Hospital for souls, ➼ y.jw

001.

♥︎

It used to be the same thing every day.

Wake up exactly at 6:00 am, shower, change, eat, pack my things, and then walk twenty minutes to school. I did that every morning except on weekends when I was able to wake up at 9.

When in school I would sit at the corner table like always, if I was lucky no one would sit next to me. Then I would study, eat, study, and go home. And when at home, I would study some more until it was time to eat, again. Then was my free time which I often used to read, and then it was already time to go to sleep.

The routine was the same every single day.

That was until I got diagnosed with ALS, I mean my routine was still normal then, the only thing that changed was doctor checkups now and then, as well as muscle pains, and the knowledge that I would die in a few years.

But it progressively got worse, so much that now all I could do was sit in a wheelchair and stare out the hospital window at the falling raindrops that drummed against the glass.

My dad and sister would come to visit me sometimes but I hated being the center of attention in any form so they usually came by once or twice a month.

I had been in the hospital for six months now, the doctors had said that maybe I'd be able to leave in only a couple more.

The only good thing that would come out of me being gone was a lot, actually since I was a person who brought really bad luck with me everywhere.

So it wasn't necessarily a bad thing I didn't have much time left, but not good either since it wasn't really what I wanted to do with life.

I stared at the raindrops, as they raced down the glass out of my sight.

one went by, then two, three, four, five, six...

The door to my room is rattled open and I hear footsteps. That was strange. It was already past my checkup time and my family would only usually visit during the thirteenth and twenty-sixth of the month so it couldn't be them either.

No matter how curious I got though, I was too spaced out with the raindrops to even think about turning around.

I think I heard someone's voice but I wasn't so sure, not until I heard it louder.

"Miss Na."

I recognized that voice it was one of the doctors here. Whatever-his-name-is Choi.

"Miss Na, sorry to interrupt your alone time but would it be alright if we talked?"

I watch the last raindrop form into a bigger one and then slide down the window out of my sight. That's the moment, I finally turn around.

"Yes, Doc?" I try to fake a smile, knowing full well he doesn't buy it but he still smiles back.

"A new patient just moved to room 143, and since you're one of the longer patients, do you think you could look after him and help him if he needs any help?" He asked me, walking over and sitting in the small chair next to the doorway.

I look at him like what he just said is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. "That's like on the other side of the building!"

"It's the room above this one."

"Why don't you ask someone else? People have been here longer than me! Like I don't know, Sunghoon? He's right down the hall too!"

"He's visiting his parents this week."

"Why me?"

"Because I want you to find friends."

"Ew."