He’s in a coma. She didn’t know how many times she had pinched herself to check if all this is just a nightmare she had been under. One that she really need to wake up from but it has already been almost 2 weeks that Donghae had been lying at the hospital bed. The only thing keeping him alive are the machines pumping and needles pierced on his skin. He’s been in the ICU for 5 days, the doctors trying to stabilize his condition. And then when it returned to normal, they moved him to the hospital room but he has yet to regain consciousness. She doesn’t want to cry but hearing his mother, Chaerin, and his grandmother all crying over seeing him so banged up, his head bandaged, a number of cuts on his face, his arm in a cast…  It was too much for her. She knows Donghae doesn’t want anyone crying. He’s still alive for god’s sakes! He’s not gonna die! She wanted to shout it to them. That they’d better stop crying but something seems to be always stuck in and she ends up getting out of the room to wallow in her own despair. He’d better be alright! He’d better be!

She had rushed to the hospital when she received the call from Chaerin, mindless of everything, the words Donghae is in an accident ringing through her brain. Chaerin was there, pacing back and forth with Jaejoong outside of the emergency room and Chaerin rushed to hug Dara when she arrived. They didn’t tell their grandmother yet. Jaejoong was the one who had received the call from the police. A drunk driver with a 10-wheeler truck was speeding on the highway and crashed into Donghae’s car, toppling it over. The car had been bent and unrecognizable and they had to practically split the car to get Donghae out of the driver’s seat. The drunk driver who only suffered bruises and cuts and a severe concussion was also rushed to the hospital.

The doctor had told them Donghae is in a critical condition. His spleen was ruptured, his rib broken, his skull fractured, and there were torn tendons on his leg and would have to be monitored in the ICU. The doctor advised them there’s a 50/50 chance he would be able to survive. Chaerin covered her face as she cried and Jaejoong asked the doctor to do everything he can to save him. Dara couldn’t move. She felt herself shaking. She wanted to cry like Chaerin, wanted to drop to the floor and begged for anyone to keep him alive but she couldn’t move. Just trembling, shaking. Jaejoong looking as pained as they were but  managed to hold on to his strength and told them to sit and calm down. They weren’t speaking. Just waiting for news. Any news about how Donghae is.

His parents rushed in when they came upon the news on the television. And come later that afternoon, his grandmother. And then Siwon. Kibum and Yesung. Sungmin, Kyuhyun, Eunhyuk, and Yoona. And then some of his younger cousins. None of them exchanged any pleasantries. Looks of worry were evident on their faces as they looked in on the glass window of the ICU unit. His mother was crying on his father’s shoulder while his father looked like he was trying to hold back his tears, wanting to be strong for Donghae and wanting to lend his wife the strength that she needs. Jaejoong was hugging his grandmother and Chaerin was sitting next to Dara, frozen as she is.

Yoona had sat down next to Dara and covered her hand. Dara turned her glassy eyed look towards her, not really seeing anything.

“He’s gonna be okay,” Yoona reassured her but Dara couldn’t seem to hear it and she turned her attention in staring at the white pristine color of the walls.

Jaejoong had told her to go home and sleep first after 3 days of sitting in the hospital and Suzy bringing her a change of clothes. She looked dead on her feet. “We’re not gonna leave Donghae,” Jaejoong said. “Just, get some rest.”

“No,” Dara declined.

“Dara,” Jaejoong said. “Donghae wouldn’t want to see you like this. You barely eat anything, you haven’t slept at all…. You’re gonna get yourself sick too. I’ll call you if there’s any changes in his condition.”

“I wouldn’t be able to rest at the house so I might as well be exhausted here,” Dara said. Then she looked up at Jaejoong. “I don’t want to leave him.”

Jaejoong stared at her then sighed. “Then at least take a nap. You look like you’re about to collapse.”

The first good news that the doctor had informed them on the 4th day was that Donghae’s vitals are improving. On the 5th day, his condition stabilized. And on the 6th day, they moved him to a private room. His skin looked so pale and his face looked suddenly so gaunt. He looked like he had lost so much weight already and Dara promised herself to learn how to cook so she could feed him 24/7 once he regained consciousness.

She could’ve stayed at Donghae’s side until he woke up but her manager already called her on the 7th day.

“Dara, I understand what you’re going through right now and I don’t want to sound callous but we really need you back here.”

