Subtle Differences | Junhao oneshots

Too close for comfort

A hospital was supposed to be a place for the sick and injured to heal, but even it has its own little quirks, like the speed at which gossip travelled around the place. Nurses and doctors alike, they were nosy people. After hours of treating the ill, they liked to have their own fun once in awhile. It wasn't very often a rumour would spring up in the workplace, but once it did, it travelled like a brazen fire.  

The newest newsflash that week? A surgeon and a patient too close for comfort. 

Junhui was merely filling out his patient charts, when nurse April sidled up to him, purposely jabbing against the side of his body. "Have you heard?" She whispered, eyes fixed on something in front of him. 

"Heard what?" He asked, confused. He followed the path that her gaze burned towards. Oh. In front of him, in the PICU, Minghao and what looked like a patient's father was chatting. The man was laughing, really hard. A little dramatic for a simple conversation, he thought.

"Dr Xu and the patient's father, Mr Alex Windham." Junhui lowered his gaze back to his charts. 

"Minghao's treating his daughter for a cardiovascular disease? Yes, I've heard. Why?" Junhui asked. Minghao had been talking about this girl the past few nights, since her admittance to the hospital three days ago. Apparently, she had been born there only a few months ago, and her mother had very unfortunately passed while in labour. The birth had caused a few problems for little Ally's health. As a doctor and a parent, it must have been hard seeing her in and out of the hospital within the short span of her life. 

April shrugged, eyeing his act of nonchalance. "Nothing. They just look a little, chummy is as all. Even Sarah's taken notice." She meant those words as a gentle reminder, but Junhui took it the wrong way, and looked at her with irritation. 

"I know, April. I can handle it." He said rather briskly, brushing past her to check on his post-op patient. April sighed. She knew it was a... difficult topic at hand. 

Minghao couldn't help but feel pity for the man in front of him. Mr Windham was only a few years older than himself, and he not only had to deal with his widowed circumstance, he also had a very sickly newborn to take care of. The road was not an easy one, Minghao understood his troubles clearly. 

"It was this one time, Dr Xu. I was caught up cleaning the house I forgot to feed Ally her medicine, the next thing I know she was coughing up blood and..." Minghao pat Alex's shoulder reassuringly as he choked on his words, tears sliding down his face. He felt for Alex immensely, what he was doing as a father was much better than what Minghao would ever be able to accomplish if he were in the other's shoes. 

He smiled at Alex grimly. "Ally's having a CT scan of her chest, we will only know what the issue is when the results are back. Please, have a seat. If you need anything, call me directly, okay?" Alex nodded, burying his head in his hands. Minghao sighed deeply. He had to help Ally get better, help take a little of Alex's overflowing plate. 

A little over an hour later, Sarah had brought Ally's CT results back. He took one look at the chart and cursed so audibly even Sarah was shushing him. The prognosis was far from ideal, in fact it was worse than Minghao had thought. 

The moment he entered the ward, Alex jumped up, looking at him expectantly. He didn't know how to break the news, afraid he might break the man's soul. "Mr Windham, Ally has a blood clot near to her heart. Unfortunately, it is extremely close to her subclavian artery..." He paused in the mid of his sentence. The look of hope in Alex's eyes, Minghao didn't want to be the cause of it vanishing. 

"Well, it's treatable right? You can give her medicine to dissolve the clot? Or do surgery?" Alex asked. No, he pleaded. 

Minghao lowered his gaze, shaking his head. "I'm sorry. I recommend letting her get comfortable for the time-being," He finally delivered he bad news. The reaction he got, was exactly what he expected. Alex broke down in tears, knees nearly buckling underneath his own weight. Minghao reacted instinctively, reaching out and putting his arm around the other man. He helped him to the chair.