Meghan POV

I was sitting on the couch at Onew, Minho, Key, Jonghyun and Taemin’s house. I can’t remember how I got here or why I am her, but I am.

As I got up to go to the kitchen I saw Taemin heading towards me.

“Hey guys, where’s the banana milk?” he asked. Oh, no I must have finished it.

“Um…” he looked at me.”Taemin…”

“Yes?” he said.

“Taemin… I finished the banana milk. Don’t be mad.” I confessed. I thought he would get really mad at me.

I thought rage would spread across his face but instead the words “I’m not mad,” rolled off his lips. He leaned toward me and grabbed my hand. It felt so warm he led me to the couch and we sat down as he the TV. I don’t know what the program was I just kept staring at our hands. I would occasionally look up and see him smiling or laughing. We must have been watching a comedy. Time seamed to slip by as I felt the warmth from his body spread to mine. His hand was so warm in mine, he turned to me.

“Your hands are cold, that means your heart is too. I don’t like people with cold hands.” He said frowning. I heard a swirling noise coming from behind me; I turned to see a black hole forming on the ground across from where I was sitting, just in front of the couch. I felt myself being in. I held onto Taemin’s hand with dear life. He let go of my hand and I fell into the black hole as it closed up the last thing I saw was Taemin’s smiling face looking down at me.

There was complete darkness all around me. I watched as the black turned to a creamy white.

When I woke up I saw a familiar creamy white ceiling with fluorescent lights above me. Not again, I thought to myself as I sat up. The familiar sting of the needle in my arm and the warmth of a blanket used by thousands of other people and washed between each patient covered the lower half of my body. I turned and pressed the nurse’s button behind me.

“Hello, Meghan. It’s been a while.” She said.

“Yeah, so, how’d it happen this time?” I asked.

“You collapsed in class and a handsome boy brought you to the hospital. Marie was about to scream when she saw him carrying you in here bridal-style. She always was over protective of you.” She replied.

“That’s because she was there for my birth and every other time I was in hospital.” I laughed.

“Yeah. Then she almost fainted when four more handsome boys came running up to the front desk asking which room you where in. She came close to fainting again when about twelve handsome boys came up to the front desk asking which room you were in.” She said laughing.

                “What did the boy carrying me look like?” I asked.

“Tall, dyed hair, handsome...” she replied.

“Like I’m going to know who that is.” I said.

“Ok, miss fussy pots. He did say his name was Taemin.” She teased. I gasped, Taemin carried me bridal-style. What the hell! There was a knock on the door and Claire got up to open it to reveal Maire carrying a tray.

“I brought you lunch, Meghan.” Marie said placing it down in front of me, she took a seat next to Claire. “So, you want to tell me why 17 boys came here yesterday to see you.” She pried. Marie was my mum’s midwife when I was born her and mum became close friends when I was in and out of hospital every few months. Mum would have preferred that Marie be my legal guardian but dad’s sister (auntie) refused to let some stranger take me when they all sat down and talked about their wills. I remember that when we got home that mum was furious that auntie had even suggested being my legal guardian because as mum say it auntie wasn’t a very good mother as how she let her children become spoilt brats. Dad tried to wave her down saying that there was a very slim chance they would both die before I turned 18. If only that slim chance never existed, they’d still be here.

Whenever I was hospitalized Marie was always my nurse and I would lie down and listen to mum and Marie’s conversations, there joyful laughter whenever something funny came up, the meaningful sorrow when talking of something bad that had happened and there merry voices chatting on about who knows what, I miss it, mum’s laughter and dad’s smile at seeing mum happy.

“Thank you very much, Marie. Those the first guy is my English and math class mates. The four that followed him were his friends and the tallest of them; he’s my best guy friend.” Marie frowned. “You’ve missed so much Marie. Anyways so the twelve after them they were just class mates and friends of the first five boys. If that makes sense.” I explained

“How come they were all male, where were Alex and Sarah?” she asked.

“Their all guys because, I dunno really but knowing them they wouldn’t have thought of calling Alex and Sarah until after they left or until they saw them next.” I sighed.

“Well then, you’ll have to introduce them to me next time, I got an awful fright when I saw all those boys came up to the front desk asking for you. I thought you might have turned into one of those girls in a show that has multiple boys’ friends at one time.” She said. I looked at her appalled.

