The hospital interior are white. Distressing kind of white. The smell of medicines, surgery gloves, sterilized beds and tools filled the air of the hospital. Changmin used to hate the smell.  When he entered the hospital entrance, a short nurse approaches him.

                “You’re the one who came with the bruised girl, right? Or am I wrong?”

                “Yes.”

                “Thank God! Come with me. You need to fill some papers.”

                “More?”

The nurse did not answer. They walks towards the counter. The nurse walks inside the counter, took a pile of files and sit in front of a computer. She clicks the computer with her right hand and her left hand is busy searching something among the piled files. When she found what she’s looking for, she handed it to Changmin. Changmin looks at her, then the paper. He looks at the nurse again.

                “What do you want me to do with this?”

                “There are a lot of errors in there.”

The nurse points at a filled column. It was clearly his writing.

                “You gave the hospital fake telephone number! Do you know how much trouble it cause us?”

                “Its not fake number. That is my home number.”

                “So, if its your home number, why isn’t anyone answering. This hospital has been through with a lot of spam numbers and haunted numbers and fake numbers especially.”

                “That is not my problem.”

                “Yes, I know that is not your problem. But please fill the another box with your number in it.”

                “My home number isn’t enough? You need to call them at the right time if you want them to answer.”

The nurse place her face on the counter. She’s beginning to get fed up meeting with such people.

                “Fine then. Your home number is enough. The next one, here.”

She pointed at a filled space under the column “Notes”.

                “You wrote here that the patient have a family, a father, right.”

                “Yes, what’s wrong with it?”

                “Until now, none of the family ever came. Including that “father” you wrote there. If you didn’t know whether he or she have a family or not, you can’t just give a guess like that.”

                “Its not a guess. I met with her father.”

                “Then, why isn’t that person coming?”

                “Do you think I know?”

                “Okay, fine. Do you know anyone else who will come? Someone who can identify her. Does she have an id when you found her?”

                “No, her father picks up the rest of her things. But, I can identify her. I know her from my school.”

                “That would be just enough.”

The nurse pulls out another similar paper. She put an opened blue pen on the paper.

                “Fill this quick. Then, you can see her.”

The hallway that lead towards Seori’s room was all white and cold. The light from outside doesn’t illuminate the hallway as he is near to the room. White lights stood in a row that stretches ahead. Changmin  stops.

Room 301

Seori’s name on a blue plate was placed at the door.

He opens the door. 

A ray of lights from the window hit him in the face.

Then, he saw Seori lying on the bed facing to the window.

                “Father, I don’t want to see you here.”

Seori turns around and saw Changmin standing in front of the bed.  Seori straightens herself up. The fluid tubes that flows into her arm is making her difficult to move. If the tubes is stretched, her arm would hurt like when a needle is pulled out. Changmin looks at her calmly.

                “Did your father came here?”

Seori didn’t answer. She stares at the fluid tubes.

                “Why did you save me?”

                “I rather save you than being caught of not saving someone.  Reputation matters.”

She should have expected what Changmin’s answer going to be is.

                “Care to explain to me how you got there?”

                “Why do you care?”

                “Believe me, I don’t. But since I was the one who found you, I need to know. A lot of people has been asking me questions.”

                “Is that the only thing you care about? What other people think?”

                “That’s how the world is, isn’t it?”

She just can’t hold it anymore. She wanted to pull the fluid tube from her arm and throw everything in the room. She can’t cry in front of him. She can’t .

                “If you want to cry, Seori. I can’t do anything besides looking.”

Seori’s head keep saying for Changmin to stop talking any further.

‘Stop talking.’

Changmin is still standing there watching her. She felt like she’s going to burst. What’s happening to her? Her hands start shaking heavily.

Suddenly, Changmin grasps her wrist. His eyes are looking at her. Seori looks away.

                “Did your father came?”

                “I-I don’t know.”

                “Did your father came, Seori?”

Seori nods. Changmin let go of her wrist. Her wrist suddenly felt warm.  She looks at her scratched palms.

                “My father came just now.”

                “What did he said?”

                “I can’t tell you.”

                “Okay, then. How much people do you trust, Seori.”

                “None.”

                “Good, the burdens are yours.”

The room become silence again. Is telling him is the right move to do? Does she trust him?

She has no one else who she can trust.

Her friends she knew, was never her friends.

Her father she grew up with, was never the father…….

Seori can’t finish the word. She needs help. She’s drowning.

                “I was beaten up by my father that night.”

Changmin wasn’t surprised. The man he saw that night is capable of being abusive.

                “Why did he do that to you?”

                “I-I don’t know. I really don’t know.”

Seori looks around the room in panic. She can’t hold it in. She can’t take it anymore.

                Before the tears could burst out, Seori was in Changmin’s arm. She can move her hands. The pain of her broken arm is nothing. But the pain in her heart was so unbearable.

                Her tears flows non-stop. Her voice would not come out. More tears fell on Changmin’s shoulder. Changmin’s school uniform is wet with her tears.

She just can’t stop crying. She can’t. What’s wrong with her.

                “W-why are you doing this?”

Seori’s voice sounds shattered.

“watching people cry is such an eyesore.”

“Thank you.”

“I’ll lend my shoulder only for this time.”

‘I doubt that there’s another time’

For the next moment, Seori fell asleep on Changmin’s shoulder.

Changmin knows what’s he going to do now.

For someone he should protect.

For Seori.