Chapter 5: 4652 words

"Stand by you- Rachel Platten" 
Hands, put your empty hands in mine
And scars, show me all the scars you hide
And hey, if your wings are broken
Please take mine so yours can open, too
'Cause I'm gonna stand by you
  
  When Wonwoo woke up, he expected Mingyu to be there. It wasn't that he was becoming dependent of Mingyu, or that the tall, gregarious, obnoxious intern was growing on him, but more that Wonwoo was a creature of habit. He liked to have every bit of his day planned out. Even with cancer, a rather unpredictable disease, he liked to know everything. He didn't like surprises. Wonwoo had tried to resist it, but waking up to Mingyu had become apart of his daily schedule. 

    But this morning, there was no Mingyu. There was quiet. Wonwoo looked at the clock, wondering if he woke up super early or something, but it was actually 7:55. One week ago, this would have been totally normal for Wonwoo to wake up at this time, totally alone. But, for the past week, Wonwoo had gotten used to being woken up 30-60 minutes early by a tall dorky intern. Mingyu was late. Or not late, but not early either. Technically, Mingyu didn't have to be here until 8:00, but it wasn't like him to wait until the last minute to arrive. 

    Wonwoo had to remind himself that Mingyu was still in high school, and probably did normal high school things like oversleep. Or the intern could have finally given up on Wonwoo. Either way, it certainly didn't concern him. Wonwoo sat up and got out of his bed, walking over to the bathroom. He washed his face, changed his beanie and used the restroom. All by himself. He obviously didn't need an intern to take him around everywhere. 

    As he was getting back into bed, he had to struggle not to glance at the clock. The intern still hadn't arrived, and it felt like it had been way more than five minutes. Wonwoo gave in and stuck a peek at the clock. Just as he suspected, it was now 10 minutes past 8, and still no Mingyu.

    At 8:15, Wonwoo was pretty convinced he'd never see the younger again. Wonwoo was just about to buzz for his breakfast to be brought to his room, when Mingyu came stumbling in. He waved casually as he came and sat by Wonwoo's bed, acting as if he hadn't come in almost 2 hours later than usual.

     Wonwoo just gaped at him, "You're late."

    Mingyu smiled up at him bashfully, "Oh yeah.... Sorry, about that, you remember that kid Minghao?" Wonwoo nodded, he remembered the young leukemia boy, the one Mingyu called "cute", "Well, while I was on my way to your room this morning, I passed by his room and I just had to say hi. His family is in China so he has no one. Then we got to talking, and he apparently like loves this "cancer approved" boba tea down in the cafeteria, so I took him down there and got him one. That kid is so funny. He looks like a little fluff ball, but he will debate you pretty hardcore. So yeah, sorry I'm late..." 

    "Maybe you should be his intern." Wonwoo said casually with only a bit of venom. He knew he had no right to be angry or jealous. Minghao was going through cancer alone and not by choice. Wonwoo also had every opportunity to go down to the cafeteria and have long talks with Mingyu, but he had avoided every second of their time together. Still, Wonwoo couldn't help the little green monster that grew in his stomach while Mingyu lit up talking about the other boy. He also couldn't help the cross comment that he blurted out. 

    Mingyu just looked confused, "He's actually supposed to be getting an intern.... But they're trying to find him one that knows Chinese. I don't. So you're stuck with me." Mingyu sounded hurt, and for once, Wonwoo was acutally remorseful that he had caused hurt in the younger boy. Mingyu had done nothing wrong. He had been nothing but kind to Wonwoo, and now he was sharing his kindness with another lonely cancer kid. And Wonwoo had the audacity to get jealous. 

    It was silent for several moments, Mingyu's eyes were downcast and Wonwoo could feel the awkward tension the silence created. Being an introvert who typically enjoyed silence, the awkward feeling was foreign and distasteful. "Look, I'm sorry, I think you misunderstood me. You should be an intern for someone like that. Someone who needs someone. Someone who's happy, sweet and innocent. Someone who..... Deserves someone like you." Wonwoo paused and Mingyu raised his eyes to meet Wonwoo's, "That's not me. I don't deserve you..." 

    Mingyu smiled, "Nah, you're kind of an sometimes, but you have good intentions. And you're also depressed and diseased so I'd be an sometimes too." 

    Wonwoo rolled his eyes, "Why do you keep trying to be my friend?" 

    "You seem like you'd make a good friend." 

    Wonwoo scoffed, "Well obviously not, I've been lying to my friends for months and letting them worry about where I am. And I am an , at least 90% of the time." 

    "You're dying alone, so that your friends and family will suffer and mourn less. I don't necessarily agree with it, but I can't doubt the nobility in the act. You care about people." Mingyu smiled, "But trust me, I can take the hurt, so just open up to me already. I think mourning you would hurt much less than your daily rejection." 

