Seoul Kitchen: Side Story #5 Part 3

A Successful Delivery

The first thing that David noticed as he woke up was how soft his bed was. Feeling the soft sheets beneath his hands, frowned; This wasn't his sheets. Taking in a deep breath, he felt fresh air fill his lungs, sterile and devoid of the familiar scent of his room. Stirring awake, he opened his eyes to a room not his own.

"Huh?" Shifting in his bed, he looked around, wondering where he was. "Where am I…?" He whispered before he trailed off as he found himself staring at the needle in his arm. Why was he connected to an IV bag and what was that beeping noise? Also, was he in a medical gown?

He tried to get up, only to slump back against his soft bed, unable to lift even a finger. He felt so tired and weak. As he tried to remember how he got her, a familiar voice called out beside him, "Well, took you long enough."

Turning, he found the bed bound figure of that asshole beside him. "Tanaka?" He whispered, wondering why he was here and more importantly, why was he wearing the same medical gown he did. Despite being wrapped up in some bandages and sporting quite the number of bruises, the teen was as smug and as puncable as ever.

Smirking, the boy greeted, "Welcome back to the land of the living. I hope your trip from the Sanzu River wasn't too rough." What was he talking about?

Before he could process what he just said, the door opened revealing the haggard and tired looking form of his mother. Staring at the flowers she carried and the tears welling up, in her eyes, he asked in worry and confusion, "Mom?"

"David!" Dropping the flowers, his mother all but threw herself at him, "Oh thank god you're awake!" Catching her, he found himself fully awake now. As he tried to speak up, his mother grabbed his cheeks as she started fretting over him, "Are you feeling ok? Any discomfort? Any pain?" He struggled hard, trying to push her away.

"Mom! I-I'm fine, I think," He replied; He felt reasonably well enough. "But w-where are we," He asked once more before the realization hit him. The IV bag hooked to his wrist, his vitals beeping away in a nearby monitor, and the scent of alcohol in the air, he knew where he was. "Wait, am I in a hospital!" He shouted as a sinking feeling of dread settled at the bottom of his stomach.

"No, you're in a mall," His neighbor sassed out as David glared back at him. As the corpo piece of shit closed his eyes and got himself comfortable in his bed, he answered, "Of course you're in a hospital you idiot. Where do you think I'll take you after? The Morgue?" Snorting, the boy added, "Fat chance of letting someone useful die on my watch."

Blinking, David finally remembered the night before. The hectic chase and the gun fight after. In a fit of panicked, he felt for the wound on his shoulder where he would find it bandage up. He didn't feel any discomfort as he squeezed down. "But I don't have medical insurance! We can't afford this!" He panicked as he tried to get out of bed.

Holding him down, his mother assured him, "It's ok David, everything's taken care of." He calmed down somewhat, but the worry still lingered in. With how clean and utilitarian everything was, reminding him of his school, he wondered just how much eddies was sunk into getting him patched up.

As he was trying to figure out what was the fastest way out of the hospital without getting spotted, the door opened revealing the form of the doctor. Freezing under the man's masked gaze, David gulped. Expecting disdain, David instead found a warm, cheerful greeting from the man, "Ahh, David Martinez. Finally awake I see," With a tablet in hand, he walked up to him before tapping on the machine he was hooked up to.

"Let me just give you a quick look at your vitals," The man mumbled before their eyes lit up in satisfaction as they nodded, "And it seems everything's fine. Congratulations."

"W-what?" Faced with such an absurd turn of events, David could only gape as he stared back and forth between the bemused doctor, his relieved mother and Katsuo as he tried to hold back his laughter. Why wasn't he being asked how they were going to pay for all this. His bed alone would have cost his family a month's pay!

"You lost a bit of blood young man, so confusion is to be expected," The man answered, before he fiddled with his tablet. Feeling a sudden electric feeling running up his veins, he turned to the man as they told him, "Your body has taken the nanites quite well, far better than most people in fact." Weren't those expensive?

"Most develop hives, but I'm seeing no allergic reactions," The man commented before he chuckled, "Do expect your bathroom breaks after this to be… silvery." If he had nanites in his blood, they must have not spared with the expense in healing him.

"That's good?" He cautioned before pausing. Licking his dry lips, he asked, "So about the bill, is it possible to delay the payment?" Raising his hands, he assured him, "I swear, I'm not going to run away. I'll pay it off, promise!"

His reassurance would be met with a look of confusion. Tilting his head, the doctor asked, "I beg your pardon?" Was… it a taboo to discuss payments in Traum Team Hospitals? As he tried to figure out if he fucked up, Katsuo would break out in laughter.

Glaring at the boy, David wondered if he could add just a few more bruises. It's not like they weren't in the hospital so a broken nose or a loose tooth wouldn't be hard to fix. Wiping the tears of his eyes, the teen replied, "It's his first time, forgive him Doctor."

