After he’d accepted the award on behalf of everyone, Soohyun rushes offstage and back to their dressing room. Carefully putting the statue on the table as if it would disappear, Soohyun leans his head against the mirror as he tries to steady his breath. He couldn’t believe it. After all their years of hard work and struggle, they’d done it. They’d finally done it.

“Congratulations on the award, Soohyun,” Jokwon smiles, bursting through the door to run over to his friend. “You guys definitely deserve it!”

Soohyun laughs through his tears, happily returning Jokwon’s hug.

“Speechless, huh?” Jokwon laughs when Soohyun nods his head. He steps back as the rest of U-Kiss flood into the room, crying and laughing as they rush their leader.

    As they tumble into the van after the show’s end, simultaneously elated and exhausted, Soohyun pulls out his phone to tweet his thanks to all Kiss-Mes for their support. As he turns it on, a light beep alerts him to several missed calls. Among the ones from other idols, he notices a few from Marina, making his heart even lighter. Quickly posting his tweet, he begins listening to his voicemails. Soohyun’s smile grows as he listens to the warm messages, but the one he looks forward to the most is Marina’s. He couldn’t find her in the crowd during their performance, but he knew she’d been there, quietly supporting him.

    When he finally makes it to hers, he frowns. Whoever left the message wasn’t Marina. His tired mind struggles to comprehend what’s going on.

“Soohyun-ssi, this is Sarah. I’m sorry to call you so late, but Marina...” Her voice cracks and when she resumes, it trembles. “Marina and her father were on their way back from your concert when a drunk driver ran a red light...and hit them. They’re both still alive, but...just, if you have some time in the next couple days...they’re being taken to Gwahae Dong Hospital.”

    Soohyun’s fingers tighten on the phone as the message sinks in. His mind flashes to the last time he’d seen Marina, happily walking home after their time in the park. Soohyun replays the message, part of him still denying she could be hurt, or worse.

“Hyung!” he shouts, jolting everyone awake. “Do you know where Gwahae Dong Hospital is?”

“Sure,” their manager says, just as startled as the others. “It’s near my friend’s house, about ten minutes from here.”

“Take me there now. Please.”

“What’s the matter, hyung?” a still sleepy Kevin asks.

“Soohyun, why do you need to go?” Moonsung asks.

“One of my friends got hurt. Just take me there and you can drop the others off after. Please, it’s important!” Soohyun pleads.

“All right, Soohyun.” Slowly, he turns on his signal on to turn back the way they had come.

The others in the van look at Soohyun’s suddenly strained face, then each other.

“Hyung, who got hurt?” Eli asks slowly, not sure he wants to hear the answer.

“Marina,” he answers quietly.

“What?” Dongho bolts up. “How?”

“She and her dad were going home from seeing us and got hit by a drunk driver. Her stepmom left a message...I should have checked my phone earlier.”

Kiseop lays a hand on Soohyun’s shoulder as a tear leaks from Soohyun’s eyes. “Are they all right?”

“They’re alive, but...it sounded like they might die. She can’t die. She can’t.”

“She’ll be all right,” AJ says, trying to comfort him. “She’s tough.”
 

When they finally arrive at the hospital, before the van fully comes to a stop in the parking lot, Soohyun darts out and runs into the hospital.

“Can you tell me where Marina Sacchieri is?” he asks in a rush when he gets to the reception desk.

“When was she admitted?” the receptionist calmly asks.

“Sometime tonight. Please hurry.”

As she searches on the computer, the rest of U-Kiss catches up. “It looks like she’s been moved out of surgery and into the intensive care unit, room 693. You can go up, but only family is allowed in the patient’s room.”

“I’m her brother,” Soohyun blurts out.

She raises an eyebrow. “And you expect me to believe you all are too?”

“No, the rest of us are just friends,” Kiseop says, coming to stand beside Soohyun. “So we can go up as well?”

“Yes, but you’ll have to stay in the waiting room, and please don’t run in the hospital.”

“Thank you.” Soohyun takes off, striding down the halls. At the elevator, he waits impatiently, pounding the button several times.

As he goes to push it for the fifth time, Hoon stays his hand. “Marina will be all right.”

    Soohyun silently nods, his mind racing through countless scenarios. When the elevator finally arrives, it goes too slow for him. However, once the doors open, he doesn’t want to leave, afraid of what might await him. Dongho gently nudges him, giving him a small smile of encouragement. Slowly, Soohyun walks forward, his pulse quickening and his stomach churning as he nears the waiting room.

    The sterile scent of the room only increases his growing anxiety, recalling old memories. When he comes to the doorway, the first people he sees are Marina’s stepmother and sister. Sarah silently Rose’s hair, blankly staring. Rose appears to be sleeping, but her eyes open as  Soohyun steps inside.

“Soohyun oppa,” she cries, scrambling from her mother’s lap to wrap her arms around his legs.

Soohyun lays a gentle hand on her head, hugging her back. He looks at Sarah, who looks back at him and attempts a half smile.

“You came,” she says quietly.

“I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner,” he answers. “I didn’t get it until after our performance-”

“It’s all right. I see the rest of you came too.”

