Mandu
“Come on, Villanelle! That’s all you’ve got?”
“Shut up and sit tight!” she says, trying to catch her breath while pushing Hugo on wheelchair for extra load.
Surgery is cruel, even if innovation of technology is faster than ever, it will always be invasive. Whether surgeons use sharp stones, back in 6500 BC, or microscopic instruments; patients don't always come back to their normal way of living. She has been regaining her physical strength these past few weeks, it's helping her to keep her out of he mind and to feel a little bit more of herself each day.
“Okay, I will but you have to tell me how Dr. Park was able to get you out of your bed for therapy,” he bargains and Villanelle suddenly stops, making him jerk and almost fall out of the wheelchair, “That was close! You could have damaged my pretty face, Villanelle!”
Against all odds, Villanelle and Hugo become friends in a matter of time. She likes him because he lets her eat whatever she wants, he sneaks food for Villanelle that she is not even cleared to eat yet. They understand each other, probably because of the same world they are in. For whatever the reason, she doesn't care because Hugo keeps her company and makes her time in the hospital a little bit less lonely.
She turns around a corner and surprised by the sight of a brunette talking to a nurse. Eve looks devastating in her white button-up shirt tucked in high waist black trouser paired with black pumps. In addition, the look is finished with her white coat matching her black matte stethoscope hanging around her neck.
“Earth to Villanelle," Eve says mere feet from her. Hugo is out of the wheelchair and standing beside her like a child caught doing something prohibited.
"Sorry, what?" she asks with a smile growing on her face.
"I asked if I have blood on my face, you're staring," Eve smirks.
"Nope. It's nice to see you, Dr. Park!" she says as Eve pass by both of them, following the brunette with her eyes.
"Don't wear yourself too much. And Hugo?" Eve looks back at him, "Don’t forget your other responsibilities beside sitting on a wheelchair being pushed by a patient around the hospital, yes?" and then she's gone.
“You can pretend that you're not staring at her, but I don't think you can lure the goddess of neurosurgery on your bed," Hugo whispers on her ear.
“Shut up and just sit down again. Unless you want me to tell Dr. Park that you—”
“Nope,” he says while turning his back on Villanelle, “I got a lot of things to do. See you later, V!”
“Asshole."
Flashback
Eve clears her morning schedule to administer Villanelle's therapy, determined to get the blonde out of he bed. After yesterday, there's something inside of her pulling Eve closer to Villanelle. Eve feels the need to help her stronger than for her other patients.
“Morning,” Eve says to the blonde who's staring to the window.
Villanelle faces her, lips turning upwards while her eyes betray her. Eve sits on her bedside chair, patiently waiting for blonde to say anything. There's a look in her eyes, not anger or frustration--lost. Eve explains to her on how they will proceed on her recovery, hoping that will ease the blonde's mind.
"You can tell me whatever you need, whether someone to listen or just to sit silently with, I'm your woman. Okay?" Eve reassures her.
“As my doctor?” Villanelle raises an eyebrow.
“As your doctor and maybe as a friend? Since you already know something so personal about me. We can be friends as long as you don’t tell people we are,” Eve winks at her, Villanelle chuckles, “You can call me Eve when they are not around?” she offers.
“Who? your puppies?”
"Yes, my puppies," Eve giggles.
“You can call me Villanelle, even if it’s live on TV,” she shoots Eve a wink and it does something to Eve.
“There is it. The famous Villanelle. It’s my pleasure to know you, Villanelle,” She reaches out her hand and Villanelle takes it, “So, care to start your physical therapy with me?”
On that day, Villanelle starts her physical therapy with no questions asked. She is surprisingly patient with her even if Villanelle grips her hand too hard almost the whole time.
As days pass by, time is getting slower and slower the longer she stays in the hospital. Fortunately, she has the greatest doctor she can ever asked for. Eve drops by to eat lunch with her in silence, talk to her when she needs to, rest after a big surgery and spends her coffee breaks to personally check on her. It's always something she can look forward to in her day. Besides, she has a privilege knowing the brunette behind the wall Eve built steadfast around herself. Ever since the night Eve opened up to her, they started sharing personal things with each other, a bond that she never felt with anyone else before. Eve sees her during her lowest and ugliest points in life. Meanwhile, she gets to see different sides of the doctor whether it is about her being the intern's attending, the most respected doctor of everyone in the hospital, the most passionate person she'd ever met (Once, she finished a 18 hours nonstop surgery, checked on her right after and ended up sleeping on her bedside chair), and the person with a golden heart when it comes to helping other people. She also sees the side of Eve that gets frustrated when one of her patients die on the table, the way Eve hurts for their families and the way her heart breaks every time things don't work out even if she did more than she could ever do for her patients yet she'll put herself through it over and over again for others.
It’s 12:30 pm and Eve usually comes in around 12:15 when she does not have surgery. Lunch consists of Eve bringing her food while Villanelle eating whatever hospital food or her family bring in for her. Today, Villanelle orders food from her favorite Korean restaurant for them to share. She wants to surprise the brunette even with such simple gesture. Just when she’s about to give up that Eve will show up, she hears a knock from a brunette in her usual blue scrub.
“Is there a party in here or something? Am I not invited?” she asks, looking at the table while casually leaning on the door, arms cross on her chest.
“Come here, Eve. I’ve been waiting for you. Let’s eat!” she grins and moves to make space for Eve to sit on beside her.
Eve places the table in front of Villanelle and sits on the bed.
“You’ve been waiting for me? What if I didn’t drop by today? There’s so much food!"
“Eve, you'll always come around, yes?” She lifts an eyebrow, smirking.
Eve shoves a mandu in her mouth, nodding.
“For free food? Always! I wonder if your fans know how big your appetite is. I’m sure they will be shocked."
“That doesn’t matter to them. They will probably just find the restaurant from where I ordered in for themselves to try. Win-win,” She shrugs.
“True and you have good taste. How did you manage to order some food from this restaurant anyway? It’s my favorite Korean restaurant here in London. It’s authentic and I am sure they don’t deliver.”
“I have connections, Eve,” she winks at her.
After devouring all the food, Eve cleans up. Villanelle notices how a smile imprinted on the doctor's face and will do anything to see it again.
“Thank you for the food."
“No, Eve. Thank you,” she replies with a slight smile.
“For what?”
“For being my friend.”
“See you around, Villanelle." Eve smiles and her cheeks are growing red--escaping the eyes that never leaving her face.
This is one of the moments that makes her stay in the hospital bearable. She still can’t remember some events that happened before the accident. She doesn’t even know that there is an accident. Irina and Konstantin follow her doctors not to tell her unless she remember those herself or else she might suffer more than she already is. She’s being patient and just tries to regain her physical strength as much as possible. She’s trying to get ready for when she needs to go out of this hospital and face the real world. A moment of true awakening from her trauma--puzzled on what's waiting for her on the other side. For now, she is enjoying stolen moments with her beautiful doctor and her newfound asshole friend, Hugo.