I woke up that night, my chest so tight I couldn't breathe. I vomited until I couldn't walk, my eyes fading into white. My mom came in, dialling an ambulance as she held me in her arms. She rocked my back and forth until they arrived, taking me to the hospital. The signs of deterioration in me were so obvious but I hadn't cared to notice, too absorbed in nothingness to realise I was shutting down. I was getting worse now, quicker than before. There was no denying that I didn't have long left and the realisation had only just sunk in. My fingers held onto the hospital bed, tightly gripping onto the metal railing. Breathing was becoming harder now, every time I inhaled a wave of pain rushed over me.
The walls were painted a pale yellow, a colour I hated. The room itself felt suffocating despite its large size, the walls itself seeming to suck out all air. A single window beside the bed distracted me from the prison like atmosphere of the hospital. Boredom was the only emotion I felt when trapped in the room, no form of entertainment as I sat in the bed. Being so alone and silent left me to my thoughts, trapping me inside my own head. My eyes drifted from the window down to the light blue hospital gown that draped over my slim body. All the wires and tubes attached to me made me feel uneasy and uncomfortable, just the thought of being hooked onto a machine made me unsettled. If he was here he would cheer me up and distract me and I could forget about all of this, only for a little while. But that was the whole point, I wasn't allowed to forget.
-
TAEHYUNG'S POV
I combed my hands through my hair, the soft locks falling just above my eyebrows as I walked into the opening of the trees. The familiar train tracks came into sight as I entered our spot, a shooting ache appearing in my chest. A frown fell of my face when I looked around, everything destroyed and broken. The wooden palettes scattered across the ground and broken, everything turned upside down. A shiny black object caught my eye, my gaze drifting down to the ground. I walked closer to it and bent down to get a closer look, confusion settling on my face. It was her sketchbook, laying in a puddle and the pages worn and soaked. Did she do this?
The question floated in the air, not thinking of any other explanation. My hands reached to the edges of the book, pulling it out and shaking off the excess water that dripped onto the mud. As I walked back to the house I held tightly onto the book, my eyes wandering up to her window as I unlocked the door. She was probably in there, alone. I unlocked the door and went inside, jogging up to my room and opening the door. The heater beside the window was warm enough to dry the book as I placed it over the top so it rested gently, allowing the pages to dry. They reminded me of her, the beautiful sketches now destroyed. I missed her.
"Taehyung!" The feminine voice called out, making me jump.
"Yes Eomma?" I replied, walking to the hallway to see her.
"Can you go to the store please, we ran out of eggs and milk" she called, fishing though her pockets for change. I nodded reluctantly and walked down the stairs, taking the money from her hands. She ruffled my hair, smiling at me. As I left the house and begun walking to the store my moms drifted back to the train tracks, why would she have destroyed it? Unanswered questions circled through my brain as the store lights came into view. I entered the building through the glass doors, the warmth enveloping me as I stood inside. Funny how I still felt cold.
5:48pm
Mom:
I forgot to ask, can you get some medicine for Eonjin she's not feeling well
Me:
Okay
I walked around the store and picked up the little things I needed, finally heading to the last destination. As I entered the medical aisle I began scanning the shelves looking for the specific medicine I needed.
"Taehyung?" A soft voice called out, followed by a light tap on my shoulder. I looked up to see Mrs Park standing beside me, a sad look on her face.
"Oh hi Mrs Kim" I greeted, a sudden sadness washing over me at how much she reminded me of her.
"How have you been, I haven't see you in a while" she said, frowning slightly.
"Yeah me and Areum...we had a fight" I said, not knowing how to explain.
"Is it about the medicine? I told her to take them but she doesn't listen to me, she says they don't help-"
"Medicine?" I asked, confusion filling me head. Why does she need medicine she's not sick? She returned a confused expression before her face went pale and any hint of happiness drained from her face.
"She didn't tell you did she?" She said quietly, looking away.
"Tell me what?" I persisted, panic starting to settle in.
"Maybe we should talk about this later-" she said, hurriedly packing up her things and avoiding my gaze.
"Wait Mrs Park what's wrong?" I said, starting to feel uneasy.
"I need to go, I'll see you soon Taehyung" she said, turning away.
"Please" I said, desperation clear in my eyes as I watched her. She took a deep breath and smoothed down her dress, her gaze meeting mine. A sad and pained expression laid in her eyes, one I couldn't describe.
"Areum is in hospital"
"What why?" I said, waves of panic beginning to circulate through my system.
"She's dying Taehyung"
