ETA = Estimated Time of Arrival

Kang Mo Yeon and Team Alpha (Part 4)

While Mo Yeon was still trapped under the ruins and Si Jin was on his way to Urk, the situation outside the hospital was not really good either. All of the patients, the doctors and the nurses were able to get out, leaving only Mo Yeon and Sergeant Choi who were needed to be saved. Joon Ha already arrived with the rest of Team Alpha along with a few soldiers and their equipments to begin the rescue mission while emergency tents were build for the patients. Dr. Song who had seen Mo Yeon on the ground floor before the stairs were collapsed shared the information to Joon Ha.

"You were saying Dr. Kang and Sergeant Choi probably on the ground floor?" The Captain asked the senior doctor.

Dr. Song nodded. "I saw them before the stairs collapsed. Maybe you can start to search the exact location."

The Captain nodded in agreement. "We will do that." He turned to Sergeant Seo, Sergeant Gong and Sergeant Im. "Let's do this."

The four members of Team Alpha began to walk on the ruins of the hospital, carefully to step for avoiding any collapsed structures.

"Major Yoo knows about this?" Sergeant Gong asked.

Joon Ha nodded. "The Commander told me he already on his way with Team Bravo and Charlie for the rescue mission. He also bring medical team from the base."

"Let's just hope we can find Dr. Kang and Sergeant Choi soon. I can't imagine how Major Yoo feels right now," Sergeant Im piped in.

Dae-young looked over the collapsed building and started to shout, "Dr. Kang! Sergeant Choi!" And then, he looked over at his fellow team members. "Can we use the walkie talkie from here?"

Joon Ha took his walkie. "Eagle to Snoopy. Can you hear me? Over!"

No answer, only a buzz voice.

"Damn! It's not working," Joon Ha took a deep breath. "We split up. Be careful."

"Yes, sir," they said in union.

Under the ruins, Mo Yeon checked her watch and realized they already trapped for almost three hours. She glanced at Sergent Choi and began to worry. The soldier was begin to sweat and she bit her lip when she saw Sergeant Choi's wound. Just like she predicted, the wound started to turn blue, the sign it was begin to get infected.

"How do you feel?" Mo Yeon asked.

Sergeant Choi only smiled grimly. "My wound stings a lot." He looked at the doctor. "Do you know why, Doctor?"

Mo Yeon only took a deep breath.

Watching Mo Yeon's expression, Sergent Choi only chuckled bitterly. "That bad, huh?"

"It's not. You're not going to die because of it."

"It's strange, isn't it? I deal with bombs and cheating with death several times and now here I am, get wounded because of an earthquake."

Mo Yeon checked Sergeant Choi's wound. "You guys talk about death just like women gossip about their boyfriends."

The Sergeant laughed lightly before coughing and took a deep breath. "You begin to sound like Major Yoo, Doctor."

It was that moment when Mo Yeon heard a voice.

"Dr. Kang! Sergeant Choi!"

Mo Yeon's head turned sharply and with limping leg tried to look over the holes of the ruins. She could see a soldier not very far from her spot. "Someone's here," she said without looking at Sergeant Choi. With all her strength, she shouted, "Over here!"

Sergeant Gong who was walking around the ruins, heard Mo Yeon's voice and his head looked around before he could see Mo Yeon from the small hole of the ruins. He quickly ran, trying very hard not to trip.

"Dr. Kang?"

Mo Yeon breathed the sigh of relief when she could see it was Sergeant Gong. "Yes, it's me. Is medical team with you? I need antibiotics and painkiller. Sergeant Choi is hurt."

"Yes, Ma'am!" And then, he looked over at the others. "I found them, sir!"

The rest of Team Alpha quickly went to Sergeant Gong's spot and Joon Ha peeked over the hole. "Dr. Kang? Are you alright?"

Mo Yeon who already assisted Sergeant Choi's wound answered, "I'm fine, but Sergeant Choi is not. Please, antibiotics and painkiller. I need them."

The Captain turned to the rest of the team. "Mark this area. We need to find a way to get them both out of there. Sergeant Im, call the medical team."

