Flash From The Past | JENLISA

I

Lisa just nodded, staring down at the floor, terrified of what would happen if Rosé was wrong. Terrified of the worst. Terrified of what would happen if she lost Jennie.

It was thirty minutes later when the trio was finally led to Jennie's room. If Lisa was scared before, the sight that greeted her froze every muscle in her body. Jennie lay in the hospital bed, bruised and broken. She had a set of stitches across her forehead that matched the set along the right side of her jawline, cuts and scratches littering her face and arms, tubes and lines hooked up to all sorts of machines that beeped and buzzed around her. The nurse had warned them that the sight may be shocking, but Lisa was not prepared for this. Jennie was the strong one, the one that could carry the world on her shoulders. But laying there in that hospital bed, she looked so small and fragile.

It had been eight days since that night. Eight days and Jennie still hadn't woken up. Eight days of the doctors performing test after test, attempting to get any sort of response from the tiny journalist without success. Eight days of Lisa never leaving Jennie's side for more than five minutes, spending her days begging Jennie to wake up and her nights huddled in an uncomfortable chair to the right of Jennie's bed, holding her hand, and staring at the sleeping girl that had stolen her heart all those years ago. Today was the first time she'd left the room at all, having taken advantage of Jisoo, Rosé, and even Jennie's father, who had arrived the morning after the accident, to bring her whatever she needed as she waited for Jennie to come around. They'd all suggested that she take some time away, but it wasn't until she was forced out by a persistent Rosé that she actually left. Now that she was back, the guilt she felt from leaving in the first place was beginning to overwhelm her. What if something had happened while she was gone? What if she missed something? Rubbing her hands over her face with a sigh, she rounded the corner towards Jennie's room and was immediately met with an anxious Rosé and overly exuberant Jisoo.

"There you are! We've been calling you for the past hour, why didn't you answer your phone? You and Mr. Kim have both been totally MIA and it's really not okay!" The eager tone of Jisoo's voice caught her off guard.

"What's going on?" Lisa asked, glancing down at her very dead iPhone and realizing for the first time that she hadn't used it since she last talked to Minnie a few days ago. "Did something happen? Is she-"

"Awake! She's awake!"

"Are you serious?"

She didn't even bother waiting for an answer as she barreled past Jisoo and Rosé and into the beige hospital room, her eyes immediately meeting those of the woman she loved. She was awake. She was okay. Hearing Jisoo and Rosé rush in behind her, she let out the deep breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, and felt her lips turn up in the biggest smile she'd had in weeks.

"Hey, cupcake, about time you woke up. I've missed those gorgeous brown eyes," she said, slowly walking towards the bed and taking Jennie's free hand, smiling down at the prone girl. It was taking everything she had to keep the tears welling in her eyes at bay, but she couldn't break down now. Not when Jennie was staring back at her expectantly. "How are you feeling?"

"Um, I don't know. Sore. Confused. Tired."

"I think that's the fewest words I've ever heard you use," Lisa chuckled, tenderly brushing her thumb across a few bruised knuckles.

"Yeah... I just um... I'm sorry, I don't understand." Pausing, Jennie looked around the room, briefly making eye contact with Jisoo and Rosé at the foot of the bed.

"Don't understand what, cutie?"

Turning her gaze back to Lisa, she momentarily floundered as she tried to find the right words. Briefly glancing down at their joined hands only seemed to heighten her panic.

"Jennie, sweetie, you were in a car accident. But everything is going to be fine," Rosé anxiously chimed in, looking for some way to be helpful.

"Yeah, I know. I remember the crash. I was on my way back from researching that article on bee pollination and you'd just called to invite me over for movies," she said, turning back to Rosé and Jisoo.

"Yeah, Rosé was starting a batch of double chocolate brownies when you guys hung up," Jisoo chimed in helpfully.

"Right, I remember I told her I desperately needed to pick me up and she offered. I just, I don't remember..." Jennie paused, once again glancing back and forth from her hand gently clasped in Lisa's to the blonde girl's anxious eyes. Carefully pulling her hand away, she closed her eyes and briefly shook her head, seemingly trying to collect herself. When she opened her eyes again she was met with a confused look from the girl next to her.

"Don't remember what? What is it, Jennie?"

"Who are you?"