"Alright, JR," Manager said, walking into the living room. "I just got off the phone with the news station; they had no idea about what that guy said. They apologized and promised to make it up to us. Plus they're gonna fire that guy's ."

I smiled and nodded. 

"So am I gonna be on TV?!" Minhyun interrupted, jumping off the couch.

Manager smiled and ruffled Minnie's hair. "Yes you are, kiddo! But they're coming tomorrow at 8, so you gotta get ready early, okay?"

"Wait, 8?! In the morning?!" I snapped. "But all of their therapies are tomorrow morning!"

"Yeah, that's the catch, they wanna come film you guys in therapy." Hyung shrugged his shoulders. Minhyun looked up at him, confused.

"Don't worry, they just want to see how strong you've gotten!"

"Oooooh!!!!! I'm gonna show them how strong I am!!! Imma lift weights and swim and walk up the stairand, and.... Oh wait! I need to look good! I need to pick out a nice outfit! Baeko!!! Can you help me pick out-oh, wait, no, sorry Hyung! Aron!!! Help me pick out an outfit, please!!! I'm gonna be on TV and I wanna look good!!! Hyung!!!!!" Minhyun stormed off in search of fashion advice.

I don't know why, but those cameras going in during the guy's therapy just seemed too damn intrusive. Couldn't they just redo yesterday's interview with Minhyun there?! Seriously?! Are they trying to take advantage of us?! Therapy is when they're at their most vulnerable, and this news station had the nerve to just invite themselves into the middle of it.

.

************************************

Now it was bed time. A little early, but we had another big day tomorrow. I walked into Minhun and Aron's room to say goodnight. 

"You both ready for tomorrow?" They each nodded.

"Good.... I'll get up early to clean up around the dorm." Aron looked at me and did something with his hands.

"...Huh...?"

He smiled and did it again. He stuck his thumb up and put that hand on top of the other, then pushed it towards me.

"Umm.... Me? You'll...umm....help me? I'm guessing?" Aron nodded with a big grin on his face.

"Well dang! You must've been studying that sign language book hard tonight."

"I wanna learn, I wanna learn! Teach me something, Hyung!" Minhyun said, hopping on Aron's bed. Aron pulled him close, and held out his hand. He made a fist, then stuck up his thumb, pointer, and pinki.

"Uh.... What's that, Hyung?"

"Oh, I think I know what that means!" I smiled. "That means, 'I love you'! Can you say it back? Can you tell Aron you love him?" Minhyun held out his hand and I helped him mold it into shape. "There we go!"

Minhyun giggled and held it up. "I love you Aron! I love you! ...Ew....! Stop kissing me, Hyung!!! Gross!!!"

Aron was always the...affectionate one.

I got Minhyun nestled in his own bed and turned the lights off.

"Wait....JR! You didn't read me a story!"

I turned back on the lights and spent twenty minutes on The Ugly Duckling.

"...And he lived happily ever after with his big swan family.... Alright, we ready for bed now?"

"Yes...! Goodnight, JR!" I leaned down and kissed him on the forehead.

"Night, kiddo.... And Aron, I'm holding you to that promise! You better get up to help me clean tomorrow!" He gave a thumbs up and threw the covers over himself. I turned off the lights and walked out.

I walked down the hall and into the room I shared with Ren and Baekho. They were each in bed, but neither were asleep. I plopped down next to Baekho.

"So...you ready for tomorow?"

Baekho scoffed. "Hell no. Therapy's already hard enough without all those cameras floating around.... Part of me doesn't want them there, obviously." He paused long enough for us to hear Ren cooing in the background. "But.... There's a pretty big part of me that does wants them there. I want them to film us, so others can see what we're going through. I want people to see how much we're fighting.... That we haven't stopped fighting. I bet I sound crazy right now...."

"Actually, you don't." I said. "You really don't." We sat there for a moment, listening to Ren's babbling. Baekho stood up and made his way over to the maknae. "Someone's pretty talkative tonight...." Baekho leaned over the short metal railing surrounding Ren's bed, and reached inside. "Whatcha talkin' about over here, Rennie? Hmm? Something on your mind- Oh.... Uh, JR, I think he's got your phone in his mouth...." I rushed over to see Baekho gingerly prying my cell phone out of Ren's grasp. I took it from him quickly.

"Thanks, man. Oh, gross, Ren! Why did you have to-" I was cut off by him crying and trying to take it back from me.