"Ahh, I see," The man nodded in understanding before he smiled at David. "You have nothing to worry about Mister Martinez," The man assured him, "All your medical expenses here are covered by your current Silver Tier Package." Placing a comforting hand on his shoulder, he added, "Rest assured that you are in good hands."

"That being said," The man said as he pulled away and went over to check on Tanaka, "With your clean bill of health, we can have you discharged this evening, though I would recommend a day of rest before any strenuous activities." Nodding towards the other teen, he added, "I could say the same as well as you."

"Thank you," Katsuo replied. Seeing the teen so courteous was so jarring especially with how the boy treated everyone beneath him, including the staff of the school.

Clapping his hands, the doctor called upon their attention. "Now boys, just because you're back on your feet, doesn't mean you should get into another firefight," The man lectured with a stern voice, "We can bring you back from the brink, but that doesn't mean you're invincible. Stay away from trouble, you hear me?"

"He will, Doctor," His mother answered for him, brooking no argument as she gave him a look of warning, "I'll make sure of it." David had to bite back his tongue as he nodded while Katsuo snickered behind his back. He really did need to ease up on getting into trouble. A brush with La Muerta was a clear enough warning and he didn't need his mother to remind him constantly.
"Now, if you don't have any more questions, I'll take my leave," The good doctor excused himself as he walked out, grabbing flowers that had been left forgotten by the wayside. He picked it up, setting it aside, before he gestured at the buttons by his bedside. "Just press this button if you need any help or just call one of the nurses," He instructed before bidding them a good day. finally giving them some privacy. It was now just him, his mother and Katsuo.

Shifting in his bed, he avoided his mother's gaze to avoid the dreaded discussion he knew was about to come, but he could only do so for so long. Whether he liked it or not, he had to talk to her and he wouldn't have any choice on the matter. "So," Speaking up, his mother crossed her arms as she frowned, "What do you have to say for yourself young man?"

Withering under her harsh glare, he bowed his head before apologizing, "I'm sorry, mom. I fucked up." There would be no excuses, nor reasoning with her as he had truly fucked up. He wouldn't even be in this mess and if he just ignored it, but as he remembered how Katsuo laid there on the curb getting his shit kicked in, something about it didn't sit right well with him. "It was impulsive and reckless, but I just wanted to do the right thing," He admitted.

Feeling her glare, he braced himself for her shouts, but instead, he'd feel her arms around his chest. "Oh my sweet brave little boy," She whispered as she held him close and pulled him against her chest, "I know you mean well, but never scare me like that ever again, you hear me!" With tears rolling down her cheeks, she cried, "I just don't want you to get hurt."

"I'll try mom," He replied as he hugged her back, "I promise." It was a sweet and tender moment they shared though one that David would find ruined as he found Katsuo's smirking at the edge of his vision. As he glared at them, they started laughing.

"Who would have thought that David Martinez is a big mama's boy," the teen chuckled.

David considered just socking them on the face, but decided otherwise. "Don't push your luck, teme," He warned him, "Just cause I saved your ass doesn't mean I can't beat you black and blue." Sure he had him beat, once, but that was because they had backup.

His attempt at bravado would fail spectacularly as his mother scolded him, "Oh hush now." Rubbing her cheeks against his, his mother told him, "You'll always be my baby boy no matter what."

He felt his cheeks burn as he whined,"Mom!" It would be too late however as Katsuo only laughed at him. With his reputation down the drain, David could only sit there glumly while his mother hugged him. Still, despite how embarrassing it was, he wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. He had only one mother and she was always worth it, no matter the cost.

-x-x-x-

Like all good things, his mother had to leave. While his stay in the hospital was covered, his mother still had to work. "I'm sorry David," She apologized as she zipped up her oversized jacket, "I need to go to work." Kissing him on the forehead, she excused herself before hurrying to the door, "I'd already borrowed quite the number of PTO and I'm not sure I could return the favor if I ask for more."

"It's fine ma, we're in a hospital," He replied as he gave her a reassuring smile, "I'm sure they'll patch me up if anything goes wrong." Sometimes, he found that she worried way too much about him and not enough for herself, but maybe that's why she was an amazing mom.

Clinging to the door, she reminded him, "You take care of yourself, young man, you hear me?"

"Yeah, yeah," He waved off his concern, before pausing as he saw that look in her eyes; That gaze that was looking for any excuse for her to stay over. Shaking his head, he chuckled, "I love you too, ma, but I think I just saw the train passing by." Glancing at his clock, he mused, "I think you have five minutes?"

