Taekwoon does not like hospitals very much. He has not so good memories involving them-- doctors holding him down when he was a child and giving him shots as he screamed, that time a few years ago when he got really dehydrated, and now this one that he's making as he visits Joo in the hospital because she's sick. 

She had to have lung surgery last week for a sickness she has, but it didn't go well so now she's even sicker than before, that's what Hakyeon told him. She's not been able to work at the library for a few weeks now, so her cousin has took her place at the moment. Taekwoon doesn't like him. He talks really loud and doesn't let Taekwoon take breaks in his spinny chair that's in Joo's office, and calls him 'the handicapped boy'. He doesn't like that word.

Taekwoon is Joo's favorite employee so that's why he's invited to visit her in the hospital when no one else is, besides her own family of course. 

Before their visit, Hakyeon sits down with him. "She's really sick," he says. Taekwoon knows that already though. "She might look different, and she has machines that help her breath, right?" 

Taekwoon nods. Him and Hakyeon go on Google then and looks at pictures of the machines so they'll be less frightening when they visit. They don't look too scary, but Taekwoon guesses it's very scary for Joo. He can't imagine having to need a machine to breath. It's silly but he tries to think of it like a friendly robot that's helping you find your breath again, and then he feels a bit better about it. Maybe he'll tell Joo and she'll feel better also. She likes robots.

Eventhough Hakyeon talked to him and they looked at pictures together, Taekwoon's nervous about visiting. He still goes because Joo wants to see him and he wants to see her too. He misses her at the library.

Taekwoon hates hospitals so much-- as soon as they walk in, the smell hits him and he feels nauseous. Just seeing the doctors with their long coats and stethoscopes hanging from their necks as they walk the halls, a wheelchair sitting here and there, the bright blinding white of everything is so overwhelming. Taekwoon closes his eyes and has Hakyeon to hold his hand to lead him to where they need to be.

Joo's room is on the eighth floor, so they have to ride on the elevator. Elevators used to make Taekwoon scream but not anymore, because screaming is overreacting. 

"Are you sure?" Hakyeon asks him one last time as they're standing outside of Joo's room.

"I'm sure," he answers, but not really. Taekwoon's never sure about anything, even when he says he is.

When they go in, it's not as bad as Taekwoon thought it was going to be. Joo is in bed, asleep, and she looks really pale but that's it. Her daughter is with her and introduces herself to him and Hakyeon. "She's gonna be so happy to see you," she whispers. They whisper so they won't wake Joo up. She needs rest.

The machine that helps her breathe is called a ventilator, and like Taekwoon thought-- it isn't that scary looking, but it is loud. He's glad Hakyeon reminded him to bring his headphones. He puts them on to block out some of the noise, and sits there and counts the floor tiles as Hakyeon and Joo's daughter talks for a while.

He waits for Joo to wake up-- but she never does. She must be really sleepy. An hour goes by and her daughter offers to wake her up, but Hakyeon tells her they'll come back again the next day and see if she's awake then so they won't disturb her from her resting.

Taekwoon's a little disappointed but he understands. He leaves the Get Well Soon card they bought for her on her bedside table, and waves goodbye eventhough she can't see him.

"Maybe tomorrow," Hakyeon tells him as they walk back towards the elevators.

Taekwoon nods. "Maybe tomorrow," he parrots.

-

Tomorrow is never promised, that's what Taekwoon's father used to say all the time when he was a child. He really didn't understand it back then. Of course tomorrow is promised, he thought. There's always a tomorrow, because if there wasn't time would just end, and time never ends. Now he knows that's not true. Time ends for everyone at some point, and it's true tomorrow doesn't come for them.

It's a workday today, the tomorrow of yesterday, which is so confusing to think about for a while. Taekwoon wakes up super early like usual, feeds Bibi and himself breakfast, then showers for work. He used to look forward to going to the library, but now that Joo's cousin is the Head Librarian until she gets better he doesn't like it all that much. He hopes she returns soon. 

Hakyeon is awake when Taekwoon goes back to their room and gets dressed. He's sitting in bed, and he looks odd. Usually he's bright in the morning, singing or mocking the birds outside by whistling, but not now. It makes Taekwoon worry for a short bit-- he hopes Hakyeon isn't getting sick or something. He hates when Hakyeon is sick.

"Come sit with me," he suggests as Taekwoon's finishing getting dressed.

Taekwoon shakes his head. "I have to work."

"You can skip work today."

That confuses Taekwoon. "Why?" he asks. M