Wang So woke in a cold sweat. His head was throbbing, his eyes were burning with tears, further obscuring his surroundings, and his chest felt like it was on fire. The ventilator provided oxygen, but it wasn't enough to mitigate the suffocating feeling and he struggled against the overwhelming urge to draw a deep breath.
It seemed like an eternity before he was able to comprehend where he was—still in the hospital! When his vision cleared enough to make out the numbers on the digital clock across the room it showed 4:17am. Knowing the guards outside the door would likely not change shifts until at least 6:00am made him realize that he wouldn't be able to get anyone's attention with the breathing tube still down his throat, and both of his wrists once again strapped to the rail on each side of the bed.
Yo had stayed with him as promised—or threatened—but had somehow managed to make himself comfortable in the recliner at the other end of the room after all, which now meant he was too far away to become aware of his brother's distress.
So forced himself to make a conscious attempt to relax and remain calm. It wasn't working. The nightmare—or vision, or whatever it was—had just been too intense to easily dismiss. And it wasn't like one of his usual nightmares either, where he hardly ever remembered any specifics after waking up.
No, this was much different! He could vividly recall every single detail!
His older brother, Wang Yo, dressed in 10th century style golden royal robes and wearing a Wonyugwan King's crown, is standing in a raised walkway above a courtyard, with eunuchs behind him and soldiers to either side, holding a bow in his hand.
Down below, his younger brother, Wang Eun, is kneeling on the ground beside a motionless girl, an arrow protruding from his right arm and surrounded by a dozen or more soldiers.
Just as Wang Yo readies another arrow and one of the soldiers jumps forward to slash Eun with his sword, Wang So interferes. Driving the soldiers back, he kneels protectively in front of Eun.
Wang Yo draws the bow back, now aiming at So, and orders him to move.
"Do you have to go this far?" So asks.
"The roots of treason must be pulled out to keep the nation peaceful," Yo replies and once again orders him to move.
So can hear his youngest brother, Wang Jung, scream "STOP!" behind him, but he doesn't turn.
Some of the soldiers move, apparently to hold Jung back, and as Yo momentarily appears distracted, So jumps to assist Jung.
Yo, seeing Eun unprotected, takes advantage of the opportunity and releases the arrow. The fighting stops at the moment the arrow hits Eun in the chest and Wang So turns.
Eun stares in shock up at Yo, then down at the arrow. His already bloody hands are shaking as his fingers wrap around the shaft.
Frozen in the moment, So and Jung are staring in disbelief.
Yo has lowered the bow and is calmly watching the scene from his vantage point up on the walkway.
As Eun begins to collapse, So screams his name and jumps forward to grab a hold of his brother's shoulders.
Tears well up in Eun's eyes as he clutches at So's arms. "Do you remember, back on my birthday?" Eun asks, breathing hard and his voice is trembling. "You said you would give me any present I wanted. Do you recall that?"
So only stares at him, lost for words.
"He told me there was a gift only you could give to me," Eun continues, then admits, "He manipulated me."
Eun pauses, yet So still has no reply.
"That girl..." Eun is crying, looking over at the motionless girl on the ground beside him. "...I cannot let her go alone."
Wang Yo continues to watch from above, his expression a mixture of satisfaction and indifference as he calmly readies another arrow.
Eun looks up at Yo in defeat, then back at So with sudden determination. "Hyungnim...I would prefer it if you just..." He is interrupted by a cough.
So grabs him tighter, unable to hold back his own tears any longer.
"It is a gift only you can give me," Eun declares solemnly.
So is hesitating, shaken to the core by the realization of what his younger brother is asking of him.
Eun reassures him with a brief nod and a forced hint of a smile behind the tears.
So casts a brief glance at the girl on the ground, then looks back up, reading the desperation in his brother's eyes. His lips are quivering, tears streaming down his face, and his own hand is trembling as he tightly wraps his fingers around Eun's hand.
Another moment of hesitation, So swallows hard and grits his teeth, then slowly releases Eun's shoulders and pushes himself up on his sword.
