Put your name in the _____ places!

Enjoy!

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      Taehyung and I waited in the hospital room I was assigned. The doctor asked us to wait for my parents in this room. I nodded and he left the room quietly. I looked around the room, noticing it looked like every other room I've been in. Bland, colorless, and almost sad itself. I the TV to drown out the silence between Taehyung and myself. I wasn't paying attention to it at all though, and I think Taehyung noticed. He clicked a button on the remote that muted the TV. "I have to tell you something extrememly important," he said. I looked up into his smiling eyes. "Knock knock."

          "Taehyung, I'm not in the mood for a joke," I replied, faking a smile.

          "Just go with it! It's important!"

          "Fine. Who's there?"

          "Taehyungie."

          "Taehyungie who?"

          "Taehyungie loves you," he shouted, making a heart with his arms, giving me an aegyo overload. I laughed and pulled on his arm to bring him closer to me. I slowly brought my lips to his, not letting them meet, and having to hold him back from kissing me. I looked into his dark brown eyes which reflected my image. "Stop teasing," he whispered then quickly pressed his lips to mine. I felt his smile through the touch which made me do the same. We finally pulled away when we heard voices near by. Voices all very familiar to me.

          My parents stood on the other side of the door. Taehyung held my hand the entire time, but all I could hear was the sound of my mother's voice. She argued, yelled, shouted, cursed, screamed. Everything she could to make the doctor let her in my room. She called for me, and then I heard my father's voice. I didn't understand why they wanted to see me so badly. Why must they talk to me before they sign for my surgery? The door started to shake as someone pounded on the door or was being pushed against it. Eventually, my father entered the room. I avoided his eyes, and ignored him as he spoke to me. My mother ordered Taehyung to move away from me, but I only grasped his hand tighter as he tried to stand. "_____, let go of this boy's hand. We need to talk to you privately."

          "Uh, ma'am, I can't do that, I was told not to leave this room," Taehyung said politely although I knew my parents would talk back.

          "If you don't leave," my father began but paused and looked at me. "Who the hell is this kid?"

          "I'm her boyfriend, sir."

          "I think she can answer for herself, kid," my mother joined in. I rolled my eyes and finally looked at their faces. Both of my parents looked very different from the last time I had seen them. It's been almost five years but they've grown gray hair and wrinkles all around their eyes and mouth. They looked...sad. "Now, if you would please tell your little boyfriend to leave the room so we can speak privately, this would go a lot faster, dear." Even though she tried to sound polite, I wasn't going to buy her act.

          "No, I won't. He's staying," I declared, resting my head on Taehyung's shoulder. I could feel him tense up, but I wasn't sure if it was because of my attitude to my parents, or his fear of what my parents were about to say.

          "Well we need to talk about something between our family, which he is not apart of, so-"

          "Maybe not your family, but he is my family. So go ahead. Say what you have to say." My parents looked at each other then back at me with sad eyes.

          "I don't feel comfortable talking about this with him in the room, but if it's the only way, fine. _____-ah, we made a mistake, treating you the way we have all of your life. When your doctor called us, we were shocked to hear that you wanted to go through with this surgery. We wanted to apologize for not being good parents, and we'll do better from now on." My mother began to spill tears, so my father wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

          "What do you mean 'from now on,'" I asked.

          "We wanted to ask you to come home with us. To see your brothers, to be a family again. Like to restart our lives; a re-do." What was this, I thought. What are they trying to sell me? If they realized this before, why didn't they call me four years ago? I shook my head and didn't say another word. "I understand how much you must hate us, and we know we were wrong, but at least come back for your brothers. They miss you. You got along with them well when you were all together. They really want to see you, _____-ah. Please, just go with us to see them."

          "They can come to me. They should be all grown up by now. They shouldn't have to ask their mommy to bring their sister back." My father glared at me with the reddest of eyes I have ever seen.

          "_____, so help me, just go with us and you can come right back once you've seen your brothers. Let's just sign the damn papers and get out of here. I'm tired of putting up with you already, and it's only been five minutes. You think since you're an adult now that you can talk to us like this? Or is it because you hate us that much? Either way, you need to be considerate of others. Your brothers have begged us to apologize to you, but I have nothing to apologize for, nor your mother. Seeing your mother suffer through is 'sweet and kind' act towards you is sickening. With the way you've been treating us despite our kind effort, you still refuse to treat us like your parents," my father screamed. Taehyung immediately stood up and stepped toward my father. "What kid, you going to stand up for your girlfriend?"

          "I, for one, understand how it feels to have parents who don't care or love for you. For you to say that she should be treating you with respect is ridiculous. In what world were you accepting her to cry tears of joy, run into your arms, and come home with you? How the hell would she respect either of you after the way you treated her when she was young, and even now as an adult? And even worse, you left her when she needed you most. Maybe she didn't express it verbally, because she knew you wouldn't care. Obviously she would have respected you if you had helped her. Plus, you already confessed this was just a scripted act. Now, sir, if you don't mind signing those damn papers then get the hell out of here," Taehyung shouted back. I've never seen this side of Taehyung, but as much as I was scared myself, I loved it. He proudly stood up for me, against my father, who is possibly the scariest man I know. My father angrily left the room and snatched the clipboard of papers from the doctor. He signed it quickly, then stomped off down the hall. My mother followed while sobbing.

          Taehyung turned back around to face me, face tomato red, with an awkward smile. I jumped up and embraced him tightly. "I like an angry Taehyungie," I said, making him laugh. I pulled away to lift up on my toes and kiss his cheek. "Thank you."

          "Oh, that? Pssh, it was nothing. I could've done worse, like a left," he said while punching with his left hand, "and a right," punching with his other hand. I laughed as he bounced around like a boxer in the ring. After he ran out of breath, Taehyung laid down on my bed.

          "Well, when would you like to have the surgery," my doctor asked while entering the room, with a ghostly expression. Probably from watching my crazy parents.

          "As soon as possible," I answered, excited to finally escape this disease.

          "The earliest we can do it is Wednesday morning at 9:30," he said. I nodded and agreed to the date set.

          Only four days away.