Yerin's POV
I insisted on telling Doctor Hwang to check her back to cure whatever bruise or wound she got there, but she's just as much persistent as I.
How can she just smile at me and tell me everything was just fine and I shouldn't worry about her? For pete's sake, she got hit so many times by a metal pole by a psycho and she's telling that it's alright?
Does she know that I am feeling guilty because she took my place earlier? Or she's really telling the truth? Who knows she might be wearing an armor underneath her clothes. And if that's really the case then.. she better tell me the reason on why she's wearing that in the first place.
"Miss Jung?"
I was interrupted in my reverie when a voice suddenly called me out, "Uhm... y-yeah?" I asked, I don't even know why I stuttered letting out that freaking word. I am just afraid that I might have drooled or looked like an octopus earlier when I'm zoning out.
"Your shift is over, you can go home now."
The octopus and drool thoughts were now suddenly gone and were replaced instantly by my phantasms.
Oh God! Finally! Nothing triggers my tranquilness faster than hearing that my shift is over. A warm bath after a day of work and a comfy date with my beloved bed, occasionally sipping my lovely hot chocolate. Just how romantic is that right?
Don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't like what I am doing but what I mean is that, I prefer cozy dates than dull vast load a paper works. You can't blame me. And I won't blame myself for that as well.
I got all my things and put it in my bag, not minding to throw even a short glance of what might have it looked like inside. A pile of a mess most probably.
Okay, way to go Jung Yerin. Your day was barely alright, except that you have talked roughly to your boss and you even caused her trouble. It's just my first day but I felt like I have already experienced a year here. I don't how to face the next days. Let's just hold on the three facts that'll apparently help me last all the way; the foods here are awesome and the foods here are awesome and lastly the foods here are awesome.
It's not then when I realized that FH hospital also deals on making pharmaceutical medicines and drugs. I'm walking in a rather long hallway when tons of rooms with crystalline reflections caught my eye, the interior of the rooms are extremely different from the others, which I think they've constructed intending solely on experimenting and developing drugs. Woah they're really on another level.
The long triapse that I have been doing shall eventually lead me to the exit, but contrary to my wish of having a peaceful date tonight is my elevated compulsion on knowing how Doctor Hwang is doing.
Unknowingly, my feet are walking closer and closer to the exit but my mind is opposing them, going back inside the hospital and wanting to check on her.
Why do I always thinks of her?
No matter how hard I try to solve the puzzle, it seemed that there's really a missing piece, making it far from possible for me to solve it, the equations I have been putting together might have one common error that I failed to notice. She always makes me fazed over the specter of things.
I am in absolute confusion.
Doctor Hwang you are still a total mystery to me.
I did the unthinkable, I don't know how or why, but yes, I was instantly just standing in front of this colossal door of her office again, contemplating to knock or just let the door burn and melt under my stare.
My knuckles reached for the veener of the wooden surface.
I knocked once.
Twice.
But there wasn't anything, even a speck of indication that is giving me an inkling that someone is inside.
I was a foot away from her entrance, ready to go back when, chains of feeble sobs suddenly rang in my ears.
I have stopped all my movements. Limbs freezing on their own, body tensing up as realization sprang within me.
Without doubt..
It's her.
I don't care anymore if I look rude whatsoever but there was a severe drive within me, urging and telling me that I need to know what's happening to her. I grabbed the doorknob and swirl it open and rushed inside.
As I was greeted by Doctor Hwang's desolated portrait-
My jaw dropped.
There was a raging storm within her.
And she's fighting it alone.
I composed myself, reaching out to her.
She was just sleeping on her swivel chair but the nightmare she's been facing was conquering all the sanity left on her face.
I tried quelling her down, my body inching close to her.
Her silent cries absolutely nursed deep misery, I have never, in my entire existence, heard a voice sounded this lonely ever before. I wrapped my arms around her minuscule body, hoping that I can shush away whatever that's causing her pain.
But in my astonishment, I felt an abrupt reply from her.
She hugged me back.
The hugged felt heavy but comforting at the same time.
"Yerin-ah!" she cried suddenly, scrunching my shirt with her dense clench on it, tears gushing out of her shut eyes like there's no tomorrow.
Does she know that I am actually right beside me? Why is she calling out my name?
"Doctor Hwang, I'm here." I replied back not sure if she ever hears me or not.
"Hang in there, don't leave me please. I beg you. Just stay alive for me Yerin." she howled again.
Her voice was desperate.
Her cries bouncing off in the four corners of the room, only becoming blaring every passing moment.
I don't know what to respond nor act. It was definitely my name she was calling. But why?
Her tears stained my shirt and her cries flooded my heart.
I examined her visage, then I knew.
Her cheeks were begging to be watered by her tears. And now that it's happening, the scene feels right yet agonizingly dark.
She must've been suppressing all her emotions all this time.
For the next few minutes, I just continued caressing her back softly. Letting her let out all of her bottled up feelings.
Time slowed down for us, the part of history where I wished I am the cure she needs.
I continued caressing her until I felt the disappearance of her sorrowful shrugging shoulders, and the loosening of her grasp into my clothes' fabric.
And by the way I sense it, she's now awake. Her eyes slowly flickered open, clashing with mine.
"Are you alright?" I asked.
She moved back and didn't say anything.
With that look she threw me, I knew that she know what happened without asking even the littlest of questions that were clouding her mind.
She hastily stood up, turning her back at me, "I'm sorry." she uttered, voice cracking at the end. "That was so rude of me. I really am sorry."
I didn't reply.
Sometimes, I am thinking that Doctor Hwang is the bravest person on the world that she could literally jump out and catch a flying bullet for someone, yet her demeanor that I am witnessing right now made me think other wise. This time she was a classic painting, fragile and feeble and should be handled with superior care.
She tried her best wiping her tears in a manner that I cannot see, but she failed. I know she's hiding vast load of sorrow on her, more than I could ever imagine.
"It's alright." I finally replied, "You don't have to act tough all the time."
Upon hearing my earnest words, she just let out an awkward laugh. "I'm sorry, I have messed up your shirt. I have spare clothes over there. You could use that. You can change on the wash room. I'll stay here." she changed the topic all of sudden.
"Ah yeah." I didn't even bother to argue what was that about nor why did she called me out earlier.
I turned my back on her and was about to get going when I remembered how miserable she looked earlier, and the raging curiosity within me is prohibiting me from getting that memory washed off of my mind.
I stopped midway.
"Doctor Hwang?" I asked, as normal as I can.
"Yeah?"
"Who?" I cleared my throat, continuing on my question, "Who is that person on your dream?"
Dream? Jung Yerin it's a fucking nightmare, not a dream.
I heard no words from her, only the earsplitting silence of the room.
"I'm sorry I was just curious." I stepped my foot, working on my way, "I shouldn't have asked that. I'll go now."
I'm so stupid.
I reached out for the door of the room that she's pointing earlier, before I heard a faint voice.
"She.." her voice lingered in my ears, like a longing song for someone.
I hate it.
"She, she's the person I love the most." a sob rolled out of her throat again, "She has the same name as yours. Yerin, it's her name. Quite specter right?"
No.
Stop it.
I cannot stand it, I swirl the door open without waiting for her further words. I don't know why or how but her voice seemed to stab my heart violently and endlessly.
Before I shut the door close, I heard a final utterance from her, "But she.."
Without even looking, I knew she was shedding tears again.
I heard her complete her sentence, "She died right in my arms."
The door was now closed.
But her cries are still terribly piercing through my ears and shattered heart.
_________________________________________
So after 9276168918 years I have finally updated this book. I'm sorry for the long wait.
I have no excuse..
Spare me please.