She slowly opened her eyes, the bright light above her hurting her eyes. Her body felt stiff and numb. She couldn't feel anything, she was confused.
It was silent in the hospital room, except for the slow ticking of the clock and the beeping of the machines. Oxygen flooded into her mouth and nose through the mask on her face. She reached up and knocked the mask aside with a heavy hand. It was covered in plaster.
She frowned at her arm, flopping it back down into place. She was obviously in hospital, pumped full of drugs to the numb the pain, which would help explain her confusion.
What happened to me?
Then it all came rushing back in flashes. Two people stood on opposite sides, filled with love and smiles. The speeding car. The light catching the raindrops as the slowly fell. The scream tearing from Jennie's throat.
She tried to lift her head up, but it was like lifting dead weight. Her body had no strength, and the brace wrapped around her neck limited any movement. Panic rose in her throat, she tried to open her mouth but found that she couldn't. Her jaw was wired shut, stopping the broken pieces from shifting. She let out a weak groan.
The sound of someone moving nearby caught her attention. A face loomed over her, and she blinked, trying to bring it into focus through the swelling of her eyes and the lack of glasses. She made out brown hair, cut to just above the shoulders. A concerned face, white with worry. Those warm brown eyes, they were as familiar to her as her own.
"Shh you're okay," Rosé whispered, her hands fluttering frantically above the bruised and broken body, not knowing where to touch her. "You were in an accident; do you remember?"
She grunted in reply, tears stinging her eyes.
The sound of someone else shifting on the bed caught her attention. Her eyes flickered to the figure sat next to the bed, hunched forward in their chair so they could rest their head on the bed. One hand gently laying on the hospital blankets covering her broken body, as if they were making sure she was safe as they slept.
She was here.
Her Lisa.
She couldn't lift her head to see her properly, but Jennie would know that dark hair anywhere, spilling across the sheets as she slept.
"She hasn't left your side for three days," Rosé whispered, following Jennie's gaze. She smiled slightly, glancing back down at her sister. Her face turned serious again as she took in Jennie's puffy, bruised face, unrecognisable as she lay in the hospital bed.
"Don't ever do that again," Rosé warned her, gently stroking Jennie's hair. Jennie tried to smile at her sister, but it turned into a grimace of pain as her face muscles protested.
"Let me wake her up and then I'll go and find your doctor," Rosé said, placing a gentle kiss to Jennie's forehead before walking around to the other side of the bed. She gently shook Lisa awake.
As Lisa sat up, Jennie was able to see her face properly. She was paler than usual, black bruises under her eyes from worrying and a lack of sleep. Her hair was a mess, tangled into curls as if she hadn't brushed it in days, and her face was blotchy as if she had fallen asleep crying.
She turned her attention to Jennie straight away, checking to make sure she was okay. A look of surprise crossed her face when she realised Jennie was awake. She lunged forward, her hands shaking as they hovered above Jennie's body.
"You stupid, stupid girl," Lisa sobbed, her hands resting either side of Jennie's face. "Don't you ever do that again Jennie Kim or I swear to God I'll kill you myself."
Rosé laughed as she made her way over to the door, smiling over her shoulder at them both as she walked out of the room.
Fresh tears welled up in her eyes as she yelled at Jennie. This had been the worst three days of her life. Lisa thought being away from Jennie for the past three months had been bad, but all that pain had been obliterated by three days of uncertainty as she waited for Jennie to wake up. Praying that she would wake up.
A silent laugh shook Jennie's body as she listened to Lisa's threats. She would to it a thousand times over if it meant she could keep her safe. It was Lisa, her Lisa, it would always be her. Maybe it was selfish of Jennie, but she would rather die than watch Lisa die and have to live the rest of her life without her. Even if it meant Lisa had to live without her.
