I've apologized so many times already for procrastinating that it's starting to be embarrassing. So I just say, I'm trying. I want to finish this story. :)

Thank you for patience and faith. It is very much appreciated!

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When I’m finished Song leads me back to the entrance where our parents are talking to each other, still pretty upset. My Mom is on the phone and from the bits I hear her say I gather it’s Taemin’s mother on the other end of the line.

I’m glad that they all get along well and look out for each other like we do. It’s only Kibum’s family that seems slightly detached, which is probably due to them living in Daegu. Right now that makes me feel awkward and sad.

Minho and Jonghyun have finished their interviews too and just when we’re all back in the foyer of the precinct my Mom ends the phone-call and says:

“He woke up.”

At first I think she’s talking about Taemin, since she spoke to his mother. But that doesn’t make sense because Taemin was awake the whole time since he was rushed to hospital.

“Kibum”, she adds, “Kibum woke up!” reading my mind. I hug her and then we all hug each other while Song watches leaning on the wall and shaking his head smiling.

“Just go”, he tells us and we hurry to our parent’s cars to go back to the hospital.

“You can’t just all go in there!” the nurse shouts when we stampede into the intensive care station: the boys, our parents, even Taemin’s mother who left our Maknae in the care of his father … probably because he’d otherwise be here as well.

Seeing our expectant faces the nurse sighs.

“Two of you and only 10 minutes.”

I don’t want to be pushy but I step forward looking around for approval.

“Yeah, Jinki, you go”, Minho’s father says and Jjong’s mom and sister give our hesitant BlingBling a gentle push. I grab his arm when he is turning to Minho who just nods and pull him towards the door.

The nurse hurries to give us face-masks and we enter.

He is lying flat on his stomach, his face turned to the side. There is a monitor showing his heartbeat and a drip is providing him with some kind of medicine or nutrition. I’m relieved that he is breathing on his own though. He doesn’t wear a shirt so we can see that his back is heavily bandaged.

There are bruises and cuts on his shoulders too, some of them treated with bright orange iodine-fluid.

“Bummie?” Jjong crouches down next to the bed-head to be level with Kibum’s face.

His mask can’t hide the worry.

I join him and reach out to brush away a strand of hair obscuring Bummie’s  eyes when he suddenly opens them. For a second he just looks at us drowsily. Then he jerks up croaking: “Taemin!”

„No, no, no, don’t move”, I say, clumsily making him lie down again, “Taeminnie is okay, he’s  here too, but he isn’t seriously injured.”

He sighs with relief and gives us a lopsided, dimply smile. I’m so happy I would hug him if it wasn’t for fear of hurting him. Jjong can’t hold back though. He leans forward and awkwardly kisses Bummie on the hair.

“How are you?” I ask.

“I don’t know”, Kibum mumbles, “I’m dizzy, I guess.”

“Does it hurt a lot?” Jjong wants to know.

“I don’t even know where I’m hurt.”

He’s probably infused with strong painkillers.

“They cut a shard out of your back that could have killed you”, I say before Jonghyun silences me with a death-stare.  But Kibum just smirks. He’s certainly made of sterner stuff.

Then Kibum turns serious again and asks hoarsely:

“How many casualties?”

“We don’t know yet”, I tell him, “there have been two deaths among the military personnel, but I have no idea how many people were hurt altogether.”

I feel bad for everybody who was killed or injured in the incident but still I’m incredibly relieved that both Taemin and Kibum survived. Can I say this out loud?

I decide not to. Instead I just take Kibum’s hand, glad that it doesn’t feel awkward since we all have held hands many times before for all kinds of reasons.

Then the nurse comes back to make us leave. I’m reluctant to let go but I don’t want to overexert Kibum either.

“We’ll be back soon”, I tell him and he smiles again.