A/N: While I thought the original ending to Faith was meaningful and satisfying, I still felt as though there was still a bit to be desired. So, I've decided to see what would have happened if the story had taken a twist, and that includes Dr. Jang's survival. Again, I appreciated the original ending, but I wanted to create a twist where Eun Soo didn't waver in returning to Goryeo, and where there were several factors that contributed to this ending. I also wanted to explore their love without forcing them to be a part for five years. Again, the original ending was meaningful, I know this, but I felt like forcing them away for so long was just torture, so here's my twist on the story. Hopefully it's enjoyable to those who read it. And hopefully the character's portrayals are correct in some way or form.
"Choi Young!"
She was being dragged away forcibly from that person—the man she loved—by that bastard, Gi Cheol. That person—the one she thought of so fondly—was left paralyzed on the ground, dying slowly before her eyes. It was possible to save that man, had she been given the chance. She struggled in the grasp of Gi Cheol who was clearly far too strong for her to just break free. Tears sprung in her eyes, threatening to spill as she tried to pull away from that monster who resided in a human body. She refused to believe that people like him existed. As she was being dragged away against her will, she caught a glimpse of someone familiar riding a horse in the distance, towards Choi Young's unmoving body. Hope flooded over her body as she recognized the man on the horse.
Doctor Jang!
Her lips curved into a sad smile at the sight of the man jumping off his horse beside Choi Young, glancing in her direction though as if he had to decide who to save. But by the expression she wore, she made it clear that it be Choi Young. As long as he was saved, that's all she needed in order to be truly relieved. The hand around her wrist tightened, almost threatening to shatter her wrist from the mere strength.
"Let go!" Soon enough, she was nearing the portal, still unable to break free from the tight grasp. If.. If I don't break free, I'll really go through.. She screwed her eyes shut, begged to someone—anyone—to save them from this torture. Suddenly, she came to an abrupt stop directly behind Gi Cheol, and as she peered up with teary eyes, she saw the Suribang boys surrounding the monster. She referred to Gi Cheol as a monster simply because that is exactly what he was; someone who could easily harm others for his own greed.. It sickened her. But remembering the battle between Gi Cheol and Choi Young, she knew that they wouldn't be able to take him on fully. As she watched the two of the three boys slowly approach Gi Cheol, weapons by their side as they prepared to initiate their attack, Eun Soo's hand began to freeze up. Her watery gaze drifted from the boys before them to where Gi Cheol held on tightly to her hand. His own hand began to freeze up, and she could feel it. Suddenly she glanced up once Gi Cheol began to tense up in anger and grit his teeth.
"Out of my way!"
The Suribang boys looked as though they were ready to attack, with their archer feet behind them in case Gi Cheol decided to try anything. But Eun Soo moved her lips to say "No" so that they wouldn't face the same fate as Choi Young.
Choi Young..
Her chest began to swell up and ache at the thought of him dying. She could save him, with or without her own medical supplies. But a part of her felt as though those supplies would be needed in the near future. She couldn't waste any time. Recalling the weapon she carried on her, she slowly began to reach for it, doing her best not to grab his attention. Finally, before she could even react properly, one of the Suribang boys, the one with the spear, launched himself directly at Gi Cheol in an attempt to harm him with his weapon. However, Gi Cheol reacted just as fast. He flung Eun Soo against the ground as he gave a surprisingly quick step to the side, his hand snapping forward to wrap around his neck. The other Suribang boy, the one quick with the sword, also lunged forward to slash his blade across his back. Eun Soo took this advantage to run off past the Suribang archer and into the portal.
"Choi Young," came a voice, calling for him.
With eyes closed, he remained utterly silent, unable to move or speak. No matter how much he wanted to get up to protect his woman, he couldn't find the strength. Almost as if it had all disappeared. Almost as though the weight of his sword finally crushed him. He found it hard to breathe. It was just warrior Choi Young and his slipping consciousness. He did his best to keep conscious, so that his own life wouldn't slip away. The reason he couldn't find the strength to get up was because he was focusing most of it into remaining alive; for Eun Soo, who he..
Who I..?
Lost in the thoughts of his own consciousness, Choi Young could faintly recall his memories with that person. It was what kept him going for the most part. Long ago, Choi Young would have given up his life so easily, but now he was fighting harder than ever before to just remain alive—breathing—so that he could see the light of day again. Just so that he could see her smiling face. But where did things go wrong? How could he fail to defeat someone without trying hard enough?
High doctor..
