When Taemin opened his eyes, there was a ceiling before him that he didn’t know. He felt a stale numbness over his entire body like lead injected in every pore of his skin. He sat up in an agonizing way, the heart monitor beating a bit faster and he let out a shaky breath of old air. His body ached, his muscles were weak as the complete darkness in his mind began to consume him.

His heart raced.

There was now commotion outside of the door of his room. Taemin had clutched the white sheets as he felt his heart plead to be freed from his chest, his lungs following.

He gasped for breath, his head hitting pillows and the feel of warm hands and excited voices around him.

 He fell into the abyss.

-

When Taemin was little he had always liked the color red. It glowed when it was on roses, it screamed when he hand-painted on his bedroom wall, and with solid affirmation from no one in particular, it also looked good on him. Although, he twisted a piece of red locks in his fingers, he would have to do something with those curls.

-

He was staring at his hands and when he looked up he came to find that the unfamiliar ceiling was familiar to him now.

The door opened. Arms wrapped around his thin body jolting him from his stupor as warmth seeped into him and a familiar scent engulfed his senses.  

Gushed words and tears soon followed from a woman who looked too much like him, “Oh, Taemin! You’re awake! The doctors…and you’re here! Oh god you’re here! I’m so happy you’re here!”

A man stood beside her as she pulled back, his eyes were wise and they were tears there too. He also held him, but it was firm and stiff, and Taemin felt the warmth there too.

“Taemin,” he breathed, “You came back to us.”

The gears in his brain were slowly working, but they were as rusted as his muscles were weak.

He gave up.

“I’m sorry,” his face deadpanned, “But who are you?”

The smile that was upon the woman’s face faded and her eyes widen before she got up and left the room. The man followed her.

The door shut quietly behind them, but that didn’t stop the sounds of the woman’s sobs.

3 weeks later…

“It’s been weeks already, can’t we take him home?”

An audible sigh, “Mrs. Lee, I understand your rush but your son’s situation is a serious one. When he had shown signs of severe retrograde amnesia it had shocked us all. Usually one who awakens from a coma has some at least all of their memories but Taemin fails to recall them. ”

“That’s not true! Just yesterday he had called me mom, and he had smiled at me!”

“Mrs. Lee please stay calm. Until we process his illness completely, we can only assume he affiliates you as a mother because you had said you were his mother. Please do not confuse yourself.”

The truth of it all shook Mrs.Lee’s soul and she bit the inside of her lip to keep herself from screaming. Taemin was her little boy. Her only boy. The one who always seemed to make the worst day a good one. The one who counted on her, supported her, and looked at her with admiration and sometimes temporary irritation. But now, his eyes were distant as he looked at her. As if he wasn’t listening, as if the world inside of his head was just a vacuum, and her son who took life with open arms had died the day of his accident.

Rage boiled inside her as she squeezed her husband’s arm. She remembered the tall youth who apologized to her, who couldn’t look at her in the face. But she didn’t listen, her son was being carried away on a stretcher and there was so much blood.

She closed her eyes, her face aged considerably.  “At least let his friends visit him. Maybe that would help him.”

“I’m sorry Mrs. Lee. But only when Taemin is a bit healthier.”

She accepted the fact that the doctor before her saw Taemin as nothing more than another patient he would have to visit today. She accepted the fact that there were undertones of irritation in his voice when she asked him questions.

But she will not accept the fact that the Taemin she knew will not come back.

=-=

Pounding from Key’s apartment door had awoken him with a jolt. His head hurt soon afterwards, as he climbed over Jonghyun’s form and he threw on a sweatshirt and boxers.

The pounding was relentless as he shuffled towards the front door, wrenching it open, “What the hell do you- Oh Sulli.”

Sulli was panting, her long black hair skewed. She had looked as if she had run the entire way here.

Key frowned, now noticing the tears in her eyes and she grabbed him, the tears spilling now.

“Taemin woke up!”

A/N: Hello! This is my first Shinee fic which will also be multi-chaptered. How many? That's a bit difficult to answer. But I do know what I want in this. The fic was inspired by my friend slipping on ice and bashing the back of his head, only to suffer from a minor concussion and joking that he was lucky he didn't suffer from amnesia or his brains pooling on the sidewalk. I laughed at first but than I realized being an amnesiac isn't fun. Depression and angst soon followed as I imagined myself in that situation, and then I happened upon a a rather desolate redhaired Taemin and it clicked (as shown in the foreword).

Thus, the birth of this fic.

Anyway, I am aiming for a chapter each week on a Saturday or Friday. Hopefully, you enjoyed the first chapter. Please comment!

Currently Listening to: Valentina Lisitsa -Totentaz (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGBXA1tBiLw&feature=related )