MinHee woke up to the sound of laughter and pounding feet in the hallway. Her eyes shot opened and she sat up, looking out of the window. The blinds were drawn, but she could see figure’s racing by.

What was going on? It was after hours! Kids, she figured, but curiosity got the better of her, and she slid her legs off her mattress. She grabbed the robe that rested on the bottom of her bed and slid a little closer to her door. She was no longer attached to her IV stand, which she was thankful for, because it was one less thing to make noise as she started across the room.

She opened her room door, just slightly, and peeked out into the hall to see two girls, crouched behind one of the vending machines not far from MinHee’s room, giggling and covering their mouths, trying to silent their laughs.

One of them zeroed in on MinHee, only one of her black eyes visible as the other was hidden behind a sheet of yellow blonde hair. Her heart shaped lips parted and her tanned arm reached out, pointing in MinHee’s direction. Her friend, a very thin and pale girl, turned and she too looked surprised to see MinHee. But she waved for her to join them, and MinHee looked around. Was she really gesturing to MinHee?

The girl nodded and waved again, so MinHee skittered across the hall, since it still kind of hurt to lift her leg, and awkwardly sat herself on the ground beside the girls. “What are you two doing? You’re going to get in trouble.”

The pale girl made a face. “We’re having fun! Do they really expect us to stay locked up in our rooms all day? Not me!” She gestured to her friends. “This is Eumsogeo.” The girl’s real name could not possibly be mute. Who would name their daughter that? “And I’m Cha Mi.”

MinHee smiled. “I’m-”

“Im MinHee. We know.” Cha Min answered.

The blonde girl nodded. “You’re from Passion.”

MinHee nodded. “So you know us then?”

Cha Min immediately lit up. “Of course! We actually went to one of your benefit concerts, before you were signed. It was incredible!” She said, squeaking.

The blonde girl sighed. “But then Cha Min had to leave early.”

Cha Min frowned. “Hey! I was tired!” She turned to MinHee. “So you’re in for a car accident too, huh?” MinHee nodded. “Ha Ji too.”

Ha Ji, whose name clearly was not mute after all, nodded and pushed her blonde bangs to the side. A glassy eye stared back at MinHee, the pupil of which was larger than her other eye, more than likely to make her eyes look normal in light. A nasty scar trailed from the top of her forehead to the bottom of the glass eye’s bottom lid. “A motorcycle lost control and shot through our windshield.”

Cha Min perked up. “No one passed, thank goodness.” Ha Ji nodded, but looked down in pain. MinHee reached out and pat the girl’s knee. “But a shard pretty much attacked the right side of Ha Ji’s face.”

“I’m still here because my parents got in a fight a few nights ago.” Ha Ji added, in a quiet, meek voice.

Cha Min frowned. “Let’s not talk about that.” She said, looking to MinHee again. “We were on our way to the kitchen to see if we could maybe get some food.” She winked at MinHee. “Hungry?”

MinHee shook her head. “No, I’m okay thanks. But I hope you guys make it!” She said, standing and slinking her way back to her room. “Don’t get in trouble, okay?” She hissed after them, and both nodded.

They couldn’t have been more than sixteen. They shouldn’t be in the hospital. How many people were in the hospital and were younger than MinHee? How many children were behind the thin gauze curtains in this hospital?

It sent a shiver down MinHee’s spine.

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