* * *
Even after moving Jin back to his bedroom, I couldn't leave his side and kept checking on him.
I checked his breathing and heartbeat several times an hour, to the point where Jin might feel exhausted. If only I could attach ECG electrodes to his body and monitor his status in real-time. Why doesn't this world have that?
Blood pressure, pulse, oxygen saturation... All I knew were the normal ranges, but if I could see them on a monitor, I'd feel a little less anxious.
"Doctor. Aren't you going to sleep?"
Jin asked, blinking.
Do I look like I could sleep right now? I fidgeted anxiously with the mask strap behind my ear and looked down at Jin.
"Don't worry about it, patient. Go to sleep."
At my response, Jin suddenly grimaced slightly.
"Why, what's wrong? Jin? Are you in pain somewhere?"
I asked in a panic, and Jin pouted his lips before speaking.
"How am I supposed to sleep with you hovering over me so busily, Doctor."
I let out a deep sigh. But I was just as unable to sleep from anxiety.
"I'll turn off the light. Want me to sing you a lullaby?"
"...Doctor, you treat me like such a child."
Jin grumbled, clearly displeased with my words.
"You only realizing that now?"
As I said that, I flicked off the light switch. It became pitch black; I couldn't see a thing. I hurriedly pressed the penlight button. It doubled as a flashlight—handy.
Sitting on the chair by the bed in the darkness, relying on the penlight's glow, Jin finally quieted down. He really hadn't been able to sleep with the light on. Goodness, so sensitive, our little Jin.
I quietly pulled the chair closer to the bed without making a sound and draped myself over it. Up close, I could hear Jin's steady, raspy breathing. As my eyes adjusted to the dark, Jin's face came into view.
'Sleep well.'
I stared at Jin's sleeping face in the darkness for a long while like that. Once I confirmed he was in deep sleep, I pulled out the stethoscope and gently placed it on his chest.
'Breathing's fine.'
Careful not to make noise, I took the pocket watch from my pocket. The numbers and hands glowed luminously even in the dark—another of Lui's creations. I'd pulled it out to count his heartbeats per minute.
Pulse is usually checked at an artery, but I'm no pulse diagnostician... My sense of touch in my fingers was too dull; no matter how much I practiced, I couldn't get used to it. I could feel something squirming, but it wasn't precise enough to count beats per minute. It was just easier to count the distinct thumps of his heartbeat.
'Pulse 68. Perfectly normal.'
Phew. Thankfully, his body seemed fine for now.
I checked on Jin several times through the night like that. Just gazing at his sleeping face and checking breathing and pulse made time fly by.
At some point, I must have dozed off, because the artificial sun had risen outside the window. Checking the watch, it was past 6:30 a.m. Falling asleep draped over Jin's bed... Fortunately, Jin was still asleep.
His breathing and pulse had been normal at 4 a.m., so since I was up, should I check once more? I immediately pulled out the stethoscope and placed it lightly on Jin's chest.
Huh, beating too fast? With a startled face, I pulled out the watch. Over 100 beats in a minute. Why had his pulse suddenly spiked like this? What reason could there be for Jin's heart to race while just lying there sleeping?
"Jin, Jin!"
I shook him urgently. Jin's eyes remained closed. For sensitive Jin not to wake after shaking him this much. I started trembling in panic. What on earth happened while I dozed off...
Calm down and check pupillary reflex first—then suddenly, Jin's eyes snapped open.
"Why wake me when I'm sleeping."
Seeing Jin speak curtly, I collapsed back into the chair. You scared me, really.
"Your heart's racing too fast. Is something wrong with your body?"
I asked worriedly, but Jin just rolled onto his side, propped his chin on his arm, and gazed steadily at me.
"I'm perfectly fine, so stop fussing, Doctor."
Jin said in a deliberately casual voice. But the end trembled slightly.
A lie... This was definitely a lie. Something was wrong somewhere, so why hide it from me?
"Sit up. Let me listen again."
I prodded Jin. He groaned and slowly sat up. If he could sit up on his own, it wasn't too serious...
Normally, when I said to stethoscope, he'd unbutton his shirt himself, but now he just sat taking deep breaths. What's wrong with this guy?
"Go ahead, listen all you want."
After deep breathing for a while, Jin finally unbuttoned his shirt. I glared at the watch hands and placed the stethoscope on his chest. But like magic, his pulse had returned to normal. Breathing sounds fine too.
"See? I'm fine, Doctor. Can I button up now?"
I set down the stethoscope and noted the abnormal symptom in the chart.
[6:32 a.m. Abnormal pulse observed. Cause unknown.]
...Frustrating. What on earth caused this abnormality? I wanted to Google tachycardia causes... I really wished for just one minute with a smartphone. Then I'd at least know the rough cause.
I soon sighed and began the morning.
* * *
Morning sun rose in the Underground City again. It was wondrous. Even after years here, seeing the sun rise and set deep underground remained magical.
Jin opened his eyes to the dwarves' artificial sunlight. But before him slept Astrid, peacefully. Leaning against his bed. She'd checked his condition all night and dozed off briefly.
Yesterday, at the moment of death... Another day he'd desperately wished for. Starting it seeing Astrid's sleeping face filled his chest with overwhelming joy.
Her sleeping face was beautiful. The eyes, nose, and mouth neatly gathered on her small face were utterly lovable. Of course, what drew Jin wasn't just her exterior.
Everyone pitied Jin, death ever near. Even accepting it, others' gazes saddened and suffocated him.
But... Astrid was different. She didn't pity Jin. That side of her eased his breath even slightly.
Moreover, her sparkling intellect and firm will to save him moved his heart. He himself hadn't valued his life that much.
"Mm..."
Astrid whimpered softly, restless in sleep.
Pfft. Jin couldn't hold back a laugh. He shouldn't, mustn't reach out to her...
Drawn by the lavender scent from her body, Jin unconsciously stroked the bridge of her nose gently.
And at that moment.
She twitched and woke. Jin's surprised heart began pounding. He hurriedly lay back, pretending to sleep.
He hoped she'd fall back asleep, but rustling sounds meant she was getting up.
Jin squeezed his eyes shut, praying his madly thumping heart wouldn't reach Astrid. But she placed the stethoscope on his chest.
'Please calm down... calm down.'
Listening far longer than usual, Astrid shook him awake. Jin shut his eyes tighter.
'I'm sleeping. I'm sleeping right now...'
But no matter how he brainwashed himself, sleep wouldn't come. He felt Astrid panicking busily. Pretending longer seemed impossible.
Finally opening his eyes wide, Astrid collapsed into the chair, startled. She'd worried over his pounding heart.
Jin feigned calm, saying he was fine. He thought he'd handled it well, but his voice cracked slightly at the end. He wasn't usually this bad at lying.
"Sit up. Let me listen again."
Doubt filled Astrid's face. Jin sighed deeply. No matter how casually he acted, this brilliant doctor saw through to his core.
Jin sat up and took deep breaths. Inhaling and exhaling repeatedly, his wildly pounding heart finally regained its rhythm.
"Go ahead, listen all you want."
Jin said triumphantly. Astrid placed the diaphragm on his chest suspiciously. Naturally, results were normal.
She still looked baffled, but Jin felt proud at dodging the crisis.
Like that, he slowly buttoned his shirt while watching her scribble in the chart.
