Map of your head (chapter 2)
Title: Map of your head
Fandom: U-KISS
Characters & Pairings: Elvin, Xander, OFC, other possible episodic characters.
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Romance, Fluff, Humor, Drama
Summary: "Because the language confuses, like computers refuse to understand how I'm feeling today."
Eli is new to this world. Kevin makes him feel like home.
Disclaimer: The title belongs to English rock-band Muse, as well as the lyrics, extracted from their 2002 album entitled ”Hullabaloo”. I am in no way, shape or form affiliated with the named group, or any characters presented in this writing. No copyright infringement intended.
Read: Chapter 1
Day two.
The alarm went off the next day at exactly 7:00 AM. Eli woke up feeling completely off-balance. Faded rays of sun filtered through the thin drapery, the stopped on his face, creating elegant waves of light, depending on the movement of the curtains, directed by the wind that was slowly, but steadily making its way through the open window. He had forgotten to close it the previous night, again, and now he was shivering to the bone. He knew it was only a matter of time before he would catch a cold. Or maybe he had already caught it.
After stopping the irritating buzzing noise of the alarm clock, he covered his eyes, trying to keep the bright light as far away as possible. For a short moment, he didn’t know why he had to get out of bed this early. He hadn’t established to visit his mother, nor had he planned any special activity with his friends. He started laughing.
‘What friends?’ he whispered to himself. ‘You don’t possess that sort of thing anymore.’
And then it hit him - he had to go to work. Of course. His new job, as a nurse for the local hospital. Now everything was starting to make more sense, as if the pieces of a puzzle that ran away from him earlier were now coming back, arranging themselves in front of him, trying to explain that he would be late for his first day of work, if he wasn’t planning on getting up anytime soon. Eli sighed, stretched his arms and got out of bed. He made a beeline for the bathroom, took a quick, almost-cold shower, brushed his teeth and combed his hair. He figured he should eat something, to provide him with energy for the rest of the day, but the food was running out and he had no money to afford more. At least, not for the next few days.
He had always wanted to make a career in medicine. Growing up in a family of two doctors and three nurses, his instincts told him there was no chance of breaking the mould, so he applied to med school after graduating high-school. Being the smart and versatile individual that he was, no one was surprised when he passed his exams with one of the highest scores in his year. After five years of constant studying, he had finally been handled what he had always dreamed of - a nurse diploma. But finding such an occupation in the States was no easy fee, so his parents sent him to Korea for better opportunities. And now here he was, stuck in a country whose language he could barely speak, trying to make a living on a daily basis out of almost nothing.
Eli quickly snatched two slices of bread, made a mental note to clean up the small apartment soon, since he could barely make his wait out through all the mess scattered everywhere, and left, not bothering to lock the door behind him. Nothing ever happened in that small city, anyway. He was already running short on time, but taking a taxi would mean having to spend more money. The same went with public transportation.
‘That would cost too much.’
He started running.
**
By the time he had arrived at the hospital’s metal gates, it was already 8:12. His shift started at precisely 8 o’clock, according to what nurse Bess had said yesterday. She also mentioned that late employees would be noted in her bad books, and that she valued punctuality and seriousness more than anything. Well, there goes a good first impression. He entered the building in a race, went straight for the elevator and pressed the red button. A flashback of yesterday’s patient instantly occupied his mind, making him wonder if he would see her today as well.
‘Of course. She told me her room was on the second floor.’
After arriving on the first floor, his eyes quickly started to look for another employee, but the residents seemed to be the only ones wandering around. An old woman was screaming at the top of her lungs, while others would just watch her, or throw paper balls in her direction. Eli then felt a pat on his right shoulder. He quickly turned to face whoever was trying to get his attention.
‘Hey’, the girl he had met yesterday smiled. This time around she was wearing a pair of long, black trousers, and a light-blue T-shirt. Eli couldn’t help but notice she had a flat chest.
‘Hi’, he answered, still unsure if he should be talking to her. ‘Shouldn’t you be one floor above?’
‘This is not a prison, you know. Some of us are not that mad, so they just let us take small trips through the building.’ she answered, staring deeply into his eyes.
‘Trips, huh? If you say so. Where’s nurse Bess?’
‘She doesn’t work on Tuesdays, nor in the weekends. But you can talk to me or Xander, if you need company. We’re both excellent conversation partners. In fact, we exchange long and meaningful discussions all the time. You’ll like him, just wait and see.’