He breathed out, finding it harder and harder to breathe every second. He couldn't feel for the most part, nor move. All he could do was listen to the noise around him and cling to life desperately. It was the only thing left he could do. But deep down, he knew it. He saw that person being taken away before his eyes. She would be unable to save him if she were in the hands of that man.
I failed to protect you..
And now.. I'm going to die, aren't I?
He suddenly began to wonder if those dreams ever existed—those dreams of being together with that person. Or was it all to end so soon? Did he fail to realize those words his father left behind?
She couldn't remember every detail of that moment. All she could remember was rushing through the building, grabbing supplies she needed for Goryeo. She grabbed many things, and almost anything that seemed important. She ran through the halls, maneuvering past people with urgency. That person was on the verge of dying and she couldn't spare any second waiting around. Why did this have to happen? She found herself asking the same question over and over, as if she didn't understand the meaning behind the incident. But she knew that deep down, she was prepared to leave behind everything in this world, all for the opportunity to save Choi Young. She couldn't allow herself to fail. Failure was not an option. Not this time.
Why did they both have to face this torture? What led them to this very incident that couldn't be prevented?
To say goodbye to my parents..
They had only been in that situation because he told her to say goodbye to those she would miss. Was it because that she had been so greedy that she had to suffer losing one over the other? That if she wanted to see her parents one last time, Choi Young had to be that ultimate sacrifice? Had she told him that she didn't need to bid farewell, he wouldn't have had to face off against Gi Cheol who was clearly waiting for the moment of their arrival. This was her mistake. As she shoved a bunch of more medical supplies into the bag she "borrowed" without permission, she raced back to the front entrance, running right into a fellow nurse friend of hers; the one who introduced Eun Soo to the reporters that ambushed her on her return. Well, not necessarily friend, but a colleague; one who knew her quite well, not personally, though. This may have been very well her last chance for farewells, but she wasn't about to choose someone living over someone dying.
"Dr. Eun Soo, where have you been? I just called the police and told them you returned. They've been searching for you and that.. that crazy man—" she began before Eun Soo interrupted her.
"Tell my parents goodbye," said Eun Soo suddenly.
"What..?" responded her colleague, obviously bewildered by the request. "Goodbye..? What are you getting at, and why are you leaving again? Are you out of your mind, you were just kidnapped! Or.. are you being held hostage and he's forcing you to leave?"
"I don't have time to waste!" responded Eun Soo as she placed a hand on her colleague's shoulder, giving her a firm look as if to confirm she meant it. "Tell them goodbye, and not to worry.. I've.. I've found happiness somewhere else. So please.. Tell my parents that, and tell them not to bother looking for me." Before her colleague could respond, she dropped her hand from her shoulder and brushed past her, sprinting out the doors and towards the portal once more while leaving the poor nurse in complete confusion. By the time Eun Soo reached the portal, it was time to make a decision: to remain in her current world, where it was safer and held people she cared about, or to really leave it in exchange for the dangerous life of the Goryeo time period? Choi Young's survival was not confirmed. If she planned to really leave and come across the fact that she was unable to save him, then she would be trapped heartbroken in a time period that would haunt her forever.
Eun Soo didn't even need a second to consider. Without looking back—and with unwavering faith and a longing heart—she stepped right into the mystical portal that would take her back to the general she loved, Choi Young. Within a second of stepping through the portal, she arrived at her destination and walked right on out. She noticed a limp body near the entrance, bloody and frozen.
Gi Cheol..
She closed her eyes momentarily as she strolled past his body, and her eyelids reopened. From the distance, she saw Doctor Jang attending to Choi Young, and with great speed, Eun Soo raced through the field towards the tree where she had been forced to leave him. Her heart began to pick up the pace at the mere thought that he was close to death. She didn't want to lose him—she wasn't going to lose him. From the very beginning, she declared that she would never let him die.
Never.
Within seconds, she reached Choi Young, who lay practically lifeless in the field. The Suribang boys watched with displeasure at the sight of the man whom they were especially fond of, and Doctor Jang moved aside a little bit to give her room, but also to provide assistance if necessary.
"I'm not going to let you die," she whispered as she dropped the bag of supplies beside her. "Never. Not as long as I am here with you."
'I'm not going to let you die. Never. Not as long as I am here with you..'
That voice.. those words.. echoed throughout his mind. His eyelids snapped open once he came to his senses, and he forced himself upwards, grimacing though at the slight pain in his chest from the sudden movement.
