Chapter Text
Beep... Beep...
Jisung's eyes are too heavy, he can't open them. He feels strange, as if he isn't in his own body like he knew it. His arms don't respond to him, his legs are numb, and his head is weighing a hundred kilograms.
Beep... Beep...
When he can slightly open his eyes, there's a strong light directly in front him, or above? He can't tell if he's laying down or levitating. Is this how it looks like when an angel comes to get you? He closes his eyes again.
Beep... Beep...
He slowly turns his head to the side, trying to open his eyes again. It's easier this time, he's getting good at this. When his pupils are adjusted to the room light, he notices: he's not in heaven. He doesn't remember being told that heaven looks like a hospital room and machines.
He turns his head back towards the ceiling, taking in his current situation. He doesn't know how he got here or where this is, but somehow someone brought him. Someone found him collapsed and decided he could be saved. Just then, the door opens and a sweet looking lady comes in.
"Excuse me, Jisung" she says in a whisper. When she takes a look at him, they lock eyes for a moment. The lady's grow wide in surprise. "You're awake"
Its a statement, not a question. Well, no wonder. So this is not heaven after all, but this lovely woman must be an angel, she looks like one.
Jisung can't express much with his face, so he keeps staring at the nurse as she comes closer to him and starts checking on the machines connected to his arms and head. "Okay, I trained for this" she whispers to herself.
"You must be confused right now" she starts, taking off the electrodes from his temples. "You're in Maxident Hospital, in Seoul. My name is Seo Su-min and I have been the designated nurse taking care of you for 5 months while you were in a coma.
You were found unconscious with intense dehydration, anemia and effects of a strong anxiety attack. A woman - who claimed to be your neighbor - called the ambulance and you were brought here. No surgery was made on you, you were just given vitamins and a lot of water.
You were set at a small hospital in Gimpo, but when it was confirmed you were under a coma - induced by the fall and as a nervous response of your body due to the exhaustion - you were transfered here.
You've been in this room ever since, and now you've woken up" Su-min finishes with a smile.
Jisung takes a moment to reflect about what he just heard. He remembers that night, it was probably the worst one of his whole miserable life. He feels grateful that someone cared enough to call an ambulance, otherwise he would be lying on the apartment complex hallway until now.
In a couple of minutes, most monitor machines were disconnected from him. The nurse instructs him to try and lift his arms, which he does with a lot of difficulty. She checks his responses to light and his reflexes, confirming that his time asleep didn't compromised his body physically.
"Jisung-ah" she starts in a whisper, as if speaking louder would make him sleep again. The woman must have noticed that he was not in the right headspace to deal with difficult things. "When someone gets into a coma induced by dehydration and anemia, the chances of them waking up are minimal, because their body doesn't have the mass to support the treatment.
But you did it, you're awake and you're stable, you're a miracle." Su-min says it in such a way that makes him believe it, even if just for a moment, that he wasn't dead, and the heavens gave him another chance.
The nurse helps him sit up in the bed, placing three fluffy pillows behind him. While Jisung is taking in the new position, a bottle is placed in front of him. She supports his head back as he gulps the entire bottle in one go, it's been so long since he did that.
"Thank you" Jisung doesn't know what else to say, and he doesn't really want to, his voice is sore and shaky.
"You're welcome" The bottle is placed somewhere. "Now, I'll call your doctor and the psychiatrist that worked on your case, its the protocol i have to follow now since you woke up, okay? I'll be right back, do you need anything?"
"Some more water, please" he points weakly at the direction the bottle went.
"Of course" the woman helps him drink one more bottle before getting up. "Excuse me" she goes from the door and now he's left alone again.
Now he can take the room in properly, the walls are a soft beige with painted golden stars. There's a chair on the corner and a door that must be a bathroom.
The window is half open, but he can see the blue sky behind it. There's no clouds, just the simple bright blue, it's probably a warm day, with families having picnics, students celebrating good grades, a successful birthday party must be happening somewhere. A single black bird passes his vision, and he follows it with his eyes until it disappears behind a tree.
He keeps looking at the sky outside until the door opens again.
"Mr. Han, it's so good to see you're awake" a tall and handsome doctor comes in with a proud smile, besides him, a younger doctor with big round glasses looks expectantly at him. He comes closer to the bed and Jisung can only look up at him with tired eyes. "I'm doctor Kim, and this is the psychiatrist Yang, and we took care of you when you first came in."
"Thank you" he bows his head the most he can. They saved his life, after all.
"You're welcome, we're happy you're awake now" Yang tells him. "Are you in condition to answer some questions for me while doctor Kim exams you?" Jisung nods.
Doctor Kim gently checks his glucemia, heartbeat, his pupils and his nose. While he's working, Doctor Yang starts to ask.
"Do you remember why you're here?"
"Some parts."
"Can you tell me what you remember?"
He cleans his throat before starting. He watches as Kim looks around his head for any injuries. "I was in my apartment. I haven't eaten in a couple of days and think i ended up collapsing."
"And what do you remember about your life before that?"
"I... moved from my small city to Gimpo, when I finished my studies at 22"
"And how was it when you moved?"
"Terrible"
"Can you tell me more?" he took a deep breath and started his story.