She had such a fast way of talking, yet she still managed to somehow pronounce each syllable perfectly clear. Eli was amazed her tongue still functioned properly.
‘You haven’t told me your name yet.’ he added after a short pause.
‘That’s odd. I usually introduce myself. I’m Kevin.’ the girl held out her hand, still smiling sweetly, waiting for Eli to follow her gesture. He wasn’t sure he heard her name well.
‘Sorry, did you say Kevin?’ he asked incredulously, forgetting his manners and leaving her with her arm stretched.
‘Yes, Kevin. K-E-V-’ she started.
‘I know how to spell it.’ Eli interrupted. ‘Do you mean you’re a guy? Like, a dude?’ he asked once more, not sure whether she was making fun of him or not.
‘I’m not a ‘dude’’ he replied, retrieving his hand and pouting a little. ‘I’m just Kevin. And yes, I am a male. As male as they come.’
‘Oh.’ Eli said, not daring to believe what this person was telling him. If he was indeed telling him the truth, then that meant Kevin was probably the most feminine guy he had ever encountered. Not only did he possess a slim, s-curved body, but his facial features also reminded Eli of a female. He had the characteristic of typical Koreans, but they were enhanced in such a delicate way, that it made him look almost ethereal.
‘Is there something wrong?’ Kevin asked, coming closer to him, as if he was trying to analyze Eli from head to toe. That actually freaked out Eli a bit, making him take a step back.
‘No, I’m fine, I…’
‘Kevin!’ he then heard a call behind him. ‘What are you up to now?’
Eli turned to his left, somewhat startled by the sound of a powerful, masculine voice. He noticed a tall male approaching, who was, judging by his clothes, a nurse. He didn’t look anything Korean-like, his face and skin color resembling a unique combination between a Filipino, an American and probably more ethnicities.
‘I wasn’t doing anything wrong’, Kevin answered when he had reached them. He bowed his head and pouted, which Eli found sort of cute.
‘I’m sorry if he disturbed you. Or if he asked inappropriate questions. He has the tendency of doing that sometimes. You’re the new nurse, right? Eli, is that your name?’
‘Yeah, that’s me.’ Eli answered, shaking his hand. ‘And no, it’s okay.’
‘That’s not fair’, Kevin mumbled. ‘You didn’t shake my hand when I offered. You have no manners.’ Eli just ignored him, and concentrated on the guy in front of him instead.
‘I’m Alexander. I’m head-nurse on the first three floors of the building. The other three are taken by nurse Bess, I’m sure you met her yesterday. When I’m not around, you can ask her for whatever you need, and vice-versa. Let me take Kevin to his room, and then I’ll show you around and explain how things work.’ he finished his sentence, smiling welcoming at him. Eli liked him immediately, though he seemed really young to be called head-nurse at this age.
‘Sure. May I come?’ he asked, making Kevin wide his eyes.
‘Of course.’ Alexander replied, leading the way.
They started walking slowly, sometimes stopping in front of various doors, for Eli to receive certain information about some particular bothersome patients. Alexander explained to him how the system works, from the residents’ files to their daily breakfast, making sure to leave nothing behind. He warned Eli not to visit the last three floors of the hospitals, since apparently he wasn’t ready yet. The patients living there were more than just ‘a little mad’, so until he gained enough experience, he would just serve the first three floors, to get used to their behavior, way of thinking, reacting or speaking. He proceeded to explain how Kevin (who, meanwhile, had started bouncing around them) is the most sociable resident they have, and how he became his ‘little guilty pleasure’.
‘I really enjoy talking to him, albeit we’re not supposed to get too attached to any of them. I know you probably find him strange now, but you’ll see he actually owns a great personality. Oh, and I hate the fact that he calls me ‘Xander’, but he’s too cute to decline his pleads.’ he added.
‘Aren’t all patients ‘strange’ around here?’ Eli asked jokingly. Alexander started laughing.
‘Point taken.’ he grinned.
After reaching Kevin’s room, the young boy started pouting again, knowing that it usually had the desired effect on his favorite nurse. But Alexander just smiled apologetically, gesturing for him to go inside.
‘You must eat. And you should also stop walking around the corridors so much.’
‘But it’s not prohibited’ Kevin clenched to his neck. ‘Besides, I wanna stay with him.’ he said, pointing with his head towards Eli, making him smile.
