Hotel Blue Moon (Inspired by Hotel Del Luna)

Chapter 32: Dead Men Tell More Tales

Ae Ra sat at Do Hwan's office, chamomile tea in her hand courtesy of Mrs. Park, and Do Hwan across her staring intently. It was still hard for him to believe she was back and was sitting across from him. Ae Ra noticed him staring at her and giggled.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" She asked, taking a sip. Do Hwan shook his head.
"You are right here... it is just... you're right here!" Do Hwan whispered. Ae Ra set her cup down on the table and walked to him. 
"How hard it must have been for you? To live with this guilt, even for a few days..." Ae Ra gently wrapped her arms around Do Hwan, pulling him into a hug. Do Hwan fell into her arms as easy as it was for him to breathe. 
"I never asked you this until now," Do Hwan pulled back, looking into Ae Ra's eyes. "How are you feeling?" 
Ae Ra sat beside Do Hwan, trying to form her thoughts into words. She hesitated, but Do Hwan's encouraging gaze nudged her to speak.
"Honestly, I don't know. One moment all I knew was pain, and the next moment, it was gone and I felt at peace. And then I was alive, and well. This is... confusing." Do Hwan nodded.
"It will take for a while to adjust from that traumatic event. I'm just worried that you seemed to take this normally, which genuinely scares me." Do Hwan continued. "It was traumatic for all of us, but for you, this was especially life-altering." 
Ae Ra nodded. "Would you like to talk about it?" Do Hwan asked. Ae Ra shook her head in the same beat. 
"Maybe not right now."
Do Hwan nodded solemnly. Ae Ra was silent but broke it to ask about Yi Sook. 
"When can we go see him? Is he awake?"
"He is, but I haven't told him about you coming back. When would you like to see him?"
"Can we go now?"

Yi Sook could move around a little bit now, even though the doctors advised against it, he could not just lay around in his bed all the time. He kept walking to the window, watching the bustling city with longing. He could not wait to get out of the hospital and visit Hotel Blue Moon for Ae Ra. His tears clouded his vision, he reflexively closed his eyes, trying hard not to cry. Just then he heard a knock and a nurse entered the room with the medicine cart.
"You shouldn't be up and about like this!" She scolded. Yi Sook smiled before slowly staggering to the bed, wiping his tears. The nurse rushed to help Yi Sook back to his bed but he brushed her off and got on the bed, wincing in pain.
"This is exactly why you shouldn't be moving." The nurse chimed. "Anyway, here are your painkillers." She handed him a cup with tablets. "One shot!" Yi Sook tipped the tablets into his mouth and gulped the water the nurse handed to him.
"Great." The nurse loaded her cups into the cart, now taking out a stethoscope. "Are you a cop?" She asked while Yi Sook took a deep breath. "Yep. I was, I don't know if I am anymore."
"Oh, why is that?"
"Long leave of absence." Yi Sook muttered. The nurse nodded in understanding. "It's the same thing in everywhere I guess. You almost die, but your employers don't give a shit. They always ask if you want to take the next shift."
Yi Sook surprisingly let out a laugh at the nurse's comment, unable to disagree with her. She sighed, finishing her check-up on him.
"Alright, we will change your dressing tomorrow, and it looks like you will be back home soon. I envy you, young people." She arranged everything in her cart. "Until then, don't move around, okay?"
"Yes ma'am."

The nurse soon left the room and Yi Sook was left alone once again. He tried to stretch sideways but the sharp pain on his abdomen made him flinch, knocking out a water bottle from the table. The door to his room slid open, and Yi Sook, thinking it was the nurse entering, asked to pass the bottle. 
"Take it yourself, dumbass." Yi Sook froze at the voice near the doorway. He jerked his head up to find Ae Ra standing with her hands on her hips.
"Did they give me wrong meds or is that you?" Yi Sook asked in a shaky voice. 
"It's me." Ae Ra replied, only to be met by a flying pillow to her face.
"I thought you were dead!! How could you do this to me?" Yi Sook exploded, despite his pain. Ae Ra adjusted her hair, before staring Yi Sook down. 
"Oh yeah? Then what about you? I thought you'd die from the sword that night! Did you know how worried I was?" 
Both of them stopped and looked at each other for a solid minute before breaking into laughter. Ae Ra walked swiftly, plopping herself onto the bed, and hugged Yi Sook, mindful of his injuries. It was hard not to shed tears for your friend but they had to maintain their composure for the other's sake. 
"Were you crying?" Ae Ra asked, grinning like an idiot through tears.
"No?"
"Sounds like you were."
"Shut up."