“Do you want water?” Minwoo yelled to the excited audience as he began unscrewing a water bottle.  All the members jumped around excitedly right until the song ended, drunk on the excitement of the crowd.  Dongwan noticed one of the staff motioning him to the edge of the stage and he ran toward them.

              “Andy won’t be participating in the next song due to back pain…and,” the man hesitated and bit his lip.  Dongwan got a terrible foreboding feeling and waited for the man to continue.

              “Hyesung was sent to the emergency room, he hurt his knee pretty badly,” the man stepped back after delivering his message.  Dongwan stared in shock and then stood up to look around the stage.  He hadn’t even noticed that Hyesung was gone.  Eric noticed Dongwan’s peculiar behavior and exchange between the staff member.  Eric jogged over and faced Dongwan with one eyebrow raised.  Dongwan looked desperately at the leader and then leaned into his ear.

              “Hyesung’s been rushed to the emergency room,” Dongwan stepped back and stared at the leader as he brought the mike to his mouth.

              “Umm, Andy has a back pain so he won't be performing…Hyesung had to be taken to the hospital,” Dongwan reported to the fans and many screamed in surprise.

              “He got injured pretty badly,” Dongwan finished and the rest of the members stared at him in surprise and worry.  Despite the worried atmosphere, the members still had to perform and each buried their feelings with a smile as a mask.

              I lay on the hospital bed after receiving many tests on my knee.  As the pain ebbed, I couldn’t help but feel that I had failed the fans, the staff, and especially the other members.  Not being able to contain my depression much longer, I grabbed my phone and texted all the staff and the other members.  Knowing that they were probably finished with the concert, I decided on a short message.  I wrote, “Everyone has worked hard! I’m disappointed and am sorry that we couldn’t have a better ending… Since you all worked hard, I hope you all have an enjoyable dinner! Have my share of meat and alcohol!” I finished and sent the message.  I sighed and rested my hands and phone on my stomach.  I heard two light knocks on my room door and watched as the door gently opened.  My doctor walked in looking at a folder and pulled up a chair beside my bed.  The managers walked over from where they were situated across the room and stood at the edge of my bed.

              “Well, unfortunately I have no good news for you,” the doctor looked up from his folder and talked to the managers and I.

              “It’s another ruptured knee ligament I’m afraid,” he sighed and I had a sharp intake of breath.  I was immediately bombarded with the memories of our Guerilla Concert back in 2001 when I damaged my left knee in the same way.  I also remembered the painful aftermath of that incident.

              “Your knee is extremely damaged, I’m sorry to say, but surgery is needed,” the doctor looked at me.  I cleared my throat and stared into his eyes with defiance.

              “I’m afraid that’s not an option, we are about to go on tour and are furiously promoting our comeback.  There is no way I have time to get a surgery that could put me out for half a year,” I rebuked his idea immediately.  He sighed and then looked at me again.

              “I knew you’d say that, you celebrities have no regard for your well-being.  Well then the next best thing I can offer you is intense physical therapy,” the doctor made his second offer.  I contemplated for a second and then glanced at my managers who were nodding.  I looked back at the old man and nodded.

              “Sounds good,” I responded and he smiled.

              “Then I’ll schedule the therapy and get you out of here as soon as I can,” He grinned and patted me once on the shoulder before leaving.  I was left to my own thoughts as my managers contacted their bosses to report the doctor’s diagnosis and the resolution.  After another painful fifteen minutes with my thoughts, the kind doctor returned carrying two objects that made me cringe, a pair of crutches.

              “I’ll let you leave if you promise to use these until given permission not to,” the geezer winked at me and I pouted.  Despite my dissatisfaction with the order, I found myself sitting up to comply just so that I could leave already.  The doctor made me practice using the crutches around the room until I was used to them before finally giving me the okay to leave.  The drive home was rather quiet except for the reassurance from my manager (the other one left to report to everyone that was partying) that he would do everything in his power to assist me.  I simply nodded when needed and spent the rest of the ride staring out the window as depression clouded my mind again.  My manager tried to help me to my apartment, but I insisted on doing it alone, kindly of course.  I got off the elevator on my floor and crutched my way down the hall to my door.  Judging by the silence from the apartment next to mine, Eric was still out partying with everyone.  I struggled to get my key out as I leaned on the crutches.  After much effort on my part, I was able to enter my apartment.  I the lights and collapsed onto the couch.  I felt my phone buzzing in my pocket and looked at it.  I had received a text from Minwoo.

              “Minwoo: Where are you, at the hospital?” I read it and smiled

              “Hyesung: I’m home,” I responded.  A few seconds later my phone buzzed again.

              “Minwoo: I was going to visit you,” I snorted.  Well then why didn’t you?

              “Hyesung: ok,” I felt a bit of anger surge.

              “Minwoo: When I hurt my legs you were the only one who showed up…haha,” I read and began to respond when my phone alerted me to another new message.  I ignored it and continued.

              “Hyesung: You only have me huh! Kahhh :D,” I teased and then returned to look at the other message he had sent me.

              “Minwoo: Don’t feel bad about not being able to perform in the last concert,” I welled up a bit at Minwoo’s thoughtfulness.  I closed my phone and used my newfound energy to take a shower and get ready for bed.

