Keys to Happiness

38. Aliah

My eyes fluttered with no conscious thought of my own. The small opening that my lids create can barely be called a blink, but that's all that I can manage. Like small weights, they don't move immediately when I try to force them open, some unknown pressure keeping them shut tight.

Nothing sticks in my head when I try to think; all the thoughts, images and sounds float in and out of focus together in a jumbled mess. I want to get up and shake myself out of the haze that's clouding everything, but I feel unbelievably tired and my limbs felt too substantial to move. Something is wrong with me, I just don't know what. And before I can figure it out I drift away again.

It could've been hours or maybe only seconds, but I came back to myself piece by piece until I was finally able to think properly. I internally began to search my body looking for what was wrong, looking for pain. I started at my toes and wiggled them slightly, relieved that I could. Next my thighs and hips, no major hurts there. So I'm not paralyzed or anything, that's got to be a bonus, I assured myself silently.

My arms were loose and fine but... Pain shot through me, almost causing my new clarity to fall to bits. My ribs hurt viciously and my head did too. It felt like someone was pounding on my skull trying to knock my brains out. And in the background of the bright bursts of pain was something else... what the hell was that noise? I listened harder, straining to make the sounds into words. But before words came to me, the timbre of the voice did.

KiBum! my head yelled out to me and suddenly all my thoughts came back in a rush. I remembered what had happened; I remembered being taken and being scared and I remembered the accident. But where was I? And... Was that KiBum crying? I felt fear start to rise in my chest as I struggled to open my eyes but they stayed stubbornly shut. As I fought against the heaviness that seemed to be pressing me into immobility, KiBum's cries grew louder. And finally, his words began to make sense.

"It hurts... It hurts so much that I'm dying, Lia."

My heart beat sped into overdrive at his words and renewed panic made me tense up my body. I couldn't stay like this, not when KiBum needed me. With everything that I had, I forced my mouth open.

"Just who said you could die, Kim KiBum?"

My throat was on fire but even so, the dry and cracking words managed escaped my mouth in whispers, my eyes still shut tight.

"A-Aliah? Aliah!" KiBum grabbed my hand and I strained to open my eyes, wanting more than anything to see his face.

"So noisy," I whispered again, my voice still breaking but stronger this time.

His own throat let out a choked laugh, stilted and short but it was a laugh and I felt my lips form into a smile.

"Mul," I whispered to him and with a gasp and the sound of hurried movements, a plastic cup was put against my lips. Cool liquid poured into my mouth and I drank down the water greedily, wanting the sandpaper-like feeling gone.

As the glass moved away I licked dry lips and with an energy I hadn't expected, slightly opened my eyes. I was met with bright lights and I instantly moaned, squeezing my eyes shut against the pain.

"Jagiyah! Mianhe, I'll turn the lights on low, OK."

The sound of KiBum footsteps and the consequent flick of a switch made me cautiously open my eyes again. I let myself adjust to the low lighting and finally took a full view of my surroundings. I was in a twin sized bed, with white cotton sheets spread all around me. The room was bigger than I had expected, with a bathroom, a small area for chairs and a table, as well as a cot pushed up against one wall. But finally my eyes found what they were looking for, the most important thing. KiBum came close to me and with an almost reverent face, he picked up my hand and kissed it.

"KiBum," I whispered as tears welled up inside my eyes. He placed his forehead onto mine and breathed deeply for several long minutes, not saying anything. Worried, I broke our silence.

"KiBum, I heard you crying. Are you ok? What happened?"

"Do you... Do you remember the car accident?" he said in a tight voice, his lips pulled into a thin line.

I nodded slowly, the movement making me wince slightly.

KiBum noticed and put his hand softly on my hair, his mouth turning down into a frown.

"You got pretty banged up Aliah. The doctor said you had some brain swelling and you fractured several ribs."

"Ah, that explains why my chest hurts so bad," I huffed out jokingly. "Now I think I know what a corset feels like."

"It's not funny!" KiBum hissed out on a whisper. "You could have died! You could've been in a coma for who knows how long. Nothing about this is a joke, Aliah."

As he pushed himself away from me, for the first time I took a long look at him. His words had shocked me, but his appearance made me tremble. Dark circles rimmed the undersides of his eyes, his hair sat messily atop his head as if he had been running his fingers through it continuously. None of his clothing matched and it was all rumpled to death. And his eyes themselves held so much pain that I wanted to cry out when I saw them. It was without a doubt the worst I had ever seen KiBum look, and for once it was my fault.

Wordlessly I held out my arms to him and he came to me just as silently. We cried together, and he mumbled 'thank you' over and over into my shoulder as I held him. I wasn't sure if he was talking me or not, but I held him tighter all the same, telling him that I was okay until he quieted.

The feel of KiBum in my arms once again was something that was brief. With a smile that seemed to break his face apart, he pressed a button on the wall, calling for a nurse.

"I'm sorry Jagiyah, I should've called them sooner but I was just so happy that you woke up."

Not even three minutes later, it seemed as if all the staff on the whole floor were now in my room. Commotion reigned as the doctor was alerted to my being awake and then the endless questions began.

As the doctor palpitated the area around my head lightly, his touch was beyond gentle so I tried not to make any noise even though it hurt. But KiBum noticed my expression and stepped closer to grab my hand.

"All in all Ms. Thomas, you seem to be on the road to recovery. Your brain's swelling has dissipated and your waking up was a big milestone. Of course, we'll be running some tests to ensure that everything's going ok, but it seems like a good bet that you'll be leaving this hospital within the next week or so."

His brow furrowed as he continued to talk. "Now, if your head aches or you have any trouble with your ribs; please let us know. No pain is too small, especially when dealing with head trauma alright?"

I nodded slightly to the doctor and his stern expression turned into a smile.

"Well then, you have a group of guys waiting outside to see you." He jerked his thumb at KiBum. "Including this one, they've been here almost every day. You ready to see them?"

Tears flowed down my face as I silently nodded my head yes, unable to imagine that SHINee had been concerned about me. It was one thing for KiBum to love me, it was something altogether knowing that the people he was thought of as family did as well.

"Don't cry Jagiyah," KiBum said while brushing away my tears. "They've been dying to see you too."

As the doctor left the room, the remaining members entered, making enough noise to raise the dead. Streamers, balloons and loud crackers went off as they surrounded me on all sides, their smiles warming me like nothing else. As each member told me of how they had missed me and showered me with unnecessary stuffed animals and cakes, I huddled closer to KiBum, feeling a renewed sense of safety. As I held on tight to his hand I felt myself settle back into place, and laughter filled my room long into the night.

A/N: The end is nigh!