This is a music chapter! For the full impact, I suggest listening to "Somebody to You" by The Banners. Enjoy!
Mystic Radio Ep. 4: Sick day
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MC POV
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It's only been a few days but Jaehee and I have almost completed our task of painting the shop. The reality of the whole ordeal is setting in and the image is coming to light. We've been working for a while and I've noticed that throughout the day, Jaehee seemed to be getting more and more exhausted. Whenever I would try asking what was wrong, I was usually met with the excuse 'I'm fine.' or 'Don't worry about it.', occasionally followed by a sniffle that I assumed to be spring-time allergies.
Eventually, she had slowed down so much, I lied and suggested a break, saying I was tired, to which she gladly agreed. We sit on the ground together, the room completely silent. But after resting for a few minutes, she stood up and tried working again.
Sounding drained, with a rough voice, Jaehee starts "MC, we should really finish painting the-", before shoving her nose in her arm and letting out a huge sneeze. "Painting the...", she sneezes again.
"Jaehee?" I say, getting increasingly worried. "Are you alright?".
"I'm fine. We should really get back to work now." she says with a sniffle.
"You aren't fine." I argue. "You've been like this all day! Let me check your temperature.".
I move to touch her forehead but she ducks back. "I'm alright, MC. We have work to do.".
Softly, I coax, "Jaehee, please let me check. I'm getting worried.".
She relents and lets me feel her head. Flinching slightly as I place my comparably cold hand on her burning head. "I'm sick, alright?" she admits. I remove my hand and she coughs slightly, saying "Can we get back to work now. We have so much left to do...".
There's a hint of exhaustion in her voice. I can tell she's fighting to maintain basic human functions by the way she sways slightly on her feet. She must have been really pushing herself.
"Your temperature is really high." I tell her. "Please let yourself rest, you're obviously barely still up.".
She opens her mouth to try and make an excuse, but nothing comes. "Fine." she surrenders.
Being obviously dizzy, I help her hobble up the stairs and take her to bed.
Tucking her in, "Let me get you some lemon tea. It will help with the cold.".
She mumbles, "Thank you, MC.", shifting a little in the covers and turning on her side.
I give her a warm smile, telling her "Always." before exiting the room and shutting the door behind me.
'Gosh, so she is sick. I wish I had noticed sooner so she wouldn't have worked herself so hard.'
I set the pot on for her tea as I look for some cold medicine. After thoroughly searching the bathroom, I couldn't find it anywhere. Did we run out? I don't want to leave Jaehee alone...
"I'm going to need some backup." I say to myself.
I pull out my phone to text Seven.
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MC: "I have a favor to ask."
707: "Wow, not even a hello."
707: "What do you need?"
MC: "Jaehee is sick and we don't have any meds. I was wondering if you could pick some up for me?"
707: "Sorry, god Seven can't do that right now. But I know who can!".
'Is he going to send that Vanderwood lady over? He keeps saying he's going to introduce his "Servant" to us one day.'
MC: "Who? Is it this 'maid' we keep hearing about?"
707: "Lol no, It's the albino lover boy of course! I remember him saying he didn't have rehearsals today."
'Albino... Zen?! No, He can not come over! What if he tries to stay with Jaehee? What if Jaehee lets him? and he stays in her room? And.. And..'
My brain goes into overdrive. Slightly panicked, I start to type out a response, but then I get another message.
707: "Zenny is on his way! This'll be interesting. Have fun ;)"
Seven I swear I'm going to throttle you next time I see you, but for now I have other problems to deal with. I quickly send him a message with lots of, four-lettered words, before shoving my phone back in my pocket.
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I finish making Jaehee's tea, with extra honey, just the way she likes it, and take the cup as well as a thermometer.
"Jaehee?" I ask as I poke my head in. She replies with a groan. "I brought your tea, but let me check your fever first. I want to make sure it isn't too bad.".
"Alright.". I hand her the thermometer and when it beeps, she looks at it and sighs. She holds it towards me, letting me see that it reads '100.F'. "Ugh. This is going to set us back another few days or so." she says as rests her hand on her head.
"It's OK, Jaehee. We don't need to rush. Your health is what's important." I remind her.
"I suppose. Thank you MC." she gives a half smile.
She starts slowly sipping the tea when I hear a faint knock at the door.
"I'll be right back." I say.
