Poke.

Rub.

"@$*()>!&%"

Poke.

The bunny explodes into a miniature fit of rage and you can't help but to giggle lightly. You gave him a soothing rub on the top of his head with your index finger and he leaned in to the touch.

You smiled.

"Stop bugging him. I have to scan him," Jongdae swatted your finger away with his hand as he held a scanner device of sorts in his other.

You continued to pet the doll anyway, "Then, scan him. It's not like I'm throwing him up into the air or anything."

Shishimato immediately tensed at the thought of being thrown up, flailing like a ragdoll, a few feet above stable ground. Tried it once, not a good feeling.

"Not that I'm planning on doing it or anything," you quickly voiced out when you felt him tense.

"I can't scan him with your finger in the way, Sungrin."

You heaved a loud sigh and rolled on Jongdae's bed, "Fiiiiiine."

You propped a hand under your head and watched from the comfort of the bed as the device in Jongdae's hand began to rattle and beep.

After a longer beep, it shines a red beam of light onto Shishi, scanning him from top to bottom. All the while, the plush toy stands there with arms spread with an awed expression.

"Explain to me again why it's incredibly crucial for you to this?" You asked while adjusting yourself on your brother's bed.  You yawned, it was getting late.

Jongdae swiveled around in his chair, going from his computer to his study table, rolling his way across the room. He tapped away at the keyboards as he answered, "I'm doing this to study his anatomy and his interior structure."

He grabbed the scanner and kicked his legs against the floor, rolling the chair over to Shishi.

"His interior structure?"

With the most judging face he could muster, eyes rolled, mouth slack, he said, "His insides, Sungrin."

You snapped, "I know what it means," and threw an equally judging look before continuing," I just don't understand why."

"What?!" He exclaimed causing you to jump a little at his outburst.

"Aren't you curious on how he works? Why he doesn't sleep? How he lives and breathes? How he's able to stuff your entire lunch in one seating despite his body being the size of your excuse of hand?"

With said hand, you whacked the back of his head. I am a bit curious of the last one, though.

Just as you were about to let out your voice, another beats you to it. The white wooden door opened with an alarming squeak which sent Shishimato falling to the floor as he rushed to hide from the uninvited visitor.

You and your brother stayed frozen in your spots, both pairs of eyes glued to the door as your father made his way in, "Jongdae, your mother has to take the late shift tonight, so she wants you to send dinner to the hospita- what are you scanning with that, boy?"

Jongdae looks down onto the now empty table and back at his father, the gears in his brain at full speed in an attempt to create an intelligent excuse.

Unfortunately, they failed but to your amusement, Jongdae softly puts the scanner on the table, rolls his chair quietly back to facing his computer screen and hung his head low.

Silence.

Your father looks at you instead, "On second thought, maybe you should go princess. Wear a scarf, its cold."

And he closes the door but not before giving Jongdae an overall glance. The door shuts with a resounding 'click'. Jongdae face palms his screen, "I'm a fool."

You shrugged.

* * * * *

Just before exiting the calm, cosy, coffee scented store, you patted your shoulder one more time to check if the masked pin cushion was still on your shoulder. You felt a lump underneath your scarf. Good, he's still there. You tucked him in, just to be sure.

As you stepped into the cold winter air, you gritted your teeth. A particular chilling breeze passed by and left you shivering to your toes.

"I'm never letting Jongdae get the easy way out again. The hospital and sufficient heating is right around the corner. You better tuck in if you're cold, Shishi."

He did the opposite however, choosing instead to hang around near your neck, out in the open. There wasn't anybody on the streets, so it was not a problem and from his position, Shishimato was hidden from the store.

You ran down the street without a second thought, careful to not spill or drop the dinner you brought for your mother and her friends. When you saw the pristine white walls of the hospital, you almost dropped to your knees in relief. You wouldn't last another minute in this freezing temperature.

A familiar face greets you at the door, Mr Gu, the night security guard smiles before calling out for you, "Sungrin-ah! Look at you, I haven't seen you in ages!"

With a light chuckle, you replied back, "Hello Mr Gu and we saw each other last month."

"Exactly! It's been ages!"

You laughed, waving him off as you passed him. "I better go deliver this to my mom," you said and lifted the plastic bags you carried. He lets you go easily enough, just before a quick goodbye.

As you turned the corner, you remembered seeing a flash of blonde and blue before promptly losing your balance. You opened your mouth to shout of out reflex but not a sound came out as a hand shot out to grab you before you fell.

In front of you was a very tall boy, perhaps younger than you judging from his fetus face. You noticed a skateboard in his other hand before he gave a short head bow and a soft “sorry”. He dropped the board to the ground and swiftly escaped.