She noticed that Lisa's left arm was encased in plaster. Jennie frowned, trying to bring her arms up to sign. Her own plastered arm was heavy to lift, and as she tried to move the other one, she noticed the pins and brace holding it together. She hadn't thought about the repercussions of jumping in front of the car, Jennie had only been thinking about Lisa, but now she realised just how badly she was hurt.
She looked up at Lisa, frowning in confusion.
"You, uh, you're hurt a l-lot," Lisa stammered, tears sliding down her cheeks, "the d-doctor is going to come and tell y-you now." Her breathing kept hitching as she cried, looking down at Jennie's broken body. It was all her fault.
-----
Lisa closed her eyes, accepting her fate. At least she had got to see Jennie one last time. The image of her face was burnt into Lisa's eyelids, the last thing that she would see.
She never felt the car hit.
She felt the warmth of Jennie's body pressed up against her as she slammed into her. Lisa's eyes opened in shock as she was pushed out of the way. She fell hard on the curb, her wrist giving out under her weight as she landed at an awkward angle.
Her eyes were wide with horror as she looked into Jennie's eyes. Lisa's heart broke as Jennie gave her a sweet smile, her eyes crinkling at the corners. Her lips couldn't form the words as she stared at Jennie stood in the road.
The car ran straight into her, she didn't even have a chance to try and move out of its way.
A gut-wrenching scream tore out of Lisa's mouth as Jennie's body smacked into the bonnet of the car, cracking the windscreen before rolling over the hood, and off the back end of the car.
The car sped off as Lisa crawled into the road, unintelligible screams and sobs coming out of her mouth as she scrambled towards Jennie. Her tears mixed with the rain coursing down her face as she crawled forwards.
She cradled Jennie's body in her lap as the rain soaked them both. Blood dripped into the puddles, swirling into the water as they mixed. Lisa couldn't do anything as she sat there in shock, holding Jennie's limp body to her chest.
She was broken, her limbs held at awkward angles, the sharp points of splintered bones stabbing out of her skin. Lisa sobbed as she searched for her phone. She had to call an ambulance, that's what she had to do. Everything would be okay if she could just call an ambulance. They would fix Jennie.
Her sobs turned hysterical as she couldn't find her phone. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. Lisa was supposed to turn up outside Jennie's door, a bouquet of flowers, her heart on a silver platter, promising to never leave her again. Now Jennie was the one leaving her.
She didn't get the chance to call an ambulance. As Lisa knelt in a puddle of water, crying into Jennie's body, Rosé walked out of L-Corp. She was on her way home to Jisoo's place when she saw Lisa sat in the middle of the road, soaking wet.
Inching forward, Rosé knew something was wrong. "Lisa?" she yelled over the rain.
She didn't turn around as Rosé walked closer. Only then did she see Jennie, bloody and bruised, cradled gently in Lisa's arms.
"JENNIE!" the scream echoed around them as Rosé raced over to her sister.
"No no no, please God no," she cried, staring down at the peaceful face of her sister. Her eyes were closed, blood trickling from multiple cuts on her face. Her eyes were already ringed by dark bruises.
"Oh God, no no no," Rosé sobbed, the sound mixing with Lisa's own sobs.
"Did you call an ambulance?" Rosé asked, looking up at Lisa's face, white with shock as she cried. She didn't even register Rosé's words as she stared at her hands, drenched in blood as she pressed Jennie closer to her. She felt the stinging slap on her cheek, breaking her out of her shock. She blinked twice, looking up at Rosé.
"DID YOU CALL AN AMBULANCE?" Rosé screamed at her, her eyes wild with terror.
Lisa slowly shook her head, her mind taking a while to string the words together. "No, no I can't find my phone," Lisa choked out, looking back down at Jennie.
Rosé scrambled for her phone, punching in the number and frantically yelling their location at the operator.
It didn't take long for an ambulance to show up, bundling Jennie and Lisa into the back before racing off, Rosé following closely behind on her motorbike.
-----
Lisa choked back a sob as she thought about Jennie's broken body, so small and fragile in her arms as she bled out in the middle of the street.