Donghae’s mother promised her that she will call at the moment Donghae opened his eyes. Everyday after work, she would go straight to the hospital. The family all took turns looking after him, and sometimes, she would see his friends hanging around in the hospital room, and it was Chaerin’s turn when she arrived one night. Dara smoothed his hair and gently caressed his face, a week’s growth of stubble on his jaw and chin . She could feel her voice shaking as she tried to keep the tears in check. She have to be strong for him.

“Just hold on, okay?” Dara whispered. “Don’t let go. Because if you do, I’m gonna beat the out of you.” She closed her hand on Donghae’s unmoving hand. The ring on her finger is making her want to cry but she took a deep breath. “I promise to be the best wife so… you have to wake up so I could keep that promise. Just as you had kept yours. Okay?” She kissed gently him on his bandaged forehead.

Her colleagues all looked at her with pity in their eyes but Dara just ignored them, burying herself in the pile of papers on her desk. Minzy, who had been accepted as an intern and now working as a full-pledged employee was the only person Dara had been talking to. Mainly because she doesn’t have pity in her eyes. Just sympathy. And her cheery self made Dara feel comforted.

When her manager asked her to stay overnight in Jeju with one of the female reporters for an article they are compiling information on, she bit her lip to keep from defying the manager’s order. She doesn’t want to go anywhere! But knowing it wouldn’t do anything good if she suddenly went all bratty, she just nodded her head all the while touching the ring that Donghae gave her. She visited the hospital and told  Chaerin and Jaejoong to call her if anything changes. Even if Donghae just moved a muscle in his sleep which the two nodded earnestly.

Dara looked up at the clear blue sky as she leaned her head on the window on the plane taking them to Jeju, praying for some miracle, whatever miracles can give her, as she rubbed the ring on her finger. She closed her eyes for a minute and zoned off in a second.

He had been hearing distant laughter, the sounds eerily familiar. Then voices, then sounds of sobbing then crying. None of it makes any sense to him. He feels so detached, floating. The only thing that meant something to him is to keep on sleeping. He knew he should be waking up now but he couldn’t even move his eyelids nor moved his fingers. Or any part of his body. Is he encased in a weird dream? He didn’t know many times he tried to move and failed. But when he felt the sudden pain from his leg, his arms, his stomach, his head, attacking him simultaneously, like pins pricking him at first until it became like knives driving through him, his eyes opened up slowly seeing nothing but blurred images until the room came into focus. It was an unfamiliar room. Dim and quiet. He could make out a female form standing across from where he was lying at talking to someone. Then his eyelids dropped down and succumbed to sleep once again with an unspoken word on his lips.

Dara….

Jaejoong crossed his arms over his chest as he listened to the guys banter for about 30 minutes now. They have been really loud and it’s a miracle Donghae hasn’t even woken up from the noise they’re making. Which would probably be a good thing but their sound is grating on his nerves. He glanced at Donghae’s motionless form on the hospital bed and Chaerin fussing over him. Three weeks had already passed and no sign of life from his cousin. 21 days. The only thing that shows he is still alive is the steady rhythm of his heart from the monitor. The ventilating machine has already been removed from him as his breathing has returned to normal. The doctor had been informing them his vitals are good but why isn’t he still waking up? The man lying on that bed doesn’t look like Donghae at all. He looks like a complete stranger now.

“He’s got a lot of problems to deal with when he wakes up and I’m guessing he’s gonna pitch a fit at the pile of work on his desk,” Yesung said.

Eunhyuk sighed loudly. “I can’t believe I’m missing that little twit.” Then he yelled at the direction of Donghae’s bed. “Donghae! Wake up now!”

“Would you guys zip it?!” Siwon said with his legs and arms crossed.

“Donghae would want us to be like ourselves,” Sungmin reasoned. 

“I’d bet he would want us to throw a party right now,” Kibum said grinning but his voice doesn’t sound all that hyped.

“I don’t want to alarm you guys, but if after a month that he still doesn’t regained consciousness, there’s a chance he wouldn’t wake up at all and he would have to live with only the machines keeping him alive,” Kyuhyun said sullenly. All of them glared at him and Kyuhyun held up his hands. “Forget I said anything.”

They all fidgeted, silence around them now, knowing it was true.

“I already had my suit tailored for his wedding,” Siwon suddenly said. “He wouldn’t miss it.”

Kibum smirked. “He wouldn’t dare. Not if he doesn’t want Dara turning into a hulk.”

They all chuckled, all wanting to keep the happy conversation going. Anything to override the panic that is threatening to envelope them at the thought of losing their friend.