‘You’ll get the chance to know him better later on. Right now you need to have breakfast, since it’s the…’
‘…most important meal of the day. Yeah. I know.’ Kevin sighed, turning around and going inside his room, where two eggs and a few pancakes were already waiting for him on a small table beside his bed.
**
‘I’m off.’ Alexander said later that evening, while Eli was watching him dress and getting ready to leave. ‘If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call me, regardless of the hour. These first few nights will be the trickiest, but if you manage to pass them, you’ll be able to handle pretty much anything.’ he smiled, heading for the door.
‘Thank you. I’ll try my best. Drive safe.’
‘I will. Take care.’ he replied, before exiting the building.
Now Eli had been left alone, in a deafening silence. It was vital for him to stay awake throughout the entire night, since this would be his first probation in a series of many others to come. He had to prove that he was capable of maintaining a responsible attitude, while keeping the patients under control in case of some unexpected situation. After inhaling deeply, he stood up from his chair and headed for the second floor, where he knew he would find an espresso machine. He wasn’t much of a coffee consumer, but for the sake of doing a good job on his first try, he would sacrifice his taste buds. After arriving and filling up a container with steamy cappuccino, he was about to take another walk around the corridors, to get used to the place more. But just as he was ready to walk away, the sound of someone singing stopped him. It was a sweet, yet powerful voice coming from nearby, so he decided to find the source of one of the most beautiful songs he had ever heard. He couldn’t grasp much of the words, but it seemed like a ballad about the lost of a loved one. As he started pacing towards the end of the hallway, he realized that must be Kevin. The voice sounded an awful lot like his, which took Eli by surprise. He stopped in front of his room, then started listening carefully. He was now sure it was coming from the inside, so he just made himself comfortable on the floor, with his back leaned on the door.
After a few minutes he knocked, at which point Kevin stopped singing. Eli could hear no noise, other than the cars outside passing by. Everything was so silent he could almost hear his own heartbeat, which made him feel like he shouldn’t have interrupted Kevin. He then detected footsteps approaching, so taking a step back seemed like the proper aftermath.
He was now facing a somewhat confused-looking Kevin, clearly tired, but content at the same time. He had a bubbly expression, as if Eli had just explained a knotty equation to him.
‘Sorry for interrupting’ Eli said in a hushed voice, careful not to wake the others. ‘You were singing earlier, right?’
‘Yes, I was’ Kevin smiled, stepping aside and motioning for him to come in.
‘No, it’s okay. I was just checking on the patients’ Eli lied. ‘You should go to bed, it’s late.’
‘No, it’s not’ he laughed. ‘It’s still evening.’
Eli couldn’t help but notice he had a really cute laugh. For a male, being able to smile or laugh like this wasn’t a common trait. Kevin quickly noticed the cup of coffee in his hand, now cold. He had forgotten about it the minute he heard the younger boy sing, but he didn’t regret it. The sleep had already faded away the moment he sat in front of his door.
‘That’s coffee, right?’ Kevin asked. ‘I don’t know how you guys can drink something like that. It’s bitter and disgusting. Xander says it keeps him awake and he once let me have a sip. I almost puked.’
‘I’m actually not a consumer. But when I’m really tired, I drink one just for the heck of it.’
‘You could drink an energizer instead. It’s much more yummy then that thing.’
‘So I’m assuming you like energizers?’ Eli smiled, raising one brow.
‘I do, but we’re not allowed to have any. The doctors say they’re not beneficial for our health. I miss it, though, I use to drink a lot of ‘em.’
After that Kevin paused for a short moment, as if he was hesitating to confess something.
‘You sure you don’t wanna come in? I’m bored. And the others are fine, most of them are early-sleepers. Believe me, I know. Besides, I can assure you nothing ever happens here during the night, so you won’t get in trouble. And if you do, I’ll just say it was my fault.’
While saying all of these, he stared at his slippers and played with his fingers. It was like raising his head and establishing eye-contact would scare Eli away. The older boy hesitated a bit, wanting to follow Kevin inside his room and shut the door firmly. He wished to hear him sing again, but wasn’t sure if that would be considered appropriate or not.
‘If you’re bored, try flipping through a book, or a magazine. I saw the hospital hosts a pretty impressive collection. Do you know how to read?’
He mentally kicked himself for not approving Kevin’s request, but showed no facial regret. Kevin just sighed.
‘I do. I’ll go to the library after I change. Good night.’ he said, going back inside and closing the door.
Eli remained there for a long time after that, staring at the wall in front of him. Kevin didn’t come back out that night.