They didn't have to wait long for the doctor to appear, bustling in, all business. Pillows were placed under Jennie's head so she could sit up slightly. She noticed the room was overflowing with bunches of plumerias, covering every surface and filling the room with a sweet smell.
Jennie had forty-seven broken bones. Not to mention the bruises and cuts covering every inch of her. She'd had to have multiple surgeries to set the bones in one arm, both legs, and her spine, as well as have her jaw wired shut. Then there was the internal bleeding in her abdomen from the blunt force of the car. The doctor said she had flatlined twice on the table, congratulating Jennie on still being alive, by some miracle.
She was going to have a lot of new scars to add to the ones she already had. Including new scars on top of the old scar tissue where her ribs had poked through her chest again. She would recover from all of those. Broken bones healed quickly.
A more concerning matter was her compressed spinal column. The doctor was confident that from the waist up Jennie would have a full range of motion and normal functioning. But from the waist down, she wasn't so sure. There was a chance that Jennie would recover through time and physical therapy, but there was a fairly large chance that she would be paralysed from the waist down.
Jennie lay there, blinking back tears as she took the news in. She wanted to be angry, she wanted to scream, but she couldn't.
How could she be angry when she had purposely put herself in this situation? She would never bring herself to regret taking Lisa's place. There were so many variables that could have made the outcome a thousand times worse if Lisa had been hit. Jennie might be at a funeral right now, instead of lying in a hospital bed.
If she was paralysed, she would get through it, and it would be worth it to know that Lisa was safe and okay.
"Do you have any questions?" the doctor asked, finishing up her speech about her treatment plan for Jennie.
Jennie shook her head as Lisa started to talk. "Oh, she can't speak," Lisa told her. She furrowed her brow as she looked over at Jennie, "or at least she couldn't, but she said my name before the car hit."
The doctor nodded, "that's been known to happen in traumatic situations, facing one's fears can negate the psychological block," she explained.
"How long has it been since you could talk?" she asked Jennie. Lisa answered for her.
"Is it thirteen years now?" she checked with Jennie, sure that the anniversary of her parent's death had passed in the last few months. Jennie nodded slightly in agreement.
"Well that's certainly a long time. The usual approach to this would be counselling; I can arrange for you to see a psychologist to help work through this for you. Considering the length of time you've been mute, I'd also suggest seeing a speech therapist to help speed things along and get you back to speaking properly," the doctor informed Jennie, who nodded along as she listened.
The doctor left not long after, leaving Jennie and Lisa lone.
"I'm so sorry Jennie," Lisa whispered, gently picking up Jennie's hand, holding the cold fingers between her warm hands. She pressed a kiss to the back of the plaster.
Jennie shook her head as much as she could, she didn't want to hear Lisa's apologies. Not for anything. She had no reason to apologise, especially not for this.
"It's my fault," Lisa insisted, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears. "Jisoo found and arrested the driver whilst you were unconscious, he-" Lisa broke off, staring up at the ceiling as she swallowed the lump in her throat.
"He was working for my mother, Jennie," she whispered, "her last revenge on a daughter she never loved. I bet she'll be shocked to hear that she didn't kill me." Lisa gave Jennie a bitter smile.
Jennie shook her head again. No matter what Lisa said, it wasn't her fault. She didn't pull Jennie in front of her to save herself, she had stood there in the middle of the road, accepting the fact that she wouldn't be able to move out of the way in time. Jennie had made the decision for her, and she would carry that decision on her own.
It didn't stop Lisa from feeling guilty though, as she gazed at Jennie's face. She didn't look like herself, with her puffy, bruised eyes and swollen nose, but Lisa stared at her with all of the love she felt. Nothing would ever change that.
"I love you," she whispered, giving Jennie a sad smile.
The monitor measuring Jennie's heart rate skipped a beat and they both smiled.