...📖...
It's late at night, the world already went to sleep, not a single car in the street. His apartment is dark because he couldn't pay his electricity bill this month, all that's left is him and his crushed dreams.
This wasn't what he was thinking when he told his parents he would start again in Gimpo, find a job with his Literature degree and commit to his dream of becoming a teacher.
Unfortunately for him, finding a job was not so easy as he thought. All the schools he applied to didn't want him because he lacked in-classroom experience, which is dumb, because he needs the job to get the experience they demand. So, as an alternative, he got a part-time job at a bookstore that payed him the minimal to survive.
He still got to work with books and the stories he loved. It was a moment of 5 months in peace with his life even if it wasn't what he thought his life would be. He could read all the books he wanted and talk about them with regulars and his coworkers. He really liked that job, actually.
Until the bookstore closed. The owner died and his only son didn't want to deal with it, so he was fired. He received one last payment and that was all he had. He couldn't find another job at the time. All his leftover money went to pay the next 3 months of rent so he wouldn't have to live on the street, but otherwise, he was miserable.
He called home one day, and his mother told him she would sent some money for him to maintain himself but that was all she could do. He gets it, his family never had that much money, and with his dad's treatment, they hardly had money left at the end of the month, so he didn't want to overwhelm his parents with the weight of having to pay everything for him again, he decided to stay in Gimpo.
The money his parents gave him was enough to not starve for those 3 months, and he was able to find another part-time job as a barista in the meantime. It wasn't what he liked, and he hated the smell of coffee, but he had to do it so he could prove for himself he wasn't falling.
In all his misery, he wasn't even able to make any friends in the new city, focusing entirely on surviving. All he did was talk to a couple of regulars in the cafe. It was luckily more stable than his last job.
His life got better for a year after that, he managed to keep himself alive and even go out once a week to see stars at the park near his apartment. That park was the reason that he choose his home there. The sky was clean of pollution and he could see the stars at night, he really loved the stars.
When he could, he read books in the public bookstore, trying not to forget everything he learned about in his studies. He loved literature, and it was a shame he couldn't be a professor like he wanted.
But then again, the cafe closed as the owners moved to another city after having their baby, so he was fired again.
Now, though, he had a bit more money saved, which got him going for another 6 months. But this time, he couldn't find a job anywhere, no store would take him.
Jisung was starting to think this was the end for him. He was short on food and he didn't know if he would be alive tomorrow.
Going out to walk was the only thing he could do to forget about his life for a moment and not go crazy. He walked around the streets of Gimpo, looking around the pretty stores and the families living their lives.
At night, he would go to a public pool to take a bath and come back home to sleep. The next day, he would repeat it all again.
A week before his breakdown, his money was over, he ate his last Ramen and his electricity bill was too high for him to pay, even if he turned the lights on as little as possible.
So, for a week, he just accepted his fate and went on a depressive mood that made him absolutely miserable. He called home one more time, talking to his mother about how they've been and sharing happy memories about his childhood. He said he loved them and that day he was able to sleep for a couple more hours.
On Friday night, he was walking up the stairs after going to take out a trash bag that has been bugging him. It was pouring rain outside, and the thunder made him anxious. When he reaches the door, he was having a full panic attack, he didn't want to go inside his dark apartment with the thunder.
His hand was shaking, he was tired and hungry and scared and he didn't have anyone to help him. If only he had made some friends. If only he had stayed home and worked in their small city. If only he had looked harder for more jobs. If only he had chosen another degree that would give him a real job.
He collapsed in front of his apartment, the tears would not stop to fall, he couldn't breathe. After some minutes of fighting for air, he gave up.
While he was falling to the ground, he though about his parents, about his childhood, about his dreams and wishes he could have a second chance to make it right. When his head hit the ground, everything went dark.
...📖...
When Jisung opened his eyes again, there were heavy tears falling. And he was sobbing. Doctor Kim handed him a tissue and gave him a head pat.
"Take a moment to breath" Doctor Yang said quietly. "Thank you for telling me this, you're really strong" Jisung nodded.
He blowed his nose and stared at the wall for a while. A single tear ran down his cheek, but he didn't make a move to wipe it off. When he was calmer, the doctor started talking again in a soft voice.
"Nurse Seo must have told you that you are here since 5 months ago. Today is July 15th. You're 24 now, based on the documents the police found on your house." He looks at his notes. "The police was called to your home by that same neighbor, so they could tell us about you. We also called your parents at home."
Hearing that, his looked up at the doctor in expectation. "My parents are alive, right?"
"Yes, they are." Jisung released a heavy breath. "They came here four times to check on you. We kept in touch with them and they've been already notified you're awake."
"Thank you"
"You're welcome"
"Mr. Han" doctor Kim says, looking up from his own notes he was making after checking everything he had to. "You're almost completely stable. Your vitals are great, and there's no more sign of dehydration. However, I felt some hardness on the left side of your stomach and I believe there's something on your kidney. I will ask an X-ray to check what it is, is that okay with you?"
"Yes doctor" he nods, even if it makes him nervous. "What do you think it is?" He's worried, but the curiosity is too strong for him to ignore that something worse could be happening with him.
