For just less than a week, Seung Ri still didn’t wake up.  Every night I’d creep out of my room and sleep in the chair next to his bed.  Until one of his friends caught me and carry me back to my room.  Seung Hyun would also scold me for sleeping like that.

                I wouldn’t go into his room during the day because Yeon Soo was there.  I didn’t know about her.  I didn’t want any confrontation.  She seemed too passive aggressive for me.  Like her anger was building up until she’d finally explode.

                I was so sick of being cooped up places.  First, I was trapped in that damn school for weeks and now I was stuck here in this hospital for a week.  Longer, but I was unconscious for most of it.  Something about my blood pressure and oxygen levels made the doctors want to keep me here for observation.  I didn’t know anything about my oxygen levels, but of course my blood pressure was high!  I was aggravated at being locked in here like a prisoner!

                One day, I was wandering the halls which was how I spent my time most days.  If the guys were here, one of them would go with me.  They were sweet guys, but I was pretty sure they were just following me around when they could so they could make sure I didn’t try to escape.  I was getting cabin fever.  I’d be lying if I said I didn’t fantasize about jumping out a window and running down the street.

                That particular day, I passed the visitors’ room where friends or family could sleep or wait for news about their patient.  I saw Yeon Soo and I was about to creep past the window like the scaredy cat that I was when I saw she was talking to an older Korean couple.

                I just knew it was Seung Ri’s parents.  Instinctively, I began to inch backwards, unable to take my eyes off the lovely long haired woman or the tall man with salt-and-pepper hair, but also unable to stay put.

                I gasped when I crashed into something.  Whipping around, it was Seung Hyun.  The other three were with him.  “Seung Hyun!” I tried to laugh.  “I wasn’t trying to escape.  I swear, I was just…walking.”

                His arms were crossed over his chest and he was using that glare he probably used to scare the piss out of the enemy when he was fighting.  It was working.

                Young Bae side stepped him and grabbed me by the hand, pulling me along with him as the others followed.  He held his elbow out and glancing nervously back at Seung Hyun and the others, I slipped my hand around his arm.  I was still waiting for Seung Hyun to start reprimanding me for trying to escape, even though I wasn’t this time!

                “Seung Ri’s mom and dad,” Dae Sung said, somewhat cheerfully.  “His mom’s a teacher at an elementary school and his dad owns a restaurant with his brother, Seung Ri’s uncle.”  I smiled and nodded.

                “I’m glad they made it here,” I replied.

                “Don’t worry.  When Seung Ri wakes up, he’ll talk to his parents,” Young Bae told me.  I nodded.  “Don’t worry,” he repeated.  I nodded again.  “You’re worrying.”  I nodded.  He laughed.  “Stop it.  I know you’re probably thinking you destroyed some ‘made in heaven’ love that was meant to be or something, but it’s not your fault Yeon Soo didn’t hold onto his heart.  Wouldn’t you rather both of them had someone they loved?”

                We turned the corner, heading back toward our rooms.  “Did Seung Ri say that?  That he loves me?”

                “He gave her his blood,” I heard Seung Hyun mutter.  “What does she think that means?”  I heard Dae Sung chuckle.

                “He talked about you all the time when he didn’t see you,” Ji Yong added from behind.  “You sure did something to him.”

                “We just met.  Isn’t it weird?” I wondered, looking down at my feet.

                “You lied so that you could stay there with him when the civilians were being relocated, is that weird?” Young Bae retorted.

                I shrugged.  “Probably.”

                “Well, then who cares?  We see the way you look at him.  You sneak into his room to stay by his side every night.”  Young Bae shot a look back at Seung Hyun.  “Even though you know we’re going to find you and Seung Hyun is going to get you.”

                He had a point, I realized.

                Young Bae led the way as we entered Seung Ri’s room where he still lay, unmoving.  I sighed and let go of Young Bae’s arm.  We all settled in the room, sitting around.  I took my place next to Seung Ri’s bed and held his hand, running my fingers absentmindedly up and down his forearm.  Over the bracelets he still wore.  A couple nights ago, I’d tucked Bamboo under his arm.  He was still there.

                The guys all settled back to rest.  I was sure they hadn’t been sleeping much lately.  Worried about their friend and babysitting me, apparently.

                I was beginning to nod off when I heard murmuring from the doorway.  I bolted upright and, subconsciously, held Seung Ri’s hand tighter.

