Watched: Attack on Titans

      September 5th, 2011

September 5th, 2011

Beep

Beep

Beep

Echo's blurry mind woke to the meticulous beeping of a machine.

Her left hands fingers twitched, feeling something soft underneath them. When she tried to move her other hand, she couldn't due to it feeling constricted.

When her eyes finally opened she realized immediately she was at a hospital. "Hello?" her voice was barely audible. She lifted her head to get a better look at the room, instantly regretting it when a shooting pain ran from her spine down her right leg. She grit her teeth, wondering what on earth had happened.

I recorded that new drama… and I went out with Tiffany to eat… wait… we didn't eat though.

That's when it dawned on her that she was in a car accident. How long was she even asleep for? Was Tiffany okay? What about that other driver? Where is anybody?

"Oh! You're awake!"

Echo looked at the female nurse standing in the doorway without surprise. The nurse herself was petite with thick black hair tied into a tight bun on the back of her head. "How are you feeling Jung-ssi?"

"I have a splitting pain up my back," her hoarse voice answered, her eyes filled with unanswered questions. "Is Tiffany alright? The girl who was driving?"

The nurse gave her a strange look. "Hwang Stephanie just had a few scratches on her but is fine. You suffered from a right wrist fracture, some facial injuries and a herniated disk, you have thirty stitches in your face."

The wrist fracture explained how her right hand was numb, finally she looked down at the appendage and took notice of the pink cast engulfing her forearm and half of her hand.

Echo gave the nurse a blank look at one of the results after she looked back up. "What's a herniated disk?"

"It's a bulging disk in your spine, it causes pain in the nerves which is why you felt a shooting back down your leg. You may feel numbness as well but don't freak out, it's completely normal. I'm sure you'll heal fantastically though."

"What's your name?"

The woman blinked, not realizing she hadn't told her in the beginning. "It's Kim Minjoo."

"Thank you for taking care of me."

The nurses lips curved into a small smile. "It's no problem sweetie, I'm going to get the doctor for you. It's late but he's on call so you should be able to see him within the next thirty minutes, I'll be right back."

Brown eyes followed the elder woman's retreating back through the door, which she closed behind her.

Looking around the room Echo took in her surroundings, outside the large windows she could clearly see the night sky, causing her to wonder how late it was that the doctor must have been home.

Just how long was she unconscious for? And where was everyone? Did anyone even care that she was at the hospital? Did they even know?

For whatever reason Echo found herself feeling calm even through all the ever growing questions.

She found herself staring at the IV attached to her veins on her right wrist, the white bandage hiding the insertion point. There was no pain, but she felt something.

Looking back up a wave of fatigue rolled over her.

      September 6th, 2011

September 6th, 2011

Nurse Kim was a total sweet heart to Echo, popping in every now and then to ask if she needed anything to make her more comfortable and freely talking to her whenever she brought in her meals or when she had to check her IV.

Out of all of her injuries it was the herniated disk that bothered Echo the most. Once she revealed her feelings the doctor in charge of her, Dr. Lee, assured her that it shouldn't be permanent and should only last a month at the most. Until then, they would be able to give her pain medication for it but she'll still feel something at certain times. She felt her heart drop a bit when they told her she can't do anything excessive. In other words: no dancing.

When she woke up the following morning she wondered why no one had come to visit her already. The nurse claimed Tiffany was alright, so wouldn't she have told someone that she was also in the accident?

"Jung-ssi, someone's here to see you," the nurse sent her a kind smile, poking her head through the door.

Well that answered that question.

"Oppa!" she smiled in greeting.

Hajoon thanked the nurse before walking in and closing the door behind him. His expression was grave, Echo now noticing the dark bags under his eyes as he sat down next to her bed, causing her smile to fall.

"Thank god you're alright," his lips twitched into a tired smile. "Tiffany called me yesterday telling me what happened, but they wouldn't let anyone come in to see you."

"You've been waiting?" she slowly questioned, feeling guilty. "The nurse told me she's alright, is that true?"

