Oasis (A KaiSoo Fanfic)

Chapter 9 | Out

There were times when I was in the hospital where I would just stare out the window of my room and watch the people that exited and entered the church across the street. Oh, how I wondered what it felt like to be able to walk around healthily and not have to worry about how much longer your life will be. Only three years had passed, but to me, it felt like an entire century since I had been one of those people. It must be nice, I used to think, to be able to laugh and love without having Cancer constantly hanging out inside of you. And at the same time, what angers me most about those people, and my previous self, is how nonchalant they acted. I'm not saying all healthy people do this, but a lot of them go about their lives so carelessly and it makes me mad because there are millions of people like me out there who can't do that even if they've been "cured" of their Cancer. Sometimes I feel like slapping those people. Don't they know how lucky they are to be healthy and Cancer free?

I was walking back to my room from the cafe's vending machine, taking a sip of the strawberry flavored water I got, when someone startled me from behind by trying to jump on my back. "Jongin-ah," the voice said cheerfully and I automatically knew then that it was Kyungsoo. No one else in that hospital knew me well enough, or liked me enough, to call me by any nickname. Or to try and jump on my back.

"What's your deal?" I asked, grinning slightly as he started to walk by my side. "Did you get high in the meditation room? Hyung, I told you not to do that."

"No, I didn't get high anywhere," he said, laughing as he spoke and shook his head. "I'm just hyper. And happy-"

"Happy to be alive, I know," I said, finishing his sentence for him. He just smiled at me and laughed again. At this point in our relationship, or whatever you want to call it, we were simply close friends. Like really close friends. Maybe even best friends. We practically spent every free minute of our days together and talked about pretty much every topic there is to talk about. I was still completely baffled as to how he managed to stay so positive during such a depressing time in his life, but it always did warm my heart to see him smile or hear him laugh. Did that mean I liked him, you ask? I don't know, but even if I did I wouldn't tell you. Okay...I would, but that's not the point, so let's just move on.

We got back to our room and I plopped on my bed before taking another sip of my drink. "Ugh," he groaned, falling backward on his bed. "I'm so bored being locked in here all the time. I think I might actually go insane."

"Try being in here for three years," I said in reply. "Then come and complain to me about boredom." He groaned again, rubbing his face this time as he did so.

"I want to go out," he said after sitting up straight, a small pout on his lips.

"We can't," I said, twisting the cap back on the bottle. "We have to stay in here so we can be monitored 24/7." His face scrunched up and I couldn't help but notice how cute he looked in that moment. Wait, no, I need to stop saying things like that. It's too early. He looked over to the window and the pout fell from his lips, being replaced by a mischievous smirk. "Hyung," I said as I was about to take a drink, my voice stretching out. "What are you thinking?"

He turned to me and smiled widely. "Jongin-ah," he said, hopping off his bed and rushing over to me, "let's go out to town."

"No, are you kidding me?" I said. "The staff already hates my guts and sneaking out would just piss them off even more. They might stop giving me chemo."

"Ah, don't be such a goody-two-shoes." He batted his hand at me. "Just because we're sick doesn't mean we can't have a little fun."

I stared at him hesitantly. "I don't know, hyung..." I said, my voice trailing off.