JiMina Collection

From Within The Rubble ~ Part 9

              Mina woke up with a jolt. Sweat beaded her forehead as she trembled slightly in bed. Nightmares riddled her restless sleep, no matter how hard she tried to remain prolonged in slumber. Countless times, she woke up in the middle of the night, unable to erase the daunting effects of the devastating memories constantly flooding her weary mind. Over and over again, she watched Jimin's heart monitor flat-line in her dreams. She stood there, unable to move as his body was buried deep beneath the concrete and rubble.

             Sitting upright, she took deep, steadying breaths and looked at the time feebly displayed on the digital clock. It was nearing 2 o'clock in the morning. Mina felt helpless, as she'd done nothing but try her hardest to sleep, yet have to repeatedly wake up in short intervals of an hour or less. She tried to find solace in the fact that she would be discharged in a matter of hours, meaning that she would spend the night at home, in her own bed. But, at the same time, she'd be farther away from Jimin. 

             Mina sighed. Here she was, on that touchy topic once more. She wondered why he mattered so much to her. Why was he was willing to put himself in harm's way for her safety? Jimin still hadn't awaken, and she didn't know when he would. The kind nurse assigned to her had kindly followed Mina's requests and constantly updated her on Jimin's whereabouts and medical state. She was told that, during the collapse, Jimin had sustained multiple head injuries which induced him into a comatose state. Miraculously, he did not suffer from any horribly broken bones and was instead riddled with various fractures. Mina felt guilt tug at her insides once more and looked around to distract herself.

             Her bedside table was completely covered in little gifts, flowers, and get-well cards. It was full to the point where the items nearest to the edge threatened to topple over and spill onto the floor. Mina was about to lie down once again when a small glint of reflected light caught her eye. Turning to look closer, she easily recognized the familiar figure among the other miscellaneous objects on her bedside and smiled. It was a tiny, blue crystal figurine that was sculpted beautifully into the shape of a penguin. The little figure was something akin to a good luck charm, as it usually resided on top of her own bedside table back at home. Somebody must have brought it here as a source of comfort. Mina sighed as she slumped back into the covers, yet felt surprisingly reassured. With a bit of luck, anything could happen, right? To her astonishment the next morning, Mina slept soundly, savoring a calm and dreamless slumber, right until she woke up alongside the beaming, brilliant winter sun.

                  In the late hours of morning, Mina was in the midst of packing her gifts and belongings, eager to return home. It took a while, but eventually, she was up and ready to go. She picked up the little penguin charm and reached for her bag. However, with her hand mid-way there, she stopped and decided that it would be better to keep it closer to her person. Just as Mina placed the sparkling charm securely in her pocket, she was met by a familiar face. It was the nurse who looked over her.

"Oh! You're awake! You aren't discharged from the hospital until at least an hour later!" she said, panting slightly.

"I know," Mina responded with a smile. "I was just excited, so I started packing a little early."

"I have great news, honey." the nurse informed her. "Park Jimin was declared stable enough for visitors just now."

"Really?" Mina asked, eyes wide with anticipation. "Oh please, let me visit. Is he awake yet?"

"I can take you there now. But sadly, he's still not up." The nurse offered. 

                   With a curt nod of affirmation, Mina followed the friendly nurse deeper into the hospital corridors. Stopping at a door just like hers, the nurse pushed the door open and let Mina inside. 

"I'll give you some time alone. Feel free to contact friends and family." the nurse whispered, then promptly left the room. Before walking all the way in, Mina grabbed her recently-found phone and texted her members about the great news. She knew they'd spread the world to BTS. Sighing, she put away her phone and stumbled in.

                  Shaking with nerves, Mina took a first glance at the room. It was like a still-life painting. The walls, bed, and floors were a crisp, flawless white. The room could've been a black and white photo if it wasn't for the male figure lying on the bed. Cardiac monitors crowded his body and the steady beeps they emitted were surprisingly reassuring. Pulling a chair over to his bedside, Mina tried her best not to cry as she grasped his seemingly lifeless hands in hers. Jimin looked so peaceful, he could've been sleeping. However, Mina knew that if she called out to him, she would only be met with disappointment, for he wouldn't be able to hear her cries. Slowly reaching towards his head, Mina brushed stray pieces of hair off his face. Her fingertips trailed softly down his cheeks, nose, and jaw. Like always, her thoughts returned to the events concerning the collapse. 

              To put it simply, Mina felt confused. Just days ago, she felt awkward in the presence of a stranger she'd just met. She was only forced into that situation, due to the fact that she was literally trapped with him. And yet, here she was, crying for him as if she'd known him for years. Even more mind-blowing, was the fact that Jimin had willingly kissed her. A real kiss. Right before he sacrificed his own safety for hers. She couldn't comprehend why Jimin induced these... feelings inside her. Was this love? Could it happen so quickly and still maintain its validity? Mina simply didn't know, and yet as she looked at his face, she was overcome with temptation and pity.

"Jimin, I-I never got to say thank-you. You saved my life so many times, and even if you can't hear me, I just wanted you to know. Whenever you wake up, I'll say it again. And again. And again. Jimin, please wake up soon. We need you. I... I-I need you." Mina whispered. It felt weird to say something like that out loud, but it was exactly how she felt. She quickly glanced at the door, and when no one was there, she turned back to Jimin. Leaning over, she pressed a soft, sweet kiss on the tip of his nose.

              Just then, the door opened with a bang and the room was suddenly flooded with the collective members of TWICE and BTS. Quickly, Mina put as much distance between her and Jimin as she could. However, no one was paying much attention to her at all and instead had their eyes trained on Jimin. Finally, all sixteen of them were together in one room. The significance of this moment was tremendous as several of them cried tears of both joy and sadness.

              It was another hour before they began to file out of Jimin's ward. Mina was the last to leave and took a long, final look at Jimin's serene, sleeping form. It hurt to tear her eyes away. Putting her hands in her cozy, small pockets with a heaving sigh, Mina turned to leave. However, when she came in contact with a certain small, crystalline object between her fingers, she froze.

"Mina, are you coming out?" Jihyo called, holding open the door.

"Just a minute!" Mina called in response, before walking back towards the bed to do one last thing. Adding a final touch, if you could call it that.

               When they eventually closed the door behind them, the room remained much like it was before they had ever entered it. The walls were just as white. Jimin was just as still. It was almost the exact same still-life painting as before. Almost. The only difference remained in the small, bright blue figure that now sat upon the bedside table and challenged the ward's monochrome tones. It watched over the comatose patient, bringing a hint of life and beauty into the dull room. Jimin was now lovingly accompanied by a tiny, crystal penguin charm. After all, with a little bit of luck, anything could happen. Right?