Translator: Ranka

Editor/TLC: Barb

Picked Up in Winter – <19>

What the h.e.l.l was going on……?

Unsettled, I looked between him and Patrasche again and again. Jun Hyung sat stupefied with his eyes widened as if he had received a big shock and was nailed on that spot. And because of that, my heart was about to burst with anxiety and curiosity. I was sure I wouldn't see such an anxious look on him ever again.

"Big…… hyung…?"

Fortunately, just before I went crazy from curiosity, Min Hyung broke that awkward silence. Min Hyung held Patrasche by the belly and looked at Jun Hyung. The eyes that were looking at Jun Hyung were palpitating with anxiety. Children were more sensitive. Staring at him, Min Hyung seemed to sense that something wasn't right.

"Wha…… What's wrong, big hyung…… eh?"

Then Jun Hyung moved his stationary body as if his soul had returned. He looked at Patrasche with his eyes still widened and then lifted his sight a little towards Min Hyung, who was holding her…… then lifted them once more to look at… me. The pupils that met mine quivered terribly once again. I felt something weird within which I was unable to express as his expression had started to rapidly contort into one of distress.

"What is it…"

"What's wrong, Jun Hyung……"

That suppressed voice came from my throat. It was surprisingly calm while I was feeling the total opposite on the inside. My heart and att.i.tude were miles apart. In fact, I was so nervous that I could have gone crazy while my voice was low and quiet.

"……… before……"

Jun Hyung bit his lips and opened his mouth.

"Before Patrasche, I had a puppy."

His lips were slightly trembling as he talked.

"But……"

He swallowed once more before he continued.

"…… it died."

"……it had caught… a cold."

…… it died?! It had caught a cold?

I was astounded. It was a great revelation to me who only understood that 'Patrasche had caught a cold.' Wait…… Wait a minute. Hold on. You die if you catch a cold? Isn't it an illness that gets better if you eat a lot of food and a few medicines and rest a lot? A cold was just a light sickness…… even if it stretched out, it wasn't life-threatening…… it's such a mild illness…….

"Cold is a serious illness for dogs."

He replied as if he had read my mind. My mind went blank for a moment due to a shock. Jun Hyung kept biting his lips as if he didn't know what to do. At Jun Hyung's words, Min Hyung became teary-eyed, and soon big tears began to drop. For some reason, he didn't cry loudly. Our mental state was very bad right then.

"Hospital…"

"Must be closed."

"Well, then, let's keep an eye on the situation for now, then tomorrow morning…"

"…………tomorrow is a holiday."

To my words, he answered in a hopeless voice. His words left me desperate myself. I didn't know what to do. And in the meanwhile, Patrasche kept constantly coughing. Her nose was running, and her eyes had gunk in them too. At first glance, the wet pupils made her look as if she was crying, making my heart hurt.

"What should we do……"

He mumbled. He was nervous and insecure and needless to say so was I. I had never raised a dog…… And I didn't know that cold was a deadly disease for a dog(s)……. Carefully touching Patrasche's head, it felt hot. It seemed like she was also having a fever. Meanwhile, on the TV they were talking either about Daesang award or acting award.

I also bit my lower lip tightly. Since it happened when there weren't any adults around, I didn't know what to do. Suddenly before my sight were Jun Hyung and Min Hyung, who were looking at me with great trepidation. I was taken aback. Why were you looking at me? I don't know a thing…. Or so I wanted to say, but when I saw the two depending on me, I thought I should come to my senses. For starters, I had to calm down, being the oldest one here.

"First……"

I took a deep breath and tried to think calmly. Since we didn't know anything, we should ask someone else first.

"Let's notify the others."

Then it seemed, as if their eyes which were both quivering with the anxiety of the situation, had found a ray of hope. Looking at those pupils that looked at me with trust, though I felt burdened, yet at the same time I also felt my courage soar up.

"Jun Hyung, you call them. Family members……"

He nodded instead of answering. I felt a sense of unease in that action.

"I… I also have no idea, I'll look it up on the internet. You never know. First Aid procedures, there might be something like that……."

Then, Jun Hyung and Min Hyung furiously nodded, so much that their head would've fallen off. In any case, as soon as we finished talking, we went into action. Jun Hyung grabbed the phone while I sat in front of the computer. Min Hyung hugged Patrasche tightly and crawled into the warm blanket. He seemed to think that the cold might get a little better if she stayed warm.

"h.e.l.lo? Nuna, you know……"

I could hear him talking on the phone behind. I grasped the mouse with trembling hands. In these cases, it felt like the computer was booting even slower than normal. Feeling endlessly nervous, I just pressed the b.u.t.ton.

A few minutes later, the Windows screen came on. I immediately went on the internet and entered the words on the search site. When I searched for the information about a dog's cold, I found the relevant knowledge one by one. Many of them were worthless, so I quickly scrolled through the t.i.tles and read some information that looked useful. As I was reading them, Jun Hyung who had finished the call, walked towards me and stood behind me.

"She said she'll be home as soon as she can."

"Ok…."

"What did you find?"

"Hold on……"

It could have been a wrong information, so I clicked on all the seemingly similar things to read about it. Diverse opinions were too risky to consider so I chose the safest method possible. And while I was organizing it in my head, I suddenly felt a heavy weight on my shoulder. I was surprised.

"…… die……?"

"…… won't… die……?"

Hearing his trembling voice made my heart hurt. It seemed to be difficult at first glance. My shoulder felt the weight of his crushed heart. Nodding furiously, with my restless hands I speed read a few more articles.

"Not all die due to cold."

He flinched and straightened himself. He seemed to be asking 'Really?', so I calmly nodded once again.

"If they die, it's due to Canine Distemper… It's like pneumonia to humans. If it's a serious cold, they'll die in 90 per cent of the time. But it seems to be a light cold so she can get better in no time."

"For treatment, the safest thing to do is to take her to the vet…… In case you don't have a regular medication in an emergency, you can give it a ¼ dose of medicine for adults or children's……1 Do you have something like a First Aid Kit at home……?"

At those words, Jun Hyung disappeared in a hurry somewhere. It seemed like he went to get the medicine. My whole body seemed to have lost all its energy, so I took a deep breath and leaned back. The shoulder he had just buried his face in, felt hot. Have I ever said so many things in detail in my life…? I felt awkward thinking about those words that had come out of my mouth as if they were not mine, and clenched my fist. My hands felt clammy, they were covered with cold sweat.

Translator/Editor Note:

1) This is by no means the correct medical treatment, so please don't apply it in your home. It is just a fictional representation, everyone. Hope you understand.

TN:

Sorry, guys, I wanted to post it yesterday but I was too tired after not being to sleep well at night and having to go out in the day from a quite early morning. Anyway, here's the chapter and the next won't be much later~ ^^

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Also, don't know if it could be kinda spoiler-ish (I'm keeping it vague lol) but well, don't read ahead if you don't want any kind of spoilers ^^

I skimmed through the chapters 26-30 or so while getting them ready for translation, and I honestly didn't expect how it went, man. Also, I'm not sure about it being what I think it is since I didn't read it fully so I could have been mistaken, still… And can I say I'm really not looking forward to translating that one chapter, but due to totally different reason that what I'm talking about before, that'll one hot chapter ? And then the one I've been talking about before… Really not…