The Nine Dancing Princesses (TWICE FF)

5. Exhaustion

There was a sudden rush around Tzuyu as everyone circled Mina who collapsed on the floor. She was too shocked to process what had happened. Dahyun and Chaeyoung rushed to hold her, Dahyun keeping Minas head in her lap.

"please let the air circulate, move out of the way" Chaeyoung pleaded waving her hand so people would move out of the way. Dahyun was constantly fanning mina with a book as she looked like she was about to cry.

"Tzuyu please bring some water, immediately." Chaeyoung instructed now, checking her pulse. Tzuyu snapped back from the haze and rushed towards the waterholders to fetch some water.

Her heart hammering in her chest not because of she ran but because she was afraid that something might happen to Mina. Waterholders were placed in every corners of the corridors, and she could still the crowd as she filled the water in the golden jug. It had barely been two minutes but she felt that she was too slow.

Just when she was about to hurry back, she saw Jihyo and Nayeon passing by. "hey Tzuyu, what is going there?" Nayeon asked worried about the look on her face.

"Mina, just collapsed." Tzuyu didn't explain anything more and ran with the water before they could aske anything else.

"I am calling the nurse right away" Jihyo announced as she ran towards the medical room.

Within minutes Mina was taken into medical care, she was laid on a bed, all the accessories from her royal garment taken off, her room maid was sent for and the nurses started working on the medicine. By now, Sana, Momo, Jungyeon were also there with the rest six. The royal doctor looked at them through her glasses.

"Princess Nayeon may I have a word with you please?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"I am sorry, but I need to request your highnesses that whoever doesn't know her need to leave, we can't have a rush here."

To that Sana suddenly piped in,"we all know her" the doctor's eyes shifted to Sana.

"all eight?"

"yes, all eight" Momo confirmed.

The doctor sighed in defeat as she settled back to check Minas pulse rate. After sometime Minas Personal maid arrived and was asked about Mina's personal schedule.

"Princess was supposed to arrive yesterday but due to some security reasons she could only arrive today morning."

The doctor listened carefully. "did she looked sick or something?"

"she looked tired but otherwise was fine. But during the breakfast she suddenly came and started vomiting in her washroom. And when she came to get ready for her class she looked like she has been crying."

Hearing this, Jihyo and Nayeon felt really guilty. "hmm... just as I suspected it is due to exhaustion, crossing borders isnt a simple task and that too over waters" hearing this Nayeon sat beside the doctor.

"she wasn't talking that much too, didn't even eat anything. Is she going to wake up?"

"don't worry you highness she just needs to rest a bit and we have prepared a medicine with lots of glucose in it."

Jungyeon was worried too because she had seen her crying in the lobby. She asked the doctor "when will she wake up?"

"even if she wakes up I am not letting her go till evening" hearing this Jihyo suddenly became worried.

"Then what about her lunch? She didnt even had breakfast yet."

Hearing this, Dahyun also added "if you want we can bring her the lunch here."

As nurse who had been beside Mina sponging her with wet towels said " no need your highness, we will prepare a different meal for her" the doctor smiled for the first time

"your highnesses may visit her during the lunch hour, she might be awake then" Nayeon returned her smile with a nod.

Her province was best known for the medical facilities and the doctor sitting beside her was once her personal caretaker when she was sick. That was some ten years ago. She had been sick for a month and the only person who was with her all the time was this doctor. She used to call her doctor nightingale as she always sung her to sleep. The doctor didnt smile that often but when she did, she was a sweet motherly figure. Although she didnt had a family of her own. Her parents had died in an epidemic and that made become a doctor. No one married her because she was highly educated.

Suddenly seeing that smile made Nayeon remember all about her favourite doctor. Who took care of her like her mother. She told her life stories to her all the time and they were so fun to listen, even more than those fairy tales. She realised about how much she had missed her, for the first time.

"your highnesses, I suggest you to carry on with your respective schedules. She is going to be fine." Nayeon snapped back to reality and before she got up to leave with the others, she whispered to the doctor

"I know you will make her fine, doctor nightingale." The doctor was shocked that she still remembered her. The only family she had, even if it was not blood related. She had thought of her as her own daughter. Nayeon looked back and smiled before leaving.

After an hour or two Mina opened her eyes blinking to see clearly. She tried to get up, but suddenly felt dizzy again as she collapsed on the bed gaining the nurses attention.

"Princess please lie down, rest till I call the doctor" she was feeling really worse as she lied down closing her eyes. This time when she opened her eyes the doctor was looking at her.

The doctor was checking her pulse as she smiled at her. "Your highness how are you feeling?"

"Dizzy" was all she could say. The nurse brought a medicine and she drank it. it took a while for her to stabilize before she could sit up.

"Where is this place?"

"its the pharmacy" Mina thought for a while trying to recall when she came here.

"Don't stress too much princess, you had fainted."

"oh.."

Mina couldnt think of anything else to say. They made her eat something and then she was again made to lay down. She closed her eyes and went to sleep again.