                It was Yeon Soo and Seung Ri’s parents.  The guys stood and bowed, greeting the parents respectfully.  They all began speaking Korean and I could feel my cheeks flaming up.  I could tell when they started talking about me because Yeon Soo got quiet and Seung Ri’s parents kept looking at me.  Ji Yong was gesturing at me.

                As his parents came over to the other side of Seung Ri’s bed, I backed away a little.  I gently lay his arm back at his side and forced myself to let go.

                I bowed and, in sad broken Korean, told them my name and then apologized.  Ready to bolt, I began shuffling backwards to make my exit.

                Seung Hyun’s body blocked my escape.  Yet again.  I mustered up my best glare for him.

                “Please don’t go,” a soft female voice said.  I froze for a second before cowering next to Seung Hyun.  “My son probably feels better with you at his side.”

                I felt Dae Sung touch my shoulder.  “His mom’s an English teacher at an elementary school,” he whispered.  “Close your mouth before you start drooling.”

                I snapped my jaw shut.  “I-I just…wanted to give you some…f-family time,” I stuttered.  Weird, Seung Ri’s dad could do the same glare that Seung Hyun could do and they weren’t even related.

                “From what my son’s partners in crime tell me, he cares for you like family,” his mother replied casually.

                “I’m sorry,” I said, glancing at Yeon Soo who still wouldn’t look at me.  I looked back to his mother.  “I didn’t mean to cause any problems.”

                She smiled a motherly smile at me.  “Is it a problem for Seung Ri to love you?”

                “Well, I just meant, he-he has a girlfriend.  He told me that when I met him.  I didn’t mean to…”  To what? I thought, trying to choose my words carefully.  To steal him away?

                “None of that matters now, don’t you think?”  I studied her expression expecting to see disappointment or anger or something, but she smiled lightly at me.

                Yeon Soo lifted her chin and came toward us.  Her heels clicking the way.  She never looked away from my eyes.  The only time she finally unlocked me from her gaze was when she bent down and kissed Seung Ri’s forehead.  She gave his parents a shallow bow and then clicked her way out of the room.

                “Didn’t you want Seung Ri to be with Yeon Soo?” I asked, cautiously, not wanting to push my luck.  His mother looked to her husband and murmured something.

                “Seung Ri is our only child.  We just want our son to be happy.  It seemed logical that he end up with the girl he grew up with, but should another come along, well then that is just out of our hands,” she explained with a shrug.

                Seung Ri’s dad had been staring at Seung Ri’s resting form for quite some time now.  Just watching him.  A moment later, his eyebrows lifted and he looked to his wife, saying something in Korean.  He sounded exasperated.  His wife covered as she chuckled quietly.  I began to feel uncomfortable when the other guys began to laugh as well.  “Seung Ri’s father wants to know why his son is wearing girl bracelets,” she explained.

                “I…oh,” I laughed uncomfortably.  “The colors are supposed to mean different things.  I wear them, but he needs them now, I thought.  They mean protection, love, healing, friendship, all kinds of stuff.”

                “Do they work?” she wondered.

                I shrugged.  “I hope so.”

                “She had Seung Ri give me the green one after I got shot,” Ji Yong piped up.  He shrugged his shoulders up and down.  “I feel great now.”  His friends smiled, but remained quiet.  His mom translated for his dad.  His dad nodded and then said something back.

                “He wants to know what the panda means,” she translated.

                I took a deep breath and shook my head.  “He’s just keeping Seung Ri company,” I answered lamely.

                A few days later, I was cleared by the doctor, but I didn’t leave.  Instead, I took my backpack and left it in Seung Ri’s room.  Now when his friends caught me sleeping in the chair next to Seung Ri, all the could do was move me to the sofa where I could stretch out.

                One night, after the guys had all fallen asleep and Seung Ri’s parents were asleep in the visitors’ room, I was in the chair by his bed.  The nurses would switch off having him sleep propped up on pillows and sleeping flat only on one.  Something about circulation.  His legs were propped up and his head was on only one pillow.  I hugged his arm close to me and rested my cheek just below his shoulder.  His skin was warm beneath mine. 

                At first, I never wanted to sleep.  I was antsy and frightened, but now I welcomed sleep.  I’d started to dream about Seung Ri.  They were nice dreams.  Not the delusional kind like the one I’d had when my brain was boiling from the fever.  We would talk.  I could touch him.  Kiss him.  If that was all I had until he woke up, then I would take it.

                I felt something my hair.  Sighing sleepily, I ignored the feeling.  Something began trying to take his arm away from me.  I frowned and curled one of my arms tighter around his, but refused to open my eyes.

                “You’re drooling,” a voice whispered.