Fandom: U-KISS
Characters & Pairings: Elvin, Xander, OFC, other possible episodic characters.
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Romance, Fluff, Humor, Drama
Summary: "Because the language confuses, like computers refuse to understand how I'm feeling today."
Eli is new to this world. Kevin makes him feel like home.
Disclaimer: The title belongs to English rock-band Muse, as well as the lyrics, extracted from their 2002 album entitled ”Hullabaloo”. I am in no way, shape or form affiliated with the named group, or any characters presented in this writing. No copyright infringement intended.
Read: Chapter 1
Day two.
The alarm went off the next day at exactly 7:00 AM. Eli woke up feeling completely off-balance. Faded rays of sun filtered through the thin drapery, the stopped on his face, creating elegant waves of light, depending on the movement of the curtains, directed by the wind that was slowly, but steadily making its way through the open window. He had forgotten to close it the previous night, again, and now he was shivering to the bone. He knew it was only a matter of time before he would catch a cold. Or maybe he had already caught it.
After stopping the irritating buzzing noise of the alarm clock, he covered his eyes, trying to keep the bright light as far away as possible. For a short moment, he didn’t know why he had to get out of bed this early. He hadn’t established to visit his mother, nor had he planned any special activity with his friends. He started laughing.
‘What friends?’ he whispered to himself. ‘You don’t possess that sort of thing anymore.’
And then it hit him - he had to go to work. Of course. His new job, as a nurse for the local hospital. Now everything was starting to make more sense, as if the pieces of a puzzle that ran away from him earlier were now coming back, arranging themselves in front of him, trying to explain that he would be late for his first day of work, if he wasn’t planning on getting up anytime soon. Eli sighed, stretched his arms and got out of bed. He made a beeline for the bathroom, took a quick, almost-cold shower, brushed his teeth and combed his hair. He figured he should eat something, to provide him with energy for the rest of the day, but the food was running out and he had no money to afford more. At least, not for the next few days.
He had always wanted to make a career in medicine. Growing up in a family of two doctors and three nurses, his instincts told him there was no chance of breaking the mould, so he applied to med school after graduating high-school. Being the smart and versatile individual that he was, no one was surprised when he passed his exams with one of the highest scores in his year. After five years of constant studying, he had finally been handled what he had always dreamed of - a nurse diploma. But finding such an occupation in the States was no easy fee, so his parents sent him to Korea for better opportunities. And now here he was, stuck in a country whose language he could barely speak, trying to make a living on a daily basis out of almost nothing.
Eli quickly snatched two slices of bread, made a mental note to clean up the small apartment soon, since he could barely make his wait out through all the mess scattered everywhere, and left, not bothering to lock the door behind him. Nothing ever happened in that small city, anyway. He was already running short on time, but taking a taxi would mean having to spend more money. The same went with public transportation.
‘That would cost too much.’
He started running.
**
By the time he had arrived at the hospital’s metal gates, it was already 8:12. His shift started at precisely 8 o’clock, according to what nurse Bess had said yesterday. She also mentioned that late employees would be noted in her bad books, and that she valued punctuality and seriousness more than anything. Well, there goes a good first impression. He entered the building in a race, went straight for the elevator and pressed the red button. A flashback of yesterday’s patient instantly occupied his mind, making him wonder if he would see her today as well.
‘Of course. She told me her room was on the second floor.’
After arriving on the first floor, his eyes quickly started to look for another employee, but the residents seemed to be the only ones wandering around. An old woman was screaming at the top of her lungs, while others would just watch her, or throw paper balls in her direction. Eli then felt a pat on his right shoulder. He quickly turned to face whoever was trying to get his attention.
‘Hey’, the girl he had met yesterday smiled. This time around she was wearing a pair of long, black trousers, and a light-blue T-shirt. Eli couldn’t help but notice she had a flat chest.
‘Hi’, he answered, still unsure if he should be talking to her. ‘Shouldn’t you be one floor above?’
‘This is not a prison, you know. Some of us are not that mad, so they just let us take small trips through the building.’ she answered, staring deeply into his eyes.
‘Trips, huh? If you say so. Where’s nurse Bess?’
‘She doesn’t work on Tuesdays, nor in the weekends. But you can talk to me or Xander, if you need company. We’re both excellent conversation partners. In fact, we exchange long and meaningful discussions all the time. You’ll like him, just wait and see.’