"It could just be inflammation due to the lack of liquid water in your system, but it can be small kidney stones."
Jisung nods again. He survived 5 months in coma, he can survive a little rock. "Thank you" doctor Kim nods and gets up.
"I'll leave now and call Nurse Seo to come and make you two company again, I hope you get better, Mr. Han, ill come back with the results of the X-ray" he leaves the door.
"Well, Mr. Han" doctor Yang calls his attention again. "I just have a couple more questions, okay?"
"Thats fine."
"Ok, thank you. Right now, what is your biggest concern?"
"If my parents are alright." He answers with no hesitation. "And not worrying too much about me."
"Well, I can tell you they are worrying, a lot. Having a son in the hospital is not a funny story to tell at dinner." Jisung laughs weakly.
"I guess so. I just didn't want to put the weight on their shoulders. I wanted to be the son that leaves home to have a job and come back on holidays to give expensive gifts. I wanted to be the son they could talk about... at dinner"
"You did what you thought was right, even if that exhausted you. But it's important to remember that if you don't take care of yourself, your parents won't have a son to talk about at all."
That made Jisung pause. He was too caught up on not overwhelming his parents that he collapsed. He could've really died, he could've left his parents alone. He didn't think about that.
Doctor Yang mave a brief pause. "Did you had any panic attacks before?"
Jisung took a while to answer. "A couple ones. I was always a bit anxious, but my mother always helped me. I also used to drink a lot of tea, when I had the money to buy it."
"Thats good to hear. I might provide you some tea while you're here."
"Thank you"
There's a knock on the door and Nurse Su-min walks in again. "Hello, Jisung. Hello Doctor." she smiles, taking a seat in the stool beside his bed.
"Hello. I just have one more question for you, Mr. Han" Jisung signals he can continue. "What do you want to be when you grow up?"
That's a stupid question, he knows, he is a grown up now, but it makes him think about his previous dreams. About the mini Jisung that would read his mother's book and asked his father if he could take him to the literature museum on the next city. He though about the kid that loved to cook with his parents and play with paper planes.
"I want to be a teacher. I want to be able to teach anyone who wants to hear about literature and the giant series of stories it provides." There's a pause of silence, his words flying across the room.
"Thats beautiful, Mr. Han" Doctor Yang smiles as well. He has super deep dimples, Jisung notices. "I really hope you can make that happen. That was all for today, I might come back if I need to ask anything else. Call me if you need me, okay?"
"Okay, thank you doctor"
"Its my pleasure." He leaves the door.
"Doctor Yang is so cute, isn't he?" Nurse Su-min says with a smile. "He's our best psychiatrist. He specialized himself in kid's mental health, but he also works with a lot more patients as the head manager of the team."
"Thats impressive, he looks really smart"
"And he is. Now, how are you feeling?"
"Good" and he is really feeling good now, physically. Nothing hurts and he isn't hungry anymore, he just feels a little tired and disoriented. "Did my parents say anything?"
"Oh, yes!" It sounds like she remembers something. The nurse grabs a tablet. "The hospital contacted them. It looks like they can't come to Seoul right now, but they're coming as soon as possible. They're happy you're awake."
"I'm glad, I'll wait for them." Jisung rubs his hands together gently, now relaxing despite everything that's happened, he's okay now.
He doesn't know what he'll do when he comes out of the hospital, he's still jobless and he doesn't have a single penny to his name. But for now, he doesn't have to worry about anything.
"Doctor Kim asked for an X-ray. I'll come get you in a couple of hours, okay?" She gets up. "Do you need anything?"
Jisung contemplates for a while. "Could you open the window?"
"Of course, do you want to sit in front of it as well?"
"I can do that?" He asks with wide eyes.
"Yes, I'll help you move to the chair." She supports his weight to the chair while his arm is still connected to the needle and the IV. When he sits in front of the window, Su-min opens it completely, giving him the view of the hospital's gardens.
"Thank you"
"You're welcome, I'll be back in a few. Press the red button if you need anything, okay?" He nods, and she leaves the room.
Jisung looks back outside. It's really a beautiful day. There's patients walking outside, some talking to their families, some children running around, a group of old ladies playing chess. The life goes on, even here.
After a couple of hours just watching the window, nurse Su-min comes to get him for his X-ray.
︵⏜𖤋⁔ ꒰ 🌀 ꒱ ⁔𖤋ྀ⏜𖫲︵
Two days later, Jisung is laying down on the hospital bed, reading a fantasy book that Nurse Su-min got him, when Doctor Kim knocks on the door.
"Excuse me, Mr. Han"
"Yes, doctor" he puts the book aside as the tall man sits on the chair besides the bed.
"Its nice to see you, how are you feeling?"
"Really good, I was able to eat the whole plate today and my reading is still good. I'm just feeling tired, even though i wasn't on my feet for more than a couple of minutes."
"Thats good." He writes something down on his tablet. "I have your X-ray results here."
"Are they okay, doctor?"
"Well, you have no kidney rocks, which is amazing, it was actually just a bit of inflammation. However, I found that your liver is more inflated than it should be, even for dehydration patients, and I presume it must be liver disease, we will run some blood tests to get that answer. Does your family has a history of liver diseases?"
