I Don't Mind

Jian Kang Lu finished his polyclinic at 8.30 pm. He washed his hand and put his doctor gown into the laundry bag. When he wants to say goodbye to his nurses, Nurse Yu looks at him.

"Doctor Jian, I heard that your brother admitted last night. How is he? Is it something serious?" The young face of Nurse Yu filled with sympathy.

"He's not my brother, he's my friend. He was having pneumonia. But i guess he looks better today. I will visit him again after this. Thank you for your concern."

"I hope he recovered soon. And don't forget to have enough rest, Doctor Jian."

"En.. I will. Good night, Nurse Li, Nurse Yu. Thank you for your hard work today." With those sentences, Jian Kang Lu walks away and turns in the corner. Seems he will take the elevator to visit his friend.

Nurse Yu turns her head to Nurse Li, "I thought it was Doctor Jian's brother who admitted last night? Nurse Wang from ER told me she was surprised to see Doctor Jian rushed into ER last night and his face so pale full with worry. He even frightened the resident in the ER. They're so afraid they will see a life threatening case from the way Doctor Jian looked last night. They said they never saw Doctor Jian look like that before."

Nurse Li just smiled and looked at her junior who can't hold her enthusiasm, gossiped about last night's incident. Every news travels at a light speed in this hospital. 

Nurse Yu added some more, "I also heard from sister Meng, that Doctor Jian accompanied his brother, err no, his friend, all night long. Doctor Jian came back to the room late at night and spent the night there to take care of his friend. He only goes back home at 5 in the morning, and comes back to check his friend before doing morning round."

Nurse Li answered him, "It was natural for someone as kind as Doctor Jian. I remember several years ago Doctor Jian also accompanied Doctor Zhang all the time when Doctor Zhang was admitted to hospital."

Nurse Yu's eyes flashed when she remembered that story. At that time, she was not yet assigned to be the kidney clinic's nurse. "Oh yes, now i remember. Doctor Zhang collapsed that time from heart disease right? But I heard that his heart disease is minor, only triggered by his psychological problem?"

"Don't listen to that kind of malicious rumour. Doctor Zhang is a good man. Come, I want to go home soon. Let's wrap up." Nurse Li scolded her junior. These young nurses need to be taught to tightly shut their lips. Besides, eight of ten rumours in this hospital tend to be exaggerated. Especially rumours about the 'golden boy'. The kids who were born with silver spoons in their mouth.

Doctor Zhang is an oncologist, the only son of Professor Zhang. His father is one of the best oncology in the country. Every 'golden boy' will receive so much praise in front of them, but so many people want to find their mistakes and mock them behind. That sounds cruel. After all, you can't choose your own parents.

But some humans in this world can't get rid of this disgusting habit, they can't hide their dark side of the heart. They will continuously feel that they were better, only they don't have a better chance because they were not born as 'golden boys'. It was wrong, but it was easier to find someone else to blame instead of fix yourself.

Jian Kang Lu was already notified by Yang Hengtian, the pulmonologist who treated Bai Yutang, the result of his examination. Like Jian Kang Lu already diagnosed from last night's examination, his kitten got pneumonia. The pneumonia is not the life threatening one, but worsened by his gastric problem. It seems his kitten doesn't take his meal regularly. Or maybe he was lacking good night sleep that led to this gastritis problem.

From the result, Yang Hengtian told him when Bai Yutang could finish his meal without vomiting, then he could be released from hospital. The nurse already notified Yang Hengtian that today Bai Yutang didn't vomit at all, and finally can finish his meal tonight.

Jian Kang Lu peeked inside the room to check whether his kitten was still awake or had already gone to bed. Bai Yutang was watching TV and heard him. After he saw it was Jian Kang Lu, he smiled and said, "Come in, Jian Ge. I haven't slept yet."

Jian Kang Lu sits at the sofa chair next to the bed, "You can't sleep too late. Your gastritis is quite severe. For the next two weeks you should pay attention to your diet. No spicy food, no coffee, and definitely you need to eat regularly. Did you skip your meal a lot? Or didn't sleep well lately?"

His kitten laughed, "Now you sound like a doctor, Jian Ge. I guess i was too tired from the project last time." Bai Yutang then solemnly promised, "But don't worry, i'll follow my doctor's advice."

"You're wrong. I'm not your doctor. Doctor Yang is your doctor." Jian Kang Lu teased him. "Anyway, i heard you finished your meal tonight. Good job, how are you tonight? Feeling better?"

Jian Kang Lu's eyes look so tender. He's so glad his kitten looks better today. He was so panicked last night to see his kitten was having a high fever and so weak. He really felt thankful for Yu Dong answering his phone and let him check his kitten in their room. His intuition was right. He couldn't feel at ease last night and was wandering around his kitten's dorm's gate. He was so worried.

"En, i feel a lot better. I think I can go home tomorrow. Doctor Yang already told me that I can go home if I can finish my meal without vomiting again."

Jian Kang Lu nodded, "Okay. If tomorrow you can finish your lunch, then you can go home. By the way, your friend stays at the dorm on this holiday?"

His kitten was stunned. It seems he just remembered that from Saturday until Monday T university will have a three days break due to the new year. "I don't know Jian Ge, I haven't asked them."

