_______________________________________________________

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

________________________________________________________________________

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

Donghae was completely out of breath.

He'd been sprinting through the wood-plated corridors as if his very life depended on it. On the other hand, Leeteuk was trailing a few meters behind, as if unsure whether to walk or run.

Don't misunderstand, Park Leeteuk was a very patient man. However, as of late, Sungmin was really driving him crazy.

As the pair approached Sungmin's room, a high-pitched voice echoed through the corridor.

“No! Not a step further!!!”

Before opening the door, Leeteuk closed his eyes for a moment, exhaling heavily. Right now, he needed all the patience and professionalism he could possibly muster.

Bracing himself, he walked into the pastel-coloured room.

“This time, it is really the end for me!!! This pain, the pain that tears my chest, it is just too much...!!!”

“Sungmin.” Leeteuk called with a sigh. “Be a good boy and let go of those curtains.”

Should've had them removed, observed Leeteuk, knitting his eyebrows.

“NO!” shrieked Sungmin, his shrill voice damaging to the ears. “This is my purpose, my future!!! To hang, for all to see, like the noble kings of old...-”

“That's enough, Sungmin!” Leeteuk spat, but quickly picked up his usual kindness. “Please. Minnie. You know, all of us love you very much. I'm quite sure every single person in this hospital would cry if you were gone...”

From the back of his mind, Leeteuk suddenly remembered that he'd recited those same words to Sungmin on multiple occasions already.

Still, they were more or less true, at least when Leeteuk himself was concerned. Being a doctor to the same patients for many years, it was getting difficult to remain objective and not get attached – even to such a suicidal crybaby like Sungmin.

There didn't seem to be a single famous death scene that Sungmin didn't enact at some point.

Of course, the tragic character was always Sungmin himself. The hospital had to watch though all the heartbreaking deaths from major movies - minus the actual dying. Was he not a doctor, Leeteuk would probably die of laughter at the melodramatic farce.

That is, he'd laugh if he wasn't afraid that, one day, Sungmin might really kill himself.

It seemed like hours before Leeteuk managed to persuade his eccentric patient that he should stay in this world after all.

Finally, Sungmin gave up the noose he made out of pale pink curtains. Sobbing into Leeteuk's chest, he grabbed the doctor tightly around the waist. Minutes passed, but the weeping man was refusing to let go.

Meanwhile, the commotion had attracted quite a crowd. 'Sungmin's shows', as the patients (and, secretly, Leeteuk) liked to call them, were pretty popular. Morbid as it was, it was still interesting to see what Sungmin could come up with.

He's an imaginative guy, I'll give him that, thought Leeteuk, as he tried to make himself feel less awkward.

It wasn't only awkward that he was being hugged so very tightly that he almost couldn't breathe. Rather, it was the intrigued silence that spread throughout the 'audience'.

It was quite rare that Dr Park let someone close, either physically or emotionally. Usually, he'd simply slap Sungmin away and send him to the Black room. Despite the kind impression he gave, there was a coldness in his polite ways.

“...It's okay, Sungmin. It's all going to be just fine.”

“...You're...you're really the best, doc... I'll go find Han now” whispered Sungmin with a wide smile, as he wiped the remaining tears and headed for the psychologist's office.

His unbearable sorrow seemed instantly forgotten.

Suddenly remembering he had a new patient to tend to, Leeteuk hurried off to his office. I hope he didn't do anything reckless. How could I have left a new resident alone??

Donghae, though, stayed in the rose-coloured room, which he shared with Sungmin. As the spectators were breaking off, he overheard some gossip about the new patient, but didn't pick up anything other than idle speculation.

In his own simple way, he quietly thanked the heavens that his roommate was still with him on Earth.

Still smiling in relief, Donghae was about to lean onto the window sill. All he wanted was to watch his sunflowers wave happily in the wind. Before he could, though, he was stopped by a warm body attaching itself to his back.

_______________________________________________________

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

________________________________________________________________________

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