"The other doctors and I have been discussing how best to go about your operations Miss Song." said the surgeon Hana had been referred to. "Patients who need a bilateral surgery happens from time to time but I haven't encountered a case like yours before." He glanced at the computer screen covered in the black and white images of her MRI. "I've seen people with similar injuries to yours but never all of them at once. This might sound strange but I'm actually somewhat excited to have you as a patient."

"Well great. Good to know someone is happy I'm all busted up." Hana's lips twisted sourly as she somehow failed to share the doctor's enthusiasm at her predicament.

The surgeon was quick to backpedal as he started waving his hands in the air. "No, no, no that came out wrong. I'm not happy that you're hurt, far from it. It's just that your particular case is a challenge the likes of which I haven't seen before." He cleared his throat before continuing. "Normally in a case like this we'd do one arm, rehab it then do the other arm afterwards but there have been some new surgical procedures that will allow us to do it faster than before. Operating on all of the impact joints in a single session will be rougher on you but in this particular case it'd allow you to resume prior activities faster if everything goes according to plan. Another thing to take into consideration is that you'll have extremely limited use of your arms and hands afterwards. It's possible you won't be able to feed yourself or... ah how to put it... perform certain hygiene related functions. Do you have any friends or family members you can ask to keep an eye on you?"

Hana squeezed her eyes shut and dry heaved involuntarily when she realized what he meant. Someone who would be willing to help Hana take a shower or use toilet paper when she needed it. Not to mention when her period started, that would be a lot of fun. Then there was the less disgusting stuff, cooking, cleaning, shopping, laundry, even something as simple as opening her mail would be beyond her for a time. And then there was something as basic as feeding herself, she might not even be able to do that. "I think so... I'd have to ask around but it shouldn't be a problem."

At least she hoped it wouldn't.

"Very well then. For this procedure I recommend general anesthesia since the surgery will take a few hours to finish. You'll be unconscious during the operation and we'll wake you up afterwards. Odds are that it'll take you some time to fully wake up and you'll be out of it in the meantime. Once you're able to demonstrate that you're mentally fit we'll discharge you and you can go home." The doctor typed on his keyboard for a bit and a different window came up on the monitor. "Your file doesn't mention allergies to any medication... one of our other patients had to reschedule their operation so we have an opening in three days if that works for you."

"Sure." replied a reluctant Hana. Three days until she went under the knife. Three days until her ability to play professionally was permanently taken from her. "What time?"

Hana's fingers tapped all over her phone as she wrote out a text message to her coach Seo. 'Hey, Hana here. So I talked to the doc this morning. He said they can operate in three days but I'm gonna need someone to help me out with stuff. I guess my arms are gonna be stuck in slings or something like that so I sorta won't be able to do stuff with them. Any chance you can drop by and help out when you have some free time?'

A few minutes later and Seo's reply came through. 'I'm kinda busy since we're fighting to stay in playoff position but I can spare a couple of hours each day.' An ellipsis appeared on the phone and then a second text showed up. 'I know you won't want to hear it but you might consider asking your mother to come to Seoul and help you.'

Her fingers tightened their grip and the phone started shaking as Hana's hands quivered from a barely controlled fury. The memory of their argument over Hana's decision to leave school in order to pursue Starcraft as a career continued to burn as brightly as ever on the rare occasions that she thought about it. Hana's mother was still listed as a contact on her phone but it had been over four years since the elder Song's name had appeared on a new text message or phone call. She stared at the phone for a minute before flipping to a different contact and composing a message much like the one she had sent to Seo.

The response wasn't as fast as Seo's but it wasn't too long before Lucio's response showed up. 'Say what?You want me to help take care of you after your surgery? Not trying to be rude but don't ya have family or something that can do it?'

'Is that a no you can't do it or a you don't wanna do it?' replied Hana.

'It's more of a I'm surprised you're asking me. We're friends and all but we haven't known each other for very long. I woulda thought you'd get a family member to help you.'

'Well I don't have any siblings and I'm not on speaking terms with my parents. I asked one of my coaches for help but they're busier than normal since Proleague playoffs are coming up and all. I kinda don't really know anyone else outside of the team besides you'

'Oh that's flattering. You're only asking me because you literally don't have anyone else...'

'What?'No.'

'No.'

'No.'

'No.'

'Sorta. This is coming out wrong. Yes I don't have a lot of options but I'd still be asking you even if I did. I need your help Lucio. Please..."

After that message went out a long silence elapsed as she nervously waited for a response. After what felt like an hour, but only ten minutes or so in actuality, the ellipsis signifying an incoming response appeared. 'I'll do it but I gotta talk to my boss first to make sure he okays it. I have a few other patients who I'd have to hand off to the other therapists if I was gonna do the whole in-house thing.'

