Looking For Angels | JENLISA

11. A Smile That Stirs

So many tangles in life are ultimately hopeless that we have no appropriate sword other than laughter.

- Gordon W. Allport

The meaning of her thoughts drifted away from Lisa like dried leaves swept away by the august wind. She stared blankly outside their hospital's room window, watching silently the cars that sped by on the highways. It was early in the afternoon, the birds danced, the leaves swayed, the sun touched. On the glassed window, Lisa could see the reflection of Jennie's sleeping figure.

Five days have passed since her first blood transfusion. Five days have passed since they stopped looking for angels. Five days have passed since she felt truly alive.

Lisa spun around and walked towards her, watched the white sheets breathe when she breathed. The sight comforted her.

"Ah, Lisa-unnie" someone called in a low whisper.

She turned and spotted Aerum stepping inside the room. The younger girl closed the door behind her as she gave Lisa a polite smile.

"Jennie-unnie sleeping?" Aerum asked while she took her jacket off and propped it on the wooden coat hanger.

"Yeah, I told her to get some rest since she looks pretty exhausted" Lisa replied. She pulled a chair beside the wall next to Jennie's bed and sat down. "Anyway, how's Seo-yoon?"

Aerum and her were on the same boat; a small wooden plank that kept them afloat while they endured the storm. In the younger girl's case though, she wasn't fighting for more time, she was fighting for more memories; to not be forgotten. On the first night they were here, Aerum had told her story to Lisa; about their engagement, about Seo-yoon and the head on collision with a vehicle, about how almost every bone in her body broke upon impact, and about permanent anterograde amnesia. The doctors said it was a miracle that she was alive.

Seo-yoon had been admitted to this hospital several months ago to get numerous surgeries done. Physiotherapy was the last on their list.

"Seo-yoon?" Aerum asked, "She's fine. I just took her to see her therapist on the seventh floor half an hour ago. She'll be done soon. The doctors say that she's recuperating well and that we can leave in nine days, though we'll have to come back regularly for checkups."

"You guys can get to leave next week? That's great!" Lisa said with a forced smile, she couldn't help but feel envious.

"I know right? I can finally eat real food!" Aerum cheered with a wide grin. People say that those who experienced tremendous pain and sorrow were the ones who cherished the little things in life the most; Aerum was the perfect example of it.

"Ugh," the older girl replied with a scoff, "I know what you mean"

"No Lili, I don't know what you mean" a third voice broke through. It sounded much livelier than before which reassured Lisa that she had made the right decision.

She turned her head and found Jennie staring at her with a smile.

"I'm sorry unnie, did we wake you?" Aerum asked guiltily with her eyebrows furrowed.

"Yes," Jennie answered playfully before propping herself up to a seating position, "but it's okay. And seriously, I don't get what you girls mean; the food here isn't THAT bad."

"You're just used to it," Lisa said "you ate so much that it completely destroyed all your taste buds"

"Ha ha ha, very funny" Jennie mocked.

The younger girl shrugged, "It's true"

"Very true" Aerum blurted as she took a chair and dragged it beside Jennie's bed, facing Lisa. "So unnies... I've scouted the perimeters of this hospital and there won't be any security 5-O's near the back entrance of the building. At thirteen-hundred hours, we -"