Hello My Dearest, Loveliest, Most Patient, Loyal Readers!

Thank you for bearing with such a long absence. I hope you enjoy the update.

Chapter 11

“Are you going to see Mark-Oppa?” Minnie asked in a small voice.

JinYoung squatted down so that he was eye-level with the little girl. “Yes, I am, Minnie. He’s sick in the hospital, so I’m going to see how he’s doing.”

“Can I come with you?” she asked, “I want to visit Mark-Oppa, too.”

JinYoung reached out to Minnie’s hair. “I know you want to see him, but the hospital rules say that you can’t see him just now. I hardly got permission to see him and I can’t stay with him for very long.”

“But,” Minnie said feeling stubbornness grow in her chest, “if you can see him when you’re not supposed to, you can ask if I can see him, too.”

JinYoung smiled at her sadly. He knew how she must be feeling. She cared about Mark too and he could only imagine how frustrating it must be for her to be told that she couldn’t see him. He really didn’t understand hospital rules. Surely it would be better for patients if the people they loved visited them, wouldn’t it?

But, he’d learned that rules didn’t have to make sense. They just had to be observed. But, he’d also learned that sometimes, they could be bent, as in his case. So, even though he had little hope of anyone listening to him, he decided that he would state Minnie’s case to the staff. And he told her so.

“Do you promise, JinYoung-Oppa?” she asked shakily, hope mixing with doubt.

“Yes, Minnie. I promise,” he said kindly.

She seemed to search his face to see if he was telling the truth and once she was satisfied that he was, she reached out and hugged him tightly around the neck.

“Thank you, Oppa,” she said next to his ear.

This was the first time that Minnie had ever spoken so familiarly to him and certainly the first time she’d hugged him although she’d hugged Mark many times. He’d always had the feeling that she’d felt a little . . . jealous, if that was the word, of his relationship with Mark. So, this change in her was very welcome. Maybe now she would feel that he cared for her as well as Mark.

He stood up straight and patted her head affectionately. Then as he turned to leave, Minnie stopped him.

“JinYoung-Oppa, could you please give this to Mark-Oppa?” Minnie asked. She was holding something out towards him.

“But this is your favourite toy, isn’t it? ” JinYoung asked. No matter where Minnie was, even when the toy wasn’t in her hands, she’d always had it propped up near to wherever she was so it could ‘watch’ what was going on. It was a toy that she’d been clutching in her tiny hand when she first came to the orphanage. It was a soft toy that no one could identify. It appeared to be some sort of fantastical mix of animal and imagination. Perhaps it was a character from some sort of show, but whatever it was, no one had ever seen its likes before. Minnie herself didn’t know what it was or where she’d got it, but it never left her side.

“She’ll help Oppa get better. She’ll talk to him and tell him all my messages and he’ll hear them and feel better,” Minnie replied.

“Minnie . . .”

“I’m a big girl, I can sleep without her, Oppa,” she said, “but Mark-Oppa needs her. I don’t mind.”

JinYoung couldn’t help but reach down and lift the little girl into his arms.

“I’ll tell you what,” he said, “I’ll take her to Mark-Oppa now, but I’ll bring her back to you when I come back this evening. That way she can visit him and then tell you how he’s doing when she gets back.”

Minnie’s eyes brightened and she smiled.

“Okay,” she said happily.

“Okay,” JinYoung said sealing the agreement, then he kissed her lightly on the cheek before putting her down. She was still beaming as she waved at him as he turned and headed out the door.

“I’m just going to place her here,” JinYoung said, putting Minnie’s toy in the crook of Mark’s arm, “that way, she can listen to everything that happens so she can go back and tell Minnie later.”

JinYoung pulled up a chair close to Mark’s bed and took Mark’s motionless hand into his own. He kissed the back of it and then rubbed his thumb across his knuckles as he spoke.

“Mr Bang was here earlier. He said that that ‘problem’ at school has been taken care of, so you don’t have to worry. You can just wake up and come back to school and we can get back to where we were.”

His voice began to falter when he saw that there wasn’t even the slightest sign of movement in Mark’s face. He reached over to lightly Mark’s hair.

“You can’t keep laying here, sleeping beauty, you have to study remember? We’re going to go to university together. That’s . . . that’s what we’re going to do, remember? Don’t think you can get out of it this easily . . . our plan . . .” he tried to joke. “You haven’t changed your mind, have you? . . . Then you have to wake up. We still have a lot to do . . . you and I.”

JinYoung’s breathing became shaky, so he stopped talking for a moment to pull himself together. He was certain that Mark could hear him and he didn’t want him to hear any doubt or worry in his voice. He had to sound upbeat and optimistic.

But he was very bad at being fake. So instead of making small talk, he decided it would be more forthright of him to get straight to what he wanted to say.

“Mark, I know that it’s hard for you right now. I know that you probably want to wake up, but it’s not easy, is it? I just want you to keep trying, Mark. Just keep trying. I miss hearing your voice so much. I miss looking into your eyes. . . . You know, one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen is your smile and I haven’t seen it in a while, Mark. . . . I really want to see it.”

“Before you came, I was alone. You know that, don’t you? I didn’t really mind at the time because I didn’t even realise how lonely I felt. But once you got there, I realised the difference. You came into my life and you’ve given me so much. And now . . . now you’re not there and I miss the things we had. I suppose I should be grateful and I shouldn’t be so greedy . . . wanting more. But, I do. I want more. I want you back so that we can go on with the things that we talked about.” JinYoung kept Mark’s hair, hoping with every movement of his hand that Mark would somehow find the strength to awaken.