              The next morning I was in the kitchen, in front of the stove, leaning on my crutches for support.  The doorbell rang and startled me.  I cursed as I realized I had dropped the spoon I had been using for stirring into the boiling water.  I decided to just leave it and crutched my way over to the front door, growing more and more irritated as the person on the other side rang the bell over and over again.  I swung the door open and almost fell over.

              “What?” I growled as I regained my balance.  I looked up into the face of a very shocked Eric.

              “Hyesungie…” he said as he glanced down at my right leg and my crutches.  He looked back up at me and his expression hardened.  He gently pushed past me and into my apartment.

              “What are you…” I began as I struggled to shut the door on my own.  I crutched into my kitchen to find Eric disposing of the Ramyun I had been trying to make.  I watched in shock as he began rummaging through my fridge.

              “What are you doing?” I yelled after finally finding my voice.  He stopped and looked back at me.  He stood up and walked over, stopping in front of me.

              “Eating stuff like that for breakfast is 10x worse for you when you’re injured.  I’ll cook you breakfast for today,” he walked away into my living room and switched on the TV.  I stared at him and he gestured towards the couch smiling at me.  After a moment of hesitation, I sighed and crutched over to the couch.  Eric’s smile grew wider as I plopped down and made myself comfortable.  Eric retreated into my kitchen and spent the next twenty minutes there as I watched the morning news.  I grimaced as the celebrity report flashed to a picture of me; the anchorwoman began talking about my accident at the concert.  Eric appeared beside me and glanced at the TV before searching for the remote and promptly shutting it off.  I gave him a questioning look.

              “All you need to worry about is getting better,” he smiled down at me and handed my crutches to me.  I was starting to get the willies from Eric playing all nice to me, but I decided that having him serve me was a nice change.  I sat at the table and ate the delicious breakfast that Eric had made for me.  My phone buzzed on the counter and Eric got up to grab it before I could move.  He handed it to me and I answered.

              “Oh my goodness!  Pil Kyo?  I just saw the news, are you okay sweetie?  What happened?” I listened to my mother’s panicked voice on the other side of the phone.  I sighed in slight irritation.  I mean I was already 33 years old for God’s sake!

              “Calm down Mom, I’m fine.  Really, it’s no big deal,” I tried to calm my over reactive mother down.  She let out a loud huff and said,

              “You could have at least called so that I wouldn’t have to find out about how my own son is doing by watching the news!” she shouted and I started feeling guilty for getting irritated.

              “Okay, I understand.  I’m sorry I didn’t let you know Mom.  If anything else happens, I’ll tell you right away,” I apologized.

              “You better…” There was a slight pause and then she continued.

              “So do you want me to stay over and help you out?” My mother asked.  I slyly glanced up at Eric and then quickly looked back down before he noticed.  I smiled,

              “Don’t worry, I have the members to help me.”

              I slammed the remote on the couch.  I had spent the entire day sitting around and watching TV.  I seethed and thought back to this morning’s conversation with Eric.

              I leaned back in my chair satisfied.

              “Thanks Eric, that was great,” I beamed gratefully at him from across the table.  Eric smiled in response as he gathered up the dishes and walked into the kitchen.  With his back turned to me as he washed he began to speak,

              “Hyesung…I think it would be best for you to relax and take today off,” I sat up in my seat and snatched up my crutches.

              “What are you talking about, there’s no time!” I argued as I crutched up beside him.  He kept his eyes fixed on the dishes in his hand.

              “If you want to heal properly, you should try your best not to aggravate the injury,” he responded aloofly.

              “But I’ll be pushing Shinhwa’s entire schedule back!  We just had our comeback!  We need to keep up promotions and activities!” I half yelled in a panic.  Eric whipped his head to the side and looked me directly in the eyes.

              “Jung Pil Kyo!  Don’t you dare start thinking that you will be a burden on the other members,” I gawked at him in shock and he continued.

              “Minwoo was right to be worried about you last night.  In situations like these, your mind starts getting weird thoughts,” he finished and returned his attention back to the dishes.  The atmosphere had become awkward and I felt embarrassed.  My embarrassment quickly turned into irritation and I swung around as fast as I could on my crutches.

              “Burden the members?  Why would I be a burden?  Dummy,” I muttered under my breath as I crutched to my bedroom and shut the door.  I plopped down on my bed and thought about what Eric said.  Did I really think that I had become a burden to the other guys?  A knock on my door snapped me away from my thoughts.

             “I finished the dishes, but I have to go now.  We’re having a meeting about last night’s concert.  Sit tight and don’t you dare leave this apartment,” Eric instructed me through the door using his authority as the leader.  I glared daggers at his direction until I heard my front door close.  There was a moment of complete silence and then I grabbed a pillow from my bed and buried my face in it.

              “AAAAHHHHH!” I yelled out my frustration.

              I released an exasperated sigh.  Deep down I knew that Eric was right; I did worry that my injury would become a burden to the members.  Everyone had been so happy and excited for our comeback, me included.  I didn’t want to ruin everyone’s hard work.  I sat up and made a conscious decision to change my attitude.  No matter what Eric or anyone says, I’m doing the next schedule.  I crutched over to the counter and snatched up my phone.  I checked the next day’s schedule and it said that we would be filming for Shinhwa Broadcast.  We were going to film a group interview for the last part of our Return Concert documentary.  I smiled to myself.  Perfect, I could now prove to the other members that this injury wouldn’t hold me, or them, back.