2Yeon: Perception [Slow Updates]

Chapter 26

A/N: This is somewhat of a filler chapter but it's not going to feel that way lmao

Anyways, enjoy!

...

Before the nurse came in mid-morning, Nayeon had already returned after her pilates session.

The nurse in navy blue scrubs came in with a practiced quiet, holding a BP cuff in one hand with a chart resting on her forearm. She proceeded to take her blood pressure first then temperature with a thermometer she fished out of her pocket. Nayeon watched over the nurse moving around like a hawk though Jeongyeon thinks there was no need to. While the nurse was taking her pulse rate, she asked, "Are you experiencing any dizziness?"

"No."

The nurse nodded then continued, "What about nausea?"

Again, Jeongyeon answered, "No."

The answers came without much fanfare... everything did. Her vitals were normal, her pain was bearable, and the nurse said her recovery was progressing as expected. She was healing physically. Mentally, though? That's another story.

While the nurse was checking on her IV bag and the infusion monitor, the doctor came in with her tablet in hand and a polite smile on her face. She acknowledged Nayeon with a bow before addressing Jeongyeon. "Good morning, Jeongyeon-ssi. How are we feeling today?"

"I'm good, seonsaengnim."

"That's good to hear."

The nurse interjects for a bit to update the doctor regarding Jeongyeon's vitals then excused herself and exited the room after having finished her tasks.

When she was gone, the doctor turned back to Jeongyeon. "How's the pain?"

Jeongyeon repeated what she had said earlier. "Bearable."

Truth to be told, the pain never disappears. It also was never just one thing. The base of her neck where the injury originated felt the worst. The ache was dull, heavy, and exhausting but beneath it was the threat of something sharper. Even a little movement could send a jolt of pain down her shoulder, into her arm, until it reached her fingertips. It wasn't a debilitating pain but it was sudden enough that her breath hitches when it comes and goes every once in a while. Though there was some truth to her statement about the pain being bearable, it was mostly due to her medication that helps soften it. But, again, it never disappears. It lingers.

She wasn't going to say otherwise in front of Nayeon but something about her must have given it away because the doctor looked like she was aware Jeongyeon wasn't being entirely truthful. There was a clarity behind her lens and she nodded like she understood. "We'll keep you on steroids for now," she said. "Your dosage will stay the same. We'll taper it once you're more stable."

Jeongyeon hummed in acknowledgement like she understood exactly what that meant.

"Are you experiencing any side effects so far?"

Jeongyeon paused long enough to consider it.

There had been one issue she unconsciously ignored. This is not to say she hasn't been made aware of it. The doctors had mentioned it in passing, reassured her that her body might feel off while she was on medication. She had nodded and accepted it when they explained then promptly pushed the information aside. Only now that she thought about it, there was a reason why she's been avoiding looking at herself in a mirror as of late, why she passed by them without a second glance.

At the time, she underestimated the medication and the subtle changes she couldn't quite name but felt nonetheless. And with her recent accident placing an obstacle in her road to recovery, she realized that she'd be on the medication for far longer than she had anticipated. The implications of this lingered in her thoughts, unwelcome but persistent.