I get downstairs and see an 'albino lover boy' at the door, a couple bags in hand. When Zen spots me through the door, he makes a very confused face.
Letting him in, he wraps me in a big hug. After a few seconds, he holds me back, as if checking me over. "You should be resting!" he tells me.
"What? Why?" I ask.
He either disregards or misses the question, continuing "You don't feel very hot, your fever must not be too bad, but still.". Patting me as if to make sure I'm ok, "Come on, let's get you to bed.". He puts his hand on my back and starts trying to gently guide me upstairs.
"I'm not the one sick.".
He stops. "What?"
"Jaehee is the one that's sick." I explain.
"Oh." he seems almost dejected. "Seven said that 'one of the girls is sick', so I just assumed...". He let's out a nervous laugh, "I bought all this soup and stuff.", rubbing the back of his head. "That's good though! I'm glad you aren't sick. I came prepared to take care of you for a few days.". He chuckles again. "Guess I don't have to now!". He starts muttering to himself before remembering I'm here.
"Anyways...", suddenly feeling awkward. "I really appreciate you being such a considerate friend. But if I were sick, I think I'd be good with Jaehee.".
"Yeah, your right...". Zen returns to his usual self, then suggests "Let's take this stuff up to Jaehee. You and I can take care of her together!".
Ah crap. This is what I was trying to avoid.
"Ah it's ok!" I say nervously. "I can take care of her myself.".
"I wouldn't feel right leaving you to take care of a sick person by yourself. What if you get sick?"
"You could get sick too!" I excuse.
"I have a monster immune system.". He pauses for a moment. "But... I guess you're right. Can't risk it." he chuckles. "Well, here's the medicine. There's all sorts of stuff in here. Don't worry about paying me back, It's for a friend so It's fine.".
"Oh! Yes ok. Thank you a lot Zen." I say with a smile.
His eyes widen slightly and he gives me the slightest grin back, "No problem.". He hands me the bag and waves over his shoulder as he leaves.
I let out a breath I didn't realize I had been holding. Now, time to go get this medicine to Jaehee. I head back upstairs and give her the pill and a glass of water before leaving her to go to sleep. I decide to watch TV on the couch so I can hear her if she hollers. Checking on her periodically to make sure she's still ok. I cant help but be worried, but if I can just do this for her, a little bit of worrying is ok. As long as I can help her get better soon.
I just want to be there for her.
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Jaehee's POV
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Where am I? It's dark... There's nothing around, everything is eerily quiet, save for my own thoughts. I feel around for something, anything, but feel nothing. Out of nowhere, a dim light appears to my right. I head towards the source, curious about where it's coming from. The light gets brighter as I get closer, to the point I have to shield my eyes. Soon, my eyes adjust and the light dims, allowing me to see my surroundings. I'm... In a hospital hallway? The long hall seems to go forever as far as my eye can tell.
My brain is hazy, making me feel almost numb. I hardly realize what's going on until I hear a shout.
A nurse yells "Code blue! Patient Kang has gone into cardiac arrest.", from a nearby room.
Oh no. Not this. Not again.
A doctor storms into the room, barking orders at the nurses. I walk up and look through the door window.
Mom...
The doctor tells the nurse "Prep the defibrillator.".
I look away. I can't bear to watch this again. I remember, everything was fine. She was stable even. So why?
"Clear!"
I hear them scuffling around the room, trying to get her heart beating again, trying the defibrillator again and again. But I know it wont work.
I slide down the wall and start crying. 'Please, not again.'
I scream out at the nearby nurses, "Why did she have to die? Why?!", but no one hears me. "Why can't you save her?! She did nothing to deserve this!". Sobbing even more violently, I yell again "Why won't you answer me!", but it's futile. No one seems to care.
Tears stream down my face and I hear the door click open... Along with the faint sound of a flatline.
The doctor leans back against the door, then tells a nearby worker to call in my aunt and uncle.
Then I see myself, a younger me, across the hallway. Face blank from shock as the doctor tells her of my mothers passing.
"There must have been a complication, something we overlooked and your mother's body went into shock. It's very uncommon for a post-accident heart failure to happen, it shouldn't have happened. I am truly sorry for your loss.".
My voice nearly a whisper, "This wasn't supposed to happen...".