'In-house thing?' asked Hana, her eyebrow raising even though he was in an entirely different building kilometers away from her present location.

'Well yeah. Oh right I haven't explained this to you. I've finished all the coursework for my physical therapy degree but I have to complete a certain number of hours before I'm licensed. I've been doing that here but this clinic also offers in-house service if a patient needs it. So if my boss okays it then I could come help you out while still getting my hours done. I'd just need you to sign a thing that lists the times I spend working with you. That cool?'

'Sure. What time do you need me to pick you up Hana?'

'Doc said procedure's supposed to be done at ten in the morning but they won't let me go until I'm awake or whatever.'

'All right, see you then babe.'

The corners of her lips flickered upwards as a small smile forced its way past the gloom and doom of the upcoming surgery. Babe.

The fingers on Hana's left hand curled ever tighter around the cold steel of the guardrail and she took slow deep breathes as she tried to ignore what was happening to her right forearm. "All right you can relax now Miss Song, the needle's in place."

Hana snuck a peek at her right limb to check for herself. The needle had been inserted and was now taped down to hold it in place. A thin plastic tube ran outwards from it up to a clear plastic bag containing some drug in liquid form. She exhaled in relief now that the act of getting stuck was over. "I really, really hate needles."

The nurse gave Hana a well practiced customer service smile as she peeled the paper backing off some sort of round measuring device attached to a cord. "You handled it pretty well. This here-" She wiggled the device before carefully affixing near Hana's collarbone. "-is to measure some of your vital signs. Pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate." She held up a gray piece of plastic before putting it on Hana's index finger. "And this one will keep track of how much oxygen you're receiving. We'll move it during the surgery so that it's not in the way when we're operating on a hand in case you were wondering. Any questions?"

"Aren't you putting me to sleep? I still feel wide awake." Hana pointed the obvious discrepancy to their actions.

"No, not yet." said the nurse as she pulled Hana's bed out of its little nook and started wheeling her down the hall. "We'll be putting you under but not before we make sure everything is in order in the operating room."

As they rolled through the hallway Hana's gaze swung from one side to the other as doctor's in white coats and nurses in blue scrubs bustled along, all intent on whatever errand they were in the middle of. The bed slowed then turned a corner as it went through a pair of double doors that only opened when her driver pressed a metal panel on the wall. One more turn and she was entering the surgical theater itself. Men and women wearing pale blue surgical smocks and white face masks stood next to carts on top of which rested trays holding various shaped instruments made of stainless steel or in some cases plastic. The only sources of illumination in the room were a pair of surgical lighting systems with dozens of led bulbs along with the dim glow of all the television screens present.

The nurse pushed her bed to the middle of the room where it was sitting directly underneath one of the lamps. Hana winced at the brightness and she closed her eyes to shut out the glare.

Hana's eyes fluttered open only to find a world that didn't want to stand still. The curtains next to her bed, the ceiling, the people walking by all swayed to and fro in a way that made her stomach want to empty itself of things that weren't there. A nurse making her way around the room to check on her patients stopped in front of Hana's nook."Ah you're awake Miss Song. How do you feel?"

Her throat was dry, her head felt stuffy and there was a certain dry rattle to Hana's voice when she opened her mouth to answer the question. "Thffiiftph." That wasn't what she had meant to say but her muscles had refused to make the proper sound so she tried again. "Thirsty."

"Get her some water."

A skinny metal tube pressed against her lips and a small burst of chilled water was squirted inside when she opened her mouth. Hana swished it around her mouth once then swallowed it down, the parched feeling ebbing somewhat. "Do you know where you are Miss Song?" asked the nurse.

"I'm in the hospital."

"And what day is it?"

Hana paused for a second as she had to actively think back to what day of the week was. The date was there but this was... "It's Friday isn't it?"

"Very good. How many fingers am I holding up?" The nurse raised one hand, extending a few of her digits.

"Three." answered Hana. The nurse lowered one of them to her palm and kept the others extended. "Two."

"How is your pain level right now? Are you feeling any discomfort anywhere you shouldn't be?"

As she looked over Hana noticed some new additions to her outfit that hadn't been there before. Her arms were both tucked into a pair of slings and there were two wide nylon straps running from the slings up and over each shoulder. "There's a little bit of pain from my shoulders and I feel kinda nauseous."