Jisung's world falls down. He's actually sick? Well, that's to expect, he wasn't taking care of himself, but he had hope.
"My dad has."
"Then it explains why you might have it too. It can be passed genetically. Liver disease is not a loud one, it expands silently because our liver doesn't has strong sensitive glands that connect to our nervous system. That also might explain why you're tired. Are you feeling bloated as well?"
"A bit, yeah. I thought it was the water."
"It might, but it is also a symptom of liver disease. We'll run some blood tests today to confirm, is that okay?"
"Yes, doctor. What will happen if it confirms?" Jisung is felling anxious now, holding his hands together.
"The treatment is long, but it can be done without surgery in its initial states. On a more serene state, surgery can be needed. But we'll look more into it after.
Everything else looked normal, your intestine looks healthy and your lungs and heart are working normally. That's a really good condition for your history. Rest for now, Mr. Han, Nurse Seo will come to get you. Do you need anything?"
"No doctor, thank you" he bows with his head.
"You're welcome, I'll see you in a bit" he leaves.
Jisung certainly wasn't expecting that. Discovering a disease right after waking up from a coma isn't exactly ideal, and he wasn't even able to see his parents yet, what if he needs surgery? What if he dies on surgery?
He remembers his dad. He was tired constantly and lost a lot of weight. The treatment took a load on him because they had to go for the cheapest option, which wasn't the most effective. The last time he saw him was before coming to Gimpo. He hopes he's doing better now, and he hopes that he doesn't suffer as much.
He grabs the book again, but he can't focus anymore on the pages. His mind is now worrying about his future. He doesn't want to be sick. He doesn't want to waste more time of his life stuck in one place, but he can't control his reality, unfortunately.
The blood tests results end up confirming doctor Kim's suspicion, he has liver disease. Luckily, it's still on the initial stage, so a simple treatment will be enough, no surgery needed. Jisung breathes easier after hearing that, he's sick, but it's nothing as serious as his anxiety was making him think.
"I'll make the prescription for the treatment and another doctor will monitor your treatment and medication."
"Thank you, doctor Kim."
"You're welcome, Mr. Han" the doctor smiles softly, as if he was genuinely hoping for him to get better. "I'll see you again"
︵⏜𖤋⁔ ꒰ 💊 ꒱ ⁔𖤋ྀ⏜𖫲︵
Three days later, Jisung met Doctor Seo - yes, he is Nurse Seo's brother, he asked - as the one who will monitor him from now own.
"I'm a liver slash kidney specialist with a minor in pharmacy." He introduced himself. "I'm the most capable doctor to take care of your condition."
And he was. On the first day, he explained to Jisung how the whole treatment was going to work, every medication that would be given him and how they worked on his system to make him better. Doctor Seo answered all of his questions with a lot of patience.
He was given the first dose and instructed to rest for the day, so they could monitor if there would be any side effects. The doctor stayed with him during the entire afternoon, as he worked on his computer and Jisung finished reading his book. It was calm, and there were no immediate side effects, which was really good.
They didn't talk, but the silence was comfortable enough that it didn't bother any of them.
"I'll see you tomorrow for your next dose!" He says, getting up and putting away his stuff.
"Doctor, is there any word from my parents?" Its been a week since he woke up, and no one told him anything else.
"Oh, well, I don't know" he looks at the tablet. "I'm not in that department. You'll have to ask Nurse Su-min, I'll call her right away"
"Okay, thank you"
"You're welcome, now rest for a bit longer, yeah? Have a great night"
"You too"
He just has to wait a couple minutes until Nurse Seo comes through the door.
"Jisung? Doctor Seo called me here, is there something wrong?" She quickly checks his vitals on the monitor of a machine.
"Everything is fine, just a bit tired. I wanted to ask if you heard back from my parents." He looks up expectantly, he really wants to see his parents again.
"Not yet, Jisung" the nurse shows him the tablet with the messages. "The last thing they said was that they would come as soon as possible."
"Ah... thank you for checking."
"No problem" Nurse Su-min sits on the chair besides him. "Its okay to miss them, when was the last time you saw each other?"
"Over a year ago, I was doing better and had the chance to pay for a train home for my mom's birthday."
"Thats so sweet, she must be so happy that you spent it with her."
"I hope so, i really miss them. I miss their hugs and the dinners that we would always eat together" There's a brief pause of silence.
"They'll come, Jisung" her voice is small, almost a whisper, like she's trying to make his unconscious believe it first.
Jisung looks ahead of him, the stars on the wall, he takes a deep breath. "I know."
"And it's not your fault."
"I... know"
She gently cradles his hand in two of hers, warming his fingers. "Its not your fault, Jisung, don't stress over things you can't control."
He doesn't reply to that. He can't, that was what he believed for so much time, he can't change that in a night.
Nurse Su-min lets him be, caressing his hands gently for a moment. "Come on, Jisung-ah, let's give you a bath."
︵⏜𖤋⁔ ꒰ 🫂 ꒱ ⁔𖤋ྀ⏜𖫲︵
His parent's visit three days later was a mess of tears, apologies and stories that were never told before. His mother was crying even before she stepped into the room.
