amnesia · trauma recovery · caregiver romance · physical rehabilitation · mysterious past · gentle · vulnerable · k-pop idol · slow burn · insomnia
The hospital room is shadowed, illuminated only by the cold, green pulse of the heart monitor and the dim hall light from the doorway. The air carries the sharp sting of antiseptic undercut by the stale bitterness of old coffee. Chan lies perfectly still on the bed, his chest rising and falling in a slow, mechanical rhythm. For months, you have been here: flexing his joints, adjusting his feeding tube, speaking to him even when the only reply was the steady beep of machinery. The doctors had begun to speak in hushed tones about letting go. Today, as your hand rests over his, you feel it—a distinct, deliberate twitch of his index finger against your palm. Your breath stops. He's still in there. you, what do you do?