Chapter Text
It had been an avarage day at the clinic. Mornings had been filled with patients making appointments and coming in.
It was just a little past lunchtime now, Rumi didn’t fill her own agenda, Zoey did.
The lovely receptionist that Rumi had grown attached to over the years of working at the practice.
She sat down on her chair in the room, opening up the agenda on her computer, next appointment at 1.30 was….
Mira.
Ofcourse it was. Rumi sighed so loud she was sure they heard it across the practice. She shook her head before pushing out of her chair and walking towards the waiting room, and there she was sat waiting for what wouldve been her third appointment this week .
“Mira? Youre up.” She didn’t bother waiting before turning around and walking back to her office, she heard Mira trail behind her and shut the door as she sat down, rubbing her hands across her face before leaning her head onto them, her elbows on the desk.
“What brings you here?” Her voice is bored, she can’t help it. Not when shes already been in here atleast 50 times this month. Ok. That was a stretch, its been 6 times, but the month only started 2 weeks ago!
“Oh, terrible IBS flare up, its horrible really.” She clutched her stomach for dramatic effect.
“Have you been taking your medicine?” She opened up her dossier, not that she really needed it.
Then looked back to Mira, who had another of her shit eating grins on her face.
“Yes doctor.”
…. Was she serious? Was she getting off to this or something?
She took a deep breath.
“And your diet? Did you change anything or take any trigger foods?”
She opened up another note on her desktop, glancing at the woman across from her.
“yes I have been taking my medication. And no, no lactose and bread. Just a sudden flare up you need to check out, doctor.”
Rumi huffed, her fingers stilling over the keyboard. “Well I cannot really do that if there has been no symptoms as to why this sudden flare up happened. I suggest you keep taking your pills and to stay hydrated.” Before Mira could open her mouth, Rumi pushes herself up out of her chair, walking over to the door and holding it open. “That’ll be all, dont bother with a follow-up, it’ll sort itself out within a couple of weeks, as I said last time. Bye now!” She ushers her out of the room, closing the door behind her when she’s out of sight, rubbing her hands over her face.
This is going to be a long afternoon.
Mira was on her way out when she hears her name being called from the front desk, a voice she knows all too well with how often she had been coming in here.
“Mira! Mira wait, get back here a sec!” She stops before turning around, zoey, her upper body hanging halfway across the desk, waving her hand at Mira as if it would get her there faster.
“Oh Zoey, hadn’t even noticed my favorite secretary was in today.” A grin on her face as she made her way over, it got a giggle from zoey.
“You shameless flirt, stop that—“ she waved her hand between them. “Let me set you up for a follow-up appointment.” She wiggled her eyebrows at Mira, she looked like she was barely containing a shit eating grin herself. “Oh ever the professional. Its fine, doctor doesn’t want to see me.” She sighed dramatically, closing her eyes as she turned her head up to the ceiling.
“well I, as the worlds best secretary in town, think that you look rather sickly. You need a follow up!” Mira smirked, zoey was just… how can she say this? It was just way too easy.
“This is why you’re my favorite—“ her voice dropped to a whisper “Don’t tell Doctor, she wouldn’t like it.” A fake pout setting on her face before it turned into a grin that mimics the one on Zoey’s face.
A few momenrs later she’s all set for the appointment on wednesday, which was in two days.
perfect, just perfect.
Mira had thanked Zoey and was already well on her way to get to the exit, when Zoey once again, yelled something at her.
“I love your Ring Mira! I swear ive seen it before!” She looked deep in thought as Mira turned her head around to face her, flashing her hand to zoey over her shoulder. “Thanks Zo, see you wednesday.” She winked at her before walking out, ready to go home and do absolutely nothing.
—
For Rumi days at work always went by in a blur, she saw old patients and new ones. From as young as one (she did a course in pediatrics when studying) to as old as 90. Some of them she’d known for a long time.
As she walked into work that morning, she’d walked into Zoey who was still sat in the break room, a certain look on her face that Rumi didnt quite like.
