General Hospital!

@Sayula Since I spent the past 12 months having self help shoved books shoved down my throat...
*turns my gaze and finds another thing to cling on to in my bag, not even sure what it is*
*furrows my nose as we pull up and shakes my head*
I'm not too hungry, don't worry about it
I'll help you cook though?

@Admin⟡Cao Lu⟡ What are you a self help book now?
/raises an eyebrow and looks over at you/
I would never have let you hitch hike.
Come on girls, let get you two inside and we'll get something to eat, how does that sound?

@Sayula *smacks your arm lightly but needing to make a point*
That's not true and you know it
Everyone has potential
You have potential, I have potential, we all just need to unlock it
*huffs and squeezes the bottle more tightly again*
We all sometimes need someone to help us get back up on our feet
If you hadn't picked me up at the hospital I'd be hitch hiking to the shelter by now

@Admin⟡Cao Lu⟡ I've never had potential.
/he argues, shaking his head and sighing/
People like me don't have potential, we have rich great uncles who feel sorry for us apparently.
/he says with a chuckle as he nods towards the house/
He left me everything, I have no idea why, I never met the man, but it sure saved our _____.

@Sayula You've always had potential Yu...
I always told you that you could amount to anything if you set your mind on it...
*grins sheepishly and pokes your cheek*
Even when we were 12 years old and you got glue stuck in your nose
*puffs out my cheeks and glances back at the kid, still awkward*
I might have a job at a hair salon... It's not full time, but it might help me get on my feet again so that I don't have to rely on Godfrey and all...

@Admin⟡Cao Lu⟡ I'm not dumping you off unless I need to.
/shakes his head and pulls into the driveway of the house/
Look, I've known you forever, and I don't think you would hurt her, but what kind of parent would I be if I didn't at least warn you first?
/he looks back at Alyssa and smiles softly/
Look she's my baby girl... I'm going to find a real job now because of her, maybe even go to school someday.
I'm getting out of the drugs and _____, yeah maybe it was stupid to adopt a kid when I can barely take care of myself, but I needed something to hold on to before I turned out like my mother.

@Sayula *frowns and stares at my hands nervously*
Maybe you should just drop me off now then
I don't know if these meds are one hundred percent full proof yet...
*mumbles and shoves my hand into my bag, finding one of the many pill bottles and wrapping my hand around one as if to find comfort*

@Admin⟡Cao Lu⟡ Hey, don't worry about it, Alyssa will understand.
Just be nice to her, I love you and all Cao Lu but if you hurt her I'll dump you at that shelter after all.
/he warns, glancing over at you then at the rear view mirror to check on Alyssa/

@Sayula The doctor said it was bipolar...
Apparently my brain snapped
*puffs out my cheeks and looks at you nervously*
Are you sure?
I don't want to impose... Especially now that you have your daughter
*bites my lip and flushes*

@Admin⟡Cao Lu⟡ _____ that, I'll take you to my new place.
There's a spare bedroom there you can use.
/he says, shaking his head and glancing over at you/
They seriously locked you up?
What for?

@Sayula My family locked me up in the mental house
*sighs and leans my head against your window, digging the coolness of the glass*
THey took my cell phone... My connections to the outside world...
I was drugged half the time I was there...
They let me out today
You can bring me to the shelter, I have a bed reserved there until I can find a job and an apartment...

@Admin⟡Cao Lu⟡ Yeah I'm her Dad... she's used to inappropriate language, and she's a smart girl.
She'll be fine.
/he assures you, pulling away from the hospital/
Now, tell me what happened to you?
Why were you in the hospital?

@Sayula YOu seem... You seem to have your life together
*looks back at the young girl enviously, squeezing the straps of my bag*
Am I allowed to talk about wha thappened in front of her?
I don't want to say anything inappropriate...
I'm not used to little kids...

@Admin⟡Cao Lu⟡ A couple of weeks ago?
/he says and shrugs/
I met her on the street, poor thing was an orphan.
So I adopted her. I have a house now, and I'm working on getting a decent job.
We're doing pretty alright for ourselves.
It's not perfect, but I'm doing the best I can for her.

@Sayula *widens my eyes when I notice the child in the backseat, stalled between telling you what I was about to say*
*shuts my mouth and walks slowly to the passenger side, sliding in and looking back at the young girl*
Hi... H-hi Alyssa...
*smiles shyly and tries to wave to her in a less awkward manner only to scrunch my nose and turn to look at the front*
W-when... When did you get a kid?

@Admin⟡Cao Lu⟡ /he puts the address into his gps and heads to the hospital/
/pulls up to the front where he sees you sitting on the bench/
/he rolls down the window and leans over/
You look like hell.
/he says, raising an eyebrow as the looks over the hospital/
What were you doing in this place anyway?
/he asks, glancing back at Alyssa and smiling at her/
Sorry baby girl, this is an old friend of mine Cao Lu, Cao Lu this is my daughter Alyssa.