"I ... uv ... u," Jennie croaked out.
Between her broken jaw and vocal chords rusty with disuse, it didn't sound like much, but to Lisa it was everything. She had dreamt about the sound of Jennie's voice, what it would sound like to hear her say I love you, to listen to her name roll off Jennie's tongue, to hear her sing along to her favourite songs.
Jennie had a long way to go, but it was a start, and Lisa let out a tearful laugh as she kissed the back of Jennie's hand again.
-----
Rosé came back with a coffee in each hand, gently nudging the door open as she snuck back in. She leaned across the bed, handing one cup to Lisa, before dragging her chair closer and sitting down.
"Sorry, I didn't know if you were allowed coffee," Rosé apologised to Jennie, taking a sip out of the paper cup. Jennie rolled her eyes, the scabs on her lips cracking as she smiled.
"I called mom, she should be here soon," Rosé told Jennie, who nodded in acknowledgement. She was getting tired of nodding already. Not being able to speak or sign was a nightmare, especially now that she'd finally broken through the barrier that had been in place for thirteen years and spoken.
"I should probably leave when your mom gets here," Lisa said, rubbing her thumb along Jennie's split knuckles. A croaking sound from the back of Jennie's throat was the only protest she could manage. She didn't want Lisa to go, ever.
"Shh, it's okay, I'll come right back," Lisa reassured her, "I should just probably shower and change my clothes, it's been a few days."
"I didn't want to say anything but..." Rosé commented, smiling at Lisa, who rolled her eyes in return.
"Did you want me to bring you anything? Pyjamas? Do you have a spare pair of glasses so you can see properly?" Lisa asked. She waited for Jennie to reply, before realising that she couldn't use her hands. She'd never seen Jennie's muteness as a hindrance before, but now that she couldn't use her hands, it was frustrating not being able to communicate properly.
"Right, well I'll just pick up what I think you need," Lisa replied, "do you need me to bring you anything Rosé?" she asked turning to face her.
"No, I'm fine thank you," Rosé smiled at Lisa.
Jennie lay there slightly shocked at how familiar and comfortable Rosé and Lisa were around each other. Of course she knew they'd spent months working on Lisa's case and putting Lillian in prison, but they were friends. Lisa, the most distrusting person she knew, and her sister, the most cynical, were actually friends.
-----
Jessica showed up half an hour later. She'd been staying at Rosé's place for the past few days, as they took turns sitting by Jennie's bedside.
Except for Lisa, who stayed by her side from the moment visiting hours were open, until the nurses kicked her out of Jennie's room when they were over. After being kicked out of Jennie's room, Lisa would go to the waiting area at the front of the hospital and stay there all night, drinking cheap coffee from the vending machine and trying to nap in one of the hard, plastic chair. Rosé had brought her a change of clothes, and she'd tried washing the blood off in the toilets, but she still looked a mess. It had been a rough three days for her.
"Oh my little girl," Jessica sighed as she took in Jennie's appearance. She hurried over to the bed, placing a gentle kiss on Jennie's forehead.
"Never scare me like that again, I've been worried sick," Jessica scolded her as Rosé grinned in the background, laughing at her mom fussing over her sister. Turning around, Jessica planted a kiss on Rosé's forehead, before walking around the bed to Lisa, giving her a kiss too.
"Here, you can have my chair," Lisa said, standing up and offering it to Jessica.
"Oh no honey, I can stand, really," Jessica protested, smiling at Lisa.
"No really, I'm going to go home for a bit," Lisa told her.
She stepped closer to the bed, smiling down at Jennie. Gently cupping the side of her face, Lisa ran a thumb over one of Jennie's bruised cheekbones, barely touching her out of fear of hurting her.
"I won't be gone long, I promise," Lisa swore, a sincere expression on her face. Standing up straight she said goodbye to Jessica and Rosé before walking out, a backwards glance at Jennie before shutting the door behind her.
-----
Lisa was gone for an hour.
