[Short Story] A Word That Wakes a Vegetative Man
01
○○○
"I'm dying from this annoyance... Where am I? Am I lost?!?!"
I'm currently volunteering for a group at my university. It's a group activity... haha. I wouldn't have come if I were alone.
It was a nursing home in a small suburb. It was a place for people with mobility issues. People whose illnesses were no longer improving.
○○○
"Let's see... Room 1230... Is this it..?"
Phew... My legs are swollen after walking around for 2 hours... Everyone else must have already arrived at the hospital room..!
○○○
"1..2..30..here..!"
Dreuk-
○○○
"Wow.. really quiet.. huh..!"
When I entered the hospital room, I was struck by the immense silence and my mouth fell shut. At the same time...
○○○
"Wow... that person's face is amazing..."
I was startled when I saw the face of the man lying in the hospital bed. Because he was really handsome.
Huh? Wait a minute. This is a nursing home. But why is there a young person here? Did I come to the wrong place?
○○○
"Let's see... Room 1230... Room 1230... That's right..."
While I was walking back and forth in confusion, checking the lake, a middle-aged woman came in.
○○○
"Uh..Hello..!"
아주머니
"Ah.. So you're the person who will be taking care of our Taehyung for a week."
○○○
"Uh..ah..yes..! Hello..!"
Looking at that woman's face, she looks a lot like the man lying in the hospital room. That's why she's so pretty.
아주머니
"I'm that kid's mom. Sit down."
After bowing my head and making a nod, I sat down quietly in front of the bed and began to talk.
아주머니
"..Taehyung is now about 20 years old.."
?! You were an adult?!?! I thought you were at least a middle school student...
아주머니
"I had a major accident about 10 years ago. The trauma has all healed, but I became a vegetative state. The hospital said I wouldn't recover. So..."
The woman's voice quickly grew tearful, and I understood why the man seemed so young. Perhaps his growth was slow due to his inactivity.
The mother looked very exhausted. She had been caring for this man for ten years.
Tears welled up in my eyes without me realizing it, so I wiped them with my sleeve and shook the woman's hand.
○○○
"I look forward to working with you in the future."
The woman smiled and shook his hand, and I glanced at the man with his eyes closed and thought.
That guy would be this pretty if he smiled. I wish he'd wake up soon...
The next day
The next day, when I went to the hospital room, my mother was not there, so I sat next to the bed and looked at her.
He closed his eyes and didn't move, and all he needed was being injected into Ringel's tube.
I had nothing to do.
Ah.. I now know why I was assigned here.
I have no ability whatsoever...
I'm now 20. Everyone says it's a good age. I want to go back to that age at least once.
But for me it was the worst moment.
People might laugh at me, but I don't have a boyfriend. You might say, "What's the big deal about not having a boyfriend?" But well...
But for me, that was a big complex.
Literally everyone was 'wearing' one, but no one was by my side.
○○○
"under.."
I sighed without realizing it. He just kept sleeping. My mother said he spent most of his time sleeping.
The next day, I brought a book.
I went to the hospital room with a book in my hand, looking for something I could do in a hospital room without a TV or radio.
○○○
"uh..?"
"........."
I was sitting quietly reading a book next to the bed when I suddenly looked at him and saw that his eyes were open.
It was the first time he opened his eyes. I finally felt a renewed sense of realization that he was alive. And...
He looked at me anxiously.
Soon his mother came in and he fell asleep again, as if relieved.
That day, I returned home after reading every book I brought.
The next day, I went to the hospital room with another book. His mother was already out, holding his hand and talking to him affectionately.
It was a story about a celebrity that would be interesting at that age, and when I greeted her, my mother briefly greeted me and continued talking.
○○○
"Oh... I see you understand what I'm saying?"
아주머니
"I don't know either, but I think you'll understand."
The mother soon went out because she was busy, and only he and I were left in the hospital room.
Then suddenly, I saw his white hand outside the blanket, and I slowly took his hand and put it inside the blanket, then looked at his face.
I was awake.
For a moment, I was startled and froze, then I just smiled and he fell back to sleep.
When I opened the book, I felt my heart pounding. It kept pounding even though I hadn't done anything wrong.
Eventually, I went to the break room and had a cup of coffee, and finally calmed down.
The next day, when I went to the hospital room, his eyes were open and his mother was nowhere to be seen.
○○○
"Uh..hello..!"
I thought it was stupid, but lately I've been feeling strongly that he's alive.
It was a surprising moment.
He was smiling at me.
Huh? Wait a minute.
I know that people in a vegetative state can't move...
Then my mother came in and asked what was going on, and when I told her the truth, she laughed.
○○○
"Why...why is that?"
아주머니
"You felt it too. That child smiling..."
○○○
"You felt it? So you're saying that wasn't a real laugh?"
For a moment, a shadow fell over my mother's face and she spoke.
아주머니
"I saw it several times and told the doctor, but he said it was my mistake. That child..."
아주머니
"The only thing I can do with my will is my two eyes. But that's good. To see that child's smile... I think you have a good connection with that child."
The next day, going in and out of the hospital room had become my daily routine, and this time I read a book to him.
From fairy tales to war novels... I read everything I could get my hands on, and he stayed up that day to listen to my entire story.
I took the last train today because I was reading until late.
The next day, I woke up late and forgot to bring a book to read, but he was already awake.
My mother said that she had been awake for 30 minutes and had been waiting for me.
At that moment, my eyes met his and my heart started beating like crazy.
Ah... I'm crazy. Is this a big problem..?