“You know, before, all I thought about was how to get out of that place. I thought about how I was going to be rich and successful and leave and not look back. But then I met you and now I have a different dream. I want us to have a life together. You know why? Because I know I would happy with you anywhere, Mark. When we were in the attic, I was so happy. You were, too, weren’t you?” JinYoung chuckled a bit, thinking back. “Being there with you taught me that what I’d thought was important wasn’t important anymore unless you were there with me. So . . . I need you here. I need you to come back to me. Then I can be happy with whatever I end up with. As long as I can be as happy with you as we were in that attic, it will be enough for me. I promise,” JinYoung said and then he lifted Mark’s hand to his lips and kissed it tenderly, “I love you, Mark-Hyung. Come back to me so we can be happy.”

Time passed; much of it in silence, until too soon it was time for JinYoung to leave. So, after squeezing Mark’s hand one last time and not forgetting to take Minnie’s toy with him, he departed the room. But on his way out he didn’t forget to speak with the hospital staff about Minnie coming to visit. Although was unable to get a final answer, the supervising nurse promised to ask the attending physician about it, but then he would have to wait until the following day for a decision. JinYoung bowed politely and thanked her for her time and effort and said that he would be back the next day. As he left he hoped with everything inside him that they would take the little girl’s request to heart and let her see Mark.

“JinYoung-ah! . . . JinYoung-ah!”

Through the haze of deep sleep, JinYoung heard a voice call to him as a hand gently shook him awake.

He hadn’t slept well in days, worry for Mark keeping him from sleep for so many nights, so the force of his compiled exhaustion had hit him hard. This made it harder for Miss Jung who was doing her best to wake him.

Finally, his eyes opened and he answered groggily.

“Mark! It’s Mark! The hospital called! He’s awake!”

The adrenaline rushed through his body as the welcome words fell on his ears and worked their way through his system. He sat up immediately, taking in his surroundings as he to shake off the remnants of sleep. Somehow it was still dark, but it was no matter. He had to get dressed! He had to get to the hospital!

“Can we go now?” he asked her in a voice of hope and desperation. “It’s not too early, is it? I want to go now, even if I can’t see him until later,” he said.

“I’ve called Mrs Shin and she said you have to wait until she gets here, but she said she’s on her way,” Mrs Jung said. “Don’t worry, JinYoung, you’ll see him soon. Just get dressed and eat something before Mrs Shin gets here, alright?”

He doubted if he could eat anything, but Miss Jung was right. If Mrs Shin saw that he was dressed and had already had some breakfast, she would be more inclined to take him along with her straightaway.

Mrs Shin and JinYoung were still waiting to see Mark when the sun rose. The doctor had been in to see them once to let them know that Mark’s condition was stable, but they still had tests to run. He also cautioned him that Mark wouldn’t be able to speak much because of the soreness of his throat due to the intubation, adding that they should also not to say anything that would cause him undue stress. They, of course, promised not to upset him and continued to wait patiently. Before long, their number was added to: they were joined by Mr Bang. He had requested to be kept abreast of Mark’s progress, that he should be called anytime, day or night if there was any news. So, once Miss Jung had phoned him and updated him on Mark’s condition, he’d come to the hospital immediately. Even though he didn’t say much of anything after greeting the two, his very presence lent a feeling of comfort to both Mrs Shin and JinYoung.

When they were finally admitted to see Mark, as they both entered the room, Mrs Shin in the lead with JinYoung following behind, both were relieved to see him awake but, at the same time, they were shocked at his appearance.

He looked so pale. And weak. And thin.

Somehow, when they watched him as he slept, they hadn’t noticed as readily the severity of his state. Perhaps when people are asleep one expects them to look in some way, weak and vulnerable, but now that he was awake, his eyes open, in a state in which most people are expected to be strong and self-possessed, his condition appeared to be more alarming.

JinYoung stayed in the background as Mrs Shin spoke with him. He didn’t want to share in her time with him, like some visiting stranger: he was willing to wait for their time alone.

She told him the usual things: how relieved they were that he was awake; how much everyone had missed and worried about him and the like. Hers was the official version and she did her duty well, communicating the good thoughts and greetings of the staff and children at the orphanage. She most especially sent him Minnie’s love. She told him about Mr Bang’s visits and pointed out all the cards and gifts that had been left for him by schoolmates and the staff. But then, before she turned away to leave, then she squeezed his hand sympathetically and leaned in to tell him how she, personally, was glad that he was recovering. She added that she believed in him and that he was going to get better and better so that he could go on to do great things; of that she was sure.

Mark did his best to smile and squeezed her hand in return.

Now, it was just the two of them together.

Mark and JinYoung.

As soon as Mrs Shin left, JinYoung walked, slowly and steadily to the side of Mark’s bed. His eyes shone as they were finally able to connect with Mark’s. He took Mark’s hand in his and felt a surge of happiness as he felt Mark’s fingers curl against his in response. Such a difference to the motionless hand he’d held every day he’d visited!

“Mark . . . I missed you so much,” he said. “You don’t have to talk. The doctor said your throat probably feels very sore, so just rest.”

He reached out with his other hand and laid it on Mark’s cheek. Mark’s eyes closed as he leaned into the warmth of JinYoung’s touch.

“Thank you for waking up, Mark,” JinYoung said quietly. “Thank you for coming back to me.”

Then he leaned forward and placed a long, loving kiss on Mark’s forehead, before whispering once more, against his skin, “thank you.”

I know it's not a very long update, but I will post the next chapter very soon.

I had a lot going on and then I had the dreaded writer's block. Sorry.

Thank you all for your patience. I really, really appreciate it!

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