[Short Story] A Word That Wakes a Vegetative Man
Bonus 1: Taehyung's Viewpoint (1-1)
"Then let's go see Teening Mecard together today! Do you want to go to my house?"
김태형
"Of course! You lost the game to me.."
"Hey!!!! Hey!!!!! Look next to me!!!! Look next to me!!!!!!!!!!"
김태형
"uh..? !!!!!!!!"
When I realized it, a large truck had already hit me hard.
10 years old. At that time... I felt the shock with my whole body, and when I collapsed, blood was coming out of my head.
"Hey..Kim Taehyung!!!!! Someone please help me!!!!!"
The last one was when people gathered around me and started making noise while my friend was holding me and crying.
I lost my mind.
When I opened my eyes, my mom was holding me and crying, and my friend was crying next to me.
"Ugh- Taetae.. I'm sorry..ㅜㅜ I should have watched it better.. I'm sorry for crossing the street first..ㅜㅜ"
엄마
"Taehyung... can you see mom?"
The various machines attached to my body were not moving.
Huh? Wait a minute.
Your body isn't moving?
의사
"..This..Is..it..not..a..vegetative state..or is it?"
엄마
"Huh? What is that..!"
의사
"Pulse, blood pressure... everything is normal. Breathing and eye movement are also normal... but if it can't move..."
엄마
"Teacher!! No!!! Our Taehyung... please.."
Mom's crying. I want to tell her it's okay... that it doesn't hurt. I want to tell my friend too...
"Ugh- Taehyung.. I'm sorry.. I'm really sorry.."
Why aren't you moving? Why can't you speak?
why...
Why on earth...
10 years... have passed.
I was moved to a nursing home because there was no way to get better, and my mother took care of me every single day without fail.
엄마
"Taehyung...Mom will do anything...so you can't go before Mom like Dad. Okay?"
I was so grateful and sorry to my mom who kept talking to me even though I couldn't speak.
Then one day,
○○○
"Hello. My name is ○○○. I'm 20 years old. Are we friends? Haha."
엄마
"Please take care of me. For a week."
At first, I felt nothing. I was just happy that my mom was smiling and happy when she was with that woman.
○○○
"Oh... I see you understand what I'm saying?"
엄마
"Then I'll be going now. I have something to do...Taehyung, please take care of me."
○○○
"yes."
Drumroll-drumroll.
○○○
"What the... there's a hand sticking out."
The woman took my hand and put me under the blanket, and then I thought to myself.
Hands...warm.
The woman kept talking to me as soon as she realized I was listening.
○○○
"So... even I find this main character really frustrating. Right?"
His voice was warm, and his eyes were warm as he looked into my eyes and spoke.
From some point on, I kept waiting for ○○○ to come.
One morning, while we were talking continuously.
○○○
"..So..I'm always being compared..and ignored.."
I had my eyes closed at the time. I was trying to be considerate of her, who would be startled if we made eye contact.
Honestly, I was surprised. I thought, "The person who smiles and talks to me every day also has this side to him."
He kept talking to me and then he fell asleep on the bed next to me, next to my hand.
I want to comfort you.
But that can't be done.
If there is a god, I think I told myself dozens of times, please, just once, let me move my hand.
at that time.
Swish-
김태형
"!!!!!!!!!!!"
I don't know if I was that desperate, but for the first time, my body wiped away her tears on its own will.
Then the next day,
○○○
"I'm sorry if I did something wrong in the middle of the night. I'm really sorry..!"
Then he immediately ran out of the hospital room, covering his face, which was flushed red.
I thought he would come back again, but... 10 minutes... an hour... even more passed and he didn't come back.
Why aren't you coming? Did I do something wrong?
Surely he's not not coming?
A day later, she came back again. I wanted to ask her why she hadn't come, but when she said the next thing, I thought my heart would drop.
○○○
"Today is the last day. Thank you for everything... and about yesterday... I'm sorry."
Maybe because it was the last day, I couldn't hear the person next to me talking all the time.
That's what you told me before you left.
○○○
"Goodbye. If I get the chance... see you again."
If only my body could move... I would have caught it right away.
No... if you could at least speak...
Huh? Wait,
Why do I feel so sorry?