"Yes, sir," they replied.

Moments later, Dr. Song and Nurse Ha came along with Sergeant Im. They brought medical equipments with them. Mo Yeon instructed them for the dosage of painkiller and antibiotics. From the small hole, Dr. Song gave Mo Yeon two syringes and without any difficulties, Mo Yeon injected the medicines to Sergeant Choi. She breathed the sigh of relief when she saw the soldier looked calm and his breathing turned into normal.

"Mo Yeon, are you okay there?" Dr. Song asked in concern.

Mo Yeon nodded and leaned her head on the wall. "Yeah. Please, tell the team if they want to rescue us, they need to hurry. I don't think we can hold on for another day here."

Dr. Song nodded nervously and turned his head to Joon Ha who already stood next to him. The Captain signaled the doctor to come with him.

"We need to move the ruins. They both trapped on the ground floor which means the other materials from the second and third floor are over their heads. If we can't move them, we need to find a way under the ruins," Joon Ha said in low voice to both nurse and doctor.

"And you better hurry, Captain," Nurse Ha said. "They begin to need oxygen down there," she went on when she saw the Captain's expression.

"Does Major Yoo know?" Dr. Song asked.

Joon Ha nodded. "He's on his way. He will be arrive at nightfall." And then, he leaned closer. "Do you think they can hold on a bit longer?"

"I can give them IV, but we still need to get them out of there," the senior doctor said again.

"You deal with the IV while we deal with the rescue mission."

"Yes, sir," Dr. Song said and gave the Captain a salute.

Mo Yeon blinked drowsily. The lack of oxygen and hunger started to effect her. Slowly, she looked over at Sergeant Choi and noticed he was sleeping. The doctor checked her watch and learned four hours had passed since Team Alpha found them. Dr. Song gave her and Sergeant Choi an IV and she glanced on the IV bags. She calculated the bags would be empty for the next two hours. She could hear the people tried to remove the ruins over her head so both she and the soldier could get out. During the four hours sometimes she coughed from the dust and had to close her eyes. Even though she was beginning to feel weak, Sergeant Choi was her concern. Mo Yeon glanced at his wound and hoped they could get out soon. Painkiller and antibiotics only worked temporarily. The soldier needed proper medical treatment. The doctor closed her eyes and before she surrendered from the sleepiness, her thoughts drifted to Si Jin.

Meanwhile, outside the ruins, Joon Ha and his team along with other soldiers worked so hard to remove the ruins. Sometimes he peeked over the holes to see whether Mo Yeon or Sergeant Choi were alright. He began to panic when he saw the two of them didn't reply his call. Dr. Song quickly went to his spot and watched Mo Yeon along with the soldier closely.

"They only sleeping," the doctor said.

Joon Ha blew a long breath.

"The IV is still working, that means they are still alive," he went on and then, looked at the Captain. "How much time longer?"

"The ruins are quite heavy," the Captain answered. "This is different from the previous rescue mission in Mowuru based on what my team had told me. I can't make sure. Perhaps three more hours."

Dr. Song nodded and looked again at his colleague. "Aside from the lack of oxygen, they also feel hungry. That's why they are so weak. The IV only sustains temporarily. Call me for the next two hours. Their bags will be empty."

Joon Ha nodded. "I will."

Dr. Song returned to his tent and met with Nurse Ha, Chi Hun, and Nurse Choi. The latters came into the hospital after being fetched by Dae-young to help the medical team.

"How is it?" Chi Hun asked.

"They are still trying to get Mo Yeon and the soldier out of there. For this moment, both of them are sleeping. I asked Captain Lee to call me for the next two hours to refill the IV."

Nurse Choi looked over at the marked ruins and the soldiers who tried to rescue Dr. Kang. She clasped her hands in worry. "And she is about to get married."

Dr. Song rolled his eyes. "Aigoo...you can say weird things in the time like this. Speaking about married, Major Yoo will be here soon. So, don't worry."

Meanwhile on the C-17, Si Jin only sat in silence. His heart was nagging with worry. It had been hours and he might not learn about medical stuff, but he knew how long a human could survive being trapped under the ruins.