She couldn't bear to be gone from Jennie's side for any longer than that. After a quick shower, washing away the smell of the hospital and the last remnants of Jennie's blood, she changed into some fresh clothes. Feeling more like herself, Lisa checked in at L-Corp, the company coming to mind for the first time since she'd left the building three days ago. Jess assured her that everything was fine.
Next stop was Jennie's apartment. It had been months since Lisa had last stepped foot in here. It was like coming home after a long trip. Not that Lisa had ever felt at home anywhere before. But now she knew what that felt like. Jennie was her home.
She picked up a few things for Jennie. An old pair of glasses hidden at the back of the draw in her bedside table. A few books. Jennie's favourite pyjamas, and the blanket draped over the back of the sofa.
There was one last stop she made before making her way back to the hospital. Jennie's favourite café. Lisa couldn't stand the thought of Jennie eating hospital food, it was bland and tasteless, so she decided to pick her up something to eat on her way back. The only problem was that Jennie's jaw was wired shut so the only option was soup. Lisa picked up some chicken soup, remembering that it was supposed to make you better when you were sick. Not that she was foolish enough to think that it'd fix Jennie's broken bones, but it's what you were supposed to bring the people you cared about when they were unwell.
She quietly opened the door to Jennie's room when she made it back to the hospital, just in case she was sleeping. She wasn't.
Jessica was quietly talking to her, smiling at her youngest daughter. Jisoo must have already been and taken Rosé with her as she left, because she wasn't in the room. Jennie and Jessica looked up at the door when Lisa stepped in, smiling at the two of them.
"Hi, I brought you some soup," Lisa murmured, lifting the paper bag up.
Jennie smiled as much as she could, wincing in pain. Her pain medication was wearing off; she should be due for another dose soon. Lisa sat down in Rosé's vacant chair, putting down the bag she had packed with Jennie's things.
"I brought you some other things too," she told Jennie, unzipping the bag. First things first, she brought out the glasses, gently sliding them on to Jennie's face, mindful of Jennie's broken nose. Her eyes were still almost swollen shut, but she smiled up at Lisa's face as it came into sharp focus.
Next she pulled out the blanket, laying it over Jennie and drawing it up to her chin. "It's a bit cold in here so I brought your blanket, just in case you're not warm enough, these sheets are quite thing," Lisa fussed as she tucked the blanket in around Jennie, careful not to bump he metal braces encasing her arm and legs.
Jessica sat there with a bemused smile on her face, watching as Lisa fussed around her daughter, pulling out toiletries and clean pyjamas. Lisa had been sure to only bring oversized t-shirts that Jennie would be able to wear around the wires taped to her and the bulky casts. She had thought of everything that Jennie would need to stay comfortable whilst she was in here.
The love between the two of them was palpable as Lisa gazed at Jennie, smiling widely the entire time. She still felt guilty, no matter what Jennie said, but her whole body was filled with relief, and love. So much love she thought she would explode.
Jessica left a little while later, leaving them to it with a kiss on both of their foreheads and promises of coming back in the morning. She had no doubt that Lisa would be here all night. Probably every day until Jennie was released.
Lisa pulled her chair right up next to Jennie, as close as she could get without getting on the bed. Carefully, she spooned mouthfuls of chicken soup out of the container, holding it above Jennie's mouth as she let it dribble it. It was a messy affair, but Lisa was patient, wiping at Jennie's mouth as she accidentally dribbled soup everywhere. Once she had finished all the soup, Lisa held a cup of water up for Jennie, holding the straw to her mouth as she sipped. Then the pain medication came, sliding through the tubes and hitting Jennie's bloodstream in a rush. She felt the pain and tension drift away, smiling as she relaxed into the pillows.
Lisa talked to her for hours, filling her in on the past few months. She wanted to tell Jennie everything, every tiny detail that she had missed. There had been moments when Lisa had struggled with the urge to call Jennie and tell her what had happened that day. Jennie was content, laying there listening to Lisa talk, watching her eyes light up, her hands gesturing wildly.