    Wonwoo shook his head, "No, you know I can't do that. You're my intern and I'm your patient. That's it. I'm sorry." 

    Mingyu sighed, "Can't say I expected anymore. Guess I'll have to keep forcing you into our friend activities, like games, which we have no time for. I've got to take your vitals! You have scans today, so I won't be going down to pick up your breakfast, and then after your scans we will go get you ready for a round of radiation this afternoon." 

    Wonwoo nodded as Mingyu began to take his temperature and then his heartbeat. Mingyu had some Cyndi Lauper playing from his phone like usual, but other than the music, he worked in silence. He pulled Wonwoo out of bed and over to his wheelchair before taking him down to get his MRI and PET scans done. 

    Mingyu thought it was funny to go over the intercom during his MRI and play Whitney Houston. Wonwoo just smiled and rolled his eyes when Mingyu almost got kicked out of the viewing room by a doctor. He stayed by his side through out the entire PET scan. Which included Wonwoo being injected with radioactive sugar, waiting an hour, and then being scanned. 

    While they were waiting to go in for the PET scan, Wonwoo glanced at the clock, "Mingyu, it's 10 o'clock. What are you still doing here?" 

    Mingyu smiled and looked at Wonwoo, "Thought I'd skip today. Stay here with my favorite patient." He said with a wink. 

    Wonwoo rolled his eyes, "I'm your only patient. You need to go to school." 

    Mingyu laughed, "You roll your eyes a lot, but you know what I think I saw...." Wonwoo glanced at Mingyu warily, "I saw you smile, just a tiny bit. When we were getting scans done! So is that what the secret to the smile is? Whitney Houston instead of Diana Ross?" 

    Wonwoo tried to stifle the small laugh that came out. "No. Please no more eighties." 

    "You just laughed! At the pure mention of Whitney's name, you laughed. Now I'm definitely never stopping the eighties." 

    The radiology nurse came to take Wonwoo back into the radiology room for his PET scan. Wonwoo just shook his head as Mingyu waved and wished him good luck. 

    The rest of the day was pretty normal for Wonwoo, aside from Mingyu sitting by his bedside. He took his nap and he ate his lunch. He took another nap. He and Mingyu watched a movie. And then it was time for radiation therapy. They pulled him through the machine and applied the beams of radiation to his tumors. Afterwards, he was exhausted and fell asleep in his wheelchair while Mingyu wheeled him back. Mingyu picked him up out of the wheelchair and tucked him in. 

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     The next days weren't easy, but the symptoms Wonwoo got from radiation treatment weren't near as bad as the symptoms from Chemotherapy. He had a minor burn-type rash on each of his tumor sites. He was fatigued, but no vomiting. 

    Mingyu stayed almost the entire weekend up at the hospital. Not saying much, but just being there and never ceasing that happy aura he had. Wonwoo still refused to open up or admit his dependency, but he did warm up a bit to the intern. He began to treat Mingyu more and more like a human. He even began to regularly beat him in cards. 

    On Monday, Mingyu took his blood again. It was off schedule, but when Wonwoo asked him about it, he just said that they asked for another couple of samples of blood. 

    It was TUesday afternoon shortly after Wonwoo woke up and right before lunch that Wonwoo received a small knock on his door. Wonwoo's mind immediately jumped to Mingyu, but the younger should be in school. It hasn't stopped him before, and it could also be Wonwoo's mother. Wonwoo told the person to come in.

    "Hey Wonwoo" It was Jihoon. The short, constantly angry looking male walked in with his robotic leg and an obviously newly fitted prosthetic where his numb had previously been. Wonwoo was confused on multiple levels. 

    "Jihoon? What are you doing here? Why don't you have someone take you in a wheel chair?" 

    Jihoon laughed, "Nah, what's the point of the robotic leg if I don't use it? I thought I would just come visit you." 

    "Why? You already know I don't do friends...." 

    "And why is that again?" 

    Wonwoo blanked, "Because I don't want anyone to have to deal with hope or mourning me. There's no grief when there's no one to grieve you." 

    Jihoon rolled his eyes before going to sit by Wonwoo's bed, "Well then that bout of selflessness crap certainly doesn't apply to me. I don't hope. And as "terminally ill" as you might be, I'm more so. So I'll probably die before you." Jihoon paused for a moment and then as if sensing that Wonwoo was going to continue to fight him, he continued, "Don't fight this either. Jeonghan and Jisoo sent me. If you don't want hope, then you'll definitely pick me over the lovebirds." Jihoon picked up Wonwoo's books on his side table and inspected them. 

    Wonwoo paused for a second confused, "The lovebirds?" He asked questioningly. 

    "Oh yeah, they're like pretty much engaged." Jihoon said offhandedly. 

    "Jeonghan, as in Mingyu's cousin, and Jiso