"I'm not going to war."

Dr. Kang's words were ringing in his mind.

No, she was not going to war.

This time it was his battle to keep her alive.

Because that was what they do.

Keeping each other alive and he hoped time was on his side.

And then, the pilot announced, "ETA one and a half hour to Tae Baek HQ."

In the hospital, when the two hours passed, Mo Yeon stirred when she heard someone called her name. She opened her eyes and by reflex, she looked over her IV bag and then, Sergeant Choi. The bags were almost empty. She looked over at the hole and saw Dr. Song handed her two more bags. Slowly, she crept into the hole and took the IV.

"Mo Yeon, are you alright?"

The doctor smiled weakly. "I'm alright. I'm just hungry."

Dr. Song chuckled. "You'll be out soon."

Mo Yeon nodded. "I know. Besides, we still haven't drink together yet, Senior."

The senior doctor only smiled grimly and retreated from the hole. Mo Yeon blew a breath and looked over her head. She could feel the rush of air which meant the soldiers already removed some of the ruins. That was a good thing. And she could tell it was already night since it was dark outside when she talked to Dr. Song earlier.

Mo Yeon pulled out her old IV from the needle attached on her wrist to get it refilled, the same thing she did for Sergeant Choi. The doctor checked the soldier's temperature. It was a bit warm and she really hoped the others could work faster to get them out. She leaned her head again on the wall and closed her eyes.

It was that time when two army vehicles arrived on the spot. All the people stared at them and Joon Ha quickly walked out front. The other Team Alpha followed his movement.

"Is it him?" Dae-young asked.

Joon Ha nodded. "Yes. Big Boss is here."

Si Jin got out from the vehicle first, the others followed suit, wearing brown uniform. He quickly glanced at the ruins and saw the marked area while the soldiers lined up in front of him to greet him. He instantly knew that was where the soldiers found Dr. Kang and Sergeant Choi.

"Everyone, attention!" Joon Ha as the Captain said. "To Major. Salute!"

Si Jin replied and said, "I already knew what happened. There's no need to report. Thank you for your hard work." He glanced at Joon Ha. "How's the rescue going?"

"We still need to remove some ruins, sir. We need one more hour," the Captain answered.

"And the survivors?"

The Captain looked at Si Jin's eyes. "They are still alive, but weak from the lack of oxygen and hunger. We're doing as fast as we can, sir."

Si Jin took a deep breath and looked behind his shoulder. "Team Bravo, assist Team Alpha for the rescue mission. Team Charlie, your team will help the medical team." His eyes set on Myeong Ju. He knew Dae-young and the army doctor already stole glances, but this time there was another thing more important. "Lieutenant Yoon, your team will help the medical team on treating the patients. We will need your help for the survivors later."

"Yes, sir," thay all answered.

Si Jin nodded. "Return to your post."

"To our post!"

The soldiers split up and Si Jin approached Joon Ha. "Where is she?"

The Captain was not surprise when the Major asked the question. "Follow me, sir."

Both Joon Ha and Si Jin walked closer to the marked area and then, Joon Ha pointed to a hole. Si Jin crouched down and his heart clenched when he saw Dr. Kang along with Sergeant Choi. They were indeed weak, their bodies were covered with dust, but in his eyes, Dr. Kang was still pretty.

He took a deep breath.

"Dr. Kang."

Mo Yeon stirred and then, trying to open her eyes when she heard her name was being called again. She furrowed her eyebrows for she recognized the voice. She turned her head slowly and almost couldn't believe her eyes when she saw who was the one behind the hole. She crept closer and her eyes brimmed with tears when she saw her fiance.

"Si Jin? You're here."

The Major smiled. "I'm here. How do you feel?"

Mo Yeon only sniffed. "I'm fine, but Sergeant Choi needs help."

Si Jin reached out his hand in the tiny hole and the doctor grasped it. Their eyes spoke a lot. "I'll get you out of there. You know I'm a great worker, right?"

Mo Yeon smiled. "Yes, I know."

