It didn’t matter if people saw the shock plastered over his face. He almost collapsed onto the floor; everything was sinking into the ground. His strength had evaporated within a second. For a moment the idea of having to call his parents tormented him. The negative emotions, the ones that didn’t rise up so often were dying to see the light of day.

A moment passed. He stood leaning with a hand against a wall. The first number he dialled was that of his parents. They had to be the first to know. Within two rings someone answered. “Hello,” Eunah spoke into the phone.

“Eunah, please pass the phone to dad.”

“Ok,” she agreed. “Give me a moment.” She went out of ear shot to him and then someone else took hold of the phone. “Kyu Jong, son what happened?”

His hand clenched that fist it had been desperate to make. “Dad; Sang Hee will be ok but…” All of a sudden his throat became tight. Words failed to form in his mouth, what came out was a weird gulp. “S-she’s sick.”

“SHE IS WHAT?!” His father’s shout scared him. He heard his mother walk in. “Honey what is the matter?” His dad answered his voice softer.

“He says Sang Hee’s sick. What sort of sickness?”

“I-I can’t explain it’s complicated,” his fist slid down the wall with his body. Before he could talk again tears blurred his eyes. The realisation hadn’t begun to affect him until now. It was tearing him apart. He felt he was breaking, all his pieces were scattering about him.

“Dad… She can’t be cured.” For his father it would have been a shock to hear the sobs of your child on the line; sobs of their son now fully grown and facing one of the hardest moments of his life. 
“We’ll be there soon,” they didn’t wait for him to answer. He couldn’t, he buried himself inside of his knees and chest to soothe the noise but someone would have heard.

*

When they came to him they had to embrace him and hide his face from the people who’d gathered around him. His mother embraced him, getting him to lower his tear stained face while Eunah was at his side. Their father acted as a bodyguard, shielded his son in instinctive protection.

Shelter came in the form of their four passenger car. Kyu Jong sat, back pressed against his seat in the back, his mother touching his knee from her seat while his sister faced him; face drawn with concern. “Oppa please don’t cry.”

“He should have stopped by now. There’s nothing he can do.” Their father was growing more uncomfortable at his son’s anguish. His wife tutted before Kyu Jong on the cheek; “darling are you hungry? Let’s get you something to eat.”

He shook his head. “I’m fine mum.” But he changed his mind when his empty stomach called out. They went to a nearby shop and got a large bowl of spicy rice cakes. His family ate, Kyu Jong lightly picked at the food.

“Please eat,” his mother grew concerned. “You look famished.” Eunah stabbed a chop stick through one of the cakes and put it towards her brother’s face, dripping sauce onto his jeans. He ate it before more could get onto his clothes. “Sorry oppa,” she gave him a napkin to dab at the stain.

“Come to our place for a rest.” His mother suggested. “Then you will be able to go back to the hospital when you’re ready.” Kyu Jong was able to agree. The house didn’t need anymore work as far as he was concerned and at this moment Sang Hee was his main concern.

He nodded off in the car on the way to his parents’ house. He almost had to be carried in if the jolt of the car stopping hadn’t woken him. His room had been left the way it was but cleaned up since Sang Hee stayed in there. Her musky fragrance still shifted in the air, bringing a bittersweet comfort to his troubled soul.

*

In the hospital, the recently diagnosed patient had a visitor from the pathology department. The doctor was the same person that had visited Kyu Jong but did her best to carefully explain the sickness to Sang Hee.

“I see,” she nodded; keeping herself emotionally void. “So I’m not going to die as such.”

“Well…” The doctor paused for fear of giving false information. “There aren’t particular deaths except for possible complications from any of the symptoms you may experience.” Sang Hee gripped the edge of her blanket tightly, her knuckles becoming white.

“I’m sorry to bring this upon you so suddenly…”

“It’s fine.” She did not mean to be blunt. “What happens now?”

“Well we’re getting records from your current general practitioner to filter through any possible medications that could be affecting this.” She started to tap her pen against her clipboard. “Tell me Mrs Kim, have you started to take any new medications recently?” Sang Hee swallowed with a nervous glance.

“—I started taking Lithium a few months ago…” She said the next part rather quietly. “To try and help me through the separation of me and my husband.”

“Were you prescribed this?” Sang Hee said no. “Mrs Kim, anti-depressants are only to be taken under proper medical guidance. Do you realise the dangerous implications of what you could have done?” Nobody likes being told off but Sang Hee knew that the doctor had a point.
“I’m sorry.”

“I’ll have to ask that you stop taking them. If your depression isn’t caused by chemicals then you can always see a counsellor.” Sang Hee nodded.

“I understand.” The doctor left her shortly after giving time for Sang Hee to think. She had been given a brochure with information about her sickness. Every part of her fought against her inner desire to scrunch it up, throw it away, and pretend she’d never laid eyes on it. But that would not cure her. Nothing would cure her she’d been told. She was sick but she wasn’t going to die.

Looking at the drip attached onto her hand, it sank in. became dry, her spirit breaking with her eyes starting to fill. She’d held in the urge while the doctor gave her the news but now there was no holding back the flood waters. There was a lot of pain inside from the inner demon she’d been keeping hidden but now he would have to know. He would have to know the truth; because whether or not he could see it.

She needed him.

~*~

Not long before the end. I tried to write this last night but Word kept freezing so I just changed my mind and did it today. I think in a few more chapters it will end. The is a bit random so I don’t know how you guys are coping with it LOL (I admit that every story I write is an experiment) so I learn from the responses of people whether I did well or could do better. Hope you had a wonderfully blessed Christmas and will have a Happy New Year.