“How could you think that, you and mum raised me better.” I said jokingly. Marie and mum were actually the ones who raised me. Mum had maternity leave but dad had to go to work. Marie would come over and help take care of me and when mum went back to work I would spend the day in a play pen behind the desk or in one of the rooms, depending on my health. Marie was there for every time I had been admitted to hospital, she was like my second mum. Even though dad spent less time with me than mum when we were together we were inseparable. Mum used to tell me stories of how I would sit at the door and wait for dad to come home and when he did I would follow him around the house until bed time. Once when I was trailing him dad stopped and I crashed into him and fell back. He used to do it every now and then and laugh, picking me up and taking me to watch the news. When I was older we’d always discuss what we had seen on the news and debate on the topics at dinner. Mum would laugh and dad would smile and I would pout every time dad was right and I was wrong.

“I know, just be careful ok?” I knew this look, Marie was concerned. She had every right to be, seventeen boys showing up and asking where I was. When she had never heard about a single one of them from me, who wouldn’t be concerned? Claire got up.

“Eat ok. It might make Marie fell better if she sees your food all gone. You know she worries about you a lot, living alone and all.” She said holding the door ajar.

“I know.” I said looking down at my food. I started eating and when I was finished Marie came into check on me. When she saw all the food was gone she beamed. Marie loved it when she saw me finishing all the food because there was a period of time after the accident when I didn’t eat a thing and became anorexic. So it made her happy every time she saw me eating, like it was a victory for her or something. I lay down as she left and closed my eyes but I didn’t fall asleep.

When I heard the door open I lay still, if it was Marie she’d just open the door a little see me asleep then leave, that’s how I knew if it was her. But whoever it was came in and shut the door behind them and sat next to me. I pretended to be asleep as I felt someone grab my hand. I shivered as I felt their warmth spread from their hand to mine. It seemed familiar somehow but the hands were bigger than Marie’s or Claire’s. I shifted to sit up and opened my eyes and saw Taemin sitting next to me. He looked startled as he pulled his hand away.

“Sorry.” He apologized quickly.

“It’s ok. Where are the others?” I said changing the topic my heart was beating so fast I needed to be distracted so it would settle down.

“Parking.” He said fidgeting, “So, uh, how are you?”

“I’m better now, thanks.” I said smiling. The door opened and Alex and Sarah came through with Onew, Taemin, key and Jonghyun behind them. Taemin got out of the chair next to the bed and pulled it over to the corner, he joined the rest of Shinee who were standing behind Alex and Sarah.

“Hey, how are you?” Alex asked.

“Better, Marie and Claire came and  had lunch, Claire of course told me to eat the whole thing so I did and then Marie came back in and was beaming as she saw the tray was empty.” I explained.

“Well, that’s good. You know she still sends us a text every now and then to see if you’re eating.” Sarah said.

“Of course she does.” I said rolling my eyes.

“Whose Claire and Marie?” Onew asked. I looked at them and they all looked back at me confused.

“Oh, sorry, there two of the nurses who work here, they were with me every time I was in hospital. Marie was worried about me eating because I used to have anorexia and she gets worried when she hears that I’m not eating.”

“Hey what number is it at now?” Alex asked.

“76.” I replied

“Nice.” Sarah said.

“I’m sorry what’s 76?” Key asked.

“Oh, its number of times I’ve been in hospital.” I said.

“What, you’ve been in hospital 76 times?” Key asked. I could tell he was restraining himself from yelling because we were in a hospital.

“Yeah.” I replied. They all stared at me.

“How... wait... what...?” Minho stuttered.

“Let’s just say I was one of those kids that had problems at birth and was in and out of hospital every now and then. Let’s just leave it at that, I’d rather not go into detail.” I said. They nodded and backed down.

“We brought the iron tablets; we figured you had run out so we got you some more.” Alex said handing me a bag with ‘Chemist’ written across the front.

“Thanks.” I hugged Alex ad Sarah in thanks.

“Why didn’t you go and get some when you ran out?” Sarah asked.

“I guess I forgot again. Sorry.” I said apologetically.

“That’s ok but you got to get better at remembering to take them, ok.” Sarah said. “So when can you go home?”

“Marie wants to keep me for one more day just to make sure.” I said.

“Ok, well visiting hours are almost over so we’ll have to go.” Alex said.

“Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow. Jal jinae.” I said as they left.

“Jal jinae” Alex and Sarah said together. I watched as the guys reluctantly left.

“Jal jinae.” I said smiling and waving. When the left I lay down and closed my eyes. Eventually going off with the clouds.