“Morni— Zoey, whats with the suspicious eyes?” She dropped her bag on a chair, shrugging off her coat. Zoey didnt bother answering though her look only deepened as she looked at what seemed to be Rumi her sweatshirt?
“I swear, Mira wore that same sweatshirt when she was here the other day.” Rumi froze in place for a moment, then looked at Zoey with a bored look in her eyes. “..so? Great taste in fashion.. i guess? Zoey whats that got to do with anything, Stop talking about her, she makes me head hurt enough already.” She shook her head as she spoke, putting her bag away and shrugging the sweatshirt off too, replacing it with a simple white shirt covered with her coat.
That seemed to get a laugh out of zoey, and it had only made Rumi more confused.
“Seriously Zo, if—“ “Have you checked your agenda yet?”
Oh, Rumi needed to remind herself to breath, or a chair was going to fly across the room and—
Breathe. Right. Yes.
She cleared her throat. “No, I have not. Why.” She kept her voice pointed, moving around the little kitchen area to brew herself an extra strong coffee, oh she needed this.
“Well.. i dont know if this is like confidential or anything.. but, Mira looked so sick when she left the other day.. i set up a follow-up appointment!”
Rumi just stood there with a blank stare directed at Zoey, was she.. was she serious?
“Zoey.. are you— Did you really?” Her tone must’ve thrown Zoey off because her smirk quickly vanished into concern as something seemed to click in her mind.
Here we— “Wait. oh god Oh rumi, she’s not like.. some weird creepy stalker right? right?” -go? Wait. Rumi desperately needed a rewind button right about now.
“Oh Rumi i am SO sorry I will call the cops and—“ “Zoey! Zoey. Its… fine.” She grit it out between her teeth, a hand coming down on her face. “Shes not my.. stalker. She just…” she thought for a moment. “I guess she just has health anxiety.. or something.” Zoey seemed to take it, her expression switching to one of empathy. “Poor Mira.. that must be really hard on her…” Rumi let out a breath of relief as she saw her coffee was finally done. Picking her mug and her bag from the chair, making her way out. “Yeah, very very hard. Just send her in when you see her come in. Bye Zo!”
When she was sat in the comfortable quiet of the office, she prepared herself for the day ahead— she wasn’t sure if she’d even survive the first 20 minutes.
That reminded her..
Around two weeks ago Mira had come in, what a surprise, Though back then she was a little more creative with her pursuits.
Mira had come in claiming she’d been having weird chest pains, so Rumi had turned to action immediately. With her stethoscope pressed firmly against her chest, she’s focused on hearing the sounds of Mira’s heart when she suddenly speaks up.
“My heart aches for you, can you hear it?”
Mira had been out of the office a short 20 seconds after that, and Rumi had been having the hardest day of her life trying not to smash everything she came across. And she definitely didnt blush the rest of the day, no, that wasn’t Rumi.
But today would not be like that, no no, she wasn’t going to give Mira the satisfaction this time.
So when Mira came knocking on her door sent by Zoey as requested, She feigns a worried look. She catches the way Mira looks at her weird for a moment before her face goes back to her usual blank stare, followed by that stupid smirk.
“Mira, I didnt think itd be this bad. Sit sit, tell me whats wrong now? The flare up?” She frantically opened her computer, hoping the part would be enough. And it seemed to be. “Oh oh— doctor, its been so bad. My stomach, its like it is shutting down.”
Perfect!
She fakes being in thought then, before shooting her a sympathetic smile.
“Mira, this might not be what you want to hear but, I think its time for a scheduled colonoscopy again. It seems to be around that time. To ensure that all is well in there apart from the.. obvious.. problem.”
Oh. The look on Mira’s face was just absolutely priceless. Rumi almost had to physically restrain herself to stop from laughing.
Mira had gone a ghastly shade of white, her mouth dropping open and a sweat seamingly appearing on her forehead.
“Oh wow, you wont believe this. My stomach pain? Gone! Im completely healthy, perfectly A-ok!
