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 Taeyeon 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, Taeyeon could see the reflection of Tiffany'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.
Taeyeon spun around and walked towards her, watched the white sheets breathe when she breathed. The sight comforted her.
“Ah, Taeyeon-unnie” someone called in a low whisper.
She turned and spotted Yoona stepping inside the room. The younger girl closed the door behind her as she gave Taeyeon a polite smile.
“Tiffany-unnie sleeping?” Yoona 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” Taeyeon replied. She pulled a chair beside the wall next to Tiffany's bed and sat down. “Anyways, how's Seohyun?”
Yoona 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, Yoona had told her story to Taeyeon; about their engagement, about Seohyun 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.
Seohyun had been admitted to this hospital several months ago to get numerous surgeries done. Physiotherapy was the last on their list.
“Seohyun?” Yoona 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!” Taeyeon said with a forced smile, she couldn't help but feel envious.
“I know right? I can finally eat real food!” Yoona 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; Yoona was the perfect example of it.
“Ugh,” the older girl replied with a scoff, “I know what you mean”
“No TaeTae, I don't know what you mean” a third voice broke through. It sounded much more lively than before which reassured Taeyeon that she had made the right decision.
She turned her head and found Tiffany staring at her with a smile.
“I'm sorry unnie, did we wake you?” Yoona asked guiltily with her eyebrows furrowed.
“Yes,” Tiffany 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,” Taeyeon said “you ate so much that it completely destroyed all your taste buds”
“Ha ha ha, very funny” Tiffany mocked.
The older girl shrugged, “It's true”
“Very true” Yoona blurted as she took a chair and dragged it beside Tiffany's bed, facing Taeyeon. “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 -”
