CURTAINS: Chapter 2
CURTAINS
chapter 2
Pairing: Jonghyun/Minho
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Angst
CHAPTER 2
Minho was sure that Jonghyun was some kind of alien creature from another planet. On the second day, he snuck a Nintendo DS into their room, and they both played Pokémon together. Actually, Minho was watching reproachfully as Jonghyun played. But after Jonghyun failed to defeat the first gym leader after two tries, Minho had yanked the game from his hands.
“You’ve been lonely, haven’t you?” Jonghyun asked as Minho played. “Don’t worry. I’ll stay with you until you leave.” Minho pretended not to hear Jonghyun over the beeps of the game.
Communication with the older boy came surprisingly easily to Minho. Jonghyun was a talkative boy, while Minho was naturally a bit more on the quiet side. Then again, hat didn’t stop Jonghyun from being able to read him like a book.
“What? Are you upset that I won? Life’s full of chances--take it lightly, okay?’ Jonghyun laughed after they both had an intense round of Wii Tennis on their hospital TV. He looked at Minho again. “Stop giving me that look! We can play again if you really want to,” he said, rolling his eyes. Minho felt like a kid being spoiled by his parents when he was with Jonghyun- but he didn’t especially hate it.
The walls came down with the swish of the curtains as the older boy entered Minho’s side of the room.
Alone in his bed, Minho often wondered what exactly was wrong with Jonghyun. His last roommate had only stayed for two weeks, but it had been almost a month since Jonghyun came as his roommate.
It happened one day as they were reading a comic book together on Minho’s bed.
The nurse came in, as she did every day.
“Mr. Choi, are you sure that you don’t want to go to Dr. Park today? He says that there’s a chance for you to be able to ta--“ Minho shook his head, like always, and the nurse had turned her attention to Jonghyun as per usual.
“KIM JONGHYUN, GET BACK TO YOUR BED!” she yelled at the pouting Jonghyun before leaving the room.
“Why won’t you go to Dr. Park?” Jonghyun asked as he flipped the page. “I know that it’s not my place to say--but even though Park looks like a gorilla, he’s a really good doctor; he probably can get your voice back.” It was a conversation they had almost every day.
“If I can’t sing, then I don’t want my voice back.” He tried to deliver this message to Jonghyun through body language, and Jonghyun threw up his hands in exasperation, like always. Suddenly, he closed the book and tossed it onto Minho’s lap.
“I’m going to get going,” he said as he walked quickly to the curtain. Before he could reach, though, Jonghyun staggered, crashing to the floor. Minho tried to jump up and help him, but the sling on his leg stopped him. He struggled, helplessly looking on as Jonghyun grappled with the curtain, trying to raise himself up.
“Stay there!” he commanded Minho, his voice coming out in gasps. “Press the call button on your bed--DO IT QUICKLY!” he yelled as he lost his grip on the curtains and tumbled to the ground once more.
After that day, Minho tried to be more careful with Jonghyun, but the older boy wouldn’t permit it.
“I’m not some doll,” he would say, laughing, “and I’m not going any easier on you in Star Wars.” But Minho knew that something was wrong. There were days in the past when Jonghyun didn’t feel well enough to cross through the curtain and talk to Minho, but the younger boy never thought much of it. Until it started happening more and more often. He heard the nurses talk about medicine failing, through that thin door. So he sat on the other side of the curtain, praying silently. He had never really been a religious person, but he wanted Jonghyun to be okay.
Days passed into weeks and Minho finally got his cast put on.
“You’re going to be discharged in two days--aren't you excited?” Dr. Park asked, smiling as he stood up and stretched. Minho felt as though he had been struck by thunder. He stood there on his crutches feeling numb for a while. “…But listen. I know that you don’t want to, but I think that I can really help your voice...” But Minho had already walked out of the room. He sat down on his bed, staring at the curtain. It had been one of the bad days, and he hadn’t seen the cheerful boy all day.
“Minho,” came the weak voice from beyond the curtain, “congratulations.”
Minho turned away from the curtain, even though he knew that Jonghyun wouldn’t be able to see his tears through it anyway.