8. In The Hospital

The sound of the front door opening and Chung Ho chatting as he enters inside tells me that mom and Chung Ho arrived from the church. In no time Chung Ho is knocking on my room’s door.

“Yes?” I answer as I’m too focused on my drawing. Chung Ho opens the door and enters inside.

“Noona are you already up?” He asks as he takes a look at my bed.

“Hum hum,” I nod even though I’m not looking at him.

“Good morning!” He brightly comes up to me and shakes my chair unintentionally, which causes me to risk the drawing.

“Chung Ho!” I look at my drawing horrified.

“Oops. Sorry noona I didn’t mean to,” he apologizes.

I sigh. I can’t get mad at my little brother, even though sometimes I do when it’s something more serious. I can always erase the risk which isn’t supposed to be there and continue the drawing.

“It’s okay. Did you enjoy going to the church today?” I ask him as I turn to face him.

“Yes. Today the songs were good,” he nods. I smile and kiss his cheek. “Oh your hot,” he says with a somehow surprised look in his face.

“Hum?” I look at him confused. I touch my forehead and I feel it with a temperature above the usual. “Where’s mom?” I ask him.

“In the kitchen preparing lunch,” he tells me.

I leave the room and he follows me behind. “Mom, I guess I’m getting sick,” I state as I walk towards her.

“Let me see.” she puts her hand on my forehead and her expression quickly changes from relaxed to worried. “Oh my you have a fever. Go to your bed. I’ll find the thermometer,”

I do as told and walk back to my room. Once I lay down in my bed, mom enters in my room and goes straight towards me while holding the thermometer in one hand. After checking my temperature my mother shakes her head.

“How did you get sick? It’s not that it had been cold. Did you catch too much sunlight?” My mom asks trying to figure out how in the world I got sick. The fact is I got soaked in the rain and I don’t want to tell her.

“I don’t remember,” I shake my head as I shrug.

“I’ll go down at the pharmacy. If you need anything call me right away,” she tells me as she leans in to kiss my forehead. I nod and she leaves the room.

Half an hour has passed already and mom hasn’t arrived home yet. The pharmacy isn’t that far away from our building, I don’t know what it’s taking so much for her to come back home while I’m here sweating like ice thawing. I sigh.

Chung Ho enters in my room. “Noona you’re sweating!” He points his petite finger at me as he rushes to my bed. I slightly nod as my energy is slowly fading away.

“I know penguin,” I wipe away my wet forehead.

“You’re not going to die, are you?” My little brother asks in a worried expression. I can’t help but chuckle at him.

“No my little penguin, I’m not going to die. It’s just flu,” I manage to give him a fading grin. He stares at me as his brows slightly pucker.

“Are you saying the truth?” He tries to be sure that it isn’t any terminal disease.

“Yes Chung Ho, I am,” I assure him.

I can clearly see that Chung Ho is worried about me. As a little brother he loves his older siblings very much. He’s always concerned when he sees us (I and Chung Hee) sick or somehow in an unhealthy condition.

I hear mom finally coming back from the pharmacy and walking straight to my room. “Came back- Oh my god, Cho Hee you’re sweating!” My mother rushes to me and places her hand in my hot forehead. “I better take you to the hospital,” she helps me g