From mid-morning till midnight, twins literally spent in the hospital waiting room. Kang Chin Mae was running out of patience, and all he wanted was having his pregnant wife in his arm as he sings a lullaby for her and their kid. One could have many wishes, but that doesn't mean it would happen. For the nth time, he checked his phone for the time and realised the phone's battery started to drain. He decided to stop checking the phone when the battery reached 22% and put it on battery saver mode.
The doctors stepped out of the operation theatre after what seemed like an eternity. Kang Chin Mae was way too eager to leave the hospital at this point. "Operation was a success, but there would be a residual effect. There was a ligament tear in the left ankle, and the right ankle had a fracture. Both the knees were injured. He needs to be under proper rest for two months without moving. He also needs to do physiotherapy to be better. Ligament tear on his right shoulder is mild, but he's right arm needs to be on a sling for the proper recovery" Ortho-specialist went on for a while, explaining how lucky Young Jae was for not breaking his neck. But he needed proper bed rest without moving for a month speedy recovery.
"There were internal abdominal injury and bleeding. It has been treated. But he needs to be cautious about his food intake. Liquids are best for the week. Get a dietician appointment scheduled for him. He is unhealthily weak and very malnourished too." Another doctor continued, and at this point, Kang Chin Mae didn't even care to find out who the doctor was.
On the other hand, Moon Chin Hae planned to do everything and beyond what the doctor was mentioning. Finally, the neurologist stepped with a grave expression making Moon Chin Hae feel a bad premonition.
"He had a multiple concussion. Thankfully, there was no injury. Apart from the aftermath of the concussion, we need to wait for him to become conscious of seeing if there are any other issues." The doctor finished, and Chin Hae interrupted abruptly.
"Can't we run more test to find if there is anything wrong?" Desperation and helplessness were evident in his voice.
Before the doctor answers, Kang Chin Mae answered. "They did their best. He needs to be conscious to find if there are issues. Also, there could be nothing too. Stop being a pessimist with everything."
Instead of getting annoyed, Chin Hae felt sort of comfort. Maybe he was overthinking as always and nodded the head in agreement. Even though his twin brother never acknowledged him as a brother or treated him with any kindness, Kang Chin Mae knew him well. Nothing slips that observant's eyes, and he always keeps an eye out for him because of BB and Baby doll. Kang Chin Mae considers them as his siblings and would do everything in his power to make them not to worry… even if it includes keeping an eye out for someone he never liked.
"Mr Moon Young Jae would be under observation for a few days. We will be shifting him to the Supreme ward soon. It would take some time for the anaesthesia to wear off. He would wake up tomorrow only." The doctor finished but was still waiting for Kang Chin Mae to dismiss him.
Kang Chin Mae observed Moon Chin Hae and dismissed the doctors only when he was sure that his twin didn't have any more question at the moment.
There was a deafening silence that occurred on them. Both lost in their thought for a while.
Moon Chin Hae wondered how to convince his cousin to accept his help and leave the useless Moon family.
Whereas Kang Chin Mae was thinking about ways to take care of Moon Young Jae, he would be practically bedridden for a couple of months and then physiotherapy. Even though he didn't pay much attention to the doctors' words, the word 'unhealthy and malnourishment' stood out to him. Chin Mae was weak and malnourished once. He was in a wheelchair for a long time, without any physical activity apart from physiotherapy. Too much medicine in him made him weak, and irrespective of eating healthy, nourishment never stayed in his body.
Chin Mae's story was different. He was thrown from the 11th floor when he was not even 4-years-old. He was weak and ill since then till a crazy doctor agreed to treat him. Basically, he was turned into an experiment and guinea pig for new medicine.
He became healthy only when he was 15 years, and he was able to take his first step with a shaking body and weak leg when he was 16. It took almost another year to get rid of the wheelchair completely. BB made sure he stands on his own and stay healthy. BB personally trained him with martial arts and self-defence.
Maybe it was his time to give something to someone rather than being on the receiving end. He decided to make sure Young Jae becomes healthy as soon as possible. For that, he needs to contact that crazy doctor after talking with BB.
Both were devising plans in their own head till a nurse came and informed them about Moon Young Jae being moved to a supreme ward, and they can visit if they wish to. With a nod, they followed the nurse.
Compared to other hospitals, the supreme wards of this hospital were unique. There were only five supreme wards, and it opened only to the members of the chairman's family and friends. Each supreme ward has a small guest room, with a mini kitchen, refrigerator, television, some board games and a lounge for the visitor, which could lavishly accommodate ten people. The lounge would be a little away from the patient.
A nurse would be exclusively stationed near the patient, and an on-call doctor would be waiting on the floor to give their facilitation right away. Kang Chin Mae called the chairman personally and requested it. Even if he didn't call, BB would have informed his father and made sure everything was taken care of. After all, BB, his best friend who was like an elder brother, would never let anyone close to him or Chin Hae suffer... especially in his father's owns the hospital.
