Give Me || Suga FanFic

Twenty-Four.

"Something has been different about you, Rae," Chang-Woo commented as Rae gathered supplies from the office before leaving for her route.

Rae pressed her lips together. "Different how?"

Chang-Woo tapped his fingers on his coffee mug, his eyes staring her down. "Two weeks ago you were begging to have a day off from your new route, and now you are the most eager one to get started with their work day. What changed?" he raised an eyebrow at her in suspicion.

Rae gave a light chuckle and shrug. "I guess I connected with the patients quicker than I thought I would."

"So you don't want to return to your old route?" Chang-Woo inquired.

"No," Rae quickly replied, trying to hide the urgency in her voice.

Rae and Chang-Woo locked eyes in a staring contest, his eyebrows still raised as if he were hoping Rae would cave under the pressure of his gaze. She didn't. When he realized she wasn't going to falter, he took a sip of coffee. "Alright, alright, you can keep your route then. I have some additional patients that got added to it today. One in particular, Kim Hong-Joon, is going to need more of your attention. He is on hospice."

Rae nodded, topping off her tote with the last of her supplies. "Thank you for the heads up, I will let you know how it goes with the new patients today."

Chang-Woo gave Rae a thumbs up. "Keep up the good work, Rae."

The drive to work was slow-moving as a snowstorm had made the roads particularly slushy. In between patients, Rae squeezed in phone calls with her parents and Miles. They asked again what her plans were for Christmas, and Rae didn't know the best way to reply. As much as she wanted to tell them that she had planned to spend it with her new boyfriend, she decided to dodge the question.

If Min was going to be a part of Rae's life, she needed to tell them, and Ji-Sun, who Min was. She couldn't hide Min away and keep him a secret forever, but she didn't know the protocol for how to tell her loved ones that she was dating a world-famous idol. She also didn't know if that was even allowed. It felt like an unspoken rule that she would be breaking if their relationship was disclosed. Rae didn't want to bring up the details to Min - she felt awkward having the conversation, and she needed to get clarity.

The additional patients that had been added had higher needs than previous ones. Rae's newest patient, Hong-Joon, was the father of a tech millionaire. His son, Je Jum, had been taking care of Hong-Joon for years as he suffered from pancreatic cancer. Hong-Joon was seventy years old, and his most recent chemotherapy treatment and surgery had been unsuccessful in slowing down the cancer, and he was in his final days.

Rae worked quietly to give Hong-Joon additional fluids and medicine through his IV. The old man, with his thick grey hair, bushy eyebrows, and sun-spotted skin, lay motionless and peacefully asleep.

Rae always struggled with hospice patients. As a nurse, she loved helping people improve and giving them solutions and answers. When she worked with hospice patients, the only thing she could offer was relief, and that never felt good enough to her. Rae would do all she could to provide comfort to patients on hospice, but it was never easy watching someone slowly fade from one life to the next.

Rae exited Hong-Joon's room and was greeted by his son, Je Jum.

Je Jum bowed to Rae and spoke to her in Korean. "Butag hana haedo doelkkayo?" Can I ask you a favor?

Rae nodded for Je Jum to proceed with his question.

"Gagi jeon-e nae ttal jom bwajusil su issnayo? Geunyeoneun oneul mom-i johji anh-assseubnida." Can you take a look at my daughter before you go? She hasn't felt well today.

Rae looked at her watch which showed it was a half hour past her normal work hours, but she couldn't refuse his request. Rae nodded again and motioned for Je Jum to lead the way.

Je Jum took Rae to his daughter, Myung-Hee's, room. Myung-Hee looked to be no older than five years old. Her short black hair was disheveled as she lay in her bed, her body shaking. Her eyes were shut tightly as she winced in pain.

Rae rushed to the girl's bedside and pulled out her medical kit, taking vitals and asking Je Jum questions about Myung-Hee's symptoms. She had a high fever, had refused to eat since breakfast that morning, and had complained of stomach pain.

Rae gently nudged Myung-Hee to a sitting position to properly hear her breathing and heart rate. Myung-Hee moaned at the motion and Rae apologized, telling her she would be as fast as she could. After gathering her vitals, Rae gently pressed on Myung-Hee's stomach, trying to gather if any distension was present when suddenly, Myung-Hee gripped Rae's shoulder and a look of panic and alertness rushed to Myung-Hee's eyes. Before Rae could pull back and stop what she knew was happening, Myung-Hee had heaved, and vomit showered all over Rae's uniform.

Je Jum rushed over to hold back Myung-Hee, and his apologies flooded the room. Rae stopped him, not wanting to embarrass Myung-Hee, who clearly had not intended to throw up all over Rae. Rae laughed it off, trying to soothe Myung-Hee as she let Je Jum know that Myung-Hee was fighting the stomach flu.

Rae did her best to clean up before she left, but the damage was too extensive to be handled by hand. Rae needed her uniform dry-cleaned and she needed a shower to get rid of the awful smell.

Rae got out to her car just past six. She frowned looking at the time and looking at the state she was in. She hesitated as she pressed the call button for Min. The line only rang once.

"Hey, sunshine," Min's husky voice sounded like Rae's call had woken him up from a nap, a groan that sounded like stretching emitting through the phone.

"I didn't mean to wake you," Rae said.

"I am happy to be woken up by your call," Min assured her. "You had a long work day. Are you on your way over?" he asked with genuine anticipation in his voice.

Rae sighed. "I had every intention to come over, but I have to go home. My last patient..." Rae stopped herself. How unglamorous was it to tell her new boyfriend that the reason she couldn't come over was because she was covered in someone else's dry puke and had no way of cleaning up before she saw him? She hesitated but knew honesty was the best, even if it was horribly embarrassing to say out loud. "Let's just say, I am wearing their breakfast and I am in desperate need of a shower and clean clothes."

Min didn't skip a beat in his response. "Don't go home, I'll take care of you."

Rae paused. "You did hear me, right? I do not want you to see me like this," Rae confessed her insecurities.

Min's laugh echoed through the phone. "Vomit isn't going to scare me away, sunshine. I want to see you regardless of what you look or smell like. Trust me. Come by, and I will see you soon." Min hung up the line, and Rae battled with her embarrassment as she obeyed his orders, swallowed her insecurities, and drove to UN Village.

A/N: This story has been so fun to write as I go! The next chapter I am especially excited for! Stay tuned and don't forget to share your thoughts in the comments if you are enjoying the story and vote! XOXO - E