Oh God she loved her so much. It might not have been ideal circumstances but Jennie didn't want to be anywhere else. All she really wanted now was to feel Lisa's lips on hers. It had been so long and it was maddening.
"ss... e," Jennie couldn't distinguish the sounds clearly enough, but that was all she could manage right now.
Lisa broke off mid story, jumping slightly, still not used to the fact that Jennie could talk. Sort of.
"What is it? What's wrong?" she panicked, her hands fluttering nervously over Jennie, trying to find the problem. Jennie rolled her eyes, groaning in frustration. She tried clearing her throat.
"Tish ve," she mumbled, her jaw aching as she fought against the wires keeping her jaw locked shut.
"Tish ve? What does that mean, oh!" she let out a surprised sound as Jennie pursed her lips, her eyes crinkling at the corners as she smiled. A look of uncertainty crossed Lisa's face. She didn't want to push things with Jennie. They'd been apart for so long, and whilst they had clung on to the love they had for each other, that didn't change things. And now that Jennie was badly injured, Lisa was hesitant to touch her, scared by how breakable Jennie seemed. This wasn't how she had wanted their next kiss to go.
"Jennie I'm not sure that's a good idea," Lisa whispered, frowning slightly as she tilted her head to the side. Jennie sighed in frustration, rolling her eyes.
"Eea peas," Jennie begged, her fingers groping at the sheets as she tried to find Lisa's hand. Reaching out, Lisa smiled, gently tangling her fingers with Jennie's. She stood up, hovering above Jennie's face, placing her other hand by the side of Jennie's head to prop herself up.
She hesitated.
She was nervous, she had been waiting for this moment since the last time she had kissed Jennie. Dreaming about the warmth of their lips pressed together, her hands tangling in Jennie's golden hair.
The monitor measuring Jennie's heart rate sped up as she stared at Lisa in anticipation. In one quick movement, Lisa lowered her face to Jennie's, capturing her lips with her own.
Finally.
The heart monitor went wild as Jennie's heart rate sped up. She pushed back against Lisa's lips as much as she could, relishing the feeling of Lisa's soft, warm lips against her own split and swollen ones.
Lisa pulled back, her cheeks flushed and her eyes sparkling. She gave Jennie a flirty smile, one side of her mouth pulling up at the corner.
"That's all for now," she whispered, pressing a soft kiss to Jennie's forehead.
It was like coming home; for both of them.
-----
It was late.
The moon filtered in through the blinds, casting lines across the room. It was quiet in the hospital room, except for the clicking and beeping of the machines. Two figures were illuminated by the soft light of the lamp in the corner of the room.
Jennie lay tucked into the bed. She looked uncomfortable laying on her back, her body all straight lines as the pins kept her held together, but her face was peaceful, painless. Curled up next to her on top of the covers was Lisa, her head resting against Jennie's. She had spread Jennie's blanket over the two of them, revelling in the warmth of Jennie sleeping next to her, but careful not to touch her even whilst she was sleeping. A book was resting on Lisa's side, open at the page she had been reading aloud to Jennie when they had both drifted off to sleep. Jennie lulled by Lisa's soft voice bringing the words to life, and Lisa by the steady, comforting thud of Jennie's heartbeat that she could feel where their shoulders touched.
They were both fast asleep, breathing in sync as they subconsciously fell into a routine. Despite everything they'd been through, both of them looked content as they slept next to each other, surrounded by the comforting smell of familiar flowers and the warmth of each other.
A nurse came in to check on Jennie. Visiting hours were over by this time, but seeing them both sound asleep next to each other brought a smile to the nurse's face. He'd kicked Lisa out of the room every night that Jennie had been in here, but now he didn't have the heart to. Instead he went back to work, leaving them both oblivious to the hospital rushing around them.