CHAPTER 18 — Bitter Pill At the Beginning of a New Life

Turning to the funeral home where Zhuyang, Yinjun, Changyi, Kim Seok, Seoyul, Jiyoung, and Bitna are waiting patiently for the results of the medical test conducted by Dalmi. Their patience can be seen not from how long they can wait for Dalmi's medical test results, but how well they behave while waiting.

The good behavior shown by them while waiting for the results of the medical test is to pray. It may seem simple, but it is a powerful thing. They pray sincerely that their feelings and emotions will be what God wants them to have.

~~~

"God.. I pray to You that You protect Dalmi from worry, anxiety, and despair about whatever happens and regardless of the results of her health check. God.. Make us not to worry about the things that are ours. Make us trust in Your power and majesty. When we begin to fret, please remind us to sit at Your feet and learn from You. Help us to notice the Lily of the valley that You adorn with splendor, and remind us that You will always care for us as you tend to the flowers of your field." Zhuyang prayed from his heart. After that, he took in as much air as possible with his lungs for him to breathe.

"Whatever happens to Dalmi, I will do better and more than Dalmi and everyone else thinks," said the voice of one of the people who were at the funeral home.

"God... I surrender all the worries, problems, fears, and doubts that my heart feels to You. Your power is vast. Therefore, please empower me and my siblings. Guide us as we go through our toughest seasons. Strengthen faith us to believe in every process of our current stage of life. God... Please give Your protection to Dalmi Noona who is in the hospital. Please give the best results for the results of the medical tests she did," said Changyi's heart.

"Oh God... I come before You again today, knowing that all strength is in Your hands. I know that You are a God who cares deeply for all Your people. Right now, my family and I are struggling with difficult trials. We can see our strength faltering, but I know that You have all the strength we need. God... I pray that You reach out and touch us, especially Dalmi Noona who is undergoing medical tests at Jinsang Hospital right now. Please let Your presence fill the room where she is and let her feel that extra part of Your strength that can help her get through this day well. She needs You very much. God... Help me to be able to help her sustain her strength during this difficult time." Yinjun asked God earnestly.

All the prayers that Zhuyang and his two younger brothers offered to God were their only response and became their first response to every situation and obstacle in their life. The way they pray for Dalmi has shown that being Dalmi's brother is part of something beautiful.

This means that Zhuyang and his two younger brothers will always love Dalmi and they will also be loved by Dalmi for the rest of their lives, no matter what happens. In addition, when they pray for Dalmi, it means when the hill of life becomes too steep for Dalmi to climb, they will always take Dalmi's hand.

Not only Zhuyang and his two younger brothers who will always pray for Dalmi and take her hand, but also Jiyoung and Bitna. For these two women, prayer will create a personal change in Dalmi's life, and nothing they can do is more beneficial to Dalmi than praying for her.

"Oh my God.. Dalmi is currently struggling with her worries. I do not know what happened to her, and also how the results of the medical tests she did. But I believe, there is a fear and anxiety that Dalmi feels towards herself. Therefore God, I pray to You, please trust Your strength more in Dalmi's heart. Make her less afraid and more courageous because she knows everything will be in Your hands because of You the Almighty. Make Dalmi more trust in You and all Your glorious plans for her, even though she knows that she is knowledgeable and no matter what happens, You will be with her every step of the way. God...I pray to You that Dalmi finds peace in Your guidance and presence and peace of mind as she focuses on the plans You have made for her rather than herself, because Your plans are always bigger." Jiyoung said from inside her heart.

"God, please accompany Dalmi and never let her fall into the anxiety she may be feeling right now. You know best about her wounds, joys, fears, and dreams. Please get rid of all her worries and fears that haunt her. Please cheer her up and the hearts of her family. Please help us to be patient while waiting for the results of the medical test that Dalmi did today. Please help us to see the power of Your resurrection. Give us eyes to see where new life appears in our hearts. Rejuvenate us when we are weak. We always need you." Bitna replied with a prayer from her heart, before she gave the compensation money and left the funeral home to work.

Compensation money — as with weddings, the custom expected of every mourner is the giving of donations for funerals. It's a long-standing tradition in Korea to help share the burden of funeral expenses. The compensation money given by Bitna will be placed in a red box. This compensation money must always be in a white envelope and Bitna and Jiyoung will mark their names on the envelope.