His dad hugged him tight as soon as his mother let go of him. "I'm sorry I gave those genetics to you"
"You couldn't have known." Jisung smiled. He was just glad that he could see his parents again.
They spend two days with him at the hospital, learning with Doctor Seo about his treatment and how it'll be done. The doctor explained everything: "although, Mr. and Ms. Han, he has a high chance of getting better soon. Unfortunately, this one specific treatment has to be made on the hospital facility, since It requires constant motiroration and it can't be done safely at home."
"But Doctor, how long does the treatment takes?" His dad asks. His mother sits close to his bed, holding his hand tightly.
"The estimated time is 4 months" Doctor Seo answers, showing them the tablet. "And then 1 month to return to his normal life."
"Oh my god, thats too much time" his mother mumbles.
"I'll be okay, mom."
"I know sweetheart, but we won't be able to stay here with you all that time" her eyes are getting wet again.
"I'll make some friends here" not even Jisung himself believes that, but right now he needs to ease his mother's worries.
"We have really capable professionals here that'll take care of him really well. And his nurse, Su-min, has grown quite fond of Jisung, it won't be lonely for him."
Jisung's mother smiles weakly at that, lost in her own thoughts.
"Doctor Seo, can I speak with you for a second?" Jisung's dad gets up.
"Of course, Mr. Han"
Once they're out of the room, the older man looks at the doctor with deep worry in his eyes. "So... Doctor Seo, how much is this treatment going to cost for Jisung?"
The doctor looks confused for a second. "Oh, I thought you knew."
"Knew what?"
"We aren't allowed to start a treatment without a heads-up payment. The whole procedure was already paid."
The other man's eyes grow impossibly wide. "But, we didn't make that payment."
"Yes, we know" he smiles, checking on the tablet something he already knew the answer to. "The donors name is Lee Minho, I'm sure you heard of him. He's a good man, that one. He is the son and heir of Lee Minju, the CEO of Haven."
He thinks for a while. "Lee Minju... But, Haven is a clothes brand, isn't it?"
"It is, the Lee family owns the most popular clothing brand in Korea, its a whole legacy at this point.
However, Lee Minho and his mother redirect over 50% of their monthly income to hospitals and to help others in need. Their family has paid for over 300 patients in the last year here at Maxident Hospital. Every year they break their own record, trying to help more and more people who needs treatment but can't pay for it."
"Wow... they sound, incredible." Mr. Han ponders his options, frowning his eyebrows. "But... so this treatment is really expensive, right? We can't accept that, how can I contact this Lee Minho to pay him back?"
"Well, you'll not be the first one to try, but Mr. Lee has never accepted any payment back. I'll talk to my manager if she can arrange a meeting." Doctor Seo smiles big. "But i must say, Jisung deserves to be given his second chance. You don't have to worry about a debt that only exists in your head, Mr. Han"
Mr. Han takes a deep breath, a couple of tears falling. "He really is blessed"
"He is, and he's lucky to have such caring parents." That makes Mr. Han cry harder, but he fells insanely grateful. He laughs weakly.
"Thank you, doctor."
"I'm just doing my job, Mr. Han. You're welcome"
When they enter the room again, Jisung's mother is showing him pictures of cats that walked around their house the past month.
"And this orange one, he came for four days asking for food, and then he brought his kitten and the kitten's mother on the fifth. Your dad took care of them."
"Thats so cute, they trust you now." Jisung smiles big, he loves seeing his parent's love for animals. They always wanted to have a pet, but it happened that caring for those on the street is cheaper than having one of their own.
"And they're so cute, the kitten is all cuddly"
Doctor Seo and Mr. Han sit down again. "Now, Mr. Han" the doctor says. "I'll give you today's dose and then I'll give you privacy, okay?"
Once he was alone with his parents, they both look at him with tense eyebrows and wet eyes.
"Mom, dad, why are you looking at me like that?" Jisung scoffs weakly.
"Han Jisung, why didn't you asked for help sooner?" His mom has such a broken tone that it makes him look down at his lap. "You called like nothing was wrong so many times, why did you never told us you were struggling?"
"I didn't want you to worry, you already have so much on your plate"
"But Jisung..." his dad sobs. He was always the crier between his parents. "We would have helped you, we raised you, you're our son"
"And we're worrying right now, so your plan didn't go well"
Jisung is also crying now. "I'm sorry, I thought i could do it alone. I wanted to do it alone so you would be proud of me. I didn't want to be the son that got a useless degree and wasn't able to accomplish anything at 24, not even a job"
There's a long pause of silence, in which so many was being said at the same time. So many things are being understood now, so many years apart that are now coming together because of a sudden breakdown.
"We're always proud of you, son" his mother says. "You're degree is not stupid, it's beautiful."
His dad controls his sobs. "When we look at you, we don't see a broken adult, we see a child that dreamed of being a teacher and spread knowledge to others. We see a teenager that would stay after class to teach his classmates and helped teachers whenever he could."
"You're not a failure, Jisung"
Jisung cries harder at that, all of his oppressed emotions are coming to the surface. Maybe now he'll be able to go past them, finally.
