Serendipity

Chapter 19 - Part 2

I lift my arms up over my head, trying to stretch the kinks out of my back and neck. I grab my bandaged hand, wishing for the hundredth time that day that I could get it off.

"Hey guys, you said I could take off this bandage after twenty-four hours, correct?" I look at Jimin and Jae-sung, getting their attention.

"Yeah, although it's not quite been that," Jae-sung says without looking up.

"Actually...I think it has been, or at least close enough, right?" I persist.

With an exasperated sigh, Jae-sung finally looks up at me now that I've distracted him from what he was focused on. Glancing at his watch, his face shows a look of surprise. "Actually, I think you're right. I didn't realize it was that late already..."

I get up and walk over to him, holding my hand out. "Do you need to do this or can I? What's needed?"

"Impatient much?" Anaïse says from his other side, a smile on her face.

"Yes, she's impatient," Jimin says. "About things she wants now..."

My face flames at his innuendo, but my smile shows I agree with him.

"You'd better believe it! Now, can we please get this off? It feels like it's been restricting the blood flow for a while now..." All their eyes jump to mine. "What?"

"Do you have a first aid kit?" Jae-sung asks, suddenly getting up with purpose.

"Yeah, in the guest bathroom. I think third drawer down. Why? What's wrong?" I ask, worry starting to creep into my voice when he strides away. "What's going on?"

Jae-sung strides back out in less than a minute, a look passing between Anaïse and himself. He sets the kit down and pulls Jimin to the side, speaking in low tones while Anaïse distracts me. Jae-sung goes to the sink to wash his hands when Jimin nods and walks over to me, cupping my face between his hands and kissing me gently.

"What's going on, love? What don't they want me to know?" I ask, anxiety starting to grip my heart when it looks like he doesn't want to answer me either. I look between all three. "Will someone please answer me?"

"They're worried that there may be the start to an infection...so we need to be prepared, love."

I shake my head. Both Jae-sung and Anaïse come over where Jimin and I are standing.

"Come, little sister. Let's have you sit down while we do this." He gestures over to the couch, and Jimin leads, sitting first, holding his arms out for me to sit in his lap facing the windows looking out toward Manhattan. I do as he wants, snuggling into his waiting arms.

Jae-sung lifts up my hand, looking for the best place to start cutting the gauze with the sterile scissors he found in the kit. I assume it's to get the gauze off faster and more efficiently than to try unwrapping the godawful amount they put on. Slipping the scissor in at my inner wrist, he makes the first cut, then the second, making quick work of it the length of my palm. I wince when I feel the blood flow rushing back into my hand, then my fingers as one by one the throbbing in tempo to the beat of my heart intensifies.

"Why did it feel so tight?" I ask quietly as he starts to peel the layers back. "Why did the medical center staff wrap it that way?"

"I imagine it was to help keep the swelling down," Anaïse answers from where she's kneeling at the end of the couch. She grabs hold of my free hand, gripping it lightly in hers to help comfort. I look at her, watching her expressions as I feel Jae-sung get closer to the final layers. He carefully turns my hand over, stopping for a moment.

Anaïse's gaze jumps to his then back down. I feel a slight tugging as Jae-sung pulls the gauze pad off carefully as it's stuck to the dried blood around the cuts and stitches. I bite my lip, and Jimin uses his thumb to get me to stop. He carefully draws my face to his, kissing me gently to make my focus him and not what's happening with my hand.