It was only for a split second but you could have sworn that you saw… a tear.

You turned around to look behind and watched as the boy rolled down the hall. All the while being scolded by Mr Gu, “Don’t make NOISE in the hall you little- Aish!”

Shishi gently pulled at your scarf to gain your attention. He stared at you with his beady eyes. It was like he was expressing sadness through them. As if his heart aches for the boy. He must have noticed it too.

“When you’re at a hospital..,” you started. A gulp, “things like this are to be expected. It’s not always easy but...”

You smiled softly before raising a hand to pat his little head and pulling the scarf over it.

“Come on, let’s deliver this to mom.”

“OHH! LOOK AT THIS LITTLE DARLING! YOU’VE GROWN SO MUCH SINCE I LAST SAW YOU!!”

“You were like a walking marshmallow before. So adorable but now…”

“Look at you! A grown lady and everything! I heard of your break up recently… You know, I have a SON whose-“

“OKAY! That won’t be necessary… I uh- I’m… I’m okay. Really,” you quickly rose from your seat. All the while rubbing your sore cheek from the excessive affection given to you in the form of deathly love pinches. Your eyes wander towards you mother who was standing silently at the back, smiling affectionately.

You sent desperate signals to her when your eyes met, silently asking to be saved. She smiled behind her hand before calling out to the other nurses, “Aish, let’s leave the girl alone now… Look, she brought us some dinner.”

In the breakroom, right behind the counter of the ER, your mom and her friends huddled in a small circle over the packed leftovers from dinner. The aroma of steaming hot butter chicken wafting throughout the floor, gaining attention from nurses and patients alike.

One of her friends, pulled you closer, gently asking you to join them. You couldn’t deny their request, so you sat down with a bow amongst the ladies. You watched and watched as they filled your bowl with more and more and more. And you could do was smile.

Your mom was watching.

During the whole time it was happening, you didn’t realise that your scarf had slipped off, revealing to them, what seemed to be a toy.

You felt him slowly slide off your shoulder and quickly caught him before he touched the ground. In your haste, you accidently knocked your knees against table and a few dishes almost fell if it hadn’t been for the nurses and their fast reflexes. He fidgeted at your touch but a light squeeze reminded him to remain still.

“What do you have hiding under there, Sungrin?” your mother asked. She bent down in an effort to see it closer.

“Just a doll, uhh- Yerim gave it to me. I just like to bring it around.” You kept him in the tote bag you had hooked on to your chair to prevent him for causing any more trouble. In order to change the subject, you hurriedly began to ask random questions that popped up that noggin’ of yours.

“So... why the late shift?”

One of the nurses sighed and put down her chopsticks, she dabbed a napkin to her lips as she spoke, “A. accident occurred in the highway, heading towards the city. A truck and a few cars, I heard.”

A chorus of oohs echoed from the others in the group before the clings and clangs of metal against started again. “It can’t only be the accident for you to stay this late...,” you said as you shoved a rice full in your mouth.

Wow, another full dinner right after the first one. I am definitely going to gain some pounds from this.

The lady across you answered as her chopsticks grabs more ddukbokki to put in your bowl, “You’re right. We are here because most of the actual nurses from this shift got a flu from their nightly shopping spree. I told that Miseon that shopping under the snow will get her sick!”

They all laughed heartily at her rant, including you. From inside the break room, you watched through the door as nurses and doctors whizzed pass back and forth.

All of a sudden, your eyes zeroed on the room right across the counter. Through the glass window separating the room to the hallway, you could see tuff of blond hair amidst the pristine the white sheets strapped to numerous of tubes and machines.

The oxygen mask sitting squarely on the man’s face probably raised the biggest question. “And him, is he one of the victims of the accidents?” You pointed.

All eyes turned towards the room before a collective sigh echoed.

“You should try asking your mother, Sungrin-ah. The boy’s her patient..,” the lady said. Curious, you turned to stare at your mother, silently asking for her answer.

She smiled at you before staring back towards the sleeping man in the room, “I don’t think he expected this to happen when he did what he did.”

One of the nurses cuts in, “I don’t think anybody expected that to happen!”

You looked back and forth between the two, asking one of them to continue. Your mother quietly played with her food before starting, “That boy is in coma, Sungrin-ah. He came in about a few months ago. A major injury at the back of his head from getting hit from a broken beer bottle.”

You leaned back, eyes wide in surprise.

 A/N: Ayyyyy, thanks for staying folks! And thank you also to the new subscribers that recently joined in this adventure!

Thank you for reading and commenting! <3

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Until next time, selamat malam! Goodnight y'alls!