Light Into Darkness x Michaeng

The Real Surprise

Chaeyoung woke up to a faint but steady beep.

She opened her eyes slowly. Bright lights, white walls, light coloured bedsheets. There was an IV in her arm and another cord attached somewhere under the gown she was in. She glanced behind her to see a machine with her heart rate and blood pressure. Whatever she was doing in the hospital, she really didn't need to be there. Chaeyoung was in perfect health.

Mina occupied a very uncomfortable chair next to her. Her eyes were closed and her mouth was pressed into a hard, thin line. The sadness was evident on her face. Chaeyoung reached out to take Mina's hand. When their fingers met, Mina's eyes flew open. The worry in her eyes made Chaeyoung's stomach twinge uncomfortably.

"You know," Chaeyoung spoke, her voice gravelly, "Even though you can't see out of your eyes, they still show everything you're feeling. Why do you look so sad, Minari? I'm fine."

Mina let out a ragged breath, "You are okay, Chaeyoung?"

Chaeyoung's eyebrows furrowed. "Of course I'm okay. Why wouldn't I be?"

Mina gaped for a moment, trying to find the words. "You fainted, Chaeyoung."

"I fainted?"

"Yes."

"Wait, wasn't I at work?" Mina nodded. "What did I see that made me faint? Dahyun is the one with the weaker heart." Silence from her girlfriend. "Mina, what happened?"

Before Mina could speak, a nurse walked in. "Oh good, you're awake. All of your paperwork came back fine, so you can leave once the doctor is in to see you once more."

Chaeyoung nodded, "Can you tell me what happened?"

"You fainted at the scene of a train and car crash. Your partner mentioned that it had something to do with who was in the car," he said. He walked out of the room before Chaeyoung could ask anything else.

"Chaeyoung," Mina whispered.

Chaeyoung thought back to the afternoon. Dahyun drove through the homeless area, like they usually do right after their break. Then she pulled into a parking lot and they got a call. The train was engulfed in flames and a car was flipped and pushed far down the tracks. The person inside the car was trapped and had a weak pulse when she finally found it. Their entire body was so mangled that they were unrecognizable. The car went up in flames and firefighters had to put it out. She raced back over to help them but it was too late. And then Dahyun had a wallet in her hand.

Dahyun was crying. Why was she crying?

It hit her hard in the chest. Suddenly she couldn't breathe. The heart monitor behind her began beeping rapidly.

"No, Mina, no. No, it wasn't him. It couldn't have been him." Tears streamed down her face. "I just talked to him!"

"Chaeyoung."

"I just talked to him, Mina! It wasn't him!"

Mina stood from the chair and wrapped her arms around Chaeyoung. Both of them were shaking.

"I just talked to him," Chaeyoung muttered. She slumped over, her face in Mina's shoulder.

They stayed like that for what felt like hours. Chaeyoung sobbed until her lungs hurt too much. Until her entire body ached.

Mina smoothed Chaeyoung's hair and tried to give her any kind of comfort she could. It was a long time before either of them spoke again, but Mina broke the silence. "Let's go home, Chaeyoung."

The doctor checked her over briefly. Chaeyoung signed her release papers in a daze. Nothing felt real. Her body moved but it was as if someone else was pulling the strings. The numbness in her mind transferred to her body and pitched tents in her bones, here to stay.