from the doctor to the woman whom she had always called a friend and realized that she might not be able to continue that relationship. Now she understood why Yoongi pulled away. She was still angry with him, but it made more sense. She still felt it was cowardly of him. That hadn't changed.
The doctor moved to turn and almost bumped into a woebegotten looking Namjoon that stood behind him, patiently waiting to interrupt the tense moment. They both bowed and excused themselves.
Namjoon, hot food and drinks still hanging helplessly in his large grasp, looked at the love of his life who burst into tears.
"I think I just lost my best friend." Alex cried brokenly.
Namjoon set the food down and moved to her. He knelt in front of her, gingerly putting weight on his bad knee. She leaned forward and put her head against his. He stroked away the tears that ran down her cheeks and soothed her.
"One day at a time, baby. There's nothing you could have done or can do now, right." She nodded gently. He cradled her downcast face in his large hands and lifted it. His thumbs brushed her trembling lips, and he kissed them softly.
"I know you are hungry. Would you rather eat in the lobby?"
Alex nodded and glanced at the bed. Joon regathered his prizes, and they left the room.

***

"I just got a text from Alex." Amy shouted from Jungkook's living room. "Tara woke up, but they had to give her something to calm her down."
Jungkook came from the large back bedroom with a basket and sat it on the washer. "Damn."
Amy answered the text and yawned widely. She hadn't been sleeping well even though Alex had been at the hospital, and she had been with JK. What little sleep you could get around him was dotted with insomnia. Maybe she was just exhausted and worried, but it didn't help that now she was worried about not being worried.
Jungkook had started the laundry and clicked on the stove. Amy heard him rustling around in the refrigerator and cabinets as she scrolled on her phone. Within moments, the entire apartment was filled with the scent of food being prepared. Amy shifted in her seat, strangely uncomfortable all of a sudden.
She shifted and adjusted, but the feeling that was building inside her wasn't quieting down. Jungkook popped a bite of kimchi in his mouth and tossed a bag of shrimp into his wok.
Moments later, Amy was out of her seat, running to the bathroom where she wretched into the toilet. Jk wasn't worried at first, but after a few moments of the horrid heaving sounds, he cut off the stove and set the food to the side, going to check on her.
"Princess, are you ok?"
"No. The smell of the food made me si- huuukkk. Sick."
He got her a cool wet wash rag and helped her off the floor. She sat on the edge of the tub.
"Was it the eggs we had this morning?" He asked, more to himself than to her.
"I don't think so. The smell of the shrimp sure is making me feel green."
Jungkook pet her head for a moment before walking back to the bedroom. After a minute, he was back. His face was pale white, and Amy thought he might be sick too.
"Uuuh Amy...you're late"