"Nausea is a common side effect of general anesthesia and it'll wear off. Your shoulders and arms are probably going to be uncomfortable for a day or two but that should pass as well. You look pretty alert to me so I don't see any problems in getting you discharged today but there's some things we'll have to go over." explained the nurse as she grabbed some papers from a holder at the foot of Hana's bed. "These are a list of things you'll have to keep an eye out for during your recovery period as well as directions for the medications we'll be giving you. The most important thing is managing your incisions however. You'll need to clean them when you're changing your bandage every day so they don't get infected. Keep an eye out for any redness, swelling, hardness, drainage or your level of pain increasing for no reason. I'll help you get changed then the doctor will come in for a final checkup before we can discharge you."

As Hana's wheelchair was pushed out of the hospital a certain person with corn-rows was standing there next to a car not quite as run-down as the one she had been using. "Hey you." said Lucio with a cheerful grin.

The nurse pushing her wheelchair came around to the front of it and eased her arm behind Hana's back in order to lift her from the chair. Lucio opened his door before helping her sit down in it and buckle her in. Once he got in on his side Lucio turned towards her. "So how hungry are you?"

"I'm starving. I don't know why they said I couldn't eat before the surgery. They were operating on my arms not my stomach." groused Hana. "Come on, let's go get some street food. I want some kogo dogs."

"Kogo dogs..." repeated Lucio. "Those hot dogs covered in french fries? You want to eat that right after a surgery? Nope, not happening. Tell you what, let me head to my place first so I get some ingredients and I'll cook you some Brazilian food."

Half an hour later and Hana was sipping water through a straw while Lucio was bustling around in her kitchen. "So is this authentic Brazilian food or are you replacing ingredients because you couldn't find them here?"

"Oh it's authentic all right." Lucio reassured her as he mixed some liquids and salt together in a bowl. "It took me some time to find a store that sold tapioca flour but I managed. The rest of it was all easy enough to get. Biggest problem is that apartments don't come with good grills so I can't make churrasco."

"Chur-what?"

"Churrasco. It's Brazilian barbecue. Beef, chicken, pork all fresh off the skewer."

"Couldn't you buy a grill though? Getting a gas grill off the internet only takes a couple of days."

Lucio's hands stopped in their tracks and his head turned towards Hana as he began sputtering, horrified at the notion. "A gas grill? A gas grill? No, no no no no no no no no! How could you even say that? It's not churrasco if you cook it over a gas grill. Proper churrasco is cooked over embers!"

Hana put her hands up to ward off his rush of words or she would have if doing so was possible for her at the moment. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you."

"No, I'm the one who should apologize. Getting mad about food is dumb and yelling at you about it is even dumber." His hands started moving again as he got back to cooking. "Do you think you can handle waiting an hour for me to finish?"

"Not a problem Lucio." said Hana with a slight smile. "Can you put something on the TV so I have something to watch?"

Lucio gave his hands a quick wash before he headed over to her laptop and pulled up the last television show she had been watching. "There you go." he said before heading back to the kitchen.

"So what are these called?" asked Hana as she looked at the plates he had set down on the table in front of them.

Lucio pointed at white balls shot through with golden veins of melted cheese. "These ones here are pão de queijo. Eggs, tapioca flour, parmesan and mozzarella cheese." His finger moved to the other things he had made. "This is pastel. Wheat flour, more eggs and it's filled with ground beef and chopped garlic."

"So uhhh guess I gotta point out the elephant in the room." said Hana. "No hands." She wiggled her fingers for emphasis but they barely made a dent in the fabric of the slings securing her arms.

"Oh! Ummm, I know. Hang on." Lucio got up to his feet and hurried back into the kitchen before returning with a pair of chopsticks. He sat down next to her before deftly snaring one of the balls and holding it up for Hana.

Hana leaned forward biting a piece off and slowly chewed, savoring the taste. "Hmmmm that's pretty good. I guess your hands are good for more than just massages." Lucio's face flushed and he didn't respond, instead opting to look away. Hana giggled for a second before falling silent as she gaze at the dark skinned man alone in her apartment with her.

She swallowed once then started to lean sideways towards him. Without warning Lucio shot back up to his feet. "Oh, I forgot to bring us something to drink." Without the man there to stop her she found herself falling flat on her face and he spun around startled.

That was smooth Hana. She thought to herself. "Oh for crying out loud. Pick me up will you?" Hana asked, her face growing more familiar with the carpet's fibers than she was comfortable with. Lucio dropped back to his knees and carefully guided his arms around her as he lifted her back up into a sitting position before starting to let go but she shook her head. "I want to say thank you. Thanks for agreeing to help me out, picking me up, cooking me dinner. You're awesome."

Hana leaned in again, the only things holding her up were the Brazilian's arms, and pressed her lips against his. Her heart beat against her chest as she waited for him to react and after a nerve wracking moment his arms gently squeezed her as he returned the action tenfold, the meal forgotten.