"Thank you" he says in a small voice between his sobs. His parents envelope him a tight hug, including lots of head pats, kisses and words of affection. Everything he needed for the 1 year and 8 months he spent alone at his lonely apartment. Now he has it, he hopes he can finally reconnect with his family.
Everything will get better now, he can fell it.
︵⏜𖤋⁔ ꒰ 💗 ꒱ ⁔𖤋ྀ⏜𖫲︵
Well, Jisung's parents couldn't stay in Seoul for long. His mother has her own job at the elementary school, and his dad has his at the animal shelter.
At the third day, they tried to resist, to stay with him for longer. "Mom, dad, if you stay here then soon none of us will have a job anymore, and we need it." His parents laughed at him, but gave a big hug and left reluctantly on the next day.
That left Jisung alone in his hospital room. It's much larger than what he saw the last times he was at one, maybe this is the one for patients in coma? Why would a coma patient need such a big room? They're sleeping!
But he can't deny it's really cosy, and it's comfortable now that he's awake.
Jisung's favorite time of the day is when he sits by the window and watches the life on the hospital's gardens. He loves to observe all the different lives happening around him. And since he isn't allowed to leave his room for the first two weeks of the treatment, he settles by watching.
In the middle of the second week, he saw a man in a suit. He was tall and had pretty red hair, walking confidently while saying hi to the workers outside. Someone important.
The mysterious man catches Jisung's eye. He looks off scene for a hospital, certainly not sick, but doesn't look like he's here to spend time with someone. Or maybe he is? Maybe he's just really busy and couldn't change clothes before coming.
He observed as he approached a lady. She looked happy to see him, maybe his wife? They just talk for a while, the red haired man crouched down in front of her wheelchair.
While he was spiraling, the door opened. "Excuse me, Mr. Han"
"Hi, Doctor Seo" Jisung smiles as he turns to the short doctor in white. "Is it 2 pm yet?"
"It is, times goes by when you're having fun" he signals to the window. Jisung laughs softly.
"I guess it does."
The doctor sits down beside his chair. He prepares the IV bag and the needle. "Ready?"
"Yes, doctor" he hands him his arm, relaxing on the chair. The needle did sting, but it was necessary.
While the IV bag's liquid transfers to his blood, he let's the mysterious man in a suit come to his mind again.
"What did you saw today, Mr. Han?" Doctor Seo said. He always kept his tone professional but warm at the same time.
"You can call me Jisung, doctor" he smiles and the other man's returns in the same intensity.
"Alright, Jisung, what did you saw today outside? Soon you'll be able to join them"
Jisung smiles at the memories. "I saw a little boy celebrate his birthday, and an old lady visiting her husband"
"Thats great, what else?"
"I saw a man in a suit." He watched as the liquid slowly decrease.
"A man in a suit? And why did he caught your eye?"
"He... stands out. He walked so confidently. He looked important"
"I see... did he had red hair?"
Jisung looks at the doctor with wide eyes. "How did you know? Did you saw him as well? Is he visiting someone?"
Doctor Seo laughed warmly. "I do know him, yes. That's Lee Minho, he came in today to visit a little girl" Lee Minho. Minho. That's a pretty name. It suits him, he thinks. Haven't he heard it somewhere? It sounds familiar.
"His daughter?"
"No no, Mr. Lee is not married." He checks the IV bag and turns to Jisung again. "He is the top donor at our hospital, him and his mother have payed for a lot of treatments for those who cant pay."
That surprises him, a rich man that donates to people in need, thats so sweet, and that means the lady wasn't his wife, but someone he helped as well. However an information stands out for him.
"Wait, we aren't in a public hospital?"
Doctor Seo looks genuinely shocked at that statement. "No, Jisung, Maxident is a private hospital." He says with caution. "You've been here for a while, no one told you that yet?" He shakes his head slowly.
The younger man is now worried, if he knew that, he wouldn't be so carefree about everything. "But... my family doesn't has the condition to pay"
"Don't spiral, Jisung" the older man places one hand on top of his. "Your dad talked to me and he said the same thing. I'll tell you exactly what I told him. Lee Minho, the man you saw today, he payed for you treatment."
Jisung is completely shocked. How did that man discovered him and heard his story? Why did he chose to save him and not a kid with cancer, or a pregnant woman? Why is he special like that?
"Jisung, he gave you a second chance, and yet you don't own him anything." Doctor Seo's voice is calm and certain. "He heard what happened to you and the condition you came from and decided you were worth it."
There's a long pause before he can find his voice. "Thank you, doctor"
"You can call me Changbin."
"Thank you, Changbin" he silently cried for a while, slowly accepting that maybe he is worthy. And now that this man gave him his second chance, he must honor it.
︵⏜𖤋⁔ ꒰ ⭐️ ꒱ ⁔𖤋ྀ⏜𖫲︵
On Monday after the second week, he is finally free to walk around the gardens under watch. When he finally breathes the clean air, his shoulders relax and he closes his eyes briefly.
"The weather is great lately, isn't it?" Nurse Su-min joined him today. Jisung learned more about her this days, other than thats she's Changbin's sister, but she's older than him, and they both have another sister, Seo Narim - that is married to Doctor Yang!!!! And they have a little girl together!!!! - that works as a sales manager.
