Caregiver

Part 4

The car ride was long and nerve-wrecking. Tao was anxious to meet this boy, though he knew not why, but he was also dreading it.

"Can we turn around?" He begged throughout the ride, but Leah only sped up each time. And now, they were at their destination.

"Ready?" Leah asked.

Tao shook he head. He ran for a bush where he barfed violently.

Leah merely ran to him and forced him into the tall white building just ahead of them. Tao wiped his mouth.

Leah drug Tao through endless hallways that curved like a snake around its prey, and to an elevator that stopped them on the third floor.

The two moved through a long passage way until they hit room 307. Tao noted their stop and felt the burn in his throat as he swallowed back his stomach acid.

"Go in." Leah urged. She took a seat on the floor outside of the room. "I'll wait."

"Leah, why...why am I doing this?"

"Science. Now go!"

Tao set his fingers on the cold knob and pulled. The door opened and he was greeted with crisp cold air. He took a step in and closed the door.

"Hello?" He called.

"Abby?" Came the echo.

"Uh...no...it's...Tao. I'm sorry to bother you, but I'm looking for...Oh Sehun and-"

"That's me." Said the voice.

"Oh." Tao deadpanned.

Out came a pale and tired looking Sehun. He wore a wrinkly hospital gown and a weary smile.

"Are you the caregiver?" He asked boldly.

Tao's face scrunched and his eyes widened. "Um..n...no."

"You are Tao, right?"

"Yes, but I-"

"Well, thank you for coming out when no one else could...or would."

Tao was quiet and filled with questions. What was Leah putting him up to? Who was this boy and why was Tao, a convicted 'criminal', his 'caregiver'? Why wouldn't anyone else come to take care of him? Tao was at a loss for words.

"You are welcome." He managed.

"Do you know Korean?" The boy questioned boldly. He walked to his bed and sat in it.

Tao nodded, still unsure of how to approach the situation.

"Then you'll understand if I call you hyung, right. It's not bad. I just like you, so I'll call you hyung. I can tell you're older than me. You look wiser hyung."

Tao nodded again. He watched the boy pull his slender frame under freshly pressed sheets. Tao sighed. He'd have to say something. He decided to start with a question.

"So...what do you do here?" He tried.

"I just lay around. I take tests. Not the kind you study for though." He added a second later, "I took a pee test this morning."

Tao didn't know what to say.

"Hyung. Thanks." He said plainly. He laid back in his bed and pulled the covers up to his chin.

"Sometimes...I get so...lonely." he trailed off. Tao watched as he dozed off and was soon in a deep sleep. He left the room promptly, still feeling unsure about everything.