Chapter 8: The Bells that Tolled Trouble
Days passed. I moved into a new place and left the A. house. Jeremy and I haven't spoken about anything except work.
Soon winter arrived. A cold time of the year. Snow. Coats. Christmas trees. Hot chocolate. Cookies. Santa Claus. Wishes. Presents.
Would I be getting anything this year?
As usual, celebrities always worked even on the holidays. Most of the members were filming holiday specials at the studios.
It must have been 11:40ish or so on the night of the eve of Christmas. A group of managers and staff were inside the van escorting Jeremy to his individual Christmas schedule.
There weren't a lot of people. It was just Manager Ma, Coordi Noona, a stylist unnie, Jeremy and I. The driver must have not been able to control or shift the van because he couldn't turn the car to another direction suddenly. Another car was coming in our way.
Everything happened too fast to be seen or heard. The world spun like the wheels of a car. It was getting near the edge of the road and we were about to hit a store. Before we know it, everyone's on the floor. The world's upside and blood comes gushing into your brain. My head felt weird and I felt like very lightheaded.
The impact of the crashing noise hits my eardrums piercing it like the shards of a knife. The loud noise had passed and was replaced by the shattering of glass. The shattering reminded me of the feeling in my own heart which was trying to shut itself down before it would break down officially.
Wait….how about the others? Jeremy?
I slowly turn my head like the head of some toy turning with the push of a rusted screw.
I see Jeremy will blood at the side of his head. His blood was dirtied with red streaks and stains and bruises. The glass had pierced his cheeks. His eyes were closed…
I call out to him but my own windpipe wouldn't cooperate. I tried again but no use… My hands tried to top the cruel, cold concrete in hopes that it would turn into something that would give me the strength to get up. However, in the distant haze, I heard the jingling of little Christmas bells. Then, in the next moment, my eyes surrendered to the blackness of the night.
Christmas? What a joke. Life had given me yet another one of its hypocritical presents—peril or should I say love.
Three days later...
My eyes squinted open. One by one by surroundings became clear from a blur. I was lying on a bed, most probably a hospital bed. My hand stung a little. It probably was the IV drop. My neck was unable to rotate itself.
What had happened to the others? Were they alive? Was Jeremy alive? No. No. I mustn't think of such bad thoughts. I will jinx….
I heard the door open and the doctor come in with a nurse. The nurse checked the IV drop and replaced it with another.
The doctor, quite a tall and warm man, smiled at me. He said "There's nothing to worry about. Everyone is fine and going to recover soon. As for you, you won't be walking for a couple of days due to multiple bruises and a few bone fractures. This is nothing too much to worry about so rest up. You are scheduled to stay in the hospital for at least three weeks. If you are not well then you will stay for four weeks.
I whispered a word of thanks under a raspy voice and drifted to sleep again.
But soon however, I found out that my injuries weren't a problem but Jeremy's were…