Several more days passed and it seemed the guys were getting better at reading April’s expressions.  Though they were often able to guess what she was thinking or feeling she still didn’t seem to understand them.  After about a week she was eating entirely on her own, with western utensils.  She was looking better, the larger cuts were healing she was moving around a bit and sitting up a little higher.   Mostly she used her eyes to communicate with the boys but now occasionally she was gesturing, a hand reach here, a head tilt there; not firm symbols but enough that the boys, who were incredibly attentive, were able to presume her needs. 

            It was getting hot outside, summer was starting.  Very soon most of the boys would be extremely busy with the comeback.  April was off the IVs but still required extensive monitoring due to all the internal injuries and post surgery infection.  It was clear that she was gaining strength and was aware of her surroundings however it remained unclear as to why she still did not speak. 

            Her nice, comfortable, private room was becoming a sort of hang out location for the guys.  Different bits and bobs that they had brought with them on various occasions were collecting in the room creating a homey atmosphere.  Zhou Mi wasn’t due back in Korea until next month but ahead of him he had sent a colorful and stylish blanket for April’s bed; it was a nice touch that brightened up the room.  Although it was hitting at least 27 degrees outside every day the room often still got quite cold. 

            April was visibly chilly; she kept eyeing the big old green sweatshirt that Sungmin had brought that first night.  Donghae picked up on it first, “are you cold?”  He folded his arms and pretended to shiver.  She made eye contact then looked at the sweatshirt then back at Donghae.  That meant ‘yes’.  Sungmin and Kangin were also there.  Although she was getting stronger she still couldn’t sit up entirely on her own.  Kangin helped her sit up while Sungmin and Donghae put the sweatshirt on her.  A normally baggy sweatshirt for Sungmin was absolutely huge on tiny April but she at least looked comfortable. 

            Kangin sat down with Donghae’s guitar and started playing, this always made April happy.  She smiled and listened but after a while she did something that she hadn’t done before.  April reached out in a gesture toward the guitar. 

            “I think she wants to play it,” Kangin said. 

            “I don’t think she can hold it,” Sungmin said.

            “We can help her,” responded Donghae.  “You think she knows how to play?”

            “I guess we’ll find out.” 

            A guitar might not seem that heavy to the average person but the boys didn’t want it leaning on her, especially on her stomach or her ribs.  Donghae and Sungmin sat on opposite sides of her and carefully held it out so that it could be at the right angle without putting any pressure on her.  She looked at Donghae and then at Sungmin.  “Go ahead,” Sungmin said and then waved his hand.  She brushed her hand across all the strings, her face lit up like a mischievous child pressing a doorbell.  She did it again, and again, but it was clear that she didn’t really know how to play.  After she made some less than pretty sounds Sungmin decided to make some chords for her.  He did the left hand while she strummed.  April was positively beaming; it was the first time she ever seemed so happy and all the guys were like proud oppas.  They let her play with her ‘new toy’ for a quite a while before it was time for them to go.

            Over the coming days playing with the guitar became a regular activity for April who also played with Leeteuk and Shindong.  Since she seemed to enjoy music so much Ryeowook thought it would be interesting to see how she would like another instrument.  On another warm sunny day Ryeowook and Henry brought a small keyboard with them when they went to see April.  They set it up on a tray in front of her and turned it on.  She had a lot of fun pressing keys and changing the types of sounds the keyboard made.  When she was done Henry and Ryeowook took turns playing a few songs, the mood was bright and April seemed to be doing well. 

              While Ryeowook was playing a self-composed classical piece Henry got a phone call.  Deciding the break the rules just this once, Henry stepped to the corner of the room and answered the call from his mom.  She didn’t have anything important to say she was just doing her typical nagging thing.  Henry spoke in English with his family.  “Yes Mom, I’ll remember to call Dad but Father’s day is still more than a week away…Yes, I’m sure I’ll remember I set a reminder alarm on my phone…No, you don’t need to call me again, I’ve definitely got it under control…Where?  I’m in Korea; you don’t even know what country your own son is in? Tsk tsk.”  He joked before getting off the phone. 

