The Professor's Son

You Only Die Once - Part 33

Before your tears had time to dry an alarming sound came from your pocket. Snapping out of your sad cloud of self-pity and regret, you realised the noise was your phone. You wiped your eyes and cleared your throat, hoping no one important was calling.

Maybe it was Jaehyun, calling to tell you that he was on his way home?

Right now that thought was the most dreadful thing you could think of. You were in no state to talk to anyone, let alone your boyfriend.

Taking your phone from your pocket you glanced at the screen, it flashed a familiar name.

'Doyun Jeong'

"Oh shit it's the Professor!" You mumbled to yourself, "Why is he calling me out of the blue? He never calls me."

Anxiously, you picked up the phone and placed it against your ear.

"Hello sir," you quietly spoke into the receiver.

"Y/N, my dear. Where are you now? Are you ill? You sound raspy." the Professor hurridley replied in a harsh tone.

"I'm at home, I-I'm fine sir...I think my throat is dry because of the cold weather."

"I see." the older man replied curtly.

"Mr Jeong, not to sound rude, but why are you calling me? Is everything okay?"

"It's about Jaehyun."

"Is something wrong?" you gulped down a lump in your throat.

"He's in the hospital."

You gasped, "N-no...What happened to him? H-has he been hurt? I just talked to him this morning."

"Jaehyun has been in a car accident, and his state..." the Professor cleared his throat, you could hear he was holding back tears, "I think you should come to the hospital and see for yourself."

"Okay sir, I'll be there as soon as possible."

"And my dear, one more thing. Please drive safely."

"Y-yes sir, see you soon." you hung up the phone, wiped off your makeup that had been smudged by crying and put on your coat before heading out.

Right now your mind was a mess and the worst possible scenarios were racing through your head. Maybe this was what the uneasy feeling that had crept on this morning had been warning you about?

When you arrived at the hospital and talked to the receptionist, inquiring about Jaehyun, she handed you over to a nurse who instantly rushed you up in the elevator.

"Is Jaehyun okay?" you timidly asked the nurse.

She was a tall woman with greying brown hair and wrinkles around her eyes which accentuated her smile lines. Although she gave off a calming aura, there was a hint of pity in her eyes.

"I can't say much, but I hope he's going to be okay. You'll see how he is when we get there." the nurse said with a relaxed smile.

Her words comforted you, maybe you were worrying for nothing? Maybe Jaehyun had just sprained his finger at work from drafting too many sketches and checked himself into AE?

But that still didn't explain everyone's reluctance to speak to you about his health. 

Surely, if it was just a simple case of a minor injury Jaehyun would have called you to know where he was?

When you stepped out of the elevator and surveyed the floor you noticed how still everything felt. The fluorescent lights above you continuously buzzed, turning your mood sour and petulant due to their annoying noise. This floor of the hospital smelt of death. Underneath the heavy coating of alcohol and scent of lemon wipes there was a bitter and nauseating metallic undertone which made your head spin.