Close to Heaven

Breakfast

I shuffled to the kitchen and started my espresso maker. Opening the fridge, I realized that I had forgotten to go the grocery store last night. Jae Eun, my roommate, would be mad for sure. She had been asking me to go for the last three nights and I had forgotten each time. At least I'm consistent. 

I pulled the last of the bread out and two of our three eggs. As I dropped the bread in the toaster, I heard Jae Eun begin to move around in her room. A few minutes later she emerged, rubbing her eyes. If Ulsan had eaten her hair and puked it back up, it would have looked no different. 

"How would you like your eggs Jae Eun?" I asked, smiling widely. She took one look at my act of kindness and knew. "You forgot to get groceries didn't you?" "Maybe," I said sheepishly. "How would you like your eggs?" I repeated. "I heard you the first time, pabo. And it's not eggs if it's only one, it's egg since you forgot to buy more," She snapped. 

"Over medium please," she furthered, crossing her arms and pouting. I started to heat up a pan, rolling my eyes but smiling simultaneously. 

I cracked an egg into the hot pan and moved to throw the shell away. As I walked to the trash can, the strangest thing happened. A pain shot through my spine and down to my legs, I stumbled and tripped. 

As I fell to the ground my shoulder collided with a cabinet, stopping my fall painfully. The eggshell fell from my hand and I crumpled to the floor. The pain in my back persisted. It wasn't muscle soreness, but more of a pain deep in my spine. "Mi Sun!" Jae Eun cried. She pushed the chair back from her spot at the breakfast table and rushed to my side. 

The pain began to fade to a dull, throbbing bruise. Jae Eun crouched beside me, murmuring to herself worriedly. I whimpered quietly until the pain had subsided enough for me to sit up. I did so, pushing my knotted hair out of my face. 

Taking a deep breath, I squinted. It took a moment for my vision to clear, revealing Jae Eun's worried face. "What happened? Are you okay?" Jae Eun patted my back, helping me back up onto my feet. "I'm okay, I think I just pulled something I guess," I knew from the sharp pain from within my spine that it hadn't been that, but I didn't want to worry Jae Eun. I forced a smile. "I'm okay now," I assured her. She nodded uncertainly and took her spot at the table again.