"What're you doing here with my dad?"

I gaze in the direction of the man he mentioned, and I remember what happened earlier before I dozed off. "Oh...I...." my eyes move back towards him, and I avoid giving him all the details. "He fell asleep outside in the cold, but he didn't seem all right. So I brought him here and stayed to check up on his state, but I fell asleep too."

"What was he doing outside again?" he frowns, but I shrug. "I don't know. He maybe needed some time to breathe."

"I'm sure he fucking drunk to sleep again," he sighs but talks rudely, making me feel hurt for Mister Jeon. "Oh, whatever. You should go back to bed. He wouldn't want you to sleep on the sofa because of him."

"Hm..." I nod without answering with a definitive 'yes', but he does not go, probably guessing it is hard for me to go and leave his father all alone here. "He's fine, y/n. You shouldn't worry about him. I'll talk to him tomorrow if you want."

"No need to," I shake my head. "I should wake up in forty minutes anyway. I am going to have my morning routine and do some stuff a bit earlier. I'll take a nap later, it's fine," I explain to him that it is useless to go back to sleep now, and he stands there, looking at me.

Have I said or done something wrong? He does not assume anything, does he?

"Okay...take your time though," he finally breaks this awkward silence full of tension. "I'll wake up in one hour to help you with the breakfast," he walks up the stairs. I really thought he would not believe me and find this weird.

Anyway, I move over the cushions to sit at the edge of the sofa, and I glance down at Mister Jeon next to me. My eyes go towards his chest, and I make sure he is breathing. He seems peacefully asleep.

I need to be quiet and not disturb this moment that is important to him given the hours of work he has in a day.

•••

6 am.

"Mister Jeon?" I wake him up in a soft manner, touching his arm but not shaking him up. "Hm," he opens his eyes, my lips curving up. "I cooked breakfast."

He looks away as if he were a bit lost. "What time is it?" he squints his eyes and glances down at his clothes under the blanket, so I answer him, feeling like he is anxious. "Six in the morning. You have the time to get ready."

"Oh..." he sits up, not seeming in a good state. He grips the edge of the sofa, and he keeps his head down. "Are you okay?" I nibble on my inner lip, and he raises his eyes up. "Yeah...I just..." he clears his throat. "...my head is aching a little."

"There's a painkiller next to your meal," my words make him gaze up as if he were astonished. His big eyes stare deep into mine, but I cannot maintain this contact. "How do you know?"

"You...I brought you to this sofa last night because you fell asleep outside...so—

"Wait," he does not let me continue, sounding troubled by this. "What did I say or do?"

"Nothing, you went back to sleep once I put you on the sofa," I tell him the truth since nothing particular was said. "Are you sure? You wouldn't lie to me, y/n. Right?"

"I wouldn't, Mister Jeon," I shake my head and give him my word, being forced to look back into his eyes. "Hm...I trust you," he nods and directs his eyes towards the kitchen. "I apologize for causing you to see me in this state. I won't let this happen again."

"It's okay, don't be worried, please," I do not add more stress to this since I know how serious it is, but he does not smile like he usually does. He gets up on his feet, standing before me. "Your wife told me to tell you that she won't be home before seven today," I inform him, but he only gives me a brief 'okay'.

He walks away to head to the kitchen, and I follow him, making sure the food is fine for him. Once he sits down and faces the dishes, his eyes land on the hot cup of coffee that I made for him, and I discern a faint smile grow on his face.

He gazes at me. "Thank you very much, y/n. I really appreciate everything you do for us," his voice softly leaves him. "You're a wonderful person...I mean it..."

I smile back at him, not knowing how to respond to these compliments. "I just want to make sure you feel good, or at least a bit better because of me."

He lowers his eyes to my hands that I hold together in front of my body. He smiles and glances at his food. "Aren't you eating with me?"

"No, I need to cook Hajoon's lunch," I tell him, not feeling hungry at all but almost sick. "You have time to do it, you should eat something."