"��"

Jian Kang Lu was speechless. He was already guessing his kitten might not pay attention to that. If his kitten was not sick, that's okay. But he was still weak. How could Jian Kang Lu let his weak kitten stay alone in the dorm, without someone to take care of him?

Jian Kang Lu just said a short sentence, "Ask them first."

He waits for his kitten to type on his mobile phone. His kitten suddenly asks, "Do you have your dinner, Jian Ge?"

"Mmm.. Not yet."

His kitten frowned, "Please have your dinner. It doesn't seem right that i have to eat regularly but you don't."

Jian Kang Lu laughed, "I take my meal regularly, only at different hours. Do you mind if I take my dinner here?"

"Of course i don't mind. Please have your dinner, Jian Ge."

Jian Kang Lu ordered Qishan saozi noodles. It was a Shaanxi dish. A non spicy dish with fragrant, vinegary broth, and thin noodles. Four slices of meat placed on top of it, with green onion and vegetables around.

The restaurant said they can deliver in 30-40 minutes. The restaurant is not far away, just ten minutes from the hospital.

Few minutes later, his kitten's voice, who was previously lively chatting with him, suddenly stopped and stared at his mobile phone. "Yu Dong called his parents tonight and he needs to go back home by tomorrow's plane after class. Tang Yuxuan's parents said that they will visit the town on Saturday to celebrate the new year in Beijing. And Liu Xiang's big sister came here two days ago, and now demands him to go to this hot spring with her on Saturday…"

"Then.. It means you'll be alone in the dorm?" Jian Kang Lu asks slowly.

Bai Yutang answered in a low voice, "I guess so.. I told my parents two days ago that I feel unwell. Every winter usually I catch some cold. So my parents understood and never asked me to travel around the winter. But usually my friends also never go back because we'll have final exams after the break."

There was some silence wrapped around them. Jian Kang Lu then asks, "Then, maybe it was better for you to stay in the hospital until your friends came back. You still need time to recover, and I don't think it was a good choice to stay alone at the dorm."

Bai Yutang said nothing for a while. Then he said with even lower voice, sounds embarrassed. "I don't know how much i need to pay for my hospital bill, Jian Ge.." His face bushed when he finally said these sentences. Then he added hurriedly, "I also need to study. I haven't cramped this term material, and the exam is just one more week."

There was a knock sound, both of them looked at the door. A pretty young nurse opens the door and tells Jian Kang Lu, "Doctor Jian, your meal has arrived. Do you want me to bring it here or you want to take it home?"

Jian Kang Lu walked to the door and said, "No, let me fetch it by myself. Sorry for troubling you."

The young nurse's face blushed to stand so near from Doctor Jian. "Not at all, Doctor Jian."

Jian Kang Lu went for a while and came back with his dinner. He prepared his dinner, and said. "Excuse me to disturb you having my dinner here."

"It's okay, Jian Ge. Please enjoy your meal." His kitten's face is still a bit red from his embarrassment.

When Jian Kang Lu was having his dinner, he said with a low voice, "Don't think too much about the hospital bill. As a doctor working here, I have my own advantage. Besides, I never used that advantage before. So don't think about it and let me settle the bill."

His kitten's face flushed even more, "Please don't, Jian Ge. I don't think I can accept burdening you like that. I have my own savings, also I can tell my parents to pay."

"I know that, and it was not that I underestimated you. But it was me who admitted you in this hospital, and chose this room. Besides, I don't feel burdened at all. Between me and my friends, we never count money between us. It was me this time, but maybe tomorrow it was your turn. And I feel more ease if you let me handle the bill." Jian Kang Lu slowly explained to his kitten.

Then after a while, he added, "And.. I really appreciate your time to accompany me all this time. When you reach my age, you'll understand how precious it feels to have a companion watching movies or watching concerts. Or even just have dinner like this. It may look like simple things, but i really enjoy every moment i spent with you."

His kitten silenced. Then nodded, "I understand. Then I will burden you this time, Jian Ge. But I still prefer going home tomorrow. I feel better already, and I didn't feel good to stay here when I didn't need to hospitalised anymore."

Jian Kang Lu already finished his dinner. He wrapped up and washed the utensils at the sink. After drinking the water. He sat down in the sofa chair again. Then he looked at his kitten, and finally voiced his mind.

"Do you want to stay at my apartment? That way I also feel at ease knowing you won't be alone in the dorm. If you don't mind, then we can go home together tomorrow night. I can drive you back to your dorm first to fetch your things and your material to study. After the new year, when your friends go back to the dorm, then I will send you back."

Jian Kang Lu can see the shock registered on his kitten for a moment, then washed blank with confusion. His phoenix eyes and his round mouth were frozen wide open. He looks like he can't find his voice.

Jian Kang Lu says nothing and just stares at his kitten tenderly, patiently waiting for his answer. He was really worried about leaving his kitten alone in the dorm. That's why on a whim he decided just to say what was on his mind. He doesn't want to look at his kitten in his previous weak state ever again. Looking at him like that, he feels like he could lose his kitten any moment.

His kitten finally closed his mouth, look away from him. From this angle, Jian Kang Lu can see the tip of that ear coloured with crimson colour. His bangs covering his expression. Jian Kang Lu's heart felt tight.

Finally his kitten's voice filled his ear. "Okay, Jian Ge. If you really don't mind, then please allow me to bother you in the next few days."