Hajoon nodded. "Yeah, she just has some shallow scratches but she's fine… They said they couldn't tell me anything about your condition, so… how are you?" She noticed his eyes focusing on different parts of her face.

"My wrist is fractured," she pointed with her chin to her right wrist. "And I have a herniated disk."

Her managers eyes widened at the last one. "A herniated disk? At your age?"

"The doctor said it should only last a month and they have me on really strong pain killers," she revealed. "But I get a shooting pain every once and awhile. Where are the members?"

"They're recording," Hajoon simply responded, his eyes showing how fast his mind was working. "Do you want me to call your family?"

Echo visibly hesitated. Yes, she has family in Korea and she was close to her Aunt Hyorin at one point, however after her mother passed she always had an excuse not to see that side of her family anymore. The only family members she ever sees is Arianna and Hanbi, and that's just because they're in the same industry. "Yeah, it's better they hear from you than over the news. Wait, has this been on the news already?"

He shook his head.

The red head let out a relieved sigh. "Maybe I should call so they don't get any heart attacks, where's my phone?" she looked around, confused when she couldn't find her old flip phone anywhere near her person.

Her manager gave her a confused look. "Didn't the nurse tell you? It was broken in the accident."

"Seriously?" her shoulders slumped. "I've had that phone since I first came here…" Moms number is still in it.

"I have your families number programmed in my phone already, you can talk," Hajoon handed the ringing cell phone over to the younger girl.

Echo felt reluctant as she pushed the phone to her ear, waiting for a familiar voice to appear on the other end.

"Hello?" her aunt's voice held confusion.

"Aunt Hyorin, it's Allison."

"Alli-ah! What's wrong, why aren't you calling from your own phone? And why haven't I seen you lately, young lady?"

Echo paused, unsure of how to continue. Blunt seemed to be the way to go with her aunt. "I was in a car accident," before Hyorin could intervene she quickly continued, "but I'm fine. I have a fractured wrist, stitches in my face and a herniated disk. My phone broke so if you need to reach me then call Hajoon's phone."

"Allison-ah," her aunts voice was slow, "why don't you stay at the house to recover then?"

She didn't think of that.

She paused before, "Wouldn't I be a burden?"

"No! Not at all sweetie! I would love to have you in the house during your recovery! You can finally get a nice home cooked meal every night."

The idol could hear the hope in her aunts voice, her heart felt like it was cracking because of it. After all, the closest think her aunt has to her sister now is Allison and Arianna.

"O-okay, I don't know when I'm being discharged."

"That's alright! Which hospital are you at? We'll come down right away!"

The corner of her thin lips twitched into a smile. After telling her aunt where she was and the room number she carefully handed the phone back to her manager.

"I'll get you a new cell phone soon, we have to be able to stay in contact after all. I already spoke with some higher ups and they all agree with me that you should lay low until you are a hundred percent healed."

When the manager noticed Echo's face fall he quickly remedied the situation by saying, "Think of it as a vacation.

Echo didn't look very reassured but slowly nodded, it's not like she could question her working right now. It was simply impossible, an injured person can't have an idols schedule and expect to not get worse or to even heal.

"Do you know when I'm being discharged?"

"No, but let me go find out," with a reassuring pat on her shoulder Hajoon left the room. Echo didn't miss his previously straight shoulders slumping.

Why the hell did I get into an accident now? Why couldn't fate have waited at a more convenient time? Sooyoung was already in a car accident a week ago and now I have to be incapacitated? The group is now down the seven members and our comeback keeps creeping up. The song's recorded and we all have the dance down pat, it even sounds like I need more time off than Sooyoung.

Guilt riddled Echo's heart, she went to lift her right hand to push a lock of hair out of her face but stopped midair when she noticed the pink cast encasing the appendage. She wordlessly dropped her arm back onto the bed, glaring hatefully at the fracture.

I'm just going to be a bigger burden on the group.

