The next few days were pretty much the same.  Minseok would wake up, greet the boy in the coma and talk to him for a while before the visiting hours started.  There was always someone around during the visiting hours.  Sometimes they would just talk, other times they would play games.  Chanyeol brought in his PS3 and hooked it up to the TV and they played until the nurse found out.  Chanyeol was not a fan of hospitals or the people that worked in them.

One day all of the others were busy, so Minseok was on his own for the day.  He had gotten good at maneuvering himself into the wheelchair, so he wheeled himself over to the boy’s bed.  He hadn’t sat next to him in a while, since it was actually kind of a hassle to get in and out of the wheel chair, but since he didn’t have anything better to do, he figured it would be nice.  Minseok placed his hand on the boy’s shoulder and started with his normal greeting.

“Hey, Minseok again.  Just letting you know that it’s January 25th.  This is the tenth day you’ve been asleep.  The doctors are afraid that they can’t keep you here for much longer.  They still don’t know who you are and they can’t really afford to keep you here.  I’d help, but I don’t have all that much money either.”  Without warning the boy’s eyes flew open and he started breathing heavily.  Minseok shouted for the nurse and was about to wheel away, but the boy grabbed his wrist, looking at him frantically.

“Don’t leave,” he said, his voice barely audible and hoarse.  Minseok nodded and took his hand in his, squeezing it slightly as two nurses and a doctor ran in.

“I don’t believe it,” one of the nurses said softly.  Minseok looked around as the doctor examined the boy, but the boy never looked away from Minseok. 

“Son, you’re going to have to go back to your bed,” the doctor said, now looking at Minseok.

“He doesn’t want me to leave,” Minseok replied.

“I know, but you won’t be far.  It’ll be okay, I’ll be as quick as possible,” the doctor said, obviously trying to hurry him.  Minseok sighed and just nodded.

“I have to go over there okay?  I’ll be right back,” Minseok said.  The boy shook his head slightly, but Minseok was already letting go.  One of the nurses wheeled him to his bed.

“No!  Minseok!” the boy cried.  Minseok froze and looked back just in time to see the nurse close the curtain.  He tried to block out the screams and the shouting.  When everything went silent he looked over panicked.  The curtain was pulled back and the nurses and doctor walked over.

“We had to give him a light sedative to calm him down.  He’s still conscious at the moment.  It’s a miracle he came too at all,” the doctor explained.  Minseok nodded, anxious to get back to him.  “We’ll be monitoring him closing, but I have a feeling so will you.  Call us if anything changes.”  One of the nurses wheeled him back over to the boy’s bed.  He was pale, his eyelids fluttering slightly.  Minseok could tell he was fighting the sedative and he smiled slightly.

“Are you okay?” Minseok asked quietly, taking the boy’s hand again gently.  The boy looked at him and smiled slightly.

“Luhan,” he said.  Minseok looked at him confused.  “I’ve wanted to tell you for days.  My name is Luhan.”

“You could hear me?” Minseok asked shocked.  Luhan nodded slowly.

“I could…I wanted to respond…To let you know I was listening…But I couldn’t…Until now,” Luhan explained.  Minseok could almost feel tears in his eyes.  He could hear him while he was asleep.  “I’m so tired…But I don’t want to sleep again.”

“It’s alright Luhan.  I’ll be here when you wake up again,” Minseok assured him.  Luhan looked at him, bright brown eyes foggy, but pleading.  “I promise.”  Luhan sighed slightly and closed his eyes, falling asleep.  Luhan.  The boy’s name was Luhan.  He was still gripping Minseok’s hand loosely and Minseok didn’t want to leave him, even if he was just moving a few feet away.  Without realizing it he fell asleep next to the bed, his head resting on his own arm.

“Minseok, wake up.”  Minseok opened his eyes to see Luhan sitting up now.  He sat up as well, his neck cracking from the awkward position.  “Sorry, I didn’t mean for you to sleep like that.”  Minseok blinked and saw that Luhan now had a tray on his lap and there was a separate tray next to him on the bed.  “The nurse brought in lunch.  I told her not to wake you.  Have you been eating this stuff since you got here?”

“No, my friends have been bringing me food,” Minseok replied with a smile.

“Ah.  I should’ve known that.  Well, this stuff is terrible.  Is this even real food?” Luhan asked.  He had more color and his bruises were closer to being healed.

“How much did you actually hear?” Minseok asked.

“Honestly, not a lot.  It was weird.  It was like I was on a boat in the middle of the ocean, moving with the current.  Sometimes the current would pull me closer to you and sometimes it would pull me away,” Luhan explained.  Minseok nodded, kind of fascinated.

“How poetic,” Minseok observed.  He looked down at the tray and figured it was safer not to even try the food.  He couldn’t even tell what it was.

“Maybe I’m a poet or a writer.  I don’t actually remember,” Luhan admitted, pushing a mystery vegetable around with his fork.

“You don’t remember what you did for a living?” Minseok asked.

“I don’t remember anything about me.  I only know my name, and I think it’s because I was so desperate to tell you,” Luhan said, his voice quiet.  “Anyway, the doctors say that I’d be good to go anytime as long as I took things easy.  Problem is, I don’t really have anywhere to go…”

“Let me talk to Jongdae.  Maybe you can come live with us for a little while.  Just until something about you turns up and we can find out where you came from,” Minseok suggested.

“You would do that for me?” Luhan asked, kind of surprised.

“Sure.  I don’t see the problem.  Plus, between you and me, we could probably use some help around the apartment.  Especially since I’m stuck like this for a while,” Minseok answered.  Luhan smiled brightly and Minseok felt his heart beat just that much faster.  He’d waited a week to see his smile and it was worth it.  “I’ll be right back.”  Minseok wheeled himself over to the bed and used the phone to call Jongdae.  The conversation didn’t last long since Jongdae didn’t have a problem with it.  Minseok pulled himself back into his bed, his leg starting to both him.  Luhan stumbled over slightly and sat on the bed.

“I forgot to thank you earlier,” Luhan said.

“For what?” Minseok asked.

“For believing in me and pulling me back.  I thought for sure I was going to drown and never see the light of day again,” Luhan explained.  Minseok smiled and reached over, patting the back of his hand slightly.

“You’re welcome Luhan,” Minseok replied.  Luhan smiled.  They spent the next few hours just talking about nothing.  Luhan asked Minseok questions about him, something Minseok couldn’t do back.  It made him sad that he couldn’t ask Luhan about himself, but he was enjoying discovering what kind of person Luhan was.  He was kind and warmhearted, but had a snarkiness that would make Chanyeol proud.  He was funny and had the voice that would make angels jealous.  His Korean was slightly accented, but Minseok couldn’t really place the dialect.  When it became late Luhan looked at the clock and then at Minseok.  It was apparent that Minseok was tired and it was no surprise that Luhan wasn’t.

“I should let you sleep.  Jongdae will be here tomorrow to come take you home,” Luhan said.  Minseok smiled slightly as Luhan brushed some hair out of Minseok’s face.  He needed to get a haircut soon.

“See you in the morning Luhan,” Minseok said.  Luhan nodded and walked back to his own bed.  Minseok smiled to himself and the universe before closing his eyes and falling asleep.