I curl my knees up under me. The room starts spinning, faster and faster, morphing into something different. I clench my eye's shut, not wanting any part of this anymore. The heart machine starts making an increasingly loud beep. The machine barely being louder than the murmurs of nearby workers.
"She doesn't have a father either."
"So young."
"That poor girl."
I cover my ears but the voices keep ringing. If anything, they get louder.
"Stop!" I yell out.
As if following my command, things suddenly go quiet.
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I feel a tap on my shoulder. "Jaehee?", it's MC. She gives me a warm smile as she pulls me up. "What happened?".
We're in the middle of our store, except... It's refurbished now. The shop has been decorated and customers are scattered in the booths. I can smell the scent of coffee that lingers in the air.
'What was that!?'
"When did we finish fixing the shop?" I ask, puzzled about the whole situation.
"What do you mean, silly.", she laughs slightly. "Jaehee, I know it seems unreal, but we've been open for months by now! I would have thought it settled in.". Her face turns sullen as she realizes I'm not joking. "Did something happen? You seem disoriented.". She draws me into a hug.
Keeping my voice low, I whisper to her, "It was about my mom. A flashback I suppose, a very unwelcome one at that.", as I hug her back.
She grows stiff in my arms and then unlatches me from her. One by one, the customers slowly seem to fade away and she gives me a look I've never seen before from her, a look of utter disgust. "Your mom passed years ago and you're still hung up about that?". She starts backing away from me, looking at me in a mixture of disappointment and distaste. "Pathetic.".
"M-MC what's hap-"
"If you want to roll around is self-pity, you can do it the same way you've done everything else, Alone." she snaps.
Zen walks through the doors wearing a leather jacket, a motorcycle parked outside. "Hey babe." he calls to MC before walking up and giving her a kiss.
"Hey Zenny," she smiles, "let's get out of here. I don't want to stay around with someone so useless. Now I realize what her aunt meant.", with that she starts heading towards the door with Zen in tow.
He scoffs and turns to MC. "I'm surprised you stayed as long as you did.".
I try and reach out to her, beg her to stop, but my body wont move and my voice hitches in my throat. My heart feels like it's getting stabbed as they turn away. The piercing sound of the heart rate monitor coming back.
'Don't leave me alone, please.'
I try to call out again, but my voice fails me. Leaving me frozen in place as I watch them leave. The room starts filling with water and darkness comes creeping in again. Soon enough, I'm in an ocean, sinking lower and deeper into the dark. I struggle to swim up, but it's as if I'm being pulled down by the darkness. I kick harder and harder, the surface seeming to get further away the more I try. The high-pitched comes back, its beep grows louder and more smothering as I hopelessly fall into the depths.
'Come back... Don't go.'
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"MC!" I scream.
I bolt upright in a cold sweat, face covered in tears, knuckles white from clenching the sheets so tightly. Still sobbing, I bury my face in the sheets as I try to stop the flow of tears.
"JAEHEE?!". MC rushes in the room looking panicked.
She notices me trembling in tears, sits next to me, and wordlessly wraps me in her arms. Fully accepting her embrace, I don't hold back and cry more than I had expected. I thought the nightmares had stopped, but in reality, they were just hibernating.
'Why did it have to be about that'
MC's presence is very soothing, and the adrenaline rush starts to fade as she hums a little melody, calming me down. Once I've stopped most of the tears, she softly asks "Do you want to talk about it?".
"It's fine." I tell her.
She know's I'm lying though, and once again asks "Can you please tell me what's going on? I want to help.".
I hide my face in her shoulder and mutter, "...Ok.".
I explain the suffocating feelings and watching my mom die again in front of my eyes. I decide to keep the part about MC leaving to myself, it's just too embarrassing.
After I tell her what happened, she starts stroking my hair, "It's ok. It was just a dream, I'm here now.".
"Yeah. Thank you." I tell her, her words reassuring me that it was indeed just a dream.
"It's alright.". As she runs her fingers through my hair she laughs slightly. "Sorry, I'm still getting used to the long hair thing. I liked your short hair." she says, before quickly adding "But your hair looks really nice like this too!".
"Yeah... Thanks.". I feel my cheeks heat up slightly. Ugh, fevers suck. "Thank you. Sorry about getting snot all over your shirt."
"It's fine, minor price to pay as long as you're alright." she states matter-o-factually.
I can feel her heart beating rapidly. Did I scare her that much?
