“Please tell me what happened to my father!” I begged.
Why were the nurses just standing around when they had called to say it was an emergency?
An older nurse with aged wrinkles on her forehead hesitated before heading in my direction. The fidgeting young nurse in front of me had called her Nurse Shin.
“Where is Nurse Lee?” I asked. “She’s the nurse who’s been in charge of my father.”
“Let me see if I can page her,” Nurse Shin says quietly. Though I could see her attention was elsewhere, making me even more anxious. After hanging up the phone, she looked up at me. “Nurse Lee should be here any moment to provide more information on your father’s condition.”
Two suited men approached the nurse’s station and she made her way to speak to them. Her face looked serious as she shook her head, looking upset as they exchanged a few words in low voices.
“Miss Gomi!” A familiar face rushed toward me from down the hall. Her heart-shaped face was framed by her short brown hair cut in a bob that brushed her chin.
“Nurse Lee, what happened with my father?” I asked.
The crinkle in her brow and the frown on her face made my heart sink lower.
“Well…” she hesitated. “He suffered a relapse in his treatment...”
She looked upset, but there was no urgency in her voice and words which confused me.
Is it not as serious as I thought…?
“Can I see him?” I asked.
She nodded and motioned us to follow her.
Jenny patted me on my back in reassurance as we made our way down the hall. Nurse Lee sighed a long breath before sliding the door open.
Dad’s black hair looked a bit disheveled and his pale face was damp with sweat as he lay on the bed with white linen sheets.
Though the beeping of the heart monitor was steady, he had an IV needle in his arm.
I rushed forward and clasped his hand–they were cold to the touch. “Dad, can you hear me?”
He remained unconscious.
“Is it serious?” I asked. “What was the reason for the relapse?”
Nurse Lee stepped behind me and played with the IV pouch. “A-ah… well… that is…” she stuttered, seemingly unsure how to respond to my questions.
Suddenly, Dad flung upright in his bed like a zombie. His eyes popped open. “I relapsed because I missed you so much!”
The room was silent for a long moment.
With watering eyes, I stared at him with his goofy smile and arms spread open for a hug.
“What took you so long? I missed your pretty face.” He grinned again.
Nurse Lee let out a long sigh again.
I stepped forward and hit him on the shoulder. “How could you joke about your health like that?!”
“Ow!” He winced. “I’m a patient. You can’t hit me like that. Right, Nurse Lee? She shouldn’t hit a patient like that.” He opened one eye and peeked toward us.
“I apologize for making you worry,” Nurse Lee bowed to me, apologetically.
“It’s boring here, and Nurse Lee is the only one who will play with me.” Dad pursed his lips.
I sighed and released the tension in my shoulders, bowing deeply toward Nurse Lee. “I apologize for my father’s childish behavior.”
Nurse Lee smiled. “It’s nice to have someone with such a bright outlook on life in this wing of the hospital, so it’s not a problem at all. Feel free to stay as long as you’d like, he is done with his treatment for today.”
“I’ll go buy us some drinks!” Jenny offered and ran out quickly.
“Do you forgive me, Daughter?” Dad patted my head softly.
I frowned. “You’re lucky you’re already in a hospital bed.”
He faked a shiver and hugged himself. “When did Day Gomi get so scary…!”
“You’re lucky it’s still bright because Night Gomi might have burned the building down.” I frowned. “But don’t joke around with your health again, or you’ll even make Day Gomi angry.”
“Ok, ok. Thank you, Daughter.” Dad pulled me into a big bear hug. “How is the new apartment? Is it in a safe neighborhood?”
I paused before nodding. “We might need to put some of our things in storage, but it’s good enough for now.”
Dad’s face pulled into a concerned expression. “Gomi, I know that you’re strong, but that doesn’t mean you need to take unnecessary risks.”
“Don’t you know I learned taekwondo from the strongest master!” I flexed my arm toward him. “But I’ll still be careful.”
He sighed. “I know you will. I’m so sorry to my daughter all the time.”
Jenny popped her head in at this moment, thankfully, holding three canned fruit juices in her hands. “Mr. Kim, it’s been a while!”
“Jenny! Look how big you got.” Dad laughed. “The last time I saw you, you got gum stuck in your hair, and we had matching haircuts!”
Jenny laughed with an embarrassed blush. “All the kids started calling me Johnny because I looked like a boy!”
“I’m glad you’re here to watch over Gomi,” he said.
Jenny and Dad cheered their juices. “Of course, you know how strong and capable I am.”
Dad leaned close to her with an eyebrow raised and in a low voice said, “Make sure to keep these Seoul boys away from Day Gomi. She’s too naive.”
“Hey!” I interrupted.
They laughed loudly in response. My heart felt full as the color returned to Dad’s face. The treatment seemed to be making him stronger.
I hoped it would continue because I wouldn’t know what to do if I lost him too.
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