Heechul knows that Yesung must be confused and hurt. He is in a strange country, his terrible injuries are slowly healing and he must accept so many new things. Heechul read the long medical records about the injuries and knows that Yesung had been frequently and brutally . So now when he is stepping into the hospital room Heechul repeats himself to not touch Yesung. He needs to leave some free space between them and avoid touching him. 

Yesung looks tired. The doctors weren’t sure if he can handle normal food so they are allowing him to try real food for the first time today. Heechul has the honor of carrying the tray with Yesung’s breakfast in his room and on his way there he met Donghae who is quickly getting better. It is a miracle that he is doing so well after the long years of imprisonment, but Heechul thinks that it is thanks to his stable mental state. During the years when Donghae survived the hell alone, his mind became strong because he accepted his family’s death, it was the only way how to survive. But Yesung is so unstable, he is hysterical almost all the time. When the doctors or nurses try to touch him, when he sees his husband, … Yesung can’t find peace.

Heechul smiles and slowly put the tray down. There is a bowl with plain oatmeal, a banana, a small bowl with apple slices, a muffin with chocolate and a glass of orange juice.

“Today is a big day, you can try eating something solid.”

A nurse removed the feeding tube which was leading in his stomach just few hours ago and now the doctors are waiting if Yesung starts to eat on his own. They have no idea that the poor soul doesn’t know how to pay for it. Well, he knows that they want to have as a payment for the food but he can’t do that. Heechul is staring at Yesung who is staring at the tray and then Heechul cleared his throat.

“I can get you something different if you don’t want this.”

Yesung glances at him and then looks back at the food. He is hungry, but he doesn’t want to have with this man to pay for the food. It hurts! Everything hurt and they can’t leave him alone!

“I don’t want to pay for it. Please …. don’t force me…”

Yesung is the on edge of crying and Heechul pulls his chair closer.

“No one is forcing you, Yesung. Everything the doctors and nurses do for you, everything I do for you is for free. You don’t have to pay us.”

Yesung is shocked and looks at Heechul who only smiles and encouragingly nods. Nothing is for free in his country and it is hard to wrap his mind around this. So they are giving him so much food …. for free? In his town people were fighting over every smallest thing and now is he getting this for free? 

Yesung shakily grabs the spoon which is in the bowl with oatmeal and Heechul gives him another wide smile. Heechul sees him struggling with grabbing the spoon with the pulse oximetry clamped on his finger, but the doctors are too worried to unplug the machines which are surrounding him. If something goes wrong then they want to know it immediately. Yesung brings first scoop of the oatmeal to his lips and carefully it. It isn’t rotten or dirty, so he shoves the spoon in his mouth and chews. The taste shocked him, he doesn’t remember when he has eaten something so tasty.

Heechul is surprised when Yesung starts to quickly shove full spoons of the oatmeal in his mouth and swallows without chewing. 

“You should slow down, just a bit so you won’t feel sick.”

However, just after he finished saying that, Yesung coughs a bit and then pressed his palm over his mouth. Heechul knows what is coming and cringes. Vomits flow from the patient’s mouth and Heechul pushes a red button to call a nurse. The nurse runs in the room and sighs. They were worried that this will happen and she is not mad at Yesung. How could she be mad at Yesung who is shaking and babbling that he is sorry. He flinched when she comes to the bed and carefully wraps the blanket into a ball. She is mad at the psychiatrist who caused this.

Heechul realized that this is the first time he sees Yesung’s whole body and it is a terrifying sight. His legs look like two white sticks covered with bruises and wounds. There are thick bandages covering his crotch and bottom, it looks like a diaper but it is ensuring that Yesung doesn’t make a mess with all muscle relaxants they give him to allow the wounded to heal. His stomach is sunken and his ribs look like they are going to cut the skin really soon. There is no meat, muscles or fat on Yesung’s abused body.

The nurse tossed the blanket in a basket and then opened a closet to grab a clean one. Meanwhile Heechul s the hospital gown and takes a towel soaked in warm water. He gently runs the towel across Yesung’s skin and he is careful around bandages or wounds. Yesung shivers because he is cold. Goosebumps appear on his gray skin and Heechul hurries so he can dress him in a clean gown. He avoids looking at his deformed spine for too long and then slowly helped him to lie down again while the nurse tucks him under the blanket. Heechul fills a glass with cold water so Yesung can rinse his mouth and caught the nurse angrily glaring at him before she stomped away.

Heechul better keeps his hand at the bottom of the glass, he isn’t sure that Yesung can hold it on his own. His bony fingers wrap around the cold glass and he takes a sip. Heechul holds another glass near his mouth so he can spit the water mixed with vomits and then put everything aside.

“Know what? It is better if I feed you.”

Heechul grabs the spoon and scoops a bit of the oatmeal before bringing it to Yesung’s chapped lips. Heechul knows that he is probably crossing some borders by feeding his patient. However, Yesung is too hungry to not accept the offered spoon. 

“Slowly, this time eat slowly okay?”

Heechul is watching Yesung who tries to ignore his aching stomach and fights with the urge to swallow as fast as possible. Yesung successfully finishes the rest of the oatmeal and Heechul divided the muffin into few pieces. Yesung savors the sweet muffin with chocolate and sips the orange juice. Everything tastes so good, the food is delicious, but he feels full after finishing the muffin.

“I will leave the banana on the nightstand so you can eat it later.”

Heechul smiles again and then pulls out a golden paper box out of his bag.

“I got a box of chocolate for you.”

Yesung stares at the box and he has never seen such a thing. Siwon once bought him chocolate, it was very expensive, but didn’t taste good. It had a weird gray coating and this chocolate looks so great. Heechul put it next to the banana and then hands him few books. The books aren’t long, nothing too tiring, so Yesung could understand it. Heechul wants him to read the books to learn about the history of South Korea and North Korea. After Heechul left, Yesung opened one of the books and reads for a few hours. He doesn’t understand some words and he has troubles to wrap his mind around all of these new facts. It sounds impossible, this country is so rich while people back home have nothing. And why? Yesung’s mind is tearing into two pieces - one piece doesn’t want to believe that South is so great and wants to believe in their leader. The second piece is angry and wants to see everything this country has. So which part can win?