Part 18
It's Just InsuranceAuthors Note: You ready for some feels? I am ready for some feels. When I mention Jin-A's crutches I mean these.
Hyukjae hated hospitals as much as the next guy and never set foot in one unless he absolutely had to. Today was different though. Today he was being forced to sit in the white colored waiting room with Jin-A because Donghae was at home with the flu that his daughter had a few days earlier. “What do you do to entertain yourself while you are here?” Hyukjae asked as he picked up a magazine from the side table. “This place is extremely boring.”
“My dad and I usually play a game.” Jin-A said as he put down the magazine she was looking at. “We could play a game if you want.”
“Sure, why not.” Hyukjae shrugged as he leaned back against the chair and crossed his arms.
“Okay,” the girl replied. “How about Eye-Spy? That one is always a good one.” She looked to Hyukjae who nodded. “I’ll go first. I spy with my little eye something that is… white.” She said before smiling and looking at Hyukjae.
“Oh now that is just cruel.” Hyukjae said as he looked around the room. “Everything in this place is white.”
“I couldn’t make it easy!” Jin-A said. “That is no fun at all.”
“Okay.” Hyukjae said as he started guessing. “The floor?” Jin-A shook her head. “The wall? That guys coat? The papers on the desk?”
“Nope, nope, and nope.” Jin-A said as she giggled.
“I give up.” Hyukjae said. “What is it?”
Jin-A smiled. “It’s your shirt, silly.”
Hyukjae looked down at his shirt. “Well damn, I guess my shirt is white.” He looked around for a little. “My turn now; I spy something pink.”
“That one is easy.” Jin-A said as she pointed to her casts. “It’s my casts, duh.”
“Ah, but which one?” Hyukjae asked. “The left or the right?”
“Uh, the right one?” the girl guessed.
“Incorrect! I win!” Hyukjae said as he stuck his tongue out at the girl only to have her do it back.
“Lee Jin-A?” a voice said suddenly causing Hyukjae and Jin-A to snap out of their foolish acts and look at the lady who was calling them. “Lee Jin-A?”
“Right here.” Hyukjae said as he stood up and grabbed ahold of Jin-A’s wheelchair before pushing her over to the women.
“If you would kindly follow me.” The woman said with a smile as she led the two down hallway and into an empty checkup room. “I will need you to lift her up onto the bed.” The nurse said to Hyukjae who complied. Once Jin-A was sitting down and Hyukjae took a seat in the extra chair in the room the nurse began asking those basic questions. “I know you have had these asked to you several times but I will need you to answer them for me again, okay?” she said to Jin-A. “You are 13 years old and your birthday is on July 13th, correct?”
“Yup.” Jin-A said. “And for the next question I am not allergic to anything and the only medicine I am taking are these pills the doctor gave me to help my bones become stronger.”
“Very good.” The nurse replied as she finished taking notes and stood up to get take the girls blood pressure. “Roll up your sleeve please.” The nurse said as she wrapped the device around the girls arm. “And don’t worry, I won’t put too much pressure on your arm.” After taking the Jin-A blood pressure, temperature, and hearing she left the room saying that the doctor would be with them in a few minutes.
“Hyukjae,” Jin-A asked as she laid back on the bed and looked at the poster that was hanging on the ceiling above her. “Why are there posters on the ceiling in doctors’ offices?”
“Uh, well…” Hyukjae began, “they are for people to look at when the doctor is doing… stuff.”
“What kind of stuff?” Jin-A asked being the curious child that she is.
“Your dad gave you the talk right?” Hyukjae asked quickly.
“People don’t have in here do they?” Jin-A asked as she shot straight up. “That’s gross!”
“No that’s not what they are for!” Hyukjae said quickly trying to correct himself. “It is just that there is this thing that women have that men do not, obviously, and sometimes they need to go to the doctor to have it looked at.” He looked at the girl as he continued to explain. “They put pictures on the ceiling so that the women getting that done have something to look at and keep them distracted.”
“Oh,” Jin-A said as she looked back up at the poster. ‘What is it that they do?”
Hyukjae’s face turned red and he tried to hide it by picking up a magazine and holding it in front of his face. “Ask the nurse next time you see her because that is really not a question for me to answer. I told you enough already.”
They were both quiet for the rest of the time until they heard a knock at the door and the doctor came walking in. “Hello Jin-A,” he said. “Are you ready to take these bad boys off?” the doctor asked as he grabbed the little saw he brought in with him and pulled a sat up next to where the girl sat.
“I sure am!” She smiled happily. “When you cut them off though can you be careful not to ruin them too much? My friend painted pictures on them.”
“You know I am going to have to cut them several times in order to get them off.” The doctor replied. “I will try my best but I’m not going to make any promises, okay?” The girl shrugged and watched as the doctor began cutting away the casts on her legs. Hyukjae peered out from behind his magazine to watch what was going on but quickly covered his face again with the scary thought of the doctor cutting her. “There you go,
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