Escape From The Sun

Chapter 9: Issued a Command

I had woken up the next day, finishing the tasks I was required to do for my stepmother, before hurrying to the kitchen. Picking up a bowl of corn ground broth with added meat and rice, I hurried with the tray to the infirmary. With how much blood he had loss, the meat was substantial in replacing the lost blood. The kitchen had put up a little of a fuss the night before when I requested it, and for the first time ever, I had to pull my position as the First Attendant to get it done, albeit with much complaint.

It was close to mid-morning by the time I managed to enter the infirmary. I had been worrying the whole time that he may be hungry, but when I entered and saw him getting up himself from the bed, I frowned. "Commander Jang, I did remind you to stay still, did you not?" It was a tone that was unheard of to be used on a commanding officer, but I had never stuck by rules much.

He turned to me, but wearing an amused smile instead of an outraged one others may have gotten.

"I thought I'm the patient here. Shouldn't you be gentler with me?" he mused. "I had liked how you were yesterday night."

I flushed, but placed the tray on the bedside table, and busied myself pressing him back into his pillows, pretending to check his dressing. "Eat your breakfast, Commander Jang. I'll change you dressing and wash them."

"I don't get to be fed?" It was the first time I had heard a playful tone from anyone, and I looked at him in surprise, feeling my chest constrict further when I saw the boyish glint in his eyes.

"Your-Your injury is on your waist and head. Your hands are perfectly functionable." I retorted, covering up the sudden embarrassment I felt.

He winced, effectively cutting off any response he had when I pulled a little carelessly at the bandage. I gasped at his reaction. "Sorry, sorry sorry so-" I began apologizing.

Surprising me, Jong Hyun placed a finger at my lips mid-word. "Hush. Nothing to be sorry about. I should be thanking you for taking care of me over the past two days."

Flustered by his reactions to me, I gave no reply, and allowed the silence to take over as I finished taking them out, dropping them in a tub of hot water and replacing them with fresh ones. Reminding him again to eat, I brought the tub of water and washed the bandages, pleased that the amount of blood staining the bandages were lesser now, as I hung them up to dry.

By the time I returned inside, the bowl was wiped clean, and a smile was on his face. My relief mounted when I saw a flush in his cheeks, a good signal that blood was returning to his face. Picking up a salve, I frowned when I peered inside. "What's the matter?" he had asked.

"I'll need to go collect more herbs for this. It's finishing." I murmured in explanation, motioning for him to stay still before using my fingers to dab the salve on his head wound, noting with pleasure that that too, was closing up well.

"Do you have no one else to ask to go?" he replied, as I stepped back. Jong Hyun looked at me, and when our eyes met, he frowned. Out of natural reaction, my heart raced in fear that I had done something wrong, and I turned to look down on my toes.

He had been surprised, reaching out to tilt my chin so I could meet his eyes again. "What's the matter?"

"You... frowned." I explained slowly, unsure of how much honesty should I offer him. What was it about this young, cheerful commander who elicited so much honesty from me? "I thought I had done something inappropriate."

He laughed then, much to my surprise. Laughter was not commonplace around me. "You could do nothing wrong so far, Suu Ji-yang." His words touched a chord in me, in a place where anything could be deemed as a political transgression, the knowledge that he saw me as something close to perfection was touching. "I was just worried. Your eyebags look heavy, and you are tired. I can see it. What's the matter?"