               Meanwhile while April was usually tremendously attentive to music being played as soon as Henry got on the phone her full awareness was on him.  She looked away from Ryeowook completely and was watching and listening to Henry intently.  Ryeowook was blown away by the sudden change in interest, even after Henry hung-up she remained completely focused on him.  “Say something to her.” Ryeowook directed Henry.

                In Korean Henry asked, “Would you like to listen to more music?”  She was less intrigued by this statement and turned to look at Ryeowook’s face as well.  “Say it in English,” Ryeowook directed. 

                Henry repeated himself and as soon as he did, April’s eyes popped open wide.  She gestured toward the keyboard.  Ryeowook clapped his hands together out of excitement, “that’s it!” He said, “She doesn’t understand Korean, she only speaks English.” 

 

Bang, bang, bang.  Ryeowook pounded the door with excitement.  “Heechul-hyung,” he called.  “Can I borrow some of your old English textbooks?”

               Heechul irritably opened the door.  “What?”

              “Your English textbooks, can I borrow them?”

               “Why?”

               “Clearly I have a sudden and overwhelming urge to learn English, duh.”

               “This doesn’t have something to do with that girl, does it?”

                “Would it matter?”

                “You know what, whatever, I don’t want to know.  Here:” He pulled out a stack of books from the top of his closet and handed them to Ryeowook.  “Have fun.”

                 Ryeowook took the books back to his room to go through.  Donghae and Ryeowook’s room became a study hall that night where they as well as Leeteuk, Sungmin and Yesung all spent the night brushing up on the English. 

                  A few cram sessions didn’t do much but they all managed to at least getting the basic greetings and salutations down which they used any time there was an opportunity.  Henry often got dragged along to act as a translator.  Henry didn’t mind, he enjoyed putting his skills to good use.     

 

                   April was seeing things more clearly every day.  She was having a lot of fun playing the instruments they brought her and looking at the story books even if she couldn’t understand what the men were saying.  One day the light bulb that had been lying in wait finally went off.  On this day they had brought a keyboard but while they were playing one man got a phone a call.  He answered the call in English; he was talking to his mother.  They were talking about Father’s Day and then he said he was in Korea, liar…wait…  It all finally clicked and April knew where she was, the only problem was that she didn’t know why she was in Korea.  April couldn’t remember how she had ended up in a hospital in Korea, she couldn’t even remember going to Korea.  The last thing she could remember was being at home in New York.

 

                  Zhou Mi was back in town, he flew back as soon as his drama wrapped.  He took a day to get situated before he went to meet April.  It was always complicated when Zhou Mi came back because he didn’t have a permanent residence in Korea, neither did Henry.  Every time they came they tended to float around or stay in different hotels.  This time Zhou Mi was crashing at the dorms while Henry so far was ‘staying’ in a hotel.  Staying was a broad term as Henry spent more time in the dorms than the hotel. 

                  “April it’s nice to finally meet you.”  Zhou Mi had brought back a few gifts with him for April, first a cute plush stuffed panda.  Though April had seemed weary of Zhou Mi at first being a new stranger she did accept the panda happily.  Second he gave her a trendy light weight robe to match the blanket.  Lastly he gave her an expensive pair of sunglasses that only he would pick out. 

                  The robe seemed like a nice alternative to Sungmin’s ugly old sweatshirt but April very clearly preferred the sweatshirt.  On one occasion April even refused to let go of the sweatshirt when they were trying to get her to try on the robe.  It would have been a very short game of tug of war had anyone actually try to take the sweatshirt but no one had the heart to do it.

 

                   Zhou Mi set himself up on the 12^th floor couch, he may have seemed glamorous to those who didn’t know him well but in reality he had no problem roughing it a little bit or even a lot.  The upstairs was getting crowded and loud but it was like a family and Zhou Mi liked that.