“How are they?” Eli asks, leading the rest into the room around Soohyun.

“Marina’s still unconscious, but stable. She has some head injuries and a broken leg. Her father’s still in surgery. He’s worse since they were hit from his side.”

“He’s strong, like his daughter,” Soohyun says as he gives her a small smile, picking Rose up and sitting beside Sarah as relief flows through him. “He’ll be all right.”

“I know,” she says.

They remain silent after, Rose falling asleep in Soohyun’s arms. They tense every time someone passes in front of the door, but no one comes in.

“Is anyone here from Marina Sacchieri’s family?” a nurse asks, finally coming into the room a little later.

Soohyun and Sarah instantly rise.

“Yes,” Sarah replies.

“You can go see her now,” she smiles.

Soohyun looks over at Sarah. Quietly, she nods and says, “You go ahead. I’m going to wait to here for my husband.”

Soohyun nods, hands Rose over to Kevin, and follows the nurse. As she leads him through the doors, she says, “It may be a while before she wakes up, if at all tonight, but she’s doing fine now. If you need anything, just press the button beside the bed.”

“Thank you.”

The nurse gives him a gentle smile and nod before resuming her work.

    Soohyun reaches for the door, his hands already feeling clammy. The steady beeping of a machine greets him as he enters. His steps slow as he approaches the bed. Marina looks frail, lying in the white bed with scratches and bruises scattered across the visible parts of her body. Soohyun gently touches the large cast covering her right leg before he takes the room’s sole chair to place it closer to the bed. Slowly, he takes her hand, glad to find it warm.

“You scared me, you know,” he says quietly. “I thought you might be dead by the time I got here. I don’t know what I would’ve done if that had happened.”

As he had wanted to do the first day he’d met her and had done countless times before, Soohyun softly her cheek, carefully avoiding any cuts.

“Please wake up soon. I need to see your eyes. I need to see you look back at me and smile. Marina, please wake up.”

When she doesn’t respond, he folds her hand between both of his and lays his head down on the bed. His exhaustion eventually wins out as the adrenaline drains from his system.

“W-where am I?”

Soohyun’s eyes jerk open at the sound of Marina’s weak voice. He quickly lifts his head and smiles when he sees her looking around.

“Marina! You’re awake!” He drops her hand to throw his arms around her, burying his face in her shoulder.

“Soohyun oppa?”

“I’m here,” he whispers. “I was so scared.”

Marina’s arms return Soohyun’s embrace. “What happened? The last thing I remember is talking with my dad in the car about...something.”

Soohyun’s heart falls at the mention of her father. “You got in a car accident.”

“Oh...That explains why I hurt all over. Is my dad okay?”

“Mianhae.” Soohyun tries to pull back. “My hugging you probably doesn’t help.”

Marina holds him where he is. “It actually makes me feel better. Is my dad all right?”

“All I know is that he’s in surgery right now. You only got out a few hours ago yourself.”

“How bad am I?” she asks slowly.

Soohyun adjusts a little so he’s still holding her but avoiding most injuries. “Not too bad. Your leg’s broken though and your head got knocked around.”

“Did my face get hurt?”

“Just a few cuts and bruises.”

“If I didn’t hurt my face too badly, why is there a bandage over my eyes?”

Soohyun pulls back. He looks into Marina’s eyes, but they’re wide open and looking past him. His heart sinks. “There’s no bandage.”

“Then it must be the lights. Why are they off? I know it’s night, but it shouldn’t be dark in a hospital.”

“Marina, the lights are on.”

“What are you talking about? If they were on, I’d be able to see you.” She lifts a hand, waving it in front of her face. She frowns.

Soohyun watches, not knowing what to do as Marina’s hands go to her face. She puts her palms close to her eyelashes, opening and closing her eyes.

“Oppa...I can’t see.” Her eyes fly open, frantically searching the room for him. “Soohyun? Soohyun!”

“I’m still here. I won’t leave you,” Soohyun hurriedly answers, taking her hand.
“Why is it dark? Why can’t I see you?” she asks, a frightened expression growing on her face.

“I don’t know.” Keeping his grip on her hand, Soohyun quickly presses the call button and wraps his arm around her shoulder. She throws her arms around his neck, seeking comfort.

“What’s wrong?” A different nurse runs in.

“She’s...blind,” Soohyun answers, causing Marina to sob. As she clings to him, Soohyun wishes he could take the pain away and fearing only more will come.

==============================

Guess who's unable to fall asleep and so went and finished updates instead? Wohoo! Yes, it's me! Ke ke, anyway, please enjoy the fruits of my insomnia. ^^

turtle_chan: Mianhae, and yes, she'll be semi-important. Jokwon is pretty fabulous. ^^

Moony_Kat: A change for me, right? Don't worry, there'll be more fluff; it's unavoidable since it's me. There'll just be a bit more drama than usual. I'm not mean; they'll be cute&happy again, i promise. <3

dreamwriter_97: ke ke, i love your reactions, i really do. Aw, thanks! ^^ I really hope they do too.