This was pacing up and down national day.
Pacing up and down waiting for a taxi. Pacing up and down before the desk lady stopped thinking he was an an old pervert and gave him directions to the rightful ward. Pacing up and down in front of the delivery room. Then pacing up and down at the end of the corridor while waiting for Ji-Hoon, in order to capture him and prevent him from going where Ye Ri was.
The young woman, covered with sweat, had grabbed the detective's sleeve.
- Don't let himc come in, she had articulated with effort. "He shouldn't see this…"
Baek Do Shik had nodded and obeyed.
The autorithy of a woman giving birth could be a lot more impressive than that of a half-dozen gang leaders.
In the end, only Min-Ho had stayed in the delivery room, holding her hand and encouraging her with his distraught "Hang on, Noona. You can do it !"
It would have been funny in other circumstances.
But the Viper wasn't at all in the mood to laugh.
He passed his handkerchief on his forehead dripping with sweat, then put the cloth back in the pocket of his suit, before pacing up and down again.
Anything can happen, isn't it ?
He did not often have the opportunity to watch dramas, but according to his mother, dying in childbirth was more frequent than death in road accidents.
- "Everything's fine", Do Shik muttered for himself. "Ye Ri is strong. Our girl is stronger and cleverer than all of us together. Aigoo! She managed to tame the Monster, didn't she…"
He broke off.
Ji-Hoon had just appeared at the corner of the corridor. He was wearing his coat but had forgotten to take off the paper boots he had put on to examine a crime scene at the request of Head of Police Jung.
- "How's she doing?" he panted.
The detective wondered if he had run back all the way from Seoul.
- "She's been in there for a moment", he said, taking the young man by the arm and pulling him in the opposite direction of the delivery room. "We'll soon know if it's a littl' guy or a missy."
The professor freed his arm.
- "I need to be with her", he protested with a frantic look.
His eyes were round and terrified.
- "Not at all", said Baek Do Shik, catching him up. "Omma is in good hands, Appa. You'd rather come to have a cup of coffee. I'm sure you ate nothing since this morning."
Ji-Hoon dropped on a bench in the corridor. Hepassed a a hand on his face, overwhelmed.
- "I souldn't have left," he stuttered.
Baek Do Shik discovered that the more the young man worried, the more himself found back his confidence.
- "Of course yes", he retorted. He gave the man a poke then sat down next to him. " Don't worry, director Yeo. Everything will be fine."
- "Sunbaenim, if she… if I…"
Ji-Hoon was so much at a lost it was almost cute.
Baek Do Shik sniffed cheerfully.
- "Everything will be fine", he repeated.
And as in a moment of grace, the silence in the corridor was suddenly tinged with a plaintive wail.
Ji-Hoon got up, very straight.
Baek Do Shik considered the trembling hands of the young man with amused emotion, before noticing that his own legs were affected by a very surprising tremor.
Park Min-Ho emerged from the delivery room, removing the surgery cap they had made him wear. He looked ridiculous in the blue blouse and had a rather traumatized look.
- "It is… done", he concluded, apparently short of words.
Baek Do Shik let escape a victorious whistle, then made a small dance in circle on the impeccable tiled floor.
Ji-Hoon didn't seem to realize at all, frozen in the middle of the corridor, looking dull.
- "Professor", said Min-Ho, flashing a smile. "Professor, come in. Noona's waiting for you."
He pulled him towards the door, then pushed him in the room where the nurses had taken Ye Ri.
- "I'm sorry I kept you waiting…" murmured the young woman, turning her head to him.
Her face was very pale on the pillow. She passed a hand) in her hair, as to re-do it and less frighten him.
- "Good… work…" managed to stammer Ji-Hoon, without approaching.
She burst out laughing, weakly.
- "Come", she called, holding out her hand.
He stumbled to the bed, wrapped in his hands her fingers, the slender wrist pinned with the intravenous needle. sat down absent-mindedly in the chair Baek Do Shik had pulled behind him.
- "Are you okay ?"
- "Yes", said Ye Ri, caressing his face. She tilted her chin, pushed aside the folds of the blanket wrapped around the baby snuggled up against her. "Look…"
Ji-Hoon looked down and saw nothing, his eyes still clouded by retrospective fear.
- "Take her", said Ye Ri, softly guiding his hands. "Take her in your arms, Ji-Hoon-ah. This is your daughter."
The young man received the package awkwardly. He propped it up against his chest, his eyes still on his wife.
- "Look at her", she repeated.
He felt before he saw.
The hot and soft weight abandoned against him like nobody had ever been. Defenseless. Very alive.
Then he met two dark eyes in which reflected his face.
The baby made a bubble, yawned very delicately.
Small tight fists, still creased by the fight to come into the world.
A drop fell on the wrinkled cheek of the girl who didn't have a name yet.
Ji-Hoon raised his head. His throat was blocked, he could not say a word.
Ye Ri's look wrapped him with love and gentleness.
She smiled.
This is now. Now begin happiness. Now the nightmare stops. This is here. Hope opens the door.
Light came flowing in the dark world where he had lived for a too long time.
- "Thank you…" stammered Ji-Hoon, unable to unlock his eyes from hers.
He didn't notice he was crying.
Tears flowed without stopping on his face now lit by a sincere, calmed, pure smile.
He hiccupped.
His arms were taken by the invaluable present, and his legs wobbly, so he was not able to leave to hide the emotion submerging him.
His back shaken with sobs, he lowered his head.
Bael Do Shik wiggled, embarrassed, then took his decision and put a brotherly arm on the young man's shoulders, surly.
- "Well done, Noona", whispered Min-Ho, by-passing the bed to go press the hand of the newly mother.
Ye Ri touched the cheek of the man she loved, still smiling.
Between them two, a little girl had fallen asleep, trusting, in the arms of her father.
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OP song : In my Veins
Awakening
Unknown Caller
Friday
