Chapter 16

           Minho was exhausted. He hadn’t slept all day. He was so scared for Onew. Onew might not wake up. Thoughts were pouring through his head.

           “Onew!?” Minho screamed, holding Onew’s limp body up off the bed. “Onew wake up!! What’s wrong!?” Two nurses rushed into the room and pushed Minho back lightly to get to Onew. A doctor walked in and held Minho back while the nurses used CPR to try and revive Onew. Nothing was working. “ONEW!!! PLEASE WAKE UP!!” Minho sobbed and tried to break free of the doctors arms.

The doctor held him back firmly and pulled Minho out of the room. “Minho, please, it’s going to be okay. Stay calm.” The doctor made Minho sit down in a chair. “He went into cardiac arrest. The nurses will make him better.”

“No!” Minho snapped back, tears streaming down his face. “I need to be with him!” Minho sobbed hard into hands not being able to look up at the doctor.

“Minho, please, calm down.” The doctor looked up and saw the nurses walk out of Onew’s room.

“His heartbeat came back,” the nurse said. “It’s low but at a stable rate.” The nurse bent down to Minho and lifted his chin gently to make eye contact with him. “He will be okay.” She smiled and hugged Minho. Minho sniffled hard and hugged the nurse back almost squeezing the breath out of her.

The doctor excused the nurses and helped Minho up from the chair. “You can stay in the room with him, just don’t try to talk to him or wake him up.”

Minho nodded and bowed to the doctor. “Thank you.” He closed the door gently and sat down in the chair by Onew’s left side. Looking down at his hands he let tears drip onto his fingers.

Onew has to wake up. He just has to.

Onew fluttered his eyes open feeling the sun hit his face as soon as he woke up. Looking over he saw Minho asleep in the chair. Looking the opposite way he saw the bright sunlight pouring into the room through the window. “Minho,” he turned his head back to Minho and shook Minho’s hand gently. “Yeobo wake up.”

Minho slowly woke up from Onew’s shaking. “Hm?” He looked at Onew and went wide eyed. “Onew,” he leaned up out of his chair and hugged Onew tight. “You scared me so bad.”

Onew was confused at what Minho was saying but didn’t complain. “I-I’m sorry I guess.”

“You almost died Onew.” Minho pulled away from the hug and sat back down. “You went into cardiac arrest right before you were going to tell me something.”

Onew’s eyes grew wide. “What?” He looked away not believing what Minho was saying.
           “Onew I’m not lying.” Minho frowned and took Onew’s hand. “You were stumbling over something and then you passed out.”

Onew looked at Minho in pain and squeezed Minho’s hand back. “I believe you…” He looked down while breathing deeply. “…I remembered what I was going to tell you.”

Minho scooted closer with his chair. “What do you want to tell me?”

Onew looked back up to make eye contact with Minho and automatically froze up again. “I-I was going t-to…”

Minho dropped the look on his face and felt sadness grow. “Onew please don’t force yourself. I don’t want you to pass out again.”

Onew shook his head hard. “I have to say it.” He glanced around the room for a minute trying to stall time before looking back at Minho. Everything broke. “Have I told you yet….how much you mean to me.”

Minho blinked. “What d-“

Onew held up his hand and stopped Minho from talking. “Have I told you yet…about all the happiness you bring me.” The lumps grew in Onew’s throat. “Have I told you yet…that you mean the world to me?” Onew sniffled and tried so hard to hold back the tears. “I know I haven’t told you any of this, but I want you to know and remember that, you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

The room grew silent for a few seconds that felt like eternity. Onew looked at Minho long and hard before saying, “I didn’t write that…but I mean every word. I love you so much Minho and I don’t want to ever lose you.”

Minho’s expression grew brighter with every second after Onew was done talking. “Jinki…” Minho stood up slowly and sat down on Onew’s bed. He slowly took Onew's body into a soft inviting hug. Neither of them said a word, but they knew what was happening. Both of them were experiencing the true meaning of love. Love is patient, never giving up, never losing faith, and enduring through every circumstance.