Looking out the window, she felt her anger grow at the innocently shining sun, the people walking on the street without a care in the world as she fought with her inner turmoil. It wasn't fair that everyone else got to life so freely while she felt like a bird with clipped wings. She had all the room in the world, but she couldn't move an inch.

I'm so sorry girls.

A lone tear dropped from her left eye.

      September 7th, 2011

September 7th, 2011

Echo thanked the nurse and doctor with a bright smile, handing them both signed CD's as the only gift she could give them. The doctor seemed unimpressed but Nurse Kim gave her a widely genuine smile and graciously thanked her. The woman made sure to let her know if she needs anything to let her know (apparently she's close friends with her future physical therapist).

With a final wave with her left hand Hyorin pushed Echo's wheelchair down the hallway, her husband walking next to her.

In comparison to Sooyoung's week long stay it seemed premature for Echo to be leaving the hospital so soon, but the truth was that they couldn't do much, other than give her a strong muscle relaxant, for a herniated disk (said strong muscle relaxant was actually requested by SM).

"I'll make a feast tonight, all your favorites and I'll even make a cake. You don't get to each much sweets do you? I'll make an American styled chocolate cake with whip cream, I know how much you love that," Hyorin kept going on about everything she was excited to be able to do. Echo believe she was just happy she had another person to cook for, since her own daughter moved in with her own kpop group awhile ago.

Even in the car ride to the apartment, she never stopped talking. It was endearing in a strange way.

Once they reached the apartment, Echo was relieved that her grandmother wasn't staying there anymore.

The wheelchair was just a precaution (once again requested by SM) so Echo was able to freely walk around the apartment without being stuck in it.

Her aunt told her that she would be staying in her cousins room for the time being and to get comfortable. She also said if she needed anything from the dorm to let her know and she'll call a manager and that dinner would be ready shortly (her aunt already having things stay on the stove when her and her husband went to pick up Echo from the hospital).

All Echo could think as she walked down the hallway was how strange it was. Not being in the dorm and not having everyone around her breathing down her neck to get to her next schedules and to be ready for her heavy schedule. She could sleep in.

Opening her cousins bedroom door she let out a yell of surprise when she noticed who was sitting on the bed with her phone in hand.

"Ari!"

Her sister looked up with a confused look, before sheepishly smiling and putting her phone down on the bed to walk up to her sister. Her arms twitched as if she was about to hug her sibling, but thought against it due to the other girls back.

"W-what are you doing here?"

"I'm here for dinner," Ari gave her a small smile. "I thought you would be happy to see me."

"I am!" Echo assured, ignoring her own injuries and tightly hugging the girl to her thin frame. When she felt the younger girl tremble she immediately pushed away, shocked when she saw the tears in the girls eyes. "What's wrong?"

A few more tears dripped down Arianna's face. "You're hurt, unnie."

The elder idols face momentarily fell before replacing it with a smile. She couldn't let her sister worry about her, she had other things she needed to have her full attention on. "I'm fine, I promise. Just a few scratches."

"I heard about the accident online," the f(x) member revealed. "They were saying horrible things."

It looked like Ari didn't want to expand on the 'horrible things' and Echo wasn't planning on asking her anytime soon.

"I was so scared. I just kept thinking the worse. And I had no idea what I would have done if I lost you too," the young girl hiccupped, thick tears falling down her pale cheeks.

"A lot more would have to happen for you to lose me," Echo softly assured her, gently brushing away her tears with her left hand. "I'm not going anywhere anytime soon Arianna."

Reaching down, she grabbed the taller girls hand, gently tugging her back towards the door. "Come on, we have a family dinner to attend."

ECHO WAS IN A CAR ACCIDENT?

First Sooyoung, now Echo! SNSD's a mess right now!

Is she dead?

I'm back! Sorry for the almost two month disappearance!

Classes started earlier this month and I've been working more (and I might be slightly addicted to Attack on Titans right now), making it harder to sit down and actually be able to write. I tried to make the chapter longer than I originally planned, as a treat, but I wasn't able to hit 3,000 words like I wanted to.