Sutures of Love

Inside a coffee shop, just down the street from the hospital they worked: Jeong Dale Hospital.

They had never spoken a word to one another while they were there, their eye contact was to be proven wrong.

Donghae would order his coffee, a hot chocolate with a warm bagel. Seo-Joon would order his coffee, a hot latte with a blueberry muffin.

Though they walked alongside one another, hot drinks and food in hand. No words were ever spoken.

Donghae liked it.

It was nice.

It was quiet.

Upon arrival at their job, they separated as soon as they entered the building. Donghae went to clock in, while Seo-Joon went up to his office.

"Hey, Donghae!" Seri, his best friend exclaimed from a distance.

"Seri!" Donghae smiled as he drank his hot chocolate and sat it on the counter.

Seri walked over to him and slung his arm over his shoulder.

Which caused Donghae to spill his drink a bit.

"Can you believe it!?" Seri asked with excitement, "We're officially nursing at our dream job, it's insane, right!?"

Donghae laughed as he grabbed a napkin and cleaned up the small mess.

"It's amazing," Donghae smiled, "I couldn't have done this without you."

Seri smiled and chuckled a little bit.

"We're each other's support."

Donghae nodded and threw away his cup and empty breakfast bag.

"What are you two giggling about?" Naree asked as she walked over to her best friends.

"Naree!" Seri exclaimed while smiling.

Donghae smiled at Seri's excitement.

"Why are you so happy today?" Donghae asked.

Seri smiled and looked at Naree.

"Do you want to tell him, or should I?" Seri asked.

Naree chuckled.

"Seo-Joon is coming to do rounds with us, and Seri is excited because he had done his rounds before Seo-Joon came into the building," Naree explained.

Donghae laughed a little.

"How cute."

Seri smiled but his smile faded as he turned a bit pink and his hand grasped his chest.

"Seri?" Donghae asked while looking at him, "Are you okay?"

Seri gasped for air...and soon fell to the floor.

"Seri!" Donghae yelled as he saw Seri pass out onto the floor, "Hey, Seri!"

"I'll get Doctor Seo-Joon, you stay here and start chest compressions!" Naree yelled as she took off running down the hallway.

Donghae panicked and hovered Seri's body in shock.

His hands shaking.

He started sweating.

"If you aren't going to do anything then get out of the way and let the real professionals do their job!" Donghae heard a deep voice yell from down the hallway.

It was Seo-Joon, he was running towards a panicking Donghae.

Donghae quickly moved to the side and watched as Seo-Joon started chest compressions.

"I need defibs, quickly!" Seo-Joon yelled as he continued chest compressions on Seri's pale-turning body.

Wake up Donghae...

Wake up Donghae...

WAKE UP LEE DONGHAE!!

Donghae jumped up from his sleep and rubbed his head.

"...I hate that dream..." Donghae whispered to himself as he stood up from his bed.

His feet shuffled on the floor as he walked to his bathroom.

He opened his medicine cabinet, grabbed his sleeping pills, and took popped two pills into his mouth.

He sighed deeply and ran his hands through the water and then through his hair.

He then heard his phone going off.

bzz.

bzz.

bzz.

Donghae shuffled back into his bedroom and grabbed his phone, he opened it and saw text from Naree.

Naree: Donghae, where are you? You're going to be late for work!

Donghae looked at the time in the left-hand corner.

7:35 am.

He groaned loudly and texted her back.

Donghae: I'll be there in 10 minutes.

He sat his phone back down on the nightstand, stood up, walked to his closet, grabbed his scrubs, and walked to the bathroom.

He showered, brushed his teeth, fixed his hair a bit, got dressed, and walked to work.

Once he arrived, Seo-Joon was standing in front of the counter, talking to Naree.

"Donghae, you're here," Naree smiled as she stood up and walked over to him.

Donghae nodded and scratched the back of his head.

"You're late," Seo-Joon said with a thick tone, "You know what happens when you are late, Donghae."

"I overslept, it won't happen again," Donghae apologized as he bowed and stood back up to find Seo-Joon no longer standing there.

Naree sighed and slid a few files over to Donghae.

"You have work to do."

Donghae picked up the files and scanned through them.

"Are you not going to help me with this?" Donghae asked with a baffled look on his face.

Naree shook her head.

"Not my job, Donghae. I work at the front desk, you work on the floor. I wish I could help you, but I can't," Naree explained, "We have work to do, and patients to save. Get to work, Donghae."

Donghae sighed.

"How I wish you were still here, Seri."

Donghae inhaled and exhaled deeply.

And walked into his first patients room.