@Sayula Alright...
I'll be out front - the blonde who's all alone
*tries to laugh but hangs up first, staring glumly at my phone and texting you the address to the hospital*
*glances up to the hospital windows, having spent the past 2 hours getting a check up after being transferred from the mental ward up north and cringes slightly, fumbling through my small bag to make sure I have all the right medication, nervous to be out in public again*

@Admin⟡Cao Lu⟡ /he groans and sighs/
Yeah just... give me a second.
Where are you anyway?
/he asks as he works on getting Alyssa into the car and buckled up/
You know what? Text me the address, I'm on my way.

@Sayula *takes another deep breath and shuts my eyes, letting my skin absorb the heat of the sun as if it'll energize me somehow*
Look... I know... I know I have a lot of explaining to do...
But I can't do it over the phone...
I-I need a ride...
Can you help me out?

@Admin⟡Cao Lu⟡ Surprise?
_____ing really?
/he takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly/
If you weren't abducted into the _____ slave trade, you better have another damn good excuse for why you haven't called me in a _____ing year.
I thought you were dead Cao Lu!

@Sayula *eyes widen as I see the incoming call flashing on the screen and takes a deep breath before sliding it to accept the call and pressing it to my ear*
Uh... H-hey -
*flushes as I hear your voice, both pleased and terrified all at once*
Sayula...
It's... It's Cao Lu... S-surprise?

@Admin⟡Cao Lu⟡ /glances down at his phone when he gets a text/
/frowns in confusion, recognizing the number but confused because it's been a year since he's heard anything from you/
/debates for a few minutes before calling the number/
Alright, who the hell are you and how the hell did you get this number?

@Sayula

*sighs and stares at my phone, wondering if you'll answer my text or if you'll leave me hanging, knowing that I shouldn't be surprised because of how I left you hanging for a year*
*bites my lip, running my fingers through my hair, desperately needing to go get it cut, but knowing I'll probably have to wait till I'm settled in to the new apartment I've yet to find*
Come on ... At least answer me so I know whether to walk or something...
*groans and flops onto a bench, clutching my sole bag to my chest*

@⟡|????|⟡ () so somehow i ended up injrued in my shoulder and could barely sleep last night

*watches as you take one of the fries on the table and bites back a smile that comes when I see that you're already relaxed enough to act so informaly, giving me a small boost of confidence that begins to wane my nervosity*
Um... I don't know... What to talk about
*sighs in defest and plucks at one of the fries, using it to poke around the other ones, not really hungry now that the novelty of the offer has worn off*
I guess... Um, I can start with... What .... Are you ... In here for?
*grimaces at the lame attempt to start a conversation adn shakes my head*
I'm sorry, forget I-I'm saying anything... I'm not used to having friends... In uh, person
*flushes bright red at how lame this sounds and leans back onto the mattress so I can bury my face in a pillow*

@Admin⟡Haein⟡ *draws my gaze to yours, a small smile fighting its way to my face at your question- so random that I wonder for a moment how serious you were* Um... They row in the same direction? *brows furrow for a moment before nodding in understanding because, hell, I'm just as nervous* Oh, yeah, sure- *shifts to perch in the chair, grabbing the arms and scooting it closer to your bedside* *peers at your food before smirking softly* I never really was a big fan of hospital food... *reaches out and plucks a fry from your plate without asking, as if we'd been friends forever- as if it were natural to do this* But this place has the best... Though I'm not sure if that's a compliment or what. *takes a bite, still dodging around the topic I know we both want to discuss*

@⟡|????|⟡ It was a little more than surreal to know that someone she had come to consider one of her closer friends was sick just like her. She had never made friends in the hospital before and for one good reason. In her ward, most people didn't have the greatest shots at living. Unless she met them in the emergency room and they were in for a broken finger, she was not going to open . But this... This was... This was Jonghyun being sick and her not knowing how in the flying f_uck she was going to handle first meeting him and then learning they were very much the same. She figured she should probably sit first, which is what she did, crossing her legs as she straightened up. "So uh... What do um, people in the same boat do?" she asked. It had seemed awkward in her head, it was even more awkward when it came out of . She groaned internally and lightly tapped her forehead with the palm of her hand, not even caring that she was looking lamer and lamer the more time passed by. "Forget I-I said that... I'm just nervous. Uh... Y-y'know you can sit down right. There's a chair... Right there. I was supposed to be eating lunch, you can join me?" she asked, laughing despite herelf as she waved to her half finished fries and burger.

