Once Upon a Star

Chapter 22

Sean was walking in the hospital hallway one night. He saw Stanley come out of a room with Jenny. “What are they doing here?” Sean thought. He went to the room where they got out from. Sean saw the name posted outside the door. “Hanna Park,” he read out. He immediately opened and the door and slowly entered the room.

The nurse looked at him, “Sir, what are you doing here?” she asked him. Sean saw Hanna lying on the bed. “What happened to her?” he asked the nurse with teary eyes, “Sir you should go back to your room now,” the nurse said and held him. “What happened to her?” he asked again in a loud voice. The nurse called for help. Sean removed the dextrose’s syringe on his hand, pushed the nurse and went beside Hanna. “Hanna, what happened to you?” he asked as he cried.

Stanley and Jenny saw two nurses running to Hanna’s room. They looked at each other and followed. The nurses held Sean but he kept pushing them away. Jenny and Stanley saw how Sean reacted towards Hanna’s condition. “Don’t stop him!” Stanley yelled at the nurses. The nurses looked at Stanley and stopped moving. Sean went to Hanna and cried. He touched Hanna’s face and held her hand. “You told me you’d be by my side whenever I wake up,” he told her as he cried. Jenny looked at Stanley, “Who is he?” she asked him. Stanley remained quiet when Ian arrived.

“Bring him back to his room, now” Ian told the nurses. The nurses held Sean. “No,” Sean told the nurses. Ian took something from his pocket, “I’m sorry, Sean,” Ian said as he injected the syringe to his arm. “Hold on to him,” Ian said as they waited for him to fall asleep. “This kid, he even removed his dextrose, now his hand is bleeding,” Ian uttered as the nurses carried him to his room. “I’m sorry; I didn’t know he’d be walking outside the hallway,” Ian apologized and left the room.

“Just now, who is he?” Jenny asked Stanley. “He’s the one who looked after Hanna when you left her,” Stanley answered. “But, he’s a guy. Hanna told me her friend Shane looked after her,” Jenny explained. “Sean is Shane; Sean’s name is Shane Joseph Kim. My father is Sean’s godfather, that’s why I know him. When Sean was hospitalized before, I saw them here; and I found out that they were staying together,” Stanley said. “And you didn’t tell me?” Jenny asked. “You’d find out soon anyway,” Stanley said as he looked at Hanna. “I wanted Hanna to tell you. I wanted it to come from her, not from someone else,” he added.

“I won’t let you see Hanna unless you get cured first, is that clear? You should cure yourself first before you see her. Didn’t you promise her you’ll have yourself cured?” Ian asked Sean. “How will that happen if you’re being like this?” Ian went on. Ian got out of Sean’s room and saw Stanley and Jenny outside.

They sat beside Sean and looked at him. “Shane, or Sean; I came by to thank you for looking after my sister,” Jenny thanked Sean. “I know she looked pitiful back then,” Jenny uttered. “I don’t pity her,” Sean interrupted and looked at Jenny. “I… I like her,” he uttered with his tears falling. “I didn’t know that the Shane she was referring to was a boy,” she said. “I believed she didn’t want you to worry. You don’t have to, I didn’t do anything bad to her,” Sean assured Jenny. “I lived next door, I saw and heard everything that happened to her, without me intending to,” Sean explained and took a deep breath.

“But Sean, once Hanna wakes up, I’m going to take her with me to my apartment near my workplace so that I can look after her,” Jenny told Sean. Sean cried, “Can’t you just let her live with me? She was able to make it when she lived with me,” Sean asked. “I was actually going to buy the unit that was taken away from us but it was sold already,” Jenny told them.

Sean’s tears fell, “Then buy it from me,” Sean uttered. “I bought that unit, where she used to live. I thought I could make a story and tell her she can live there again just to make her feel better. But, I grew fond of her, I started to like her, I wanted her to stay with me,” he explained as he cried. “Please don’t take her away; I can give you the unit, just please…” Sean pleaded. Jenny held Sean’s hands and smiled at him.

Hanna slowly opened her eyes, and saw Stanley sitting beside her. Stanley smiled at her and called the doctors. “How are you feeling?” Stanley asked her. “Who are you?” Hanna asked with a weak and low voice. Stanley was surprised when she heard what Hanna asked her. “Due to the impact, there is a chance that…” the doctor said and nodded. Jenny looked at Hanna who was looking at them. “Why am I in the hospital?” Hanna asked them. Jenny sat beside Hanna, and looked at her. “I thought we’re going on a vacation?” Hanna asked Jenny with a sad face. Jenny looked at Stanley, “Yes, we’ll go on a vacation when you get well,” she answered and smiled at her.

“She only remembers everything before the vacation we took,” Jenny told Stanley. “This will be heartbreaking for Sean,” Stanley said as he looked at Jenny. “Do you feel better? Do you feel light?” Ian asked Sean after the therapy. “Sort of; can I see Hanna now?” Sean asked Ian with a smile. “You’re about to get well Sean. Do you know that? Do you really want to feel the feeling of sadness after getting well?” Ian asked him. “What do you mean?” Sean asked his uncle.

Sean sat on his bed with tears falling from his eyes. “She can’t remember you,” Ian told Sean. “She can’t remember anything after their vacation. She can’t remember you, Stanley, and anyone she met during that period,” Ian explained. “The heart remembers what the mind forgets,” Sean whispered as he held his chest and felt his heartbeat.

“I’m afraid Jenny really has to take Hanna with her,” Stanley told Sean as he pat Sean’s back. “At least you’re almost cured,” Stanley said and smiled at him. Sean remained sad and hopeless. Jenny came to Sean’s room. “Are you feeling better now?” Jenny asked Sean as she smiled at him. “Almost,” Sean answered as he forced himself to smile. Jenny sat beside Sean, “I know you like my sister a lot, and I know she feels the same way for you,” said Jenny and held Sean’s hands. “Everything you did for her will be remembered, will be appreciated and kept in our hearts, Sean,” she told Sean and hugged him.