Bridging Destinies

Chapter 54: To Mend the Broken

I was pulled painfully from my half doze by the careful jostling of the body next to me and an absence of warmth. I had slipped in and out of consciousness, but had been mostly aware. I had also been somewhat conscious of the movement around me and Namjoon's breathing, but had kept my eyes closed to help conserve my energy. The burn of the blade at my side, coupled with the blood loss I had experienced had drained me. Though I had managed to keep much of the blood loss minimized through the focus of my mind, it had not been easy, and I had still lost more blood than was probably good, but I also knew I was not quite at death's door. I would not fade easily.

I opened my eyes at the call of a voice I did not recognize, using my name to gain my attention. It spoke again, and I looked into the round face of a man who looked at me with concern but professionalism. He had instructed Seokjin to set up a pole next to the bed that would hold a bag of saline. I closed my eyes again briefly, then moved my head to the side, opening my eyes again to watch Namjoon holding the bag in his hands as he looked almost hopefully at it. The round faced man called my name again as he leaned over me, explaining his presence, "Felina, I was sent here to help you. My name is Dr Choi." The man shone a light into my eyes one after the other, as he spoke, attempting to gauge my awareness, "Can you tell me what happened? Where does it hurts?" He asked, as he set the light down and reached for a pair of gloves to protect his hands.

Namjoon answered for me, concerned that I would not have the energy. "She was stabbed in the left side and she has another cut on her stomach" He explained.

The doctor glanced at Namjoon then back at me and elucidated, as he surveyed me, "I need her to tell me, if she can." Seokjin finished setting up the pole and took the bag of saline from Namjoon, hung it on the pole by a hook, and then pulled Namjoon away from the side of the bed so he wouldn't get in the way, with a shake of his head.

Namjoon frowned and simply watched, as my heart ached for him. I answered the doctor, choosing to ignore the man I loved, in the moment, for the man who would help me. "A knife to my side. I think it hit my liver, but I don't know how badly." I answered, my voice hoarse and just above a whisper.

Dr Choi carefully extracted the towel away from the knife and examined the wound, where the knife met skin, as it disappeared into my body. He casually asked me, as he gently prodded at the wound, "Have you been keeping the blood flow at minimum?"

I began to nod in response, then winced with the movement and chose to speak, instead, "Yes. Some. Not always."

"Good." Dr Choi answered with authority, "I am going to need you to do that again, but you need to focus on it, okay?"

I almost nodded but answered again with a soft grunt of acquiescence. By his words, I knew the man understood that I had the ability to at least partially stem the blood flow through my mental acuity, which meant he had helped my kind before. I had a fair idea of how he would help me, but I knew it would