Once both the twins saw that Young Jae was as comfortable as he could be and the nurse and a doctor were also stationed in the ward, they were satisfied.
"I am going home. What about you?" Kang Chin Mae asked.
Automatically a sad smile appeared on Chin Hae's face. "I am going to stay and take care of him. I don't want to leave him alone when he was unconscious and vulnerable." His firm words didn't leave any chance for an argument, and Kang Chin Mae was never even inclined to start an argument in the first place.
With a nod, Chin Mae left the room and hospital. Moon Chin Hae looked at the disappearing back with sadness and worry. He couldn't shake the voice that says, 'For Kang Chin Mae, I was never a brother… will never be his twin brother...'
Instead of going to the guest room to take a rest, he sat on the lounge, 15 steps or so away from his cousin. He decided to take a nap there itself thinking, 'what if Young Jae woke up in the middle of the night?'
Unfortunately, Young Jae didn't wake up even when the morning came.
BB sent some change clothes, toiletries, and food for him and fresh juice for Young Jae in case he was up. Unfortunately, Moon Chin Hae had to finish both. There was no word from Kang Chin Mae, and all Chin Hae could do was scold himself even to think that his twin would come and visit. What he did yesterday itself was way out of character.
With a stiff neck and tired face, all he could do was stare at his cousin with whom he had very less interaction. Moon Chin Hae couldn't help him four years back when Young Jae was unofficially kicked out of the house.
At that time, Chin Hae was still a refuge in the shadow of BB and his family. He had Wang Min Jun save him and bring him to BB, but his cousin didn't have any to help. He knew BB wouldn't refuse to help his cousin if asked, but he was too embarrassed to ask as a freeloader for years.
Now everything was changed. He knew BB saw him as a family and made him godfather to his son. BB's wife literally calls him 'nae dongsaeng.'
But he was too late to help his cousin.
All of a sudden, he couldn't help but imagine his sister sunny in the pool of blood and him failing to save her. The image in his head made his blood ran cold.
"Stop over-thinking already." A voice scolded him sternly.
With a startle, he looked at the door. Kang Chin Mae entered with a basket in his hand. Shocked with his twin's presence, all he could do was stare at him, worried that if he blinked, it would be proved that he was hallucinating because of over-thinking. Is that even possible? To hallucinate because of overthinking?
Before he ponders more and overworks his average brain, Kang Chin Mae pulled him out of thoughts again. "Get fresh and come. We will have lunch."
Moon Chin Hae was surprised by the invite and concerned, 'what if the food was poisoned?'.
Then he shook his head to get out of the thought.
It was not that Kang Chin Mae could not poison the food, but baby-doll hates messing with food and wasting it. His twin, who adores baby-doll as if she was his own sister, would never do something that would make her angry and sad.
After getting refreshed, he seated in front of Kang Chin Mae. They were using the dining table that comes with a mini kitchen. As usual, it was healthy food - brown rice, cooked and seasoned vegetable, beef fry and seolleongtang (Ox Bone Soup). For the first time, he didn't feel any worry and started to eat BB's food. He felt loved and cherished at that moment. He wanted his sister and cousin brother to feel the same. Maybe one day… Hopefully, that day might come soon. With a small smile, he hogged the food down.
Even if Kang Chin Mae wanted to say,'No one's going to steal your food,' he withheld himself.
This overthinker needs food to function, or else what kind of weird situation this overthinker might end up cooking in his head due to lack of food in the tummy.
After lunch, both cleaned the vessels together and was packing them back in the basket again when they heard a slow-agitated murmur in the room. They brushed it off as doctor and nurse talking until a painful hoarse scream was heard. Both rushed into the room, abandoning everything.
"What is happening? Why… can't… I…" they entered the room only to witness Moon Young Jae up and moving around a lot in panic. The doctor was trying to calm him down and failed to do so.
The doctor's big focus was the right hand in the sling and trying his best to avoid the movement causing severe damage to the shoulder. With fast, steady strides, Kang Chin Mae reached the bed faster than Moon Chin Hae. He pushed Young Jae to the bed by his less injured arm - the left arm.
"Stop moving, or else you need to be bedridden for years instead of three months." Was it the firm hand and voice or the content that was said, something stopped him from lashing his body around?
Slowly Young Jae felt pain all over his body. Moon Chin Hae poured water for Young Jae, and to his surprise, his twin took the glass and made their cousin drink a little bit.
Moon Chin Hae would be lying if he said he was not jealous at that moment. Once Young Jae drank the water, Kang Chin Mae spoke again. "Now tell me what happened?"
"Chin Hae Hyung, I can't see clearly. Everything is a blur." Young Jae assumed Kang Chin Mae was Moon Chin Hae through the blurred vision, as they were an identical twin. Young Jae said with pain, confusion and grievance.