Ashes | JENO

Chapter 8

Soojung had to admit, the nurse wasn't wrong when she said that Ms. Kim could be moody sometimes.

As Soojung, entered the hospital room with Ms. Kim's dinner, the woman gave her the dirtiest look, making Soojung gulp.

"Um, here's your dinnner, Miss." Soojung said, trying to be as polite as possible as she set the tray down.

"How dare they assign me someone like you." Ms. Kim mumbled as Soojung moved the chair closer to help feed the woman. "They just had to give me a pretty one."

Is that an insult or a compliment? Soojung thought as she forced a smile, feeding the woman.

"How are you doing today?" Soojung asked, hoping to start a good conversation but it didn't work.

"Miserable, like usual." Ms. Kim answered. "Just want my memory back but nope, can't get that."

"It must be hard." Soojung said. It must be hard not being able to remember any part of your life.

"It is." Ms. Kim responded bluntly. Soojung flinched as she suddenly turned her body towards her.

"Your hair colour, I feel like I've seen it before." Ms. Kim said, taking Soojung aback.

"Really?" Soojung said, tilting her head. "I've never seen anyone else with the same colour."

"I could have sworn that there was another girl with the same colour." Ms. Kim mumbled. "Or I'm going insane. Probably the second option."

As moody as Ms. Kim could be sometimes, she never failed to put a smile on Soojung's face with her commentary.

"Or you're just tired." Soojung said as she fed Ms. Kim the last bite.

"That could be it." Ms. Kim said with a yawn.

Soojung moved the tray away, taking out the bandages that she was going to use to replace the old ones with.

"You seem like a good kid, what's your name again?" Ms. Kim asked as Soojung propped her leg up to change the bandages.

"Im Soojung." Soojung replied with a small smile, trying not to wince at the sight of Ms. Kim's injuries.

"Soojung, Soojung. Sounds like..." Soojung couldn't hear the other words that came out of Ms. Kim's mouth, the sounds mushing together.

Probably the last student that took shifts here, Soojung thought as Ms. Kim continued to mutter nonsense as she finished replacing her bandages.

By the time Soojung was done, Ms. Kim was half asleep so she gave the woman a wave goodbye before exiting her room.

Soojung stretched her hands above her head after she returned the empty tray, exhausted from the long shift. When she returned to the ambulance bay, she saw Jaemin sitting on an empty bed in the halls, already changed out of his scrubs.

"Want a ride home, it's late." Jaemin offered.

"Sur-" Soojung's eyes widened as she realized something.

I forgot to feed the cats!

On the days that Soojung had shifts at the hospital, she would feed them in the morning on her way to school but today, she was running late so didn't have time to feed them.

"Is that supposed to be a yes?" Jaemin said, raising an eyebrow.

"No, it's alright, I'll go home on my own." Soojung said, quickly running to the locker room.

"But it's late and the streets are dark." Jaemin said just as the girl disappeared into the room.

...