"No, no, no...No more crying.... It's alright Ren, hold on. No, stay in bed...." I threw my phone on my bed and grabbed a toy off the ground. It was a little teething ring made for babies. "Here you go...." Ren snatched it and shoved it in his mouth, still glaring at me and sniffling. I watched him, a pang of sadness hitting me.

"You know something, Baekho? You and Aron have had to grow up alot these past few months. But these two.... They've gone backwards. It's like living with a set of babies. I mean, they can't read or write, they play with toys, they take naps all day.... All they watch is Disney."

"Aw, c'mon, JR! That's not-"

"No, seriously! Look at them! One of them's in bed with cartoon pajamas, while this one's in a freakin' diaper every night! Hell, he's practically in a crib! And half of this room is a damn nursery. Plus, he's teething, dammit! He doesn't even know his own name and-"

"JR, stop it, alright?! Just stop! Look, they've got a lot of work to do, we know that! But you're not giving them any credit for what they've done so far. Just four months ago, the doctors gave them a death sentence! Then they woke up! They couldn't walk or talk and got pushed around in strollers, and now they're both on their feet again! They're walking, they're playing, Minhyun is talking. They weren't supposed to do any of that! I mean, they've gotten so much better! And if it's the little things like plushies and Transformers and jack-in-the-boxes that make them happy, then we can give them that! We can give them all of that! Cuz they deserve it!"

Baekho stopped, and I stared at Ren. He chewed on his toy while gurgling loudly, unconcerned with the two hyungs above his head.

"You're right.... You're right, Baekho.... I'm so sorry, I-"

He put his hand on my shoulder and smiled. "Don't worry about it. You of all people have the right to get so frustrated. Just don't start sounding so hopeless, alright? We're all doing better now, and we have you to thank for it. Now let's get to sleep. We've got a pretty big day tomorrow!" He laughed and walked back to his bed, flinging himself ontop. 

"Hey, Baekho. Do you mind if I read Ren a story? I think he likes that."

"What? Oh, sure man! Go for it!"

"Thanks...." I leaned down and picked of a random picture book. "Hey, Rennie! Shh! Listen, you wana hear a story? It's called The Little Mermaid."

Ren watched me intently, waiting for me to start.

"Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess named Ariel, and Ariel was a mermaid!" Ren smiled and cooed at me. We went through the whole book, and by the time we got to 'And they lived happily ever after', Ren was out. I closed the book, leaned over, and kissed his temple. 

"Goodnight, Rennie.... Love you...." I turned off the lights and jumped in my own bed.

My eyes flew open. I was sitting in the passenger seat of a car.... 'Where the hell am I...?' I thought. I heard laughter and turned around. Minhyun, Ren, and Aron were in the back seat; Ren was blushing and glaring at the floor. 

"Maknae's getting a mouth on him these days!" I looked and saw Baekho in the driver's seat next to me.

"Wh-what did you say...?"

"I said, 'Maknae-'

"Ren put on your seatbelt!" I snapped. 

He looked at me. "What?"

"Ren, do it. Please. Something bad's gonna happen. Just-" I was cut off by a sharp jolt to the car. Ren screamed as he was shot through the windshield. I felt the car spiral and skid as everyone screamed their lungs out. We kept spinning and spinning until we finally stopped. I heard crying and sobbing, and I looked around. Everyone was awake. There was blood everywhere, on the guys, on the windows, on the ceiling.... I tried getting up but was pinned to my seat. I wanted to help them.... You could see on their faces, they were in so much agony.... I had to help them.... Why the hell couldn't I get up?!

I turned around and saw Ren splayed out in the road. The back of his skull was jagged shards of bone jutting from his head. His blood was pooling around him and he was writhing. I saw his brain. In his head, on his back, on the ground....

Worst of all, he was still screaming. 

I woke up crying, but shut myself up before I woke anyone else up. I sat up groggily. Rubbing my eyes, I looked at the clock.

3:00 am.

"."

I stood up and walked over to Ren's bed. He was curled up under the covers with a stuffed animal at his side and his teething ring still in his mouth. I ran my fingers along his scalp, feeling every screw under his skin. He was safe. He was alright. He's alright....

I hopped over the railng and snuggled next to him. I had to keep telling myself, He's safe, he's alright, he's safe, he's alright....

Even with me holding him, he seemed so vulnerable....

****************************************************************

"BOYS!!! WAKE UP!!! WE HAVE VISITORS!!!"

My eyes creaked open to our manager's bellowing. My arm was still draped over Minki protectively. And of course, he was still alright.