"I will, later," I answer as respectfully as possible, and he grabs the chopsticks. "Well, if you do it later, then fine," he does not insist and digs in the food, but I think about it, wondering if he just needs someone to keep him company. "Does that bother you to be alone?"

He chews and wraps his hand around his glass. "I'm used to it," he shakes his head, not replying exactly like I want him to. That does not mean he does not dislike it. I brush my fingers over my hand but sit down, and I stay with him, but he gazes at me and shows some content. "What are you doing?"

"I don't like to see you all alone at the table every morning..." I give him the real reason. He takes the painkiller with some water but drinks the entirety of the liquid, so I grab the carafe to serve him again. "Is the food good?" I dare to ask even though I always fear his answer, and he first gives me a relieving reply with his head. "This is delicious."

"Good," I put the carafe down and stuck my hands between my thighs, not knowing how to behave or what to say. My presence might bother him, I am not good at starting conversations with people.

My heart beats faster than it should as the tension can be felt growing in the room, but for no reason known, his chopsticks hold a piece of meat before me. "Eat a little."

"But I cooked it for you—"

"Shh," he shakes his head and grins, so since I do not want to say no, I move and take in my mouth what he gives me. "Here, you need to take care of yourself. This is important," he comes back with some rice, so I eat it too, even though I don't feel hungry. He clears his throat and eats with me.

"I thought about something," he swallows what is in his mouth, and I listen. "She didn't bother you, did she?"

"Your wife?" I make sure she is the one he is talking about, and he nods to me. "She didn't..." I lie, not wanting them to believe I am trying to cause trouble. "Be honest with me. Okay? I know she wouldn't miss a chance to make a remark."

"She...she just talked about the skirts I wear..." I cannot keep it to myself since lying to him feels forbidden, and he does not glance away anymore. "What did she say?"

"She asked me if I knew what pants are, and...I didn't know what to answer to not be rude, but she told me to stop wearing skirts all the time when I'm here because she finds me too vulgar and disrespectful..."

"Gosh..." he sighs heavily and glances away, seeming upset. "Do not listen to her. She does not even realize how disgusting and stupid her words are. Just wear what you want and do not feel obligated to do anything, okay?"

I nod to him, wondering if the problem is his wife, or me.

"I hope you'll always tell me if she says something to you," he makes sure I do not keep anything to myself, and I smile at him. "I will."

"Good, I—"

"Y/n!" Hajoon interrupts his father and joins us. "I'm so sorry, I didn't hear the alarm. Why didn't you wake me up?" he sits next to me, breathing hard as if he had run. "I wanted to let you sleep. I thought you wanted to stay in bed."

"But I told you I would come and help you..." he expresses some disappointment, but I reassure him. "It's fine. At least you got some more sleep."

"Yeah..." he does not think the same as I do, but since he is here with us, I stand up. "I cooked breakfast, let me serve you," I move towards it, and he stays where he is. I wish I could have gotten some more time with Mister Jeon alone.

•••

2:40 pm.

'JUNGKOOK'S P.O.V'

< i think you should come home ]

I check my phone after receiving a text from my son, so I wait before doing the check-up on my next patient, I quickly answer him.

[ why? >

< y/n isnt feeling good at all and I don't know what to do ]

I do not think twice before calling him, worrying about her and how serious this is. She better not have skipped any meals or overworked.

"Yeah?" he picks up, so I keep the door closed and try to understand the situation. "What is happening with her? What do you mean by 'not feeling good'?"

"Well, she—" he stops himself as if she were talking to him, and he speaks out. "No, you're not fine. Stop it already," he addresses her. "She was about to faint some minutes ago and now she's lying down because she needs time to recover from it. I gave her some sugar, but she's not looking any better."

"What has she—"

"Oh, come on, idiot," he interrupts me to reply to her. "You know what I meant by that."

"Hajoon. What did she eat for lunch?" I ask him, hoping for the answer to not disappoint me. He questions her, but I do not ever hear her voice. "She did not eat anything but drank some banana milk."