She had such a fast way of talking, yet she still managed to somehow pronounce each syllable perfectly clear. Eli was amazed her tongue still functioned properly.
‘You haven’t told me your name yet.’ he added after a short pause.
‘That’s odd. I usually introduce myself. I’m Kevin.’ the girl held out her hand, still smiling sweetly, waiting for Eli to follow her gesture. He wasn’t sure he heard her name well.
‘Sorry, did you say Kevin?’ he asked incredulously, forgetting his manners and leaving her with her arm stretched.
‘Yes, Kevin. K-E-V-’ she started.
‘I know how to spell it.’ Eli interrupted. ‘Do you mean you’re a guy? Like, a dude?’ he asked once more, not sure whether she was making fun of him or not.
‘I’m not a ‘dude’’ he replied, retrieving his hand and pouting a little. ‘I’m just Kevin. And yes, I am a male. As male as they come.’
‘Oh.’ Eli said, not daring to believe what this person was telling him. If he was indeed telling him the truth, then that meant Kevin was probably the most feminine guy he had ever encountered. Not only did he possess a slim, s-curved body, but his facial features also reminded Eli of a female. He had the characteristic of typical Koreans, but they were enhanced in such a delicate way, that it made him look almost ethereal.
‘Is there something wrong?’ Kevin asked, coming closer to him, as if he was trying to analyze Eli from head to toe. That actually freaked out Eli a bit, making him take a step back.
‘No, I’m fine, I…’
‘Kevin!’ he then heard a call behind him. ‘What are you up to now?’
Eli turned to his left, somewhat startled by the sound of a powerful, masculine voice. He noticed a tall male approaching, who was, judging by his clothes, a nurse. He didn’t look anything Korean-like, his face and skin color resembling a unique combination between a Filipino, an American and probably more ethnicities.
‘I wasn’t doing anything wrong’, Kevin answered when he had reached them. He bowed his head and pouted, which Eli found sort of cute.
‘I’m sorry if he disturbed you. Or if he asked inappropriate questions. He has the tendency of doing that sometimes. You’re the new nurse, right? Eli, is that your name?’
‘Yeah, that’s me.’ Eli answered, shaking his hand. ‘And no, it’s okay.’
‘That’s not fair’, Kevin mumbled. ‘You didn’t shake my hand when I offered. You have no manners.’ Eli just ignored him, and concentrated on the guy in front of him instead.
‘I’m Alexander. I’m head-nurse on the first three floors of the building. The other three are taken by nurse Bess, I’m sure you met her yesterday. When I’m not around, you can ask her for whatever you need, and vice-versa. Let me take Kevin to his room, and then I’ll show you around and explain how things work.’ he finished his sentence, smiling welcoming at him. Eli liked him immediately, though he seemed really young to be called head-nurse at this age.
‘Sure. May I come?’ he asked, making Kevin wide his eyes.
‘Of course.’ Alexander replied, leading the way.
They started walking slowly, sometimes stopping in front of various doors, for Eli to receive certain information about some particular bothersome patients. Alexander explained to him how the system works, from the residents’ files to their daily breakfast, making sure to leave nothing behind. He warned Eli not to visit the last three floors of the hospitals, since apparently he wasn’t ready yet. The patients living there were more than just ‘a little mad’, so until he gained enough experience, he would just serve the first three floors, to get used to their behavior, way of thinking, reacting or speaking. He proceeded to explain how Kevin (who, meanwhile, had started bouncing around them) is the most sociable resident they have, and how he became his ‘little guilty pleasure’.
‘I really enjoy talking to him, albeit we’re not supposed to get too attached to any of them. I know you probably find him strange now, but you’ll see he actually owns a great personality. Oh, and I hate the fact that he calls me ‘Xander’, but he’s too cute to decline his pleads.’ he added.
‘Aren’t all patients ‘strange’ around here?’ Eli asked jokingly. Alexander started laughing.
‘Point taken.’ he grinned.
After reaching Kevin’s room, the young boy started pouting again, knowing that it usually had the desired effect on his favorite nurse. But Alexander just smiled apologetically, gesturing for him to go inside.
‘You must eat. And you should also stop walking around the corridors so much.’
‘But it’s not prohibited’ Kevin clenched to his neck. ‘Besides, I wanna stay with him.’ he said, pointing with his head towards Eli, making him smile.