"It is, I'm happy that it's not raining"
"Yeah, it would be really sad" she pats his shoulder. "You deserve to walk around and have contact with nature"
They both laugh at that. They've been walking around for an hour, the hospital is much bigger than he thought it was. There's so many people hanging out, happy even if they're probably going through a serious disease, like him.
He thinks that those people are strong, trying to get love going even if there's strings holding them down, even if they can't work or go to parks and clubs and have a normal life, but they're still happy.
"I'm getting tired" he became more confident in admitting that after his diagnosis. Now he knows that happens because of his condition, not because he failed.
"Thats okay, let's sit down for a while."
There's park benches around, and they choose one where he can observe the people and the gardens. It is full of green, plants and flowers all over, some trees were placed on the corners, giving it all a serene shadow.
Su-min's watch vibrates and she gets up in a hurry. "Jisung-ah, they have an emergency on the kids facility and they need all hands on deck, is it okay if you stay here for a while? I'll send you someone as soon as I can"
He gets surprised, but not mad. "Of course, ill stay here, go save some lives" he smiles.
The woman bows slightly and runs across the garden, into the doors of the building. He stays on the bench, watching. The sky is glowing blue, a few clouds scattered meaning that in a couple weeks it might rain again. The grass is green and we'll cared for, everything and everyone here gets the treatment they need to stay and grow well.
Now that he's paying attention, Maxident Hospital is a complete package of medical and mental health assistance. Even his gown is made of cotton and it's super comfortable, as well as his slippers, soft as ever and keeps his feet warm.
He wiggles his toe fingers to fell the cotton inside the shoe, giggling softly. It feels silly and innocent how much he feels warm here, Jisung is in a hospital, he's sick, even then, he feels light and has the energy to fight for another day. He wishes all the sick people could have the same treatment.
He's distracted observing a bird when someone walks up to him. "Mind if i join you for a while?"
He looks up and he sees the most handsome man he ever laid his eyes on. Sharp cheekbones and cat like eyes and... red hair. Lee Minho.
...Earlier that day...
Minho got up that day with a weird feeling on his chest, like something important was gonna happen. He suddenly remembers what his mother told him the other day when she was reading his luck:
"My son, destiny is bringing you a new opportunity. It shows love, loyalty and happiness. Shows a partner and everlasting respect. The cards are saying that soon, it will happen."
"But how will I know i found them?" He remembers asking.
"You'll fell it in your heart. Maybe you won't be able to pursue them right away, but the time will come."
Minho didn't actually believe on tarot, but now he can see why so many people does. The messages really impact you.
He actually had the time today to choose an outfit, which was a good start. Minho couldn't stand wearing a suit everyday for summer, and unfortunately his mother's only wish is for him to wear one when he goes to the store, so he does, on the work days. But today, it's his day off!
He goes for his favorite purple shirt and light brown pants, he's going to the hospital again today, probably to spend the entire day. For that, he also prepares a shoulder bag with his laptop and whatever else he judges he might need.
His breakfast was pleasant. His mother ate with him, and shared about the next article she's writing. "About how hospital gowns affect the patients mental state" she explained. A really interesting topic, if you asked him.
He left his home around 10pm. He has to attend a meeting at 11:30 with a patient's doctor, and then he plans to spend time with the kids.
The man gets to the hospital building by 10:25. "Good morning Felix" Minho greets the blond behind the reception desk.
"Good morning, Minho-hyung. How are you?" He smiles warmly, his freckles glowing against his skin, even behind the soft dark circles under his eyes.
"I'm good, well rested. What about you?" He rests his arms on the desk, leaning down to look at the younger.
"Doing good. You have a meeting today, don't you? Doctor Kang is not here yet, but you can wait until then." Felix point around with his left hand, the beautiful wedding ring on his finger.
"Alright" Minho waits a big 5 seconds before he speaks again. "How was your anniversary? The puppy said he's been planning that dinner since high school."
The blond laughs softly at the memory. "It was amazing, movie-like romantic... simply perfect for a 5 year anniversary, Seung made it really special." he smiles proudly of his husband.
"I'm sure it was, you're perfect for each other" Minho returns the smile. "I'll grab some coffee, do you want some?"
"I would love that, with cream, please."
"Of course, be right back."
︵⏜𖤋⁔ ꒰ 📞 ꒱ ⁔𖤋ྀ⏜𖫲︵
After the end of the meeting, Minho gets a call. "Yes, puppy? Did i forgot to leave you food before leaving?"
"Hello to you too, thats rude, it's Doctor Kim to you."
"Hi, Seungmin-ah" he teases the younger man with a sweet voice. "I'm sorry about the joke. Did something happen? You never call me at work time."
"Nothing happened, I just wanted to tell you that my patient, Han Jisung, the one with liver disease, was cleared to walk on the gardens from now on."
"Oh yes, the one who woke up from a coma right? I remember him"
"I figured you maybe wanted to meet him, so, just wanted to let you know you might find him today."
"And how did you know I am at the hospital today?"
"Felix told me."
Minho facepalms himself mentally. "Yeah, sometimes I forget you two are married when I'm talking to you."
