Strings & Stitches

Chapter 20

It was a different room again. Opening her eyes and meeting the bright white lights hurt her eyes, making her groan and try to rub them, but she realized she was connected to the substance with that tube once again, and she winced in pain.

It was weird. She felt so much ache in her body all over, and the last thing she remembers was going into that operating room, staring up at Siyeon from the table as they injected anaesthesia into her body.

Was she dead? She felt so alive though, but maybe that was the case of uncertainty, the way she felt all the muscles tense in her body, and she wanted to look down at her chest to see if she would find stitches there, when the door to the patient room was chaotically opened ajar, two figures appearing in her still blurred vision.

It took her a bit to get her vision to register who those two figures were, feeling relieved when she recognized Bora and Siyeon. Seeing them meant that she hadn't died, there was no way they would've gone to heaven as well. It was weird that there were way more machines around her, and she thought Bora promised to wait for her in the room until after the operation. Then why was she only just arriving?

"Oh, Gahyun" Bora breathed her name out, rushing to the bed and carefully holding her hands, crouching down to give her a small, cautious hug. Siyeon stayed behind, inspecting all the machines and it was evident even for Gahyun who had just woken up that the surgeon was studying her, searching for anything being wrong.

The look in the girl's eyes was confused and still a little dazed. It was impossible to be fully there when you were basically in a coma for a few days. "Why-... why do you look so worried?" the younger sister asked, having trouble to actually focus her sight on her sister for an extended period of time.

The young girl was starting to get nervous after seeing their reaction. Did the operation fail? Is her heart still failing? Does she even have the chance of getting better?

But before her mind would jump to another conclusion, Siyeon spoke up "The surgery went well, Gahyun. You're all healthy now and will be leaving the hospital in two days"

"I will?" Gahyun whispered to herself, repeating it in her head a few times to convince herself. "It's finally over?" tears were starting to swell in her eyes, feeling like the nightmare she has been stuck in had finally been lifted.

Bora was of course already emotional, hugging her sister even tighter but still being careful not to touch any machines or the IV stand.

Siyeon continued, "There were some complications during the operation, but I managed to fix it. Although... You were asleep for a few days, and it's even surprising that you woke up so early" The blonde woman was still standing a few steps away, but Gahyun could see a small smile on her face. "You're strong, kid"

That could explain why Bora wasn't waiting in the room for her. And why her body felt so numb and tired. And why there were so many more machines around her. "I must've worried you so badly" Gahyun's tears kept coming, resting her head on Bora's shoulder.

Bora shook her head, her own tears wetting her cheeks. She felt so relieved, so happy, but she couldn't stop weeping. "What matters now is that you're okay, Gah. You'll be out, we'll keep on living together, and you will be able to take your college tests! Everything will be alright"

Finally, there was a future to look forward to, one that didn't involve lying down in some stupid hospital bed. The girl felt like she had lost all kinds of muscles and fitness because of her time here. It would require some practice to get back in shape. "You haven't sold my room yet, have you?" the short-haired girl asked as a joke, wanting to stop crying. But that didn't work.

Bora chuckled, shaking her head. Oh, how she missed Gahyun being in that room, even her lazying around when she refused to clean after herself. But of course, she didn't mention that, just grinning. "I have so many things planned out, we can finally go shopping together, visit random malls, even you forcing me to go to one of those libraries..." She said as all the listed possibilities flashed as quick images in her mind.