While You Were Sleeping

Chapter 6

Seri walked through the hospital halls as if she were in a daze. Part of her really wanted to run away from the sterile hallways dressed up in garish Christmas decoration, but part of her couldn't resist her worry from the phone call she received from Eun Dong this morning. She barely had a wink of sleep after what transpired between her and Ri Jeong Hyeok last night, and this morning at the ungodly hour of 5.45 AM Ri Eun Dong called her in sobbing voice she barely understood what he was saying.

What she gathered was that "Mu Hyeok hyeong wakes up" and "He's not well".

Without thinking, Seri grabbed her coat and scarves and hailed the first taxi she could find. 15 minutes later, here she was, in front of ICU where Ri Mu Hyeok had been sleeping for the past 2 weeks.

The door was closed but the nurse in front of the reception recognized her and opened the door for her. She filled her in that the patient had woken up around midnight and had been going on and off in awareness since then. His family was already here since an hour ago when they remembered she hadn't been called in. Seri only nodded and felt as if in a trance as the nurse ushered her to where the Ri was standing in a circle around Mu Hyeok's bed. Seri gulped, as Eun Dong heard her voice and grinned as he waved her to come.

And true, Ri Mu Hyeok was awake with all of his handsome glory. He looked much paler than how she usually saw him, and he looked bewildered.

"So, I've been unconscious for two weeks?" he asked his father, who nodded to him with solemn expression and a doctor beside him. The doctor looked so old; he was almost cartoonish.

"What was the last thing you remember, Mr Ri?" the senior doctor asked him. Mu Hyeok frowned as he thought and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I was preparing a presentation for the board about our new takeover plan," he told them, "It was before Queens group announced that they were going to expand their business to Europe"

"But that was in October" Seri couldn't help herself stating the fact about his father's company, then her eyes widened, and she clamped her hands over her mouth when realizing she had talked out loud. Seeing her among his family, Mu Hyeok frowned and asked.

"Who are you?" he asked while squinting his eyes and they heard gasps from behind them. It was the Ri Grandma who was sitting behind them all.

"Mother, are you alright?" Ma Kim walked over her and pat her back. Seri looked at them and bit her lips as Ri Grandma nodded but looked at Mu Hyeok with worry.

"You don't remember her?" she asked him, and Mu Hyeok leaned his head in confusion.

"Should I?" he asked and raised his eyebrows to his father and little brother. It was then that Seri realized that Ri Jeong Hyeok wasn't there.

"Is that really the last thing you remember, Mr Ri?" the doctor asked him again, "What about the accident? With the motorcycle and truck?"

Ri Mu Hyeok's eyes were widened, and his father held his hands as he saw his oldest son was distraught. "I was on accident?"

The doctor nodded. "You had a severe concussion from the accident and some broken bones, especially on your ribs and upper back. We had to put you in induced coma for a few days, but after you were stabilized, you haven't gained consciousness until now" he then looked at the chart in his hand, "What are you feeling now"

Mu Hyeok closed his eyes and put his hands on his eyes.

"Dizzy," he told him, not opening his eyes, "and my stomach hurts. In fact, most of my body hurts"

The doctor nodded and asked Mu Hyeok to look into a small flashlight he was holding.

"It's normal, but you're not disoriented at the very least," he told him, then he turned towards the family, "I think he has enough confusion for now. Let's let him rest before we hold some tests on him" he then nodded to Mr Ri Senior and asked the nurse nearby to close the curtain around his bed and left him for now.