I checked my watch and jumped in the car. I had to get away from this mess. I opened the glove compartment, and as Insoo had promised, there lay 2,500,000 ₩. I shoved it hastily into my pocket and stepped on the accelerate pedal. I just had to get there within visiting hours. The hospital staff were super strict on their rules, and I can’t sneak in again since she was so mad the last time I did it.

I parked clumsily and illegally on the side of the road before getting out of the car. I ran into the hospital, making sure that my handgun was well concealed. I had no intention of using it, but I didn’t want it to get confiscated either. I reached the front desk and saw the same receptionist as usual. “How’s it going?” He asked me cheerfully.

“Great,” I muttered indifferently.

“Are you here to visit Minjoo again? Or are you just making a payment?” He asked as he saw me take out the money.

“Both, put this towards the bill please,” I handed over all the money I got from Insoo earlier.

“Thank you sir, you will receive a confirmation email stating your balance after your payment is processed. You’ve left it a little late for visiting hours though. I’m afraid there’s only thirty minutes left,”

“That’s fine,” I sighed, checking my watch again. He was telling the truth.

I nodded at him and found my way to her room easily. I knocked on the door gingerly before opening it a little. The girl inside sat up straight and smiled widely when she saw me.

“Shownu oppa!!” She grinned, opening her arms. I sat on the side of the basic hospital bed and wrapped my arms around her gently; careful not to break any of the tubes she was connected to.

“You’ve grown again,” I squeezed her before letting go.

“How can you tell? I’m lying down all the time, AND you only saw me a week ago,” She raised her eyebrows at me.

“Has it really been a week? I should visit more often,” I sighed.

“You’re visiting more than enough,” She giggled.

“Minjoo! Are you saying you don’t enjoy talking to your brother?!” I teased.

“Nooo, keep visiting please,” She whined, latching onto my arm. I saw her grimace in pain as she leaned forwards, and I could tell she was trying to hide her pain from me.

“You can’t strain yourself like this,” I shrugged her off and helped her raise her bed so she would be able to sit up while leaning back.

“Don’t worry about it oppa… So how was your day?” She asked me. I gave her a look of concern before thinking of an answer. Even she knew that she should be worrying about her condition.

I couldn’t tell her that my day consisted of kidnapping two women and helping someone shoot one of them. “It’s just been hectic at work today, but nothing special happened,” I gulped back the truth. She sighed and turned her head away from me. Way to make me feel guilty.

I coughed and got off her bed as someone knocked on the door, presumably her nurse or doctor.

"Minjoo, it’s time to take your painkillers. We need to take another x-ray of your spine before going to bed too,” The nurse said kindly. “Oh, I’m sorry, but visiting hours are over for today, but you can come back tomorrow from 11am-8pm,” She noticed me in the room.

“I know when the visiting hours are,” I told her. I glanced over at Minjoo, who still wasn’t looking at me. “Love you dongsaeng,” I said to her before leaving. My heart dropped when she didn’t respond.

I walked to the receptionist and asked him for a copy of her medical reports. With a little persuasion, he handed them over to me. I flicked through them, and they weren’t very promising. She was originally on the waiting list for scoliosis surgery, but I paid to bump her to the top of the list. She would have surgery within this week, it said. The side notes made by the doctors weren’t very hopeful though. Her spinal cord had twisted so much so that her lungs and heart weren’t functioning properly. The notes said that she was experiencing too much pain and had trouble breathing. The surgery was 50/50.

I sighed and handed the receptionist back her profile. He smiled sadly and sympathetically at me, trying to comfort me somewhat. I wanted to punch him for his patronising expression, but I was too tired to start a fight. I was so tired of fighting lately. 

A/N:
Sorry that it's a bit shorter than usual. I'll make sure the next chapter is longer to make up for it! ^^