A loud sudden gasp from Chaerin made them turn. She was stood immobilized with her hands over as her eyes were wide open. Jaejoong stood up immediately followed by Siwon. One by one, they all sorrounded Donghae’s bed. Chaerin had tears streaming from her eyes. “Donghae oppa….”

They were silent before Eunhyuk smiled, not even ashamed that there were tears gathering in his eyes at the sudden relief. “You head! Welcome back to the world of the living!”

Donghae felt disoriented and confused. He found all the guys sorrounding him and Chaerin crying while Jaejoong pressed the hospital phone calling for a doctor. He felt so tired. And thirsty. Completely parched. But he can’t move his mouth to ask for water. The doctor was smiling when he arrived as he checked his eyes, his blood pressure and what-not and a nurse had removed the heart monitor and detached all the wires from his chest while another nurse had brought him a glass of water and another lifting the back of the bed so he could sit. His hands were shaking and the nurse had helped him tip the glass on his mouth. His throat feels raw and the water made it hurt.

“How are you feeling?” The doctor asked.

His hand went automatically to his head and he felt the bandage. “My head….” It hurts.

The doctor had asked the nurse for some pain reliever and the nurse injected something on the IV. The pain in his head and in all other part of his body receded. He saw the doctor talking to Jaejoong and the latter nodding his head and his friends all grinning on the corner while Chaerin was still crying as she was talking on the phone. He closed his eyes for a minute then felt an insistent nudge on his arm. He opened his eyes and saw Chaerin looking down on him.

“Don’t sleep,” Chaerin practically pleaded. “Don’t even close your eyes!”

Donghae smiled. He felt drugged but he still got a sense of him to know how worried Chaerin looked. “Okay,” he just agreed. He doesn’t even have the strength to argue.

“Are you hungry?” Chaerin asked. “I’ve already called Aunt Soong An and grandma. I can’t get a hold of Dara but I’ll try again. Oh my god, I am so happy right now.”  She sniffed.

Donghae smiled at her rambling then he frowned as his senses is finally coming back to him. “What happened?”

“You had an accident,” Chaerin said.

“You’ve been out for more than 2 weeks,” Kibum said.

“You need to shave first thing when you get home,” Yesung added.

“And a shower.” Kyuhyun.

“You look like hell,” Eunhyuk added.

“Ah… shut up,” Donghae said weakly earning smirks from his friends.

“Seriously,” Siwon said grinning. “You look like . You still got at least 3 weeks for your wedding so you  better fill it up so your tux would fit you unless you want it hanging on you like a hanger.”

Donghae just grinned before what Siwon said registered in him and he frowned in confusion. “My wedding?” He still feels so baffled at everything he felt like he’s hearing things and his mind is like patches of blank slates unable to form the whys, the whats and the whens.

Siwon rolled his eyes and Chaerin smiled indulgently as she placed a plate of chopped fruits on his lap. “Yes. Your wedding. You’re going to get married to the love of your life so you better get yourself really healthy. She will probably swim the pacific ocean once she found out you regained consciousness so I’m not gonna tell her as of yet. She will come back tomorrow and I don’t want her looking at you like you got hit by a drunk driver once she gets in so, eat this.” She practically shoved the fruit in his mouth.

He chewed thoughtfully trying to gather his thoughts. “I… I can’t remember…” he said weakly.

“You’re not gonna tell us you’ve got amnesia, right?” Sungmin said smirking.

“No,” Donghae retorted but failed to put some firmness in his tone. “I think It’s coming back to me….” He hesitated not really sure if what he’s thinking Is a memory. Then he smiled just to get their worried faces relax. “I’m gonna get married to her huh?”

Chaerin nodded earnestly as she feeds him and Donghae ate obediently, smiling as he remembered her face, her voice, her smile, her hair…. Though there were some things he fully couldn’t remember yet or not understand, his feelings for her would never waver. And if they say he’s gonna marry her, then it’s probably true. They wouldn’t kid around with something like that. His memories would come to him eventually and he would remember how they got together or how he had the guts to ask her to marry him. And how she agreed. All he can come up is the dread of marrying when he’s still at his prime but if stopping that means marrying her, then he would gladly leave his carefree shenanigans behind. He would do everything for her.

He let out a breath of elation not caring on how it happened but just it did. His recollection would come later. “I’m gonna marry Yoona.” Chaerin, who was in the middle of nodding happily, froze. The guys all frowned and Jaejoong stared at him.

“Yoona?” Kibum repeated after a moment of