~~~

While Zhuyang, Yinjun, Changyi, Seoyul, Kim Seok, and Bitna were feeling deep anxiety at the funeral home while they were waiting for Dalmi's medical test results, Juyeon who accompanied Dalmi for the medical examination at Jinsang Hospital looked tense and was silent for a while.

"What is this?!! Did I hear right?!" Juyeon asked from the bottom of his heart as he stood outside the doctor's office. This man deliberately caught Dalmi's conversation with her doctor. Juyeon was so shocked that he couldn't believe the facts he just heard.

Why isn't Juyeon surprised? Because Dalmi's new life is just about to begin. But this does not mean that everything can go straight to the end easily. After being tormented and even hit by the death of her parents, now Dalmi has to swallow the bitter pill again. Dalmi was diagnosed with cancer.

The results of Dalmi's physical examination showed that she had cancer of the blood-forming tissues, including the spinal cord. Blood-forming tissue cancer is a condition in which Dalmi's body produces too many abnormal white blood cells. This can hinder the body's ability to fight infection.

Therefore, the doctor also advised Dalmi to do further medical tests. Dalmi must do a blood test, where this is done to determine the number of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets in her body. In addition to blood tests, Dalmi also had to perform a bone marrow aspiration procedure.

The bone marrow aspiration procedure will be performed by taking a sample of bone marrow tissue from Dalmi's hip bone using a long and thin needle. And then the sample will be examined in the laboratory to detect cancer cells in Dalmi's body.

But it was not enough just to stop there. The doctor will also check for organ abnormalities due to Dalmi's illness. This type of test includes scanning tests, such as CT scans and MRIs. Then Dalmi will undergo a lumbar function test, liver function test, and a spleen biopsy.

~~~

"Miss Dalmi, please calm down. We can't be sure until we get the results of the spinal cord test you just did." This male doctor gave Dalmi understanding.

Dalmi looked away from the sheet of paper containing the medical notes regarding the physical examination she had received to the male doctor who was sitting opposite her. "Is there anything else you want to tell me?" Dalmi asked in her weak voice.

The male doctor then took a deep breath for a moment, before he spoke again to Dalmi. "Miss Dalmi, actually Leukemia is not an incurable disease. If you seek treatment from now on, and you get a bone marrow donor, then you have a great chance of being cured. You just need to talk to your husband about this and then contact your family and start check it out," said the doctor in more detail.

"Husband?" Dalmi looked at the male doctor with a confused expression clearly printed on her beautiful pale face.

The male doctor seemed to have a smile on his face. "The man who came with you and is waiting for you outside, he is your husband, right?" he asked.

After hearing the male doctor speak, Dalmi shook her head quickly. "No! He's not my husband!" Dalmi answered very firmly.

"Don't be ashamed to admit it, Miss Dalmi. How can he not be your husband when you both look sweet and harmonious together? I can see how your husband is very worried about you," Doctor Young Dae replied with a smile.

The talented drama scriptwriter who sat opposite Doctor Young Dae was seen lifting the corners of her lips. She smiled awkwardly at Doctor Young Dae after hearing Doctor Young Dae's opinion of her and Juyeon.

"Woaah amazing!! So, she is Doctor Juyeon's wife?! Oh no! I can't even believe that Doctor Juyeon is married! Hm.. I mean, was their marriage held in secret? But why?!" said one of the female nurse in the room as she whispered to her professional colleague who was standing to her left.

"Really?!! We didn't hear wrong, did we? She's so beautiful even when she's sick like she is right now!" She replied.

"Hey! Can't you two hold this chatter, at least until they leave this hospital?" said a male nurse while reprimanding the two female nurse. "Don't whisper just to talk about their private life. That's not nice and polite!!" The male nurse added another.

For a moment, the male nurse's words managed to silence the mouths of the two female sisters who were standing nearby. "We're complimenting their visuals that match and fit each other. That's all!" answered one of the female nurse. Meanwhile, the male nurse who stood between them was silent.

~~~

Dalmi's mind drifted away after she got her diagnosis. Dalmi looks lost for many words from her head. She had a hard time deciphering the new facts she had heard that day. Deep in Dalmi's heart tucked a pinch of sadness and a sense of not wanting to accept reality. Now, the sadness and worry that Dalmi feels is increasing. Her fingers have been shaking ever since. Her knees were very weak. Her tongue was stiff. Her head couldn't think properly. Dalmi seems to have lost some of her authenticity after she left Doctor Young Dae's room.

"Honey, what about your medical test results? What did Doctor Young Dae say about your condition? You're fine, right?" Juyeon asked repeatedly.