"Don't move. You need to rest," spoke a voice nearby.
Glancing over at the table beside the bed he rested on, he spotted Eun Soo. She looked tired, with noticeable bags under her eyes and somewhat messy hair. Almost as if she had been fighting a battle. This raised slight suspicion, only because Choi Young could vaguely recall what happened. Until he remembered the battle with Gi Cheol, and Eun Soo being dragged away. She began to help him lay back down, and though he wanted to fight against it and remain sitting, he was frankly too tired to even fight against the High Doctor. "Imja.. You're.." He didn't want to say it. Despite it being a false concern, he was really.. afraid when he saw her being dragged away. For another time in his life, he had felt utterly helpless. First towards his Master, then to his previous beloved, and now to the doctor he currently loved. It had seemed as though he were really, truly incompetent to help anyone he cared about truly. "..You're here."
"Mhmm. And so are you." Eun Soo smiled slightly at him.
There was a silence between them. It wasn't uncomfortable, nor was it unsettling. Instead, it was peaceful. Finally, Choi Young was the one who broke it. "What.. what happened?" he questioned quietly, closing his eyes.
There was no response.
"..Imja?" One eyelid fluttered open to peer over at the High Doctor. But all he could see was her saddened frown and teary eyes—something she had been clearly holding back for some time. One hand went to clasp over her mouth as if to muffle to sobs that dared to leave. But even then, a single tear did not fall nor did she make a single sound. Choi Young opened both his eyes, forced himself up into a sitting position and forced himself to endure the pain, if for a little while. He turned to face her, staring at her once more. "Imja, why are you crying?"
"I—I'm not.. crying.." she objected in a sorrowful tone, averting her gaze for a few seconds. "I.. I was afraid.."
"Imja? Afraid?" repeated Choi Young questionably, but also with great concern that he didn't express. "Why?"
He should have known the answer.
"I.. was afraid you weren't going to wake up.." she replied, clearing her throat. "The.. last time you were in a near-death state, you wouldn't wake up.."
He finally understood it. Choi Young also realized that he had caused that person to cry again. He caused her to worry over his condition. He forced her to suffer through it all alone, with no sign that he would be waking up. Quickly, he leaned forward and grabbed a hold of her available wrist. Then without words or warnings, he yanked her—gently—right into his lap to pull her into a tight embrace. With his arms now wrapped around her, and despite the stinging sensation in his chest from sudden movements, he held her closely against him, clearing his own throat.
"Imja.. I was also worried that I would not see you again.." he told her quietly in her ear.
She screwed her eyes shut as tears slid down her cheeks, inhaling sharply while releasing a brief sob. "I was really afraid to lose you.."
"..If imja was afraid to lose me, what made you come back by my side?" Choi Young suddenly questioned her, tightening his grip around her a little bit. ".If I was really close to.. death.. then why did imja return? You should have stayed in the world of Heaven if that had been the case. Why did you take the risk?"
Now, Eun Soo pulled away a bit, wiping her eyes with the back of her palm. "I had faith that I could save you. I had faith that you would survive," she responded quietly yet earnestly. "I told you that I wanted to remain here with you.."
Imja longed to return to me?
"I was only afraid, not because I lost my faith, but because waiting distressed me. I wanted you to wake up with positive results as soon as possible," she told him.
Choi Young simply took her hands into his, as a gesture of his thanks and gratefulness towards her growing faith. After giving them a light squeeze, he made direct eye contact with her once more. "And.. your family?" That was the whole reason behind returning to the portal. In return for her stay in Goryeo, he agreed to take her to the portal to bid farewell to those she loved and protect her; although, he ended up failing.
"Imja.." He felt the need to apologize, though he couldn't find a way to just simply say it. Finally, he decided in how to go about it, and that was to be the simplest way possible. "..I'm sorry."
Suddenly, Eun Soo slipped her arms around his neck and pressed her face into his neck. "Don't ever be reckless like that again, you hear me? As your doctor, you need to listen to me.. Okay?"
Choi Young allowed a smile—for once—to slip onto his features while he wrapped his arms back around her. He—with uncertainty—rested his chin atop her head, making a new promise to the woman he grew to love, "I promise to be more careful."
And while he was well aware of the presence of Deokman and Oh Dae Man, who were watching with amusement, he decided to—just this once—ignore them and enjoy the sweet embrace he shared with the High Doctor, whom he would now share his future with. After all, he now had a real and earnest reason to survive.
A/N: Your thoughts?
