"How is he?" Jaemin asked, turning around the corner as he left the operation room and seeing Areum pacing on the other side
"He's slowly regaining consciousness...he was confused but I checked the CT and there seems to be a small tumour so he probably needs a surgery. If you want me to do an MRI—"
"No...that's good—that's great actually. Nice work" Jaemin nodded, shooting her a small smile. She slowed down her steps and eventually stopped in her tracks, causing him to pause and turn around to face her with a confused expression
"You're going easy on me, aren't you?" She asked with a light sigh and he raised an eyebrow
"What?" He asked, stepping closer to her
"You're going easy on me" she said, tilting her head to the side and he let out a light scoff
"What makes you think that?" He asked, crossing his arms over his chest as he challenged her statement
"So you hate it when I shout at you and give out to you when you make mistakes and don't do your job right but...you also hate it when I'm proud of you for doing your job right?" Jaemin said with a hum as she fell silent under his stare with a slight pout on her lips
"I'm not going easy on you. I don't do easy Jung, you know that" Jaemin said, lowering his head down to her to maintain their eye contact
"I just...feel like everyone's been going easy on me" she said, her teeth gnawing at her bottom lip
"Can you blame them?" He asked, straightening up and putting his hands in his pocket as she shook her head slowly
"Fine...here's me not going easy on you. I want you to get me the baby Mrs. Kim had and bring it to room 109. Cross check the ID, it should be in NICU" Jaemin instructed quickly before he walked away from her
"Wow, putting me on babysitting duties is you not going easy on me?" She asked with a scoff, a playful grin on her lips
"Do as you're told" he said with a smirk before turning around on his heel
"Yes doctor" she said, loud enough to make sure he heard it as he turned another corner. And just like he ordered, she had began walking towards room 109 with a newborn baby in her arms.
"You're so cute" Areum said, cooing at the baby lightly before pushing down on the door handle with her elbow and letting herself into the room where Jaemin was going through the patient's treatment plan
"Mr. Kim, this is Dr. Jung" Jaemin briefly introduced, his own eyes focusing more on the girl who carefully carried the baby in her arms as she walked towards the side of the bed
"And this is your beautiful daughter" Areum said with a soft voice as the man sat up against his bed, ready to take his newborn into his hands
"Look at you" the man said with a soft gasp as his eyes welled up at the sight of his baby. Areum stepped back beside Jaemin with a small smile on her face as she watched the small interaction
"Your mommy is going to be so happy to see you" the man cooed and she turned her head to see Jaemin, expecting the same soft reaction but instead being met with a face of hesitation.
She had come to know this look all too well.
"Sir—"
"Dr. Na...could I...talk to you outside for a second" she said quickly, butting in before he could finish his statement and he blinked twice before following her outside of the patient room
"What?" He asked, standing beside her as he closed the door and watched through the room window to see the man caressing his child
"Just give him a minute...with his kid" Areum said with a sigh
"He looks so happy...he's not going to be happy after you tell him that his wife didn't make it" she said, putting the pieces together. Jaemin took in a deep breath before exhaling out slowly
"It's not our job to keep them happy Areum...it's our job to tell them the truth" he said with a soft voice
"I know...but it's also our job to care. If we tell him now he's just going to blame himself for the crash, he's going to wish his wife could've been the one to live and not the baby." She said, turning to him as he nodded slowly, agreeing with her words.
The two stood there in silence for the next few minutes, allowing the man to enjoy the moment with his child, no other worry in the world, before they ultimately decided it was time to do their job.
"Come in with me" Jaemin said softly, knowing that no matter how many years he spent breaking the news to people, it never really got easier.
"Mr. Kim, I need to talk to you...about your wife" Jaemin said slowly as the two entered the room again, closing the door behind them to give them privacy
"Is she okay? You said you were going to operate on her—is she awake?" The man asked, his eyes widening with a small smile growing on his lips. Jaemin took in another breath, keeping his composure
"Sir, your wife had a number of injuries resulting from the crash when she came in, multiple organ damage and fractures. Her body couldn't take it for very long...especially not while it was preparing for childbirth" Jaemin said, starting the bad news off slowly as the man's face slowly saddened with each word
"W-what does that mean?" He asked with a shaky breath and Areum's eyes lowered slightly, almost feeling the guilt that Jaemin had boiling within him.
This was the part of the job every doctor hated.
"Your wife unfortunately didn't make it...we tried to save both of them but in the end we could only save the baby" Jaemin said
"She's gone?" He asked, tears welling up in his eyes, not knowing how he could ever raise a child alone without its own mother being present
"I'm sorry...we did everything we could" Jaemin said, bowing his head out of respect and Areum did the same
"Thank you...for doing your best" the man said with a slow nod as Jaemin's words sank in slowly. Jaemin tapped Areum's back lightly, signalling it was time for them to leave but she just couldn't fight the feeling of having to say a few more words out of compassion
"For what it's worth...I never grew up with a mom, not even a dad. But I had a grandmother that raised me as best as she could've and...that was enough. All that matters is who was always there. I'm sure she'll grow up to be a great kid" Areum said softly, her words trying to reassure the man as best as they could, knowing it wouldn't be much help...but it was help.
"Thanks doctor" the man said, bowing again as Areum nodded, turning to leave with Jaemin out of the room
"You okay?" Jaemin asked as they stepped out into the quiet hallway, his eyes briefly lingering on the man that held his child even closer through the window before turning back to Areum
"I know you said I shouldn't get attached and...I would be a better doctor that way—and maybe you're right but..." she trailed off, a small shrug on her shoulders
"This is who I am. I do hurt people, I break the rules and I don't think sometimes...but I'm human. And I'm always going to be a human before I'm a doctor" Areum said with a slow nod, her eyes looking up to Jaemin and he nodded slowly as well, a soft smile on his lips as she turned away from him to walk away
"Areum" he called out, causing her to stop her steps before looking back to him
"You're a great doctor. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise...not even me" Jaemin said, a reassuring smile on his face as he realised his words did have more of an impact than he had hoped.
She was human after all. She wasn't perfect, and neither was he.
"I'll see you at home?" He asked with a hopeful tone in his voice and she nodded slowly
"Where else would I go?" She asked with a smile, turning on her heel again before looking back at him
"You're my home, remember?" She said before walking down the hallway while he watched her silhouette grow smaller
"Yeah...I'm your home."
YOU ARE READING
orgasm donor | na // on hold
Fanfiction"I have to do your performance review" "Alright well how about I give you a performance to review?" ________ A book in which, the young and eccentric, Na Jaemin decided to donate something other than his blood to the kind hearted nurse who started w...