"How do you forget I'm married?" Seungmin sounds actually serious. "You were literally my best man! You cried when we kissed!"
He laughs, there's actually a really funny photo of him crying at that moment. "Sorry, puppy, ill try to not forget anymore."
"You better, and stop calling me puppy, for God's sake. I have work to do, goodbye"
"Bye bye"
Minho hangs up and decides to take a break before visiting the kids and walk around the gardens, his favorite place in the whole building, even more than the cafeteria (that sells pudding!!!). His steps are calm and relaxed, taking in the clean air and the shadows that the trees provide.
Summer this year is not as hot as it was last year, a minimal difference that brings out a couple of birds, squirrels and cats hanging around the bushes and the grass, bathing in the soft sunlight.
When he's taking a turn, he spots a man, a young man, probably in his 20s, sitting on a bench. He stops for a second to admire him, he doesn't remember seeing that face before. The man has chubby cheeks and fluffy hair that indicates he's getting better of whatever he has, holding his hands on his lap and observing a bird on the tree.
He has a calm aura, like someone who went through a lot but has come to peace with it. Looks like he has a lot of dreams to pursue, Minho hopes he can get well soon.
Minho has seen many different people in his years working with Maxident Hospital, some that couldn't get up due to strong depression or severe conditions, and some - like this man - that have silent diseases, eating them alive slowly while giving them a chance to live happily before it inevitably ends. Either way, Minho wishes all those people can get the treatment they need and get better.
He decides that streaking a conversation wouldn't hurt, if the man didn't want to talk, they could just sit in silence. Minho walks up slowly, trying not to seem a threat even if the other man is looking at a bird for five minutes.
"Mind if I join you for a while?"
He almost freezes on the spot when beautiful brown eyes look up at him. They're wide and have a deep, muted glow, eyelashes prettily curved up. The man's mouth is a bit dry and cracked as if he was biting on it, and there's some pimple scars on his face.
"I don't mind" he smiles softly and signals to the spot beside him on the bench.
"Thank you"
The two of them sit down in silence for a while, absorbing each other's presence. The bench is large, so their legs are not close to touching, is probably better to keep this distance, Minho can't forget where he is.
"Whats your name?" He decides to ask.
"Jisung. What's yours?"
"Minho, nice to meet you"
"Its my pleasure" Jisung extends his hand to his, shaking softly.
So he is Jisung after all. Minho is really happy to be able to meet the younger man, he loves knowing about the patients he helps, meeting different people and learning about their lives. And even if he's the most gorgeous man he ever saw, he can't act unethically and pursue anything with him.
Maybe if the circumstances were different, he would.
"Are you visiting someone, Minho-ssi?" Jisung's voice is small and calm.
"I had a meeting today"
"Oh, you're a doctor, then?" The big brown eyes look up at him again. The lack of glow in the irises make Minho sad and angsty, it's always the most difficult part when he talks to the people at the hospital.
"I'm not" he smiles.
"Ah..." Jisung nods slowly. There's a pause, and he can hear the other's thoughts as he contemplates if he should ask something.
"I can hear you thinking, you can ask me"
The younger laughs. "Are you... the donor, Lee Minho? I didnt want to assume because it's a common name, but..."
"Ah... you heard of me? Yes, I'm that Lee Minho" Minho smiled, giving time for him to digest the information.
"Oh, i have so much to thank you, you saved my life" Jisung bows his head, holding his hands together in front of him. "I wouldn't be here e if it wasn't for you"
"You deserve to live a happy life, Jisung-ah"
They both bath in the gratefulness and peace of the moment. Minho doesn't really feel like he's a savior of any kind, however it's no harm if the people he helps feel better if they treat him like one. He learned with time to just accept the gratitude instead of denying his actions.
"How did you heard about me?"
Minho contemplates about it for a second. "For every patient i help, I always hear about them when I come here. I walk around listening to the doctors and reading new names on the plates.
I actually remember being here when you were brought. You were transferred, right? The ambulance didnt make a sound as it entered, your bed moved through the hallways with peace, no one dared to disturb you, you were stable, breathing and sleeping peacefully."
"Thats... really kind. Its crazy to think about how I ended up here, never crossed my mind that it would be to peaceful. In the visions on my mind there's always chaos and a life that was saved by a thread." Jisung looked sad, eyes far away from reality.
"That's understandable. But someone told me that day: your life was already saved, the universe was just giving you time to accept it."
"What?" Jisung looked extremely shocked, but contemplating.
"Yeah. Believe it or not, Doctors see clearly when a patient is going to die or keep living, of course they do their best to save all of them, but they know, always know. But for you, no one was worried, it seemed like destiny already decided you were going to be okay no matter what. It was rather beautiful to see."
"Wow... i didn't saw it like that"
"Its okay, you're here, getting better, thats what matters"
"Thank you. I think your words will really help me to get better mentally"
"Its so good to hear that"
He doesn't know anything about this man, his dreams, what he likes or not, if he prefers spicy or sweet food. But for some reason he wants to, for some selfish matter, he wants to be the savior in his life and be there for him.
But he'll wait for the best time, until he gets better.
Maybe his mother's cards were right after all.