@Admin⟡Haein⟡ Jonghyun's eyes weren't sure where to look, what to focus on. The pounding in his heart likened the sort that would usually prompt his gaze to drift downward, but he couldn't find it in himself to allow her to leave his sight. Carefully, he perched himself along the very edge of her bed as if it were made of porcelain- as if it would crumble away at any given moment beneath the weight of their tension. He noticed the way her countenance seemed to pale all the more, how she seemed to close in on herself a bit and immediately he ceased his advancements. It was one thing for her to appear so fragile to him... But now it seemed that he would legitimately need to approach this situation far more gingerly. "Small world after all, huh?" he offered a small grin, but even in their limited lighting it looked so plastic that he couldn't really uphold it. "I thought so..." he murmured in a rush of soft breath as she confirmed her identity, her name now painting itself along with her face. "Hey... Calm down, alright?" he said softly, though he was chanting those exact words to himself in the scope of his mind. "Yeah, I live not too far from here... I'm here for-" He cut off then, now facing a new dilemma- one of what he should say... and how much. But this girl had already told him so much of herself... How could he dare think to hide anymore now, after everything. "A treatment," he said point-blank. "Well, a check-up basically. The usual... You know, where they tell me some spiel about how worse I've gotten and how I need to lay off the smokes." Despite his grim humor, his gaze was considerably lighter now. "I told you... We're kind of on the same boat. In a way..."

@⟡|????|⟡ Haein didn't know if she was breathing or not. She remembered that she had tried to breathe once she'd hung up the phone but the moment that JOnghyun stepped into the room all of the air had kind of left her. THere was a light headedness in her mind as she tried to re-calibrate herself onto the right point. That point seemed to be Jonghyun, though. Sturdy looking, pale but not as deadly looking as her, a flop of dark hair that countered his skin tone but coordinated brilliantly with the flash of colour in his irises. She was totally enraptured in the face of this stranger and as he drew nearer she scrambled up into a sitting position, keeping the pillow between her legs and pressed to her chest using it as both a shield and comfort all at once. "I uh... Y-yeah, I'm Haein... Which... W-which I-I guess would make you... Jonghyun," she gasped out his name, still unable to believe that they were in the same room. She shook her head, biting her lower lip while glancing to her socked feet. "H-how come you're here? I-I didn't even... W-we live - we're -" She huffed, eyebrows furrowing while her cheeks puffed out in a clear demonstration of her frustration. Why was it, that on her phone, she was able to form perfectly legible paragraphs, but right now words were escaping her?

@Admin⟡Haein⟡ [Oh thank Jesus!!!! ;A;]

Jonghyun had no recall of when the background began to fade, when the tiles and pots of flowers seated at the deskside eased into a veil of grey. He couldn't recall when his sole focus was only the patient before him... But it happened, and his senses suddenly became so acutely aware of her... Of the way wide eyes stared back at him in something akin to a mix of shock and disbelief... Of how her lips fell apart in rapt surprise. He couldn't figure how he'd come to trailing his own gaze along that slim nose, or the arms clutching tightly to the pillow. He didn't know... He couldn't even guess... He could only experience it as it happened, be there for the present effect. But his gaze was drawn in completely, overtaken by the mop of pink hair- the color of spring carnations.

I'm on pink hair and stars in my eyes...

"Yes..." he murmured, barely recognizing his own voice. "I'm Jonghyun... Lee Jonghyun. So I guess that makes you... Haein?" He stepped closer then, braving a few feet until he'd finally managed to stand before her bedside, still trailing her form. She was almost ghastly pale from what he'd hoped was shocked, but deep down he knew... All too intimately well. "You... YOU'RE Haein?" It was asked out of confirmation rather than accusation, and for a moment Jonghyun couldn't feel his legs. F uck... This was really happening.

@⟡|????|⟡ () it's okay baby i haven't lost my inspiration o/

Haein had the phone clutched tightly in her hand, trying to hear what Jonghyun was saying though it seemed the deeper they delved into this nervous babble, the more static filled the line. She was waiting with bated breath, frowning hard enough to form lines on her forehead, waiting to hear what Jonghyun would say only to be cut off by the abrupt static that ended their phone call. "Jonghyun?" she called into the receiver. Her heart palpitated in her chest as she tried calling her name a few more times to see if the line really had fallen dead. With a heavy sigh she groaned and pressed the 'end call' button to end it officially. The device fell from her fingers and back onto the thin mattress she was on. For a moment Haein thought she was going to break down into an anxiety attack but she quickly stopped that by shoving her face into her pillow. When she looked back up she was met with a stranger in her room. Or well, it was a stranger to her eyes but something about him felt so familiar. The tension was tight in the small hospital room. Suddenly she felt like she was taking up six beds instead of one and she stared upon this tall, handsome fellow with her stomach in knots. At the mutter of her name something in her mind shifted and she dared answer, unable to hide the quiver in her voice, though. "Jonghyun?" she asked, her tone hopeful.