With heavy heart, Si Jin released his hold on Mo Yeon's hand and stood again. He looked at Joon Ha. "We don't have much time left. Let's get them out."

"Yes, sir."

Si Jin's arrival boosted the mood of the soldiers. They worked harder to remove the ruins with the Major watching the process. When finally the last ruin was lifted, Joon Ha shouted to the medical team to bring a stretcher and Si Jin quickly leaped on the top of the ruins and jumped inside. Both Joon Ha and Si Jin lifted Sergeant Choi and handed him to the medical team. The Major crouched down and checked Mo Yeon's pulse and he could feel it was weak. The doctor herself already passed out from exhaustion. When all the ruins could be removed, enough for him to walk out, Si Jin lifted Mo Yeon's body and carried her away from the ruins.

"Medical team, we need your help," Joon Ha shouted while walking next to Si Jin.

Mo Yeon's colleagues and Myeong Ju immediately checked the doctor's condition after Si Jin laying her down on the emergency bed. The army doctor checked Mo Yeon's pulse and blood pressure and then, looked at Dr. Song.

"She needs to be treated in the Medicube. She has trouble in breathing. You have to come back quickly." And then, Myeong Ju looked at Si Jin.

Joon Ha quickly took over. "I'll handle the situation, sir. You can go with Haesung Team and Dr. Kang."

Si Jin took a deep breath and looked over the Captain. "Thank you. Report to me when everything is done."

"Yes, sir. Salute!"

The Major replied and they carried the emergency bed to one of the army vehicles. A few soldiers were tagging along with the rest of Haesung Medical Team back to the military camp. Si Jin held Mo Yeon's hand during the journey, giving her support and hoping they could arrive at the camp in time.

It was the longest half an hour journey for them before finally they could see the Medicube. The earthquake didn't seem to damage the cubes. Si Jin carried Mo Yeon until he entered the Medicube and lay her down on the bed. Nurse Choi asked him to wait outside while they checked the doctor. The Major quietly walked out from the room and leaned on the wall, closing his eyes.

All the situation with Dr. Kang was like a reverse situation to him. He finally understood how she felt whenever he had to go on a mission and when he got hurt. It was painful and he also couldn't stop worrying. Like he said before, if this was his punishment, he would gladly take it.

Ten minutes later, Nurse Choi called him and Si Jin went back to the room. They already cleaned Dr. Kang from the dust and changed her clothes into patient cloth. Her face was pale, an IV on her right wrist and she had an oxygen supply.

"She is very weak, but stabil. Her lungs full with dust, she can't breath properly. The oxygen helps her to have clean air, hopefully tomorrow we can release it. She has a wound, but it's minor and nothing serious. Blood pressure is normal, she just needs to rest," Dr. Song explained to Si Jin.

"Is she going to be alright?" Si Jin asked in low voice.

Dr. Song smiled and tapped Si Jin's shoulder. "She can hold on down there for almost ten hours. She is strong. She'll be alright. You can stay with her if you'd like."

Breathing the sigh of relief, Si Jin felt his eyes were brimmed with tears. "Thank you," he said very softly Dr. Song almost didn't hear it.

The senior doctor only nodded and then, left the room, leaving Si Jin with unconscious Dr. Kang. He walked closer to Dr. Kang's bed and put down his helmet on the bedside table. He slowly sat on the edge of the bed, holding her hand.

"Kang Mo Yeon...why are you doing this to me?"

Si Jin couldn't hold his tears any longer.

Captain Lee Joon Ha returned to the camp in nearly midnight, looking for the Major to give him the reports. Dr. Song told him the last time he saw Major Yoo was in Dr. Kang's room in the Medicube. When Joon Ha went to the Medicube, he indeed found the Major, only he was sleeping next to Dr. Kang with his brown T-shirt. His boots were under the bed, his upper uniform lay on the chair next to the bed, and his belt and vest were on the bedside table along with his helmet. The Captain only smiled and turned his head when he saw Myeong Ju came in and stopped on her feet after seeing the Major.

The General's daughter only blew a breath and put her hands on her hips. "That wuss..."