‘You’ll get the chance to know him better later on. Right now you need to have breakfast, since it’s the…’
‘…most important meal of the day. Yeah. I know.’ Kevin sighed, turning around and going inside his room, where two eggs and a few pancakes were already waiting for him on a small table beside his bed.
**
‘I’m off.’ Alexander said later that evening, while Eli was watching him dress and getting ready to leave. ‘If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call me, regardless of the hour. These first few nights will be the trickiest, but if you manage to pass them, you’ll be able to handle pretty much anything.’ he smiled, heading for the door.
‘Thank you. I’ll try my best. Drive safe.’
‘I will. Take care.’ he replied, before exiting the building.
Now Eli had been left alone, in a deafening silence. It was vital for him to stay awake throughout the entire night, since this would be his first probation in a series of many others to come. He had to prove that he was capable of maintaining a responsible attitude, while keeping the patients under control in case of some unexpected situation. After inhaling deeply, he stood up from his chair and headed for the second floor, where he knew he would find an espresso machine. He wasn’t much of a coffee consumer, but for the sake of doing a good job on his first try, he would sacrifice his taste buds. After arriving and filling up a container with steamy cappuccino, he was about to take another walk around the corridors, to get used to the place more. But just as he was ready to walk away, the sound of someone singing stopped him. It was a sweet, yet powerful voice coming from nearby, so he decided to find the source of one of the most beautiful songs he had ever heard. He couldn’t grasp much of the words, but it seemed like a ballad about the lost of a loved one. As he started pacing towards the end of the hallway, he realized that must be Kevin. The voice sounded an awful lot like his, which took Eli by surprise. He stopped in front of his room, then started listening carefully. He was now sure it was coming from the inside, so he just made himself comfortable on the floor, with his back leaned on the door.
After a few minutes he knocked, at which point Kevin stopped singing. Eli could hear no noise, other than the cars outside passing by. Everything was so silent he could almost hear his own heartbeat, which made him feel like he shouldn’t have interrupted Kevin. He then detected footsteps approaching, so taking a step back seemed like the proper aftermath.
He was now facing a somewhat confused-looking Kevin, clearly tired, but content at the same time. He had a bubbly expression, as if Eli had just explained a knotty equation to him.
‘Sorry for interrupting’ Eli said in a hushed voice, careful not to wake the others. ‘You were singing earlier, right?’
‘Yes, I was’ Kevin smiled, stepping aside and motioning for him to come in.
‘No, it’s okay. I was just checking on the patients’ Eli lied. ‘You should go to bed, it’s late.’
‘No, it’s not’ he laughed. ‘It’s still evening.’
Eli couldn’t help but notice he had a really cute laugh. For a male, being able to smile or laugh like this wasn’t a common trait. Kevin quickly noticed the cup of coffee in his hand, now cold. He had forgotten about it the minute he heard the younger boy sing, but he didn’t regret it. The sleep had already faded away the moment he sat in front of his door.
‘That’s coffee, right?’ Kevin asked. ‘I don’t know how you guys can drink something like that. It’s bitter and disgusting. Xander says it keeps him awake and he once let me have a sip. I almost puked.’
‘I’m actually not a consumer. But when I’m really tired, I drink one just for the heck of it.’
‘You could drink an energizer instead. It’s much more yummy then that thing.’
‘So I’m assuming you like energizers?’ Eli smiled, raising one brow.
‘I do, but we’re not allowed to have any. The doctors say they’re not beneficial for our health. I miss it, though, I use to drink a lot of ‘em.’
After that Kevin paused for a short moment, as if he was hesitating to confess something.
‘You sure you don’t wanna come in? I’m bored. And the others are fine, most of them are early-sleepers. Believe me, I know. Besides, I can assure you nothing ever happens here during the night, so you won’t get in trouble. And if you do, I’ll just say it was my fault.’
While saying all of these, he stared at his slippers and played with his fingers. It was like raising his head and establishing eye-contact would scare Eli away. The older boy hesitated a bit, wanting to follow Kevin inside his room and shut the door firmly. He wished to hear him sing again, but wasn’t sure if that would be considered appropriate or not.
‘If you’re bored, try flipping through a book, or a magazine. I saw the hospital hosts a pretty impressive collection. Do you know how to read?’
He mentally kicked himself for not approving Kevin’s request, but showed no facial regret. Kevin just sighed.
‘I do. I’ll go to the library after I change. Good night.’ he said, going back inside and closing the door.
Eli remained there for a long time after that, staring at the wall in front of him. Kevin didn’t come back out that night.