Wang Yo gradually releases the tension on the bowstring that he had been holding at full draw while watching the scene in the courtyard below unfold.
So is standing, looking down at Eun, trying to fight the raw emotions that threaten to take his breath away.
Eun glances over at the girl on the ground beside him, and a tender, peaceful smile suddenly appears on his tearstained, youthful face.
So staggers as he steps back, then slowly raises his sword above his head.
He hears the whisper, "No, you can't!" from behind him. A girl's voice, but he doesn't turn to look.
With an anguished scream, he brings the sword down with all his strength, and the blade slices across Eun's chest.
##########
Wang Yo was ripped from his sleep by a high pitched sound. It took him a moment before he recognized the sound as coming from his brother's heart monitor and he sat up in alarm.
At the same instant, the door burst open and one of the night guards, Kim Tae Hyun, entered together with a young woman who was dressed in identical gear.
"Stay where you are!" she commanded, directed at Yo who was struggling to get out of the recliner and into his wheelchair.
Unsure of why he actually obeyed her order, Yo made no further move but asked, "Who are you?"
"Park Soon Deok...I'm one of your day guards...code word is Goryeo," she replied hastily, then turned back toward the still open door.
"Min Joon, guard the door...Ji Young, find Doctor Seong or one of our coded nurses," she instructed the two guards outside. "Tae Hyun, over here! Loosen that strap before he breaks his wrist," she continued and hurried to the other side of the bed.
"Yah! What's wrong?...What..." Yo yelled at her from across the room.
"He's having a seizure, and..." she cut him off but stopped in mid-sentence as she reached for the leather strap on So's right wrist and glanced up at him.
"And what, damn it?" Yo snapped when he noticed her hesitation, making another attempt to move out of the recliner and into his wheelchair.
Soon Deok recovered quickly. "And nothing!...Stay where you are!" she snapped back, loosening the leather strap and taking a hold of So's arm.
"Don't try to hold him down or restrain him, unless he tries to pull out the breathing tube," she advised Tae Hyun. "I have to make sure he doesn't rip the lines out of his arm over here, but he can't be strapped down like this."
Yo cursed under his breath, mad at himself for even having considered getting into the comfortable recliner to begin with, and all the more upset that he now would obviously require some help to move back into his wheelchair. He watched with growing anxiety as Soon Deok placed a hand softly on his brother's forehead.
So's body was twitching and shaking, his hands were clenched into tight fists and trembling. The numbers on the beeping monitor showed his heart rate at 182bpm, and he seemed to be struggling to breathe despite still being hooked up to the ventilator.
Soon Deok bent down and whispered something to his brother that was too low for Yo to hear, yet earned her a curious look from the other guard. Whatever she said, it had the profound effect that So's seizure appeared to ease and his heart rate slowed somewhat.
"What did you say to him?" Yo queried baffled.
Soon Deok merely waved him off and continued to whisper to So, while she gently stroked his forehead until a doctor and nurse rushed into the room.
"Uisaseonsaeng-nim (Doctor formal), ganhosa-nim (Nurse formal)," she said, straightening and taking a step back yet without releasing So's arm, "please provide your names and the code word."
Both did as requested, and Dr. Seong added, smiling, "I see Lady Hae's guards are very diligent. Choi Ji Young and your guard at the door already asked us for our names and the code too."
"I apologize, Uisaseonsaeng-nim!" Soon Deok bowed politely.
"No apology necessary...we can't be too careful," the doctor replied as he reached up to turn off the heart monitor's irritating sound.
"It's okay now, he's stabilizing... You can let go," he assured her, adding, "Good job!"
Soon Deok appeared reluctant, but released So's arm and stepped back further, directing Tae Hyun with a short motion of her head to do the same and give the doctor and nurse room to tend to their patient.
"Soon Deok-ssi," Yo cautiously gained her attention. He wasn't sure what to make of her spunky, 'take charge' attitude that had already earned him a couple of rebukes, and squinted warily when she turned and walked over to him, a somber expression on her face.
"Wang Yo-ssi, I apologize for my behavior," she said, bowing as respectfully as she had done toward the doctor.
"Uh..." Yo looked up at her, momentarily at a loss for words. An apology was the last thing he had been expecting.
"Gwaenchanha (It's okay)," he responded after an awkward moment of silence. "I'm sorry I snapped at you too. It's just that..."
"I know!" Soon Deok nodded even though he left the rest unsaid. "I was worried about So-yah as well, that is why I had to act quickly."
"What did you do there...what did you say to get him to calm down like that?" Yo questioned, uneasy about the fact that this guard obviously not only knew who they were, but even referred to his brother rather intimately as 'So-yah'.
Soon Deok smiled dolefully and glanced over at So. "The same thing I used to do and say twenty-some years ago to that little boy in the boarding school, whenever his nightmares plagued him or our school mates tormented him because of the scar under his left eye."
Yo merely gawked at her in unconcealed surprise and failed to respond.
"That scar was healed when I last saw him," Soon Deok continued low, an enraged undertone suddenly in her voice and her smile had vanished. She cast Wang Yo an unyielding glare. "What happened? Who did this?"
Yo had to force himself to withstand her look. Now I wonder who taught whom to glare like that. "His ex-fiancé," he answered glumly.
"Does he know yet?"
"Oh, yeah!" Yo sighed. "And from what I gathered, he was awake when Yeon Hwa cut him."
Soon Deok's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Yeon Hwa?...Hwangbo Yeon Hwa?"
"You know her?" Yo squinted curiously.
"Unfortunately!" The answer came from between gritted teeth, and Soon Deok shook her head as she cast another glance over at So. "You said she's his ex-fiancé ...why in the world would So-yah even hook up with a snake like her at all?"
"Beats me!" Yo shrugged. "But he ended it months ago when he found out that her brother was scheming to take over our company."
"Apparently not soon enough, considering sleazeball Wookie managed to pull off the takeover after all," she grumbled.
Despite the seriousness of the matter, Yo couldn't quite manage to suppress a grin at the 'sleazeball' title. He was starting to rather appreciate her feisty bluntness.
"Yeah, well," he said with another shrug, "the sleazeball better enjoy it while it lasts, because this isn't over yet."
Soon Deok raised an eyebrow and shifted a tentative look between the two brothers.
"Okay, okay!" Yo acquiesced. "I know what you're thinking, and I admit neither one of us is in any kind of shape right now to put up a fight..."
"No, but thanks to Lady Hae you have a whole lot of helpers out there, eager to back you up with whatever you need," Soon Deok told him.
"Wang Yo-ssi," Dr. Seong interrupted.
"Uisaseonsaeng-nim...is my brother okay?" Yo inquired apprehensively.
"He's fine, thanks to Soon Deok-ssi's quick and appropriate action," Seong Il Hwan assured him as he joined them at the back of the room. "Most people would instinctively try to restrain a person who is having a seizure, which is the wrong thing to do and can actually cause more harm ...How did you know?" he asked, directed at Soon Deok.
"First Aid classes in college," she smiled faintly, "and I know how So... Wang So-ssi," she quickly corrected herself, "reacts to certain things."
"I see!" Seong Il Hwan nodded with a smile of his own. "Well, take good care of him then...you evidently know how to calm him down. We removed the breathing tube, but don't let him talk too much or move around a lot. It will take some time for him to recover from the pneumothorax."
"What's that?" Yo frowned.
"Collapsed lung," Soon Deok informed him, "and we will really have to keep him calm, because with broken ribs there is always the danger of another puncture that could cause it to collapse again," she added.
"Correct!" Dr. Seong confirmed, yet cast Soon Deok a curious look. "But that's not something that is taught in a first aid class, is it?"
"No," Soon Deok gave a cheerless laugh, "that's unfortunately something I learned the hard way through personal experience myself. Only one broken rib, but a three-time recurring pneumothorax, and I'm still not quite back to full lung capacity even after two years."
Yo couldn't help but marvel at her fortitude. That is one gutsy lady, talking so lightly about something so serious.
It seemed that Seong Il Hwan shared Wang Yo's sentiment as he gazed admiringly at Soon Deok. He might have replied, but a furtive 'cough' from the nurse who had remained at So's bedside stopped him short and he shifted, suddenly appearing embarrassed.
Yo decided to be nice and help him out—with the ulterior motive to get rid of him. "Don't worry, I'll make sure my Namdongsaeng behaves himself, or I tell on him to Lady Hae and she'll set him straight."
"You won't have to, Wang Yo-ssi," Soon Deok chuckled lightly, "at least not as long as I'm here. Trust me, I know exactly how to keep him in line."
"Now why do I have not even the slightest doubt about that," Yo gave back, grinning.
"Just be sure to call me if there are any further problems," Seong Il Hwan cut in, looking somewhat dejected for being left out of their friendly banter.
"We will," Soon Deok assured him. "Thank you, Uisaseonsaeng-nim!" She courteously bowed once again as did Yo, and the doctor turned to leave.
Soon Deok once more directed Tae Hyun with just a short nod, indicating for him to leave the room as well.
After the door had closed, she propped her hands on her hips and squinted challengingly at Yo. "Now, Wang Yo-ssi...are you just going to sit here all day, or do you want me to show you how to get back into your chair?"
Yo merely stared at her again, lost for words.
Soon Deok rolled her eyes and took charge.
"Here, like this…" She moved the wheelchair forward a little and changed its angle to the recliner. "Fold the armrest back, and you need to lock the brakes too when you have it positioned... Didn't they teach you anything in rehab?"
Yo only shrugged and didn't reply.
"Now scoot forward to the edge of the seat," Soon Deok continued, "and turn to your left...a little bit more...more...okay, good!" She nodded satisfied as he obeyed her instructions.
"Next, your right hand goes here...left hand over here." She guided his hands to the correct positions, ignoring his uneasy squint.
"Now you need to push up and turn when you slide over...come on, you have plenty of muscle there," she grinned with a playful wink and lightly pinched his right biceps.
Yo just stared again for a moment, but then executed the maneuver as she had explained it, amazed at the relative ease with which he managed to accomplish the task.
"There you go!" Soon Deok smiled brightly. "Now just put the armrest back down, position your legs and you're good to go...And don't forget to unlock the brakes," she added with another wink.
Yo rolled his eyes, but smiling too as he followed her final directive. "Thanks!"
"You're welcome," she replied with a gracious bow. Remaining bent down to his eye-level, she fixed him with a solemn stare. "And you know... sometimes it's perfectly okay to ask for help, without causing major damage to your ego, right?"
"Yeah, well..."
"Oh, nothing yeah well!" Soon Deok scolded. "You men are all alike with your stubborn, foolish pride. You would rather get lost ten times before asking for directions just once."
"This is different," Yo grumbled sullenly.
"Really?...How?" she challenged.
"Well...it just is!" he gave back, unable to come up with a reasonable explanation on short notice. "But thanks again anyway."
"And you're welcome again anyway," Soon Deok chuckled, straightened at last, and casually strolled back over to So's bed.
It took Yo several seconds to overcome the 'WTF moment', but then he grinned, remembering what So had told his brothers about the 'Noona' who had taken him under her wing during the time they had spent together in the boarding school.
Doesn't seem like that girl's attitude has changed much, he thought as he followed her across the room. And if she gets a hold of Yeon Hwa...
Leaving that particular notion unfinished, Yo pulled up beside the bed and furtively looked up at Soon Deok as she settled herself onto the edge of the mattress and once again placed a hand gently on his brother's forehead.
Even though the seizure had passed, So appeared to be still—or perhaps again—caught in one of his nightmares. But just as before, Soon Deok's hand on his forehead slowed So's heart rate as well as his restless movements.
"How are you doing this?" Yo questioned amazed.
"Honestly...I don't know why it works. ..It just does!" she shrugged. "It always helped with his nightmares when he was little, but I wasn't even sure if it would still work...I just couldn't think of anything else to do earlier," she admitted.
"Well, I'm sure glad it..." Yo stopped in mid-sentence when So opened his eyes.