Under the haze of the fever April was barely aware of the things going on around her.  Imagine the worst cold you’ve ever had, triple that and square it and you still wouldn’t be close to how April felt.  Add to that not being able to express yourself or do anything about it, yeah…it was that bad.  April completely missed being given the food; she didn’t even know it had happened.  She only became aware when she felt a raw burning pain in her nose.  ‘They’re trying to – no – wait – stop!  I CAN’T BREATHE!  Please make them stop, take it out.’  She tried to grab it herself but ended up flailing out of dis-coordination. 

            Finally one of the men who had been around so often in the last few days made them stop.  ‘They made the scary people go away, they must be okay.’  April took quite some time to work out of the panic, that experience in and of itself was enough to be traumatizing.  The man who sat with her after was warm and comfortable; it felt safe being in his arms.  With him keeping watch April knew it was safe to go to sleep.    

 

              Donghae decided to stay past his shift.  It seemed that the tube incident allowed him and Siwon to gain her trust.  He wanted one of them to be there when she woke again.  It was quite some time later when she did come around, at this point it was Donghae, Leeteuk and Eunhyuk in the room.  When she woke she looked worried and insecure, her eyes went straight to Donghae.  Her expression was almost as if asking ‘Is it safe, are they going to try the tube again?’

             “It’s okay,” Donghae said.  “They won’t do that again.”  He waved his hand as if to say, ‘they’re gone, it’s okay.’  April expression calmed a bit.

             “You do need to eat though,” said Leeteuk.  “Aren’t you hungry?”

             She looked at Leeteuk when he was speaking but her expression didn’t change. 

             “We’re going to put food out again,” said Eunhyuk.  “Will you try this time?”

             She still didn’t respond, but when an orderly brought the tray in she looked at it curiously.  Donghae placed the chopsticks in her hand but she just dropped them.  She looked back and forth between him and the food and raised her eyebrows.  “I feel like she’s trying to tell me something.”

             “I don’t know,” said Eunhyuk. “I don’t speak ‘eyebrow’.”

             “Ha, ha.” Leeteuk said sarcastically.

             Donghae brought some kimchi up to ; she almost went cross-eyed staring at it but made no attempt to eat it.  Donghae sighed.  “She totally knows that its food and that we want her to eat.  There’s got to be a reason…”

             “Other than the fact that her stomach probably hurts like hell?”  Eunhyuk interjected.

             “Try giving her the soup instead,” Leeteuk said. 

              No luck there either though it did seem like she was trying to smell it.  Eunhyuk took a little bit of rice, he made a big show about how delicious it was and how he wanted it all for himself.  Then he took a little bit more and did the airplane thing that one would do with a picky one-year-old.  He was being a bit of a jerk and he knew that but when she opened just the tiniest bit and let him feed her he was stunned into silence. 

             “She likes the airplane,” Eunhyuk finally sputtered.  Leeteuk elbowed him in the ribs for being an idiot.

             “No I don’t think so, but rather she likes the rice.”

             “Well she is American,” Donghae said.  “Do you think she doesn’t know kimchi and seaweed soup?”

             “It’s possible,” Leeteuk answered.  “But she would know rice.”

              Donghae brought the rice closer and gave her a little more…without the airplane.  She took tiny, tiny bites and a long time to chew even though it was just rice, but she did eat it willingly.  The whole time Leeteuk, Donghae and Eunhyuk were exchanging excited glances.  Because this was a first attempt Donghae didn’t want her to eat too much all at once; when she had finished about half of the small bowl he put the chopsticks back in her own hands.  She still dropped them.  “Do you think it’s too difficult for her to do it herself?”  He asked Leeteuk.

             “That or she doesn’t know how.  If she’s unfamiliar with kimchi she may not know how to use chopsticks either.”

             “That’s a good point; I wonder how long she’s been here.”

             “I guess we’re just going to have to wait to find out.”

 

             Later that day Donghae sat with April and very gently fed her more rice, she even sipped a little from a cup with a straw that he held for her.  Content that she was eating and since she no longer seemed quite so frightened Donghae finally left her in the care of Kangin.

             At home around the kitchen table Donghae and some of the others were having a conversation about the day’s progress.  There were many different theories about why April wouldn’t eat and what they should do.  Kyuhyun was never involved in these conversations but he had emerged from his room to get some water.  He acted as if he wasn’t listening to the conversation but as he reached into the fridge he muttered, “try giving her a spoon.” 

             It wasn’t a bad idea and the next day that’s just what Sungmin did. 

            Sungmin moved the rice as close to her as he could and placed the spoon in her hand.  Nothing.  Sungmin decided to wait patiently.  After a few minutes her hand twitched a bit and she gingerly brought the spoon to the bowl and then .  It seemed to take way more concentration and effort than it should but she succeeded in taking a few more bites this way.  After about five times her hand was trembling significantly, she was obviously drained and ended up dropping the rice that was on her spoon.  Sungmin cleaned it up and then took the spoon himself.  It was a pitiful sight watching her struggle so much just to eat rice.  He helped her to finish the bowl this time but she looked depressed.  Sungmin had seen before how hard it is on people when they know that can’t even perform basic self-care skills.  April probably wanted to feed herself, but just couldn’t. 

            Sungmin rubbed her shoulder, “You’ll be able to soon.” 

 

            “You were right,” Sungmin said to Kyuhyun as soon as he entered their bedroom.

            “I’m always right…What was I right about?”

            “The spoon.”

            “Spoon?”

            “I gave April a spoon and she fed herself rice, we at least for a few bites, and then she got tired.”

            “Ah.”

            “Anyway, she won’t eat anything but rice, I think she doesn’t know or doesn’t like our food.”

            “Not my problem.”

            “I was just saying…”

            Clearly the conversation was over, Kyu had put in his input yesterday and that was all he was going to do for now.

            Sungmin went upstairs to talk to Ryeowook.  Leeteuk, Henry and Siwon were also hanging around up there.  “So I think she would eat more if it was American food.”

            Everyone continued to look at Sungmin.  He directed his comment at Ryeowook, “Can you make her something?”

            "I wouldn’t know what to make…”

            “Just some kind of American food.”

            “Like…?”

            Everyone looked at Henry.

            “I’m Canadian!”

            “Same difference,” said Leeteuk jokingly.

            “I resent that.”  They were still all looking at Henry.  “Make her a sandwich, splurge a little and make her a ham sandwich.”  They all seemed a little bit bewildered.

           “Could she eat a sandwich?” Donghae asked.

            Henry answered, “Let her see that it’s a sandwich first and then cut it up into small pieces.”

            Ryeowook went to work making some calls, he couldn’t simply wander around Itaewon looking for American deli meat, he’d have to have it delivered.

 

            April was already looking a little better when Ryeowook went back with Donghae the next day.  It had been a while since they’d seen her smile but she did when she saw the sandwich.  It seemed they’d got it right, she wanted familiar food.  Ryeowook cut up half the sandwich and gave it to her while Donghae strummed a little on his guitar which he had gotten into the habit of bringing with him.      

            She did what she could with the food and Ryeowook helped her the rest of the way.  She gazed at the guitar when she was done, she seemed at ease.  The fever had gone down and some color was returning to her cheeks, at least as much as there had been before the fever.  Things were looking up.