Eighteen.
Lifeline.Sohyun sighs as she uses a disinfected wet cloth to wipe Byunghun’s face carefully and gently as he remains unconscious. On the outside, Byunghun looks peaceful with a relatively scratch free face. His physical appearance definitely doesn’t looks as bad as how awful his condition is. In fact, with the blood transfusion still going on, the pediatrician’s complexion doesn’t look as pale as before. With a very light flush staining his cheeks and pouty pinkish lips he looked almost healthy, almost.
Sohyun smiles slightly as she finished up her cleaning routine with two damp cotton buds, dabbing them softly on Byunghun’s lips to keep them moist and soft. She stares long and deep at her best friend, happy to see colours returning to his face even if it was very slight.
“Lee Byunghun. You’re such a brave little fighter. So wake up before your daddy decides that you’re too tired and lets you sleep forever. Okay?” She giggles melancholically, unable to stop a lone tear from sliding down her cheek and leaving a glistening stain.
Looking out the window, she spots Jonghyun seated in a wheelchair with his right hand pressed firmly on the glass as he looked on at his older brother from the outside. Sohyun notices the houseman outside and leaves the CCU ward as she removes her antiseptic suit and mask before going to Jonghyun’s side.
“You can talk to him you know... I’m pretty sure he can hear you from inside.” She tells Jonghyun. Sure she was initially mad at the man when she first heard about how Jonghyun indirectly caused Byunghun to be in his current state but she finally relents and forgive him when she saw how Jonghyun was already extremely guilt ridden.
Jonghyun sighed as he leaned even closer to the glass window and placing his other hand on it as well right beside his right.
“Hyung... I haven’t got a chance to call you hyung yet.” Jonghyun lets out a slight scoff at himself as he remembered his own cruel words, how he told Byunghun that he will never acknowledge him as his older brother. He was a total but Byunghun still chose to save him.
Thinking back on the first time they met and how Byunghun patiently taught Jonghyun how to do a proper medical stitch and how he helped the houseman overcome his fear of stitching, Jonghyun couldn’t help but cry. Tears made their way down his fair cheeks as he wiped them quickly hoping that Sohyun wouldn’t see how vulnerable he looked at the moment.
“Do you want to know something?” The houseman croaked, his tears now falling at full speed as he still tried his best to wipe them away as soon as each teardrop fell.
“I’ve always wanted an older brother. An older brother who would be my role model. To guide me, play with me and protect me. I never had one until today. So Byunghun hyung, wake up and be my older brother will you? Bring me out for ice cream and play games with me at the arcade like every older brother should.” Jonghyun finally broke down, sobbing hard as Sohyun willingly took him into her embrace seeing the younger cry.
In the midst of the crying and comforting, both of them did not realise that Byunghun’s right index and middle finger started twitching.
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