Yelping, her mother bolted, rushing for the train that was never there. She'd probably scold him about it later, but for now, he'd finally have some peace and quiet or at least some semblance of it with the asshat in the room. Glancing at his classmate, his brow raised as he found a strange look in their eyes, almost like they were jealous, but that can't be right. What would he have to be jealous about?

Whatever it was quickly passed as that same old smug look of superior he always sported came back. "Your mother really loves you a lot, huh?" The boy asked as they looked at the ceiling.

"To death," David answered as he glanced towards the train passing by the nearby station. "The things she does for me…," He sighed as he tore his attention away from the tram and glanced up at the ceiling as well. Maybe he'd find something interesting there as well.

As the silence stretched between them, David turned to his classmate. "Hey Tanaka," He called out, making them raise a questioning brow at him in turn, "Did you…" He asked before gesturing at the room around them.

The boy frowned before they nodded in understanding. "Me? Just a bit," They answered before they turned away from him, pulling the blanket over their form. "Let's just say that you have people looking after you," They told him as David's gaze shifted to the flowers sitting innocent by the wayside with a singular note, one that came from the Kitchen wishing for his health. David could only shake his head at the reminder. Even here, they looked out after him.

"But if you're worried about repaying everyone, here's the itemized bill," The teen added before a message popped up in his feed. Scrolling past the get well soon cards he had, he found the itemized bill as well as notes on who paid for him. Surprisingly, it wasn't the Kitchen that paid for the majority of his bill, but rather Katsuo.

"Hey Katsuo…" He said, but the boy would cut him off before he could thank him.

"Yeah, yeah," Waving him off, refusing to hear whatever he had to say, the teen muttered in annoyance, "My savings took a hit, but I owe you one." He certainly sounded pissed though there was a hint of embarrassment in their tone as he saw the tips of their ears turn red.

David looked at him for a brief moment as all sorts of emotions slipped by his chest, before acceptance settled in. Chuckling, he nodded as he laid down and closed his eyes. "I guess that makes us even," He replied.

Just as he was about to doze off, he'd hear the other teen call out, "Hey Martinez."

Cracking an eye opened, he looked over at the other teen before asking, "Yeah?"

"Why did you really save me?" He asked as curiosity and uncertainty slipped through. "And don't bullshit me about doing the right thing. You know well enough that we're not friends," The teen added heatedly with a hint of bitterness in their tone.

The teen scoffed, annoyed at the boy's refusal to just accept his reasoning, before he answered, "Honestly? I just wanted to make sure I got paid," He shrugged before pointing out, "You did order all those burgers." Who knows, maybe he would have actually ignored him if it wasn't for that order, but would he really?

"Wait, those were mine?" The boy asked as he turned back to him before they sighed out in relief. Sitting up, they scratched the back of their head as they muttered, "Oh thank god. Thought I'd have to pay someone else for all those burgers I ate. My saving's already shot as is."

David snorted before he slowly grinned. Fiddling with his wallet, he told him, "Hmmm, I see that you haven't paid for those yet." His balance remained the same meaning the delivery wasn't completed yet. Sitting up, he turned to the boy and crossed his arm, making the teen raise their brow.

"I expect full payment, plus a generous tip as well as the repair cost for the scooter," He demanded, making the teen flinch. Smirking at how they squirmed under his gaze, he pointed out, "That was Seoul Kitchen property, bike, gun and ammo included, not mine."

Eyes twitching, the boy shouted, "Teme!" Fuming, the boy shook his fist at him, "I paid for your medical bill!"

"Not all of it," He reminded him, making the other teen bite their tongue, "But since you covered part of it, I'll consider giving you a discount." Tapping his chin, he faux mused before smirking as he asked, "How's 5%?" Stunned, the boy could only sputter as they turned all sorts of interesting shades of shades.

David had to hold it in long enough to take a photo, but it was well worth it. Seeing that captured photo beside Katsuo's look of confusion had him roaring in laughter. "Oh man, you should see your face!" He wheezed out as he sent them the pic.

Fuming, the boy growled out, "You asshole…" Their anger however would be short lived as they stared at the photo before they started laughing as well. It was silly and absurd, but he couldn't help it. He was going to keep this photo around forever.

Wiping the tears from his eyes, he sighed, "I try." As both of them got their laughter under control, he cleared his throat as he shifted uneasily in his seat, "But seriously, I really need help paying for this…" There's no such thing as free lunch in Night City and if Katsuo wanted to see a single Eddie off this, he'd need help.

"... I'll think about it," The boy coughed before they offered, "I could get you an internship?"

"That works," David nodded. He still hated Katsuo for being a giant ass… but he's alright.

A/N:

Double Post! This is also the reason why I got slightly delayed. Tried pushing out a chapter yesterday, but only got ideas for Seoul Kitchen. Still not sure what to write for a Christmas Chapter. I really want to make one for Seoul Kitchen, but shooting blanks.