"Goddam..." I sigh and bring my hand to my face. "Give her some food, and you cook something quick for her. All right?" I order him to do, and he agrees, so I point out something. "And you make it clear that I'm the one telling her to eat. I'm coming home in a few minutes, I take care of one more patient. I'll be here in less than one hour, okay?"

"Okay, I'll call you if things got worse because she's kinda pale, and she's cold and shaking...I'm scared," he tells me about his emotions when he usually does not admit anything that could make him sound like any less of a 'man'. "I'll be home, don't worry. She probably just needs to eat."

"Okay, see you," he hangs up, and I make fast to go and call my next patient for the visit.

50 minutes later...

I park my car in the garage of the house and make fast to get out, take my stuff with me, and enter the house to join Hajoon and y/n who must be in the living room. I open the door and walk inside, but I already stumble upon them both, y/n lying down on the sofa and Hajoon staying near her.

That does not look good at all.

"She's not feeling better," my teenager looks up at me, expressing a lot of worry. I take my shoes off and hang my jacket on the coat rack to get next to her. I sit down next to her and put my bag down. "What is happening?" I open it and take my supplies out. "I don't know...I feel horrible..."

"She ate short minutes after you called, but she puked not long ago," my son tells me, and I understand that it is not just a matter of lack of energy or food. If it was, she wouldn't be sweating and breathing hard like that. "Okay," I keep calm and focus on her only. "I need to know how you feel exactly. Do you feel some pain somewhere?"

"My stomach...it hurts like hell..." she situates it but puts her arms over her face as she seems to be agonizing, which is not something good. "I'm going to lift your sweater off, okay?" I warn her before doing it, and she hums to answer me, probably not caring about it. I grab the bottom of her clothing but go kindly, and I check her abdomen. "Is there a certain spot that causes more pain?"

"The right side," she struggles to breathe, and I already suspect something. "Since when do you have those pains? That's the reason why you don't eat lately, isn't it?" I touch her stomach and feel some tenderness, but her body flinches right when my hand goes on that painful spot. "No, please," she bends her legs up, moaning from pain. "I can't tell...it's been a few days..."

"Okay. Do you remember if the pain started around your belly button?" I look for my thermometer and take it out, and I look at her to get her answer. "Yes..."

"All right. Let me take your temperature," I kindly pull the neck of her top up and place the thermometer under her armpit to leave it there and wait, but I grab my phone and put it into my pocket to get ready to go. I know what this is, or at least, I know what this could be, so she needs to go to the emergency because this seems to have turned severe for not being treated on time.

"We're going to the emergency, okay?" I tell her but calm her down as much as possible. "But there's no need to be worried or scared. It must be appendicitis, so they're going to treat this, and you'll be fine. Hm?" I touch her shaking hand and brush my thumb over it to bring some peace to her mind, and she nods, but some tears roll down her cheeks. "Hey, it's going to be okay. I know it hurts a lot, but in short minutes you'll be there."

"Is it dangerous?" my son worsens this with a question he could have kept to himself, but I answer with something that will not heighten her fear. "It's not," I check the thermometer as the sound of it rang the end. She has a fever, not just a little.

I put this down and stand up, but since I know this is better for her to not move, I bend over and carry her the bridal way, being careful to not make it even more painful for her. "Get to the car and leave one door open in the back," I tell Hajoon to do, and he hurries to go, so I follow him but put my shoes on to go out.

"Why didn't you tell me about it before?" I speak in an undertone to her, gazing at her features but seeing the hard time she is going through because of this. "I didn't want to bother you or seem like an attention seeker...you already have a lot of things to take care of..."

"Hey, don't say that," I refuse to hear such words from her. "This is your health, and I told you, you'll never bother me, I'm here for you no matter what this is about, y/n," I do my best to not sound like I am scolding her, and I reach the car out, so I lean forth with her in my arms and put her down on the seats. She does not stay like this but lies down to the side, and she curls up into a ball, so I get in the front to not waste any second.

Her appendix might have ruptured, if it did, this is way more serious and even life-threatening, so I have to hurry. As a doctor, I know you can never be too careful.