Isla bajo el mar
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Another busy day at the hospital. You had recently been transferred and had graduated with honors from your university.
You were assigned to a patient who would undergo a risky surgery. Unfortunately, like most patients in that hospital, they didn’t have an emergency contact or anyone to care for them post-surgery.
You had previously cared for elderly adults and even orphaned infants in similar situations. It was sad, but you knew that helping added a grain of sand to these people’s lives. That was the essence of your job.
“I know, but it was an emergency. There’s not much I could do about it. They went into surgery this morning,” you said to your best friend at the hospital, your confidant and companion during countless sleepless nights from your intern days.
“They’re taking advantage of you again. They know you’d never say no to caring for a post-surgery patient,” said Bryan, and it couldn’t have been truer.
“Yes, but it’s extra pay that, unfortunately, I desperately need. It’ll only be a few weeks. As usual, I’ll be in charge of the patient—feeding, bathing, etc. etc.,” you said, taking the last sip from your sixth cup of coffee that day. It hadn’t been the best night to face your nerves.
Bryan just squinted at you, still skeptical of your response. “There’s no changing your mind, but if you need help, we’ll send someone else to look after the patient for you,” Bryan said, getting up from one of the cafeteria tables. “See you later.”
Usually, you received the patient’s file upon assignment. After all, the service you provided was through a private hospital that paid you more than you could earn in a public one. Internally, you were grateful for the opportunity to end up here. Even when things were exhausting, you found solace in your work. Today was different, though—you had been running around the hospital helping your supervisor check on some patients and assisting wherever needed. You had a last meal with Bryan before heading to meet your assigned patient since you’d soon be heading to their home.
“Consultation room 33, bed 9,” said your supervisor, handing you a folder with all the necessary information regarding their care, diet, surgery, etc. You walked as quickly as possible to your work area, leaving the folder in your locker bag (not without taking a picture of the information). The details could wait for a moment—your patient had woken up.
As soon as you entered the room, you saw a beautiful woman lying in the bed, hooked to an IV keeping her hydrated. Had you gone into the wrong room? You stepped out to double-check the numbers and the file. “Room 33, bed 9,” you repeated to yourself, confirming the information.
You walked back in calmly and sat on the visitor’s chair, taking a moment to read the file.
“Cho Hyun Ju. She had undergone emergency surgery due to a breast implant failure. Thirty-five years old. Frequently undergoing hormone treatments. No emergency contacts or family members to call,” you read aloud, surprised by the details. She was your patient.
𓇼 ⋆.˚ 𓆉 𓆝 𓆡⋆.˚ 𓇼
“Good morning. I’m your assigned nurse. Since you didn’t have anyone listed as an emergency contact, the hospital assigned someone to care for you post-surgery. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Hyun Ju,” you said, trying to put on a face that conveyed calm and reassurance. After all, she wasn’t aware of what had happened during her emergency surgery.
“Hello, thank you,” she said in a raspy voice, barely audible to you. “Could you explain what happened?”
“Of course. Two days ago, you came to this clinic, and after seeing a doctor, we detected a failure in one of your breast implants.” You had to look away upon seeing the sadness and disappointment on her face. God knows this was going to be difficult.
“We had to remove it,” you finally said, now meeting her eyes.
“The good news is we made an effort to implant a new one with the help of our plastic surgeon,” you added. Her eyes lit up with a hint of hope upon hearing your words. Was the world finally smiling at her?
“This has increased your debt with the hospital, but don’t worry—we’ll address that once you’re feeling better.”
“Thank you,” your patient said, now more at ease after hearing your words.
𓇼 ⋆.˚ 𓆉 𓆝 𓆡⋆.˚ 𓇼
“Honestly, I wasn’t expecting this. No one told me, Bryan. I thought I had the wrong room,” you said to your friend, both on your break for the day.
“It would’ve been the same for me. Why didn’t anyone tell us?”
“I think she hasn’t managed to change her official documents yet. Her file still lists her as ‘male,’” you said while chewing your hot soup. “It’s a shame. When I told her what happened, she seemed genuinely worried. I can’t imagine how she felt.”
Bryan just watched you eat your soup as you both chatted about your previous days. Three days had passed since you began caring for your patient. It was nearly time to accompany her to her home and look after her there.
“I heard she was in the military,” Bryan blurted out. “It’s a rumor among the local nurses.”
“Hmh, I heard that too. She’s a very brave woman. Not everyone can be true to themselves in this world, you know?” you said, getting up from the dining area to toss your plate in the trash. “Sorry, Bryan. I need to go home and get my things ready for the transfer.”
“No worries. We’ll talk later.”
𓇼 ⋆.˚ 𓆉 𓆝 𓆡⋆.˚ 𓇼
It was depressing to see the days pass, and your patient never received visitors. She was alone, watching TV or sleeping, which was good for her recovery. Still, her only interactions were with you and the doctors.
“Good morning. How are you feeling today, Ms. Hyun?” you said as you entered her room with her breakfast tray. “The chefs mentioned you follow a rigorous training regimen, so we’ve prepared protein-rich meals to strengthen you.”
“Good morning, thank you. But please, don’t call me ‘Ms.’ You can just call me by my name,” said Hyun Ju, embarrassed as you adjusted her bed so she could eat.
“Of course, Hyun Ju,” you replied with a smile. It was time to help her eat.
“I... I don’t follow a rigorous regimen anymore,” she said shyly. That was a special treatment reserved for military personnel or high-ranking officers, and it gave her a headache to think about how many more years she’d have to wait for her papers to be updated.
“Don’t worry. This diet will still help you recover progressively,” you said, arranging the tray so she could eat. “If you need help, let me know,” you added, opening the curtains to let the daylight fill the room.
Hyun Ju had never really looked at you before. Her recent days had been full of mixed emotions—sadness, disappointment, worry. She couldn’t feel lonelier with each passing day, and you were the only one who brought even a hint of light to her life. Maybe she could hire you when the time came for her final transition surgery. She liked you a lot.
In the meantime, you had come up with a few things to keep her entertained. After all, your job was to care for patients and make them feel accompanied.
“Ms. Hyun—” you said, pulling two books out of your bag. She raised her eyebrows in response. “I brought some books to help you pass the time. I-it’s part of the hospital’s patient care plan,” you lied, as it was clear you were making an extra effort for her. But what harm could a little distraction do for her chaotic mind?
“Oh, I see,” Hyun Ju said as usual, keeping her responses short and direct. She seemed shy to even ask or mention anything to you.
“And what are they?” she asked, tying her hair into a ponytail.
Once she gave you an opening to start a conversation, you got excited. “Well... I don’t like self-help books, so I brought two of my favorites from home. Both are by my favorite author, Isabel Allende.”
“Oh, I know her! I haven’t had the chance to read her, but my ex-girlfriend liked her a lot,” Hyun Ju said, excited.
“That’s wonderful, Ms. Hyun. I have two different books. Please, pick one first,” you said with a smile.
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