Yoona’s POV

            “Why isn’t daddy talking?” Violet asked me.

            Seunghyun was sitting on the sofa to the living room as he had his arm around our daughter.  I had put down a plate of freshly baked cookies for Violet as she climbed down from the sofa and grabbed a cookie.  I sat beside Seunghyun and handed him his medications.  He took his glass of water slowly and pressed it to his lips after he put the pills in his mouth.  It had been a few days since he had moved into the house.

            “He’s just a little shy right now,” I joked, “It’s not everyday he gets to see two beautiful girls at once.”

            Violet narrowed her eyes, “Yes, he can.  You’re his wife, and I’m his daughter.  He can see us everyday.”

            I choked on my own saliva after hearing Violet’s statement, and I had seen Seunghyun smile for the first time.  I stared in shock to see him smile.  For the past three days, he had a frown on his face.  I could tell that he tried smiling for Violet, but it was as if his body wasn’t listening to him anymore.

            I had so many questions for him.  I was still so angry with him for hiding Violet, but I couldn’t allow myself to show my anger with him at the moment.  All I wanted was for him to get better.  Maybe then I could get to know the real reason why he hid Violet from me.  I needed answers, but that could wait for now.  He need to regain his physical and mental health.

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Seunghyun’s POV

            I could not remember why I hated this woman.  I tried hard to remember, but I could not remember why.  I watched her tuck me into bed like a child, which was a little weird I had to admit.  I tried to smile at her again, but my face wasn’t cooperating with me again.  I heard the doctors speak.  They said that my body was functioning correctly.  There was just something in my mind that was ed up.  I saw too many things that were traumatic.  I didn’t even know that those things existed.  I didn’t know that the world would be that cruel.  I was no longer lying on the cold dirt floor.  I was in a soft bed at home, and I was finally safe. 

            It was ironic that she was the one caring for me.  She had gladly taken me in.  I knew she hated me, and I couldn’t remember why I hated her, but I did remember I hated her passionately.  She stared at me with that look that she used to give me.  That was the look she would give me before she told me that she loved me.

            Things were different now, and she couldn’t tell me that she loved me because we had gotten into a fight.  My mind was so messed up because I couldn’t even remember why we had a fight.  When I tried to remember, I would panic, and I would forget my memories even more.

            “Just rest, okay?” Yoona told me in her sweet voice.

            I wanted to talk to her.  I wanted to talk to her, damn it!  Frustration was building up in my body as my brain told my mouth to talk to her.  I tried and tried, but it wasn’t happening.  I think she saw my frustration, and she immediately kissed my cheek sweetly.  I felt the electricity flow into my body, and my mind calmed down because of her touch.

            “Don’t push yourself too much,” she whispered, “Good night, Seunghyun.”

            She gave me a weak smile and left the room.  I hated to admit that I hated being alone.  I hated being alone because it gave me time to think.  It was the perfect time to think about what I had experienced for the past month I was trapped in North Korea.

            I shut my eyes, and I tried to sleep.  I wanted it to be morning already.

~~

                  “Nurse, please tend to the injured soldier,” a commanding officer stated.

                  I stared in shock as the nurse beside me sniffled as her hands shook with fear.  We had been kidnapped, and we were all afraid.  They laid out bodies that looked like our bodies to play it out that we were dead.  The faces were mutilated so they couldn’t be identified.  If our side thought we were dead, South Korean and American troops would not look for us. 

                  The injured soldier was a North Korean soldier.  He was a teenager, and he had an open cut on his arm.  The commanding officer grabbed the nurse by the hair and pulled her towards the injured soldier.

                  “Tend to him now,” the officer threatened.

                  “I-I don’t even have the proper equipment,” the nurse cried out.

                  All there was were a few dirty bandages, rusty surgical scissors, and a bottle of hydrogen peroxide.  Were they insane? My jaw dropped to the floor to see the commanding officer grab his gun from his holster and shoot at the nurse’s head.  I saw the blood splatter everywhere.  It was all over the officer’s shoes, my face, and all over the floor.

                  “I hate it when people complain,” the officer shrugged, “Doctor, tend to the soldier right now.  Do it before I shoot your brains out, too.”

~~

Yoona’s POV

            I heard struggled screaming which woke me up right away.  I dashed out of my bedroom in my nightgown and robe and ran towards Seunghyun’s room.  I the lights to see Seunghyun thrashing in his sleep.  His eyes were shut tight, but his body was moving around wildly.  He was probably having a bad dream of what he saw when he was in North Korea.  I approached him with caution but gasped aloud to see him in this state. 

            “Seunghyun,” I called out in desperation. 

            It was as if my voice was a remedy to his night terrors.  His body began to slow down until he finally calmed down.  Tears began to spill from his eyes as he opened them.  His cries got louder after he realized that he was just dreaming.  He still couldn’t speak, but I could see his fear in his eyes. 

            I climbed into the bed next to him and rested my head against his arm.  I hugged him as my hand laid on top of his chest.  His breathing had slowed down, and it was as if he was finally calm again.

            “Don’t worry, Seunghyun,” I whispered, “I’m right here.  I’m not going anywhere.”

            I could tell that he was making his best effort to speak, but his mind wasn’t allowing him to do it.  He finally gave up as the cries continued.  I understood his frustration.  This man had a powerful voice.  His opinion mattered, and he had a brilliant mind.  That voice was trapped inside a body that didn’t want to communicate.

            “Just get some sleep,” I told him, “Get some rest.”

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            “Do you remember how to resect the blood vessels?” I asked.

            His eyes were looking at the book.  Part of me was hoping that he could talk about anything.  I was saddened to be in the presences of a man who couldn’t speak.  He stared at the pages as he stayed still.  He still wasn’t showing much emotion.  The only emotions he had shown so far were the little smile a few days ago and fear from his night terrors.  Otherwise, he was like a robot.  He was just there.  He would eat, sleep, watch television, and read to himself quietly.  I tried to make him write what he wanted to say, but he refused. 

            “It’s okay,” I smiled, “I know you know how to do it.  It’s very basic anyways.  Besides, you’re the best cardiothoracic surgeon on the face of the planet, right?”

            The doorbell rang, and I quickly made my way to greet the expected guest.  Violet was at school already, and she wasn’t going to be home until a few hours.  I opened the door to reveal Sooyoung.  Her hair was up in a neat bun, and she was wearing casual attire—a loose blouse and a pair of white jeans.  She had a bag full of food in her hand, and she entered the house.  She gave me a quick hug and then made her way over to Seunghyun.

            “Oppa, I got you some blueberry muffins,” Sooyoung grinned, “And Yoona, I got you a vanilla bean scone.  I remember what you two like.”

            I smiled back at Sooyoung as Seunghyun stared at the freshly baked blueberry muffin in front of him.  Sooyoung had visited because she wanted to evaluate Seunghyun.  I told her about his night terrors, and she wanted to assess him so that she could pinpoint the problems and find a solution for them. 

            “I’m going to get some tea,” I announced.

            I left the two alone as Sooyoung sat across from her cousin.  I entered the kitchen to heat up some water on the stove and then took out some of my favorite tea bags from a cupboard.

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Seunghyun’s POV

            They must think I’m crazy or something.  Sooyoung spoke to me differently.  Sure, I had not seen or talked to her for four years, but we were always close.