Joon Ha chuckled and turned around while tapping Myeong Ju's shoulder. "Let them rest. They had a long day."

It was past midnight when Mo Yeon regained consciousness. Her eyes fluttered opened and squinted it when she saw the white ceiling.

Where is she?

The last time she remembered she was still trapped under the ruins and saw Si Jin.

Is it just a dream?

Slowly, she could recognize her surroundings and realized she was indeed laying on the bed with an IV and oxygen. She was in Medicube. A slight movement alerted Mo Yeon and her eyes widened when she saw the man who sharing the bed with her.

She blinked several times and finally came on conclusion she was not dreaming.

Si Jin was sleeping next to her.

His right arm was under her head while another arm hugging her waist protectively. Mo Yeon slowly smiled and with her free hand caressing Si Jin's cheek. He looked so peaceful and not carrying the burden of being a member of Special Forces. He was like a cute boy. Mo Yeon kept looking at Si Jin's face, too concentrate she didn't realize Si Jin was awake.

She was startled when the Major held her hand.

Their eyes met and Si Jin caressed her cheek.

"How are you feeling?" he asked in low voice.

"Sore and tired. How is Sergeant Choi? Is he ok?"

Si Jin raised his eyebrows. "We are sharing the bed together and you said another man's name. I'm wounded."

Mo Yeon smiled. "Thank you for saving my life."

The Major smiled back and his hand playing with Mo Yeon's engagement ring. Following military tradition, he gave her a miniature of his class ring. Their wedding would be held not more than two months and he was so afraid if it turned out bad, like this for example.

"I was so afraid," Si Jin said out of nowhere. He looked at her with pleading eyes. "Please, don't scare me like that again."

The doctor made a funny face. "Wow...did I just make the Major of Special Forces scared? That's new."

Si Jin frowned. "I don't think this is the right time for joking."

Mo Yeon smiled and held Si Jin's hand. "I'm not afraid because I know you'll come to save me."

"Because we keep each other alive, right?"

Mo Yeon froze. "How did you..."

"Oh, I know. I know for a while and I agree to that. We indeed keep each other alive and that means we can't be separated," he said cheekily.

The doctor narrowed her eyes. "Your confidence can backfire you someday." She took a deep breath. "You don't answer my question. How's Sergeant Choi?"

"He's fine, I think. I haven't heard the reports from Captain Lee yet. Perhaps tomorrow."

The doctor nodded and then, she remembered something. She looked at Si Jin's eyes. "Why did you do it?"

Si Jin looked at her curiously.

"Sergeant Choi told me the reason why you let me did the surgery to the Arab President. Must you do that?"

The Major sighed and pulled Mo Yeon closer, as much as her IV allowed. "I meant it when I said I will always choose you. You are important to me."

"More than the General?"

Si Jin laughed and kissed Mo Yeon's forehead. "Clever girl." He caressed her hair. "Go back to sleep. You need to rest."

"So do you."

The Major looked at her slyly. "Haven't I told you that you are my biggest problem when it comes to resting?"

"And yet you're sleeping here with me."

"It's because I missed you."

"Gosh..."

"And I will sleep here every night until you recovered."

"What? You can't do that."

"Why not?"

"What would the others think? Their Major is sharing a bed with a woman."

"His woman."

"Anyway..."

Mo Yeon couldn't finish her words because Si Jin suddenly leaned closer and captured her lips with a deep kiss. He pulled back and challenged her with his eyes, "We can do this all night. I don't mind."

The doctor sighed and touched her lips. "My lips are dry because of the oxygen."

"Another good reason for me to make it not dry anymore."

Mo Yeon only chuckled and closed her eyes. She was indeed tired. She didn't say anything when she felt Si Jin hugged her closer and the doctor fell asleep in the arms of a soldier.

End note:

Your lips can get dry because of oxygen is true based on my own experience when I had surgery three months ago. I was having oxygen as the effect from the anesthesia, it was really hard to breath. It took me one day until I can breath properly. As for Mo Yeon, she is using oxygen for helping her breathing normally and for normalizing her lungs. She will be fine in no time.