Miss Park

A muffin and a coffee

Last night was the first night that I hadn't spent in Lisa's bed with her. Instead I slept in Jennie's guest room while her parents were away. Lisa was refusing to let me go home and shower by myself, so she made both Jennie and Jisoo wait in the living room for me while I showered.

But when I got to the hospital this morning, Lisa was already up and waiting for me, sitting in her wheelchair next to the window. Her face lit up when she saw me and I could see she was excited about something.

"Hey baby, you're up and about this morning!" I toss my bag of clothes onto the visitors chair and pull my hair back into a pony tail. Lisa has been having abnormal body temperatures since her accident, the doctors said it was a side effect to her medication, so it wasn't really a surprise that she was wearing a hoodie, a beanie and had a blanket covering her legs.

"Yeah! Can you take me for a walk today? The nurse said I can go." She motions to her wheelchair. Of course I'll take her for a walk, she's probably so sick of sitting and staring around her room the past few days, I mean, I've been here 24/7 with her. But, I've been allowed to go out and get something or pop round the hall to the visitors room so I could make myself a coffee.

"Yeah of course! We can go to the café downstairs and have something to eat. I'll take you to the outside area and we can sit under a tree and do something?" This hospital was quite large compared to the one that I stayed in, in Korea. It had a café, a newsagent and a post office.

With Lisa keen to do what I suggested, I throw on a jacket and pack a small bag that I can easily hang off of the back of the wheelchair. I put in two books for reading under a tree, a bottle of water, and my purse. Leaving extra room in case Lisa got too hot and wanted to take her blanket or hoodie off.

I grip the handles to her wheel chair and push her out of the room. She wasn't heavy at all. Honestly, I expected a little difficulty when pushing her around, but it was really easy. When we walk past the desk where some of the nurses were sitting, they all gave us a smile and a wave.

I could tell that Lisa was enjoying it, being out of her small room must have felt good. It was nice seeing her little smile while I pushed her through the quiet halls. Today wasn't very busy on the upper level of the hospital, but I knew the bottom level would be busy because I had just walked through it to get up to Lisa's room.

"How was Jennie's house last night?" She tilts her head back to look at me, her beanie pulling her bangs back out of her face so it was easy for me to bend down and kiss her forehead while we were walking.

"It was good! Jisoo stayed the night with us. They started the night out in Jennie's room, but they both came in because they didn't want me to be lonely." I chuckle at the memory of Jennie and Jisoo wandering into my room last night, clutching a blanket and a few pillows. "So we all slept in the guest bed together. I woke up with one on either side."

"They're just happy that they can call you 'Roseanne' now." The amusement in Lisa's voice makes me smile as we stop infront of the elevator, I push Lisa up right next to the doors so Lisa can push the button. It's cute how proud of herself she looks afterwards.

"You know..." she looks at me through the elevator mirror once the door clamps shut behind us. "If I wasn't stuck in this chair I definitely would have jumped you by now. You look banging in those jeans..." I bite my bottom lip and lock eyes with her in the mirror, a shy but sure smile planted across my face. This girl, I swear.

The halls were busier on the bottom floor, Lisa fidgeting a little in her chair. People were turning their heads to look at the girl in the wheelchair, because it's just natural to do so. The café was busy, but Lisa and I managed to get a seat pretty easily. Heads turned to look at Lisa when I parked her down beside me at the table, her visibly weak figure looking tired and worn down. But, her eyes told a different story. She was happy. Happy to be breathing fresh air.

"What do you want to eat, love?" I grab my purse from the back of her chair and rub her shoulders. God, they feel so tense.

"Uh, just a choc chip muffin and a coffee please!" She tilts her head back but this time, rather than kissing her forehead. I lean down and capture her dry lips. The poor thing hadn't been able to keep up with any skincare. So she was breaking out a little on her cheek and her lips were dry. So I had bought her stuff from Jennie's house that hopefully we could try tonight.

A sharp gasp from the table beside us causes us both to snap our heads in that direction. An older woman is looking at Lisa and I with a look of pure disgust. It doesn't take a genius to figure out why she's upset. But, I don't care. Instead I lean back down and kiss Lisa again. This time pulling back and placing a kiss on her cheek before whispering in her ear. "I'll be right back."

Ordering our muffins and coffees doesn't take long. But I keep shooting glances over to Lisa who is aware of people staring at her. She's fidgeting with the corners of her blanket and pulling at the strings of her hoodie. So I order as quick as possible so I can go back over to her.

When I sit back down next to her, I can see her visibly relax, her eyes softening and her body going slack. I reach out for her hand but she jerks away. "What if someone sees?"

"Babygirl I just kissed you in front of everyone here. I'm not your teacher anymore. Meaning, I can do this..." I lace her fingers with mine and bring her hand up to meet my lips. "... in public without getting in trouble. I love you, Lis. We can show it off now."

Our meals are placed infront of us and Lisa's eyes sparkle. Finally eating something different that doesn't have the hospital taste.

"Holy shit, this muffin is good". It's gone within 3 seconds. Her throat expanding like a snake so she can fit as much down as possible. I offer her the rest of mine, and she looks a little guilty, but devours that too. Her satisfied smile after eating something that was so fresh made my body tingle. I hadn't seen her smile so genuinely in days. The last time I had seen a smile that didn't look weak was the night she got shot. Whenever she had smiled lately, it was still bright, you could also just see that she was struggling. "I love you, Rosie"

I kiss her cheek and stand up, unlocking the breaks of the wheel chair and pulling her out from under the table. People glancing at us as I push her out through the double automatic doors into the fresh air and sunlight.