24 visits || SOOSHU

Visit Fourteen

Reason: Check up

Symptoms: None

Time in: 1:00 pm February 9th, 2015

Soojin was fully prepared to do what any decent doctor should do when they found themselves too attracted to a patient. She realized that she had to at this point, there was no more denying it since during the last visit she had nearly tried to kiss Shuhua.

Stupid.

It was just that they were so close, and Shuhua smelled nice and looked nice - she always looked nice - and Soojin started to lean in. Luckily she'd gotten a hold of her senses before actually kissing her. The last thing she needed was a sexual harassment suit, filed from a super idol nonetheless.

So, yes, Soojin was prepared. Something she hadn't been since Shuhua came barreling into her life, too pale and on a hospital bed. She was going to tell Shuhua she was incapable of treating her anymore at this point, and then refer her to another doctor. And if Shuhua asked why, Soojin would just have to tell her the truth.

Soojin blanched. The truth. What exactly was the truth? Did Soojin want to...date her? Did she just like her, was it just a sexual thing?

No, it wasn't just a sexual thing. That would make things a lot easier. She could get over a sexual thing. Sexual things didn't make her think about dumb things like hand holding. If it was a sexual thing Soojin wouldn't have been thinking about Shuhua at least eight times a day - unless she was some kind of nympho; which she most certainly was not.

The entire thing was annoying, more than annoying. Maddening. And every day Soojin found herself wondering why Shuhua. And then she would think about Shuhua, how she was pretty and talented and kind of funny in a stupid way, and really kind and sweet and, well, it would make sense. Of course Shuhua.

Soojin walked up to the door, wiped her hands on her pants and fixed her hair. She was ready for this. Letting out a breath she wasn't aware she was holding, Soojin pushed open the door; coming face to face with Shuhua.

Shuhua was on the examination table already, her feet swinging back and forth causing the wax paper underneath her to shift. She looked nervous, maybe even more nervous than Soojin looked. Her lip was tucked in between her teeth, eyes on her swinging feet.

"Hello," Soojin said, her voice sounding more hoarse than usual.

"Soojin," Shuhua greeted with a tight smile. "I need to tell you something."

Soojin's heart dropped. Maybe she wasn't going to say anything today, maybe Shuhua noticed and was going to go through measures on her own. Every possible situation circulated through Soojin's mind. It was almost reminiscent of the essay questions she had to answer in medical school. How would you diagnose this, what would you do in this case? And Soojin would go through all the answers in her mind with ease until she landed on the best one.

At that moment she wished she couldn't think of any answers, realizing things are much different when the situation is not hypothetical and involves your personal life. "What?" she breathed out, laughing a little. She didn't know why she laughed, but it seemed like something someone might do in this situation. Acting natural. She was going to act naturally.

"I, well...I'm really sorry. I should have said this a while ago, but--" Shuhua wrung her hands together, and Soojin struggled with not wringing her neck because what could it be? "I'm going on tour next month. I mean, I start next month. I'll be gone for about a year."

Oh.

Soojin swallowed in. "Oh."

And in a single moment the air became too cool, the pounding in Soojin's chest too slow. She was leaving for a year. 12 months. Shuhua was leaving, and would be gone. Leaving, which implied coming back to an extent, but Soojin had left places before too and never came back. Leaving.

"Okay." Soojin grabbed the stethoscope, put the bell against Shuhua's chest. "Breathe."

Shuhua breathed in, and Soojin wondered if this would be the last time in a year she'd be this close. Because Shuhua had to leave, she was a super idol. World tours weren't new to her, obviously. So, in conclusion, Soojin should have seen this coming. Soojin did see this at one point, didn't she? You couldn't truly miss the obvious, only ignore it. And the obvious was that Shuhua would have to leave at some point.

"I'll be back in for a last appointment before I leave. Full check-up, you know?" Her heart thudded its irregular, quickened pace. Shuhua's voice was shaky. Soojin wondered why she had been so nervous to say anything.

"Is that all?" Soojin asked.

"Well," Shuhua looked up and smiled wide. It was an attempt at her idol smile, but her eyes were too dull to make it truly pop. "I was wondering if Soojin would still be my doctor when I got back!"

Soojin's eyes widened, she gulped in again. That's why she was nervous? Soojin had been fully prepared to do what she needed to do. "Of course." She'd been ready to tell Shuhua the truth. "Why wouldn't I be?" And then Shuhua came in and changed everything.

Fitting.