A moment of silence passes, tears starting to form again. "MC?", to which she replies with a 'hmm?', "Why can't I get over this? It's been years and it still bothers me.".
She ponders my words for a bit before answering in a low tone. "I think... Time doesn't heal our heart like people say...", choosing her words carefully, "But rather, over time we just learn how to live with it. I don't think we ever get over losing a loved one, not really anyways. We just learn to live without them.".
"That's cheesy, you're like a hallmark card." I tease. Nestling my head in her embrace again, I tell her "It's a nice cheesy though.".
"I know. I'm very Gouda.". I stifle a laugh as she continues, "It doesn't get much chedder than this!".
This time I'm unable to help myself and I let out a little laugh. "You're horrible.".
"I'd like to think I'm punderful." she says, joining in with my laughter.
It's stupid, but it makes me feel better. MC is magic like that.
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MC POV
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I hold a shaky Jaehee in my arms, trying to calm my heart. She's sick and vulnerable and it scared the life out of me to hear her suddenly scream. She finally seems to have calmed down, her head resting on my shoulder still. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Jaehee had put the radio I gave her on her nightstand.
"Hey Jaehee, how about we turn on the radio?" I ask, voice still underlined with concern. "You're still burning up. Music might help you settle down so you can go back to sleep.".
She nods her head. "That sounds nice.", she weakly says.
I reach over and click on the radio, after some crackling, the host's voice comes over.
"Welcome back from our break! This next one is 'someone to you' by the banners!"
This causes Jaehee to perk up slightly. She chuckles lightly, saying "What good timing. I really like this song...".
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"I don't wanna die or fade away
I just wanna be someone~"
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"I told you,", a smile forming on myself as I start to remember the song as well, "It's like magic."
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"I wanna be the one you're guiding
'Cause I believe that you could lead the way."
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Jaehee starts humming along as the song continues.
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"And if the sun's upset and the sky goes cold
Then if the clouds get heavy and start to fall
I really need somebody to call my own
I wanna be somebody to someone,
Someone to you.~"
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Jaehee's mood has obviously risen. "I'm glad you're feeling better. I should go now.".
I get up and start to leave but I'm stopped when Jaehee grabs the tail of my shirt.
She bites her lip, "Could you... Stay? Just a bit longer? I don't really want to be alone..." she admits.
My face instantly heats up. "S-Sure.". She scoots over and pats the space next to her which I take as an invitation.
'It's just for a little while' I tell myself. 'Nothing is going to happen, she's sick for goodness sake! I'll just leave when she falls asleep.'.
I sit up, leaning against the headboard and Jaehee does the same. "This is all new to me." she laughs. "I never really did the 'sleep over' thing as a kid. This is kinda the same I guess though.".
"Yeah.". That's right, it's just like a sleep over. That's all this is.
We talk late into the night. "And that's why I don't trust squirrels." I say before realizing she had fallen asleep on my shoulder. It is pretty late, but seeing her like this, I don't want to leave.
Under my breath, I say "Please get better, I can't stand seeing you so miserable.", 'because I love you.'. Then, certain she's asleep, I give her a quick kiss on the crown of her head.
Maybe I'll stay just a bit longer, It can't hurt, can it?
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A few days later, I wake up to Jaehee knocking on my door. She enters soon after, looking more energized than I've seen her in a while.
"MC! Thanks to your help these past few days, I think I'm all better now!" She exclaims throwing her hands in the air in celebration.
She starts to continue before I interrupt her, my voice hoarse "Jaehee..."
She looks at me, slightly surprised, then gives me a knowing look of concern. "Are you..?"
"Yep.", I confirm, a cough following. "I'm sick...".
'Just my luck.'
"Ohmygosh! MC! I'm so sorry I got you sick, are you ok do you want some water or maybe some tea and I'll go get the medicine and-"
'Well, I guess things could be worse...'
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Chapter 4. End.
The spaceship's sensors have caught the RFA members meaningless thoughts...
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Zen: "Did I mess up? She obviously didn't want me to stay."
707: "This will be interesting, I wonder how this story will work out, LOL!"
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Thank you for reading this chapter of Mystic Radio! If you liked it, make sure to leave a like and subscribe so you know when the next update is! Now, go enjoy some Honey Buddha chips, and I'll see you next chapter! ~Des