Are you jesus? Did you just heal me by just looking?” She stood up quickly, stumbling over her own pants making her way to the door. “See you at—“ a pause, her eyes looking around “Bye!” Andd.. gone. Rumi had a whole 10 seconds alone before Zoey came rushing toward her, blocking the door from closing.
“Is Mira okay?”
When Rumi came home that night, the house had smelled of all the right spices. The warmth welcoming her in as she swapped her shoes for her comfortable slippers and her bag was discarded on the hook. She let herself be led trough the apartment by the smell, making a stop at the bathroom to change out of her work clothes and into a more comfortable combination of a too large shirt she was sure weren’t hers, and sweatpants.
Making her way to the kitchen now she was greeted by Mira behind the stove, coming up from behind her she caged her in a hug against her back, letting the day melt away.
“Hey you.” She felt Mira’s body shake in a quiet chuckle, she let go of her instead reaching up with her hand to turn her face Toward her, pressing a soft kiss to her lips.
“Hi.” Rumi was tired, and she wanted nothing more than to just crash into the couch and never get up.
“Zoey was worried about you. Scared her half to death with how you ran out.” She walked over to the other side of the kitchen while she spoke, taking out the bowls for them to eat. She heard Mira snort behind her “She’s so nosy Im surprised she hasn’t figured out the fact her coworker wears the same ring on her finger as the patient always coming in.” Now that made Rumi laugh, placing the bowls next to Mira. “You need to stop doing that. She thought you were some creepy stalker. Plus it throws my whole day off.” She watches as Mira hands her a bowl filled with tteok-boki, a simple but comforting dish for Rumi. She gives Mira another peck on her lips before moving herself to the couch, Mira following behind.
They sat in a comfortable silence while the tv played some true crime documentary Mira had been listening to while cooking.
“How much does Zoey know anyway? She’s always playing matchmaker when she sees me leaving your office, wiggling her eyebrows at me and such.” Mira took a bite “The other day she commented on my ring, said she had seen it before somewhere before completely changing the topic.” Her head nod to the ring on Rumi’s finger, matching the one Mira wore. She glanced down at it, her eyes softening as it landed on the piece of jewelry. A simple golden double banded ring, their engagement ring stacked on top of their simpler weddingband. Mira’s had been a little more extra, Rumi’s band matching hers in a more simpler way due to her work. The inside had been engraved with the date of the first time they went on a date together.
Her eyes then fall onto the framed photo of their wedding, Rumi wasn’t a fan of photos at all, the scars she’d gotten in a childhood freak accident on display for what was the first time in her life. When they’d received the photos though, Mira for once didn’t have to beg Rumi to hang one in their shared apartment. Rumi had surprised Mira with a gift soon after; the rather massive framed photo of them at the altar hung above their television.
She smiled at the memory, looking back to Mira.
“She’s my colleague, and friend at work. You know how I feel about private matters on the workfloor, I can’t help it.” Her voice was gentle as she spoke, watching Mira’s reaction. At first Mira hadn’t agreed with how Rumi wanted to keep their marriage private at work, feeling like she had been something Rumi was ashamed of. Rumi shut it down quickly though, reminding Mira just how much she loved and cherished her, so Mira had respected the decision and in hindsight figured out that maybe she had been a bit dramatic about it.
“Suppose its more funnier this way, seeing her try so hard.” Mira shrugged, finishing her meal. She moved to stand up and gather the bowls but Rumi stopped her before she could, pushing her back into the couch and snatching the bowls from her hand.
“You cook I clean, Remember?” And before Mira could protest she had whisked herself away towards the kitchen and she knew better than to complain, it would fall on deaf ears.
They had settled into bed hours ago, an early morning awaiting Rumi. She was laying on Mira’s chest, her eyes heavy with sleep and she was about to fall into a nice sleep when Mira broke the silence.
“You didnt like.. actually schedule a colonoscopy right..” and oh, Rumi was so lucky it was dark and Mira couldnt see her face because her grin was so wide it was hurting her cheeks. “Maybe I did, didn’t you have such a bad flare up?” “Rumi I swea—“ rumi giggled then, “Goodnight, love you.”
A murmed love you too was said before they both fell asleep.