Him Or Her (TaeNie & YoonLice)

5

- Lisa

"So, how's he?"
Chaeyoung, my friend, asked.

I am on a dinner break as of now.

"He is still comatose, not waking up."
I answered.

"You really kept him, don't you? What about his hospital bills?"
She asked concernly while chewing her food.

We are doctors, and I had kept a patient that I don't know the identity, has no guardians visiting him, and has no preference, like any cards or valid IDs.

"He has no ID, nor a wallet when he got here. We doesn't even know his name, his real name."
She asked after swallowing her food.

She is noisy at times, but it is because she is worried.

"It has been a year since he walked in here alone, and after we had operated his wound on his chest, he got comatose."
She blattered out.

"And the moment he had walked in here, he looks like he got beaten up. What if he is a criminal, we are keeping a criminal in our hospital, Lisa."
She is kind of blunt.

"So? He is still our patient. Innocent or not, we need to take care of the people who needs us. It's a mutual rule, as long as a person needs a help, we should give them. It is one said in our class before, even if we're in a war, if we saw a person who needs a first aid, alliance or enemy, we should give them help.
I abruptly answered and she just clicked her tongue.

"Besides that, three months ago, he opened his eyes but he is still unconscious. And one just last week, he did it again. But he kept on falling back."
I informed.

"And you're holding on to that?"
She asked, warmer voice this time.

My head bowed down...
And my eyes landed on the table between us.

"At least he gave us signs that he will survive."
I answered with a very low toned voice.

I suddenly remembered what happened a year ago...

He entered the emergency room, alone, and was walking on his bare feet.

He has a lot of wounds, and the one wound on his chest is bleeding severely. It could kill him anytime.

"Help, please, help."
His voice was hoarse, tears are visible on his blood stained face.

His lips are bleeding as well.

His hands has a lot of blood on it.

His shirt can be wring and the blood will drop out.

"Help."
It was his last word that night he came here. He passed out, due to exhaustion and plus, the lost of blood.

The nurses immediately rushed and took him, they rode him on a stretcher and as I was the one in charge for the operating room that night together with Chaeyoung, we operated him.

The wound on his chest was a deep cut, like a knife had been stabbed on him.

Gratefully, it haven't reached his heart, but it almost had. We stitched the wounds that needs it.

And as he is stable...
We waited for hours for him to wake up...

But days had passed, weeks had flew away, and he still didn't wake up. There we concluded, he is in a comatose state.

"Wait, why are you even keeping him exactly?"
My head lifted up to look at the woman who is just sarcastically asking me unnecessary things.

My eyes squinted as so hers did.

"What are you asking?"
I asked.

"Like, why? I mean, again, we don't know his name and you're keeping him like you are having something on him."
I know what she is pointing out.

"Do you...like him?"
She asked and my eyes widen in instant.

"Yah! What are you just asking!?"
I whisper yelled at her and she laughed.

"Base on your reaction, I would conclude that it us a yes."
She concluded.

My brows furrowed.

"And since when did you become a psychologist to read my emotions?"
I sarcastically defended myself.

"Like what you said, we don't know him, how could I...this is really useless, Chaeyoung-a."
I shook my head in disbelief and she just laughed at me hard.

"It's fine to fall for someone who is comatose, and you don't know the identity. It's better than falling for someone that is committed already and besides, he is kind of...a bit handsome, I have to admit that."
She complimented him and I am sure...

My cheeks are turning red, I would say.
I had to admit too, he is handsome.
His skin is pale, his eyes are black, I still can remember.

But still, I don't know his name...
I don't know him. No one does.
We don't even have a contact of his guardians, or his friends. I just kept him, and I am paying for his bills with my salary.

And even to myself...

I am wondering....

"Why am I exactly keeping him?"