Colors flooded Ga Eul's mind, replacing the dark gray that had settled itself like a blanket over her consciousness. It was bright and warm like summer, with flowers everywhere and butterflies flittering in the air. A little girl in white danced around, trying to catch them, but her arms were too short. She had almost caught it that time, but it slipped through her fingers, once again out of reach. Suddenly a strong pair of hands lifted the little girl up, causing her to burst into a fit of giggles as she was flown around like an airplane in the sky…
The halls of Da Young hospital were as busy as ever as doctors with stoic faces and clipboards in hand hurried about the emergency room, addressing the many patients that filled the hospital on this bright sunny Saturday while nurses ran hither and thither to complete their tasks, pausing now and then to glance at the man sitting on the floor, head resting against the wall, eyes unfocused with a far-away look in them. He hadn't moved from his slumped position once, and many looked with sympathetic eyes on the disheveled man covered in soot.
"Are you sure I can't get you anything for those burns?" a kindly nurse asked as she paused beside him, noting the red blisters marking his hands and scarring his face.
The man said nothing in reply, glossed over eyes hardly shifting from their fixation on the door across from him.
"You really should get treated," she pressed lightly, knowing the anguish the young man was experiencing. She didn't push further, though; her long years working in this field telling her it was useless. She sighed and walked away at the continued silence, pausing to talk to the head doctor, who nodded in the man's direction with understanding before turning to address yet another patient who had wandered in through the doors.
"Nurse Lee, this is really getting out of hand now." Gesturing to the growing bustle of patients filtering around the entry doors and communal area, the exhausted doctor tugged at his hair in frustration before turning to the shift nurse coordinating the influx of patients at the front of the room with a weary expression.
"I understand," the curt nurse replied, "but we'll just have to adjust. Staffing isn't what it should be, and we can't just turn them away before being evaluate—"
"No, no, of course not. That isn't what I'm suggesting. But tell the front desk we've got no more beds available in this unit." Seeing nurse Lee was about to interject, the doctor hurried on in a somewhat less than patient manner, "I don't care if it's not protocol, send the victims to the burn unit immediately. They can be evaluated there."
Yi Jeong leaned his weary head against the wall, the blood pounding in his ears making it impossible to hear the commotion of traffic walking to and fro down the long hallway while thoughts drifted to the events that had brought him here…
Stumbling towards the shed with exhaustion Yi Jeong pounded his fists against the wooden structure that was sending clouds of billowing smoke towards the sky and seemed at any moment ready to collapse into the flames ravaging the furthest side of the building. He hadn't stopped running since spotting the first sight of smoke in the distance, and now what met his eyes was worse than his wildest imagination. He prayed she wasn't inside.
"Ga Eul!"
"Ga Eul, are you there?"
Moving to another side of the structure, Yi Jeong pushed his head against the frame, not minding the hot wood that burned his skin. He heard nothing but the crackle and snap of flames and was about to move away when a faint sound jerked his head back to the wood.
"Ga Eul!"
There it was again. The faint sound had came muffled through the boards. Someone was in there! Through a slit in the boards, his eyes focused on the light blue fabric of Ga Eul's favorite dress. A new wave of panic coursed through his mind, and his hands tremble with rage and fear at this confirmation. Rushing around the shed, Yi Jeong let out a dark curse when his eyes fell upon the heavily wrapped chain encircling the handle. He'd kill the monster that did this.
Yi Jeong tuned to search for something, anything he could use to snap the chain while yelling desperately, hoping she'd respond.
"Ga Eul! Ga Eul, can you hear me?"
"Hold on, it's going to be ok."
"I'm going to get you out of there."
His quick perusal had yielded nothing that could break the metal chain locking her inside, and the small boards he had managed to break away from the frame were of no help in opening the entrance. For an old shack, it was holding up with maddening stubbornness. With nothing else to do, Yi Jeong had resorted to heaving himself against the deteriorating frame, willing it to give way even as splinters buried themselves into his flesh. The picture of her alone, scared, inside the burning room, giving him renewed strength, and he scarcely felt any pain as the adrenaline raced through his veins.
The wood creaked against the blows he was dealing it, shaking under the onslaught and ready at any moment to give way. Though it felt like an eternity to Yi Jeong, it had been mere minutes before the door finally crumbled off its hinges, landing in a heap of smoldering debris. Pushing his way through the battered door, Yi Jeong steeled himself against the hot blaze that met him, feeling his own sweat scorching his skin while embers rushed in a cloud of airborne cinders with the gust of wind from the now open door. He stumbled forward, wiping away the grime that clouded his vision, frantically searching for the girl he feared was gone forever. Forcing himself to think through the panic, he began lifting boards that had fallen across the floor, steadily clearing a small path while calling out her name, listening in vain for her sweet voice to reply.
There was nothing. No sign of her. No sign of anything but burning red, browns, and oranges where the fire had desecrated old wooden shelves and enflamed metal sports equipment that refused to burn. Where was she? Calls could now be heard outside, faintly yelling for water and asking if there was anyone inside. Through the burning hole Yi Jeong had created in the wall, a man spotted him and tried to usher him out,
"Get out of there, man! The building's gonna fall any minute."
"Whata ya doing? Get out of there!"
Yi Jeong tuned them out as he continued shifting boards out of his way. He wouldn't leave till he had her, even if it meant they'd had to dig him out too. A slight motion to the left caught his attention, and, catching sight of blue fabric, Yi Jeong heaved another board out of his way like it was a twig. What happened next was all a blur. Rushing to her side, he scooped Ga Eul's limp form up in his arms. Thankful he had her at last but not stopping to rejoice, he struggled back through the blazing maze before another gush of wind could spray up more fiery sparks.
Finally, out in the open and cradling her unconscious form on the grass, hot tears mixed with the sweat burning his eyes, but Yi Jeong wiped them away roughly. He wasn't ashamed to cry in front of the crowd that had formed, but he wouldn't allow himself to fall apart. Not till she was safe.
"You're going to be ok," Yi Jeong whispered against her temple.
"It's going to be ok," he repeated, this time more to himself as he waited for the ambulance he hoped would come.
The adrenalin that had coursed through Yi Jeong's veins earlier had left long ago, leaving him drained and defeated staring at the door the paramedics had rushed Ga Eul through. The unknown was killing him, and he would've given all he had for the door to open, bringing news that she was ok. But at the same time, he dreaded that door opening. He didn't want a doctor to come out and confirm his worst fears. He didn't want a diagnosis to make this nightmare real…
Earlier that day
"Yi Jeong fina—"
"Ji Hoo" Yi Jeong's voice came through, panicked and hurried, "call an ambulance, there's a fire, I thi—" the rushing sound of wind drowned out whatever else was said before the line cut off, leaving Ji Hoo to stare in alarm at the phone in his hand. Yi Jeong had sounded weird, like he was running or something, and the unmistakable fear in his voice made Ji Hoo worried. So much for a lazy afternoon with friends.
"Yi Jeong finally called?" Jun Pyo questioned, curious at his friend's sudden change in expression and why the doctor's face had gone so pale.
"Yah what'd he have to say for himself, standing his friends up with nothing but a measly call." Woo Bin jokingly called from the bar area, straightening up from the small fridge he had just grabbed two beers from, "he should—" but he never finished. Stopping mid-sentence at Jun Pyo's raised hand and the sudden change in atmosphere, Woo Bin immediately knew something was wrong.
Ji Hoo was on the phone again. It rang twice before going dead once more.
"Nothing?"
"No, he's not picking up."
"What's going on?"
"What exactly did he say? Where is he?" Jun Pyo questioned, tugging the wayward curls out of his face that always seemed to bug him when he was worried about something.
"He just said to call an ambulance. I don't know where he is" came Ji Hoo's defeated voice as he once more dialed his friend, concern growing to hear it fail again.
"Woo Bin, get over here. You have Yi Jeong's phone tracked, right?" the leader of the F4 immediately went into action, concerned for his friend…something didn't feel right.
In a flash, Woo Bin had his phone out to track Yi Jeong's coordinates. "What's going on? Do I need to get my men on it?" but Ji Hoo was already on the phone with the hospital and didn't reply.
"We're trying to figure that out," Jun Pyo rose in frustration to pace the floor, "all Yi Jeong said was there's a fire and to call an ambulance before the line went dead."
Woo Bin felt himself stiffen at this news. His friends were his family, and if someone had the audacity to hurt one of them, there'd be hell to pay. He'd make sure of it. This train of thought was interrupted as Ji Hoo turned questioningly towards him, motioning for the address. Holding his screen up with Yi Jeong's location, Woo Bin's thoughts again turned dark as he made a mental note to make some phone calls of his own if anything happened to Yi Jeong.
The other members of the F4 had often scoffed at what they considered to be his "overprotective" measures concerning them. Joking that they couldn't even order a coffee without seeing a "man in black" informing his boss if they took it with sugar or not. An exaggeration, to be sure, but no one was complaining now that there was an actual emergency, and Woo Bin was silently grateful he had never listened to their exasperated ribbing as the trio made their way out of the lounge towards their awaiting cars, a chill creeping over the three as they hurried their steps, not knowing what they'd find when they reached the hospital over two hours away from the golf resort.
While Woo Bin and Jun Pyo jumped in their cars without a moment's hesitation, Ji Hoo faltered before leaving his own vehicle to join Jun Pyo, who, understandingly, had already popped the door open. Although Ji Hoo had overcome his trauma surrounding the death of his parents and was usually a confident driver in most situations, he knew better than to drive in this state when so much was on the line and his friend could be in danger.
Although the long drive had given them time to think up a million scenarios, it had done little to prepare them for the sight that met their eyes upon reaching the hospital. Hospital beds were scattered everywhere as patients moaned and groaned in pain behind flimsy white curtains supervised by the nurses milling busily about while doctors barked orders to nobody in particular in the overcrowded facility. Patience seemed to be in short supply, and Ji Hoo had to actually stop someone to get their attention—something that didn't usually happen when members of the F4 made an appearance—before the snippy nurse that responded directed them towards a hallway at the far end of the room. Not bothering to reply, they hurried towards the hall, unease growing as the distance between them and Yi Jeong shortened.
Jun Pyo, who had been a little ahead of the others, stopped short upon reaching the hall causing Woo Bin to nearly knock into him. Glancing around his friend's tall frame, Woo Bin saw what had caused him to falter. The three members of the F4 stood frozen, stunned at Yi Jeong, who was barely recognizable in a crumpled slump on the floor, battered hands hanging listlessly at his sides. The entire side of his face was bruised and scratched up while a deep cut above his eyebrow had begun to swell his eye shut. The other two joined Jun Pyo as they went to Yi Jeong's side, a move that hardly caused the man to look up, but when he did, all Yi Jeong could muster was two words. Ga Eul.
The three friends spared a glance at each other. This was bad. They'd had their fair share of fights back in high school, and many of their escapades had inevitably left one or more of them needing treatment at a hospital or two. But those experiences had been nothing like this, Yi Jeong looked absolutely soulless as he stared at the door, refusing to budge even as the two nurses now by his side assured him his presence would be sought if there was any change in the patient. It was all to no avail. Seeing this, Ji Hoo crouched next to Yi Jeong, talking to him in a low, barely audible voice. Woo Bin couldn't be sure what he said, but a few sentences reached his ear.
"But you can't help her if you're sick yourself."
"I'm not leaving. You don't know what it's like…" Yi Jeong stopped himself. If anyone knew what it was like to wait in this dreadful state of hope and despair, Ji Hoo would, but he had been too caught up in his own pain to stop the bitter words from lashing out.
"I do..." Ji Hoo replied quietly, and Yi Jeong saw the flicker of pain these words brought with them, "but she needs you to be strong for her," the doctor finished firmly, though not unkindly, placing a hand on the injured man's shoulder. All Yi Jeong's resolve wilted in defeat at these words, and he allowed the nurses to usher him away for treatment. Woo bin following closely to ensure his Yi Jeong didn't dart, while Ji Hoo and Jun Pyo stayed behind.
"Man, this is worse than I thought."
"I know, I've never seen him like that…"
"I'm going to ask Jandi to transfer wards while they're here. It'll make it a whole lot easier to keep tabs on things and might reassure Yi Jeong with both you and Jandi here."
"Isn't she working the ICU now?"
"So?"
"Well, it's not as easy as just switching," Ji Hoo replied patiently, "especially when you're still in residency. Her superiors likely won't agree, it's difficult to reorganize shifts on a moment's notice, and from what I can see, the staffs stretched pretty thin."
"If they want to keep this hospital open, I'm sure they'll find a way," was the dry reply.
Ji Hoo shook his head at his friend's nonchalant manner of "fixing" things. Working as a doctor, he knew just how frustrating Jun Pyo's methods would be to the hospital staff, but he was grateful for his friend's interference non the less. It would make it a lot easier to assure Yi Jeong.
We're interrupting this broadcast to share breaking news that has just reached our station of a suspected arson attack on the prestigious Shin University. While it is unknown how many individuals were harmed, witnesses reported several students were injured while attempting to put out the flames that erupted shortly after morning classes were underway this morning in a blaze that left two buildings in smoke and one completely demolished. According to fire chief Gi of the local fire department that responded to this emergency, an investigation is currently underway as the buildings involved included a supply shed on the outskirts of the school grounds, making it unlikely the fires could have erupted out of natural causes or by accident.
Shin University also released an official statement this afternoon stating the school would not rest until the perpetrator had been found and brought to justice. In footage taken by a student who wished to remain anonymous, two students can be seen entering an ambulance, the one on the gurney a fellow art student Ga Eul and the other the renowned pottery prodigy So Yi Jeong, who is said to be attending the school although a statement from the So family has yet to be made—.
The screen shut off with an angry flick of the remote as a tall figure stood up from his filthy couch before flinging the remote onto an equally dirty coffee table and storming out of the dingy room.
Several hours later, Yi Jeong found himself hesitating before the slightly open door of room 308. Her room. The nurses had warned him she was still unconscious and suggested he visit in the morning as it was now quite late, but he had insisted on seeing her the minute she was out of surgery. Now that he was here, just feet away from her, he found it hard to open the door...
Khashya—loved writing a drunken Yi Jeong, not gonna lie:)
Olamy—thank you so so much for the encouragement! I was so angry at the stalker while writing that chapter I couldn't help but have Yi Jeong give him some pain though I'm pretty sure the man will have a lot more suffering if the F4 has any say in the matter!
2—I'm glad you found the story again:)
Loveya-hope you enjoyed a little more interaction with the F4 in this chapter, I had so much fun writing it in the last one I couldn't help myself!
Myrslayer-aww thank you (blushing) Yi Jeong definitely needed to be the hero in this chapter!
As always, thanks for all the love! Sorry to leave you on a cliffhanger, but I promise to not be so mean in the next chapter:)
