Held Breaths

Healing Battle Wounds

 

Junhong's optics widened, his gaze expanding to take in her entire frame. The pace of his binary motors quickened sending pulses racing through the wires of his mechanical nervous system. He focused on her dark brown eyes framed by her bright pink hair. He stepped forward, as if she had willed him towards her. His previous loyalty shattered with that one glance, he was tethered to her.

 

Junhong was confused. He reached his hand out towards her to caress her face. His touch igniting Neri's cheek as she closed her eyes. "I love you..." he whispered his realization to himself. It was shocking. Yong Guk had created him with emotion sensors, adapting him as new breed of robot, but he had never informed Junhong that he had the ability to Attach...

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"Mina, I need the aloe gel. We need to treat his burns before I set his ribs." Cheonsa's voice was calm and collected as she examined his arms, trying her hardest not to reveal her valid concerns, just as she learned on the job. This was strange. You had a big heart, yes. You had never done something so... So wreckless. This wasn't like you to allow strange boys you had never met before into your home. You obeyed quickly rushing past Neri who wrung her hands nervously as she leaned against the doorframe and Junhong who stared at her wonderingly. You grabbed the small plastic bottle from the medicine cabinet in the restroom across the hall. You bounced it in your hands as you returned to the nurse's side. She was sterilizing his wounds as his face wrenched in pain. She spread the cool liquid over his arms, his face relaxing as she wrapped them tightly in gauze. Cheonsa looked up at you wagging the bottle by her face. "You need to change his gauze every two hours, there should be enough in that bin to last for a few days. Just call me when you need more."

 

"Yeh," You bowed your head with a nod as she continued to work. Cheonsa pressed knowing fingers on Yong Guk's abdomen, her hand dwarfed by the large bruise that seemed to grow and spread up towards his pectoral arch and down towards his hips. You bit your lip as he winced at her every touch. Cheonsa looked over her patient's well-defined body. It could prove to be a problem. She looked at your blonde and wagged her hand at him towards herself trying to remember his name.

 

"Junhong," you reminded her.

 

"Junhong," she called him forward pointing towards the boots on Yong Guk's feet. "You will need to hold down his legs." Junhong wrapped his child-like servos over his leader's ankles. Cheonsa's attention turned towards you once more. "I'm going to need you to hold down his shoulders-"

 

"but-" you objected, lookng at her and shaking your head nervously. "Ha-ha-have Neri do it."

 

"Mina, I don't have time for your clumsy awkwardness around handsome men. I have a shift in three hours and this is taking the place of my precious sleep. Now. Do. As. I. Ask!" She commanded, her tone flat and stern. She didn't play. You obeyed with a sigh and a bitten lip, Neri giggling by the door. You glared at her and she lifted her hands defensively.

 

"What?" She giggled. "You know she's right." You grunted in defeat and climbed onto the bed, placing your hands hesitantly on his shoulders. You stared at his face wonderingly as Cheonsa gave you two more instructions. "Now I need you two to hold him down firmly. If he moves while I set his ribs, I could end up puncturing a lung. Now hold him down steadily." She took a deep breath as she steadied her hands. Cheonsa counted and pressed firmly on the two lower ribs on his left side. As the pain coursed through his body his eyes shot open, his mouth opening in a silent scream as tears rolled down his face wetting your arms.

 

Your eyes met, his bright red gaze holding yours intently, confusion pooling with pain and agony. His body jerked upwards resisting your hold on him. With clenched teeth and a grunt you pushed him back down until his body relaxed as the pain overwhelmmed him and he fainted, his eyes fluttering closed. His head collapsed onto your arm. You slid your arm up allowing his face to rest on your palm as your wiped his tears with your thumb. Your bottom lip trembled as a tear rolled down your cheek.

 

Junhong noticed, his gaze flickering between you and his leader. He had seen that moment. The one that had escaped everyone's notice and had caused the confusion in his leader's gaze. He looked up at you, wondering why it was you were so different from what Kekemato said humans were like, and why, in your company, was the object of his attachment. He never would have found her if your kindness had not stumbled upon them. He would never have realized he was Matoki, fully Matoki, and not just a science experiment the High Council had taken advantage

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Cheonsa finished wrapping his wounds and pulled two Intraveinous drip bags out of the tubbawear container. "Mina, I need you to pay attention to how this is done so you can change his I.V. drips when I am not here." Instantly you were by her side watching as she carefully pierced his skin and set the drips.

 

"Mina, he shouldn't have felt pain, which means he's in a semi conscious state." She explained, and since he didn't wake up after the shock of pain, he might be unconscious for a while. This drip is for the morphine." She held the tube for you to see and held the plastic dial in her hands.

 

"This," she gosted her finger upwards over the dial, "Is to raise the morphine drip, this is to lower it. The level it is set to should be fine for now. If you notice him in excruciating pain raise the drip by half a level. The other is a liquid to keep him hydrated. It's labeled this way," she ran her middle finger underneath the differences between the two bags. "Keep them refrigerated and make sure you're watching him constantly. Just do as I said and his recovery will be just fine." Cheonsa reassured you. "I will be back tomorrow with more supplies and to teach Junhong how to properly bathe Yong Guk. Since I know you two girls will be of no help." She held onto your fingers as she walked towards the door. Her gaze fell on Junhong, still staring at Neri affectionately. Cheonsa smiled. "Neri, you need to stay over with Mina. I dont trust walking-aegyo over there to help as he should."

 

Junhong's pout dropped as his jaw fell slack. "Cheonsa-nim..." he whined. She winked at Junhong who turned beet red along with Neri. You covered your mouth quickly to prevent a laugh from escaping as Cheonsa shut the door behind her. Neri glared at you shaking her head in mock anger. The two of you stared at each other before she ran into your arms with a giggle. She turned to steal a glance at Junhong before pulling you into the kitchen.

 

"Dallop it! Now!" She said grabbing your shoulders. She hoisted herself onto the counter as she watched you make tea. "What happened? How did you get so lucky as to have two gorgeous boys in your home?" She raised her eyebrow at you. "As my mother pointed out you're extremely awkward around guys you just met. Need I remind you of the time you poured hot water on yourself when Jaesung walked into your house with your dad and you saw him in his military uniform for the first time?"

 

"Oh, pain receptor memories... Neri, c'mon." You scrunched up your face. "I'm never living that down am I?" Neri laughed at your blushing face. "Nope!" She popped her lips as she shook her head. You looked at Neri and rolled your eyes. "Look they needed help, and-"

 

"-being the wonderfully good samaritan that you are you decided to help two ulzzangs and take them under your wing." She finished for you. She turned toward Junhong then poked a finger into your shoulder. "Junhong's mine. You can have Mr. Tall-and-darkly-handsome laying unconscious upstairs." She said with a tilt of her head.

 

You handed her a cup of tea. "Thank you for your permission." You stated with a roll of your eyes. You wrapped your hands around your cup absorbing its warmth and its calming aroma. You sipped the sweet liquid closing your eyes and relishing in its flavor. "Look, I need to go upstairs, need to take care of Yong Guk."

 

"Yeah, take... Care..." Neri jabbed your ribs with her elbow giving you a wink. You sighed. "You're drawer is still upstairs. Please keep Junhong entertained. He can sleep here in the living room or in the spare guest room. Don't need him in mine or Minjae's room." You looked at Junhong who seemed to be having a conversation with Jello. "He's wierd."

 

Neri followed your gaze and smiled. "I like wierd." Of... Course she did, she was always so crazy and hyper. A little ball of energy in a five foot package. Neri ran into the living room jumping over the back of the couch and landing in her perfect drama-watching position. The judges gave her a ten. You shook your head as you walked towards the stairs.

 

"Mina eonni!" Neri yelled at you over the tv. "I sleep in your room still right?" You raised a thumbs up over your head as you walked up the stairs. "Sweet!"

 

You took a deep breath as you turned to the left, there he was: Yong Guk. The man who turned your life upside down without even being awake. "Oh, Appa. I hope I am doing the right thing." You whispered as you the military tags hanging from your neck. You crept into the room and sat down, the bed dipping slightly, Yong Guk's body leaning towards yours. You placed an open palm over his chest, your fingers tracing the tattoo marked on his chest. It looked like wings. They weren't fluid and curved, rather the lines were rigid and forced. You noticed the military tags pooled on your father's old dresser and reached out for them. You twirled the cool metal between your fingers, tracing the pad of your thumb over the etchings.

 

"Who are you?" You whispered wonderingly, turning the tag over to inspect it between your hands. Your eyes shot open and you swallowed. You were on the edge of hyperventilating as you blinked and shook your head. It was a mistake. It had to be a mistake. You were too tired. You needed sleep. Maybe you needed glasses and that's why the words looked wierd. You looked at the writing again. No... You rubbed your eyes, the writing still wouldn't change! You rubbed your eyes. You wiped your thumb across the metal again. The writing still wouldn't change, it wouldn't make sense. It was in a language you couldn't understand and had never seen before, and seemed to shimmer as you wiped across it. You shook your head. This was unbelievable. Maybe it was just a STAR WARS prop, but the more you looked at it the less it made sense. "Yong Guk..." you breathed. "Who are you?"

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munyeca #1
I upvoted your story btw~~ ^_^
munyeca #2
Chapter 11: I think you should wait xD and omo, your a great writer unnie♥ I'm subscribing now (: update soon♥♡♥
Shiro_Darkness
#3
Chapter 7: so sad, poor Shishimato
kirbey
#4
Chapter 7: *eye twitch* GAAAAAAAAAAH D':
kirbey
#5
Chapter 6: I just cried...you made me cry dangit!
kirbey
#6
Chapter 5: Teehee I am enjoying this very much :3 * phone while giggling creepily*
kirbey
#7
Chapter 4: O.O *subscribe* Defenetly worth the wait. Saranghaeyo Eonni!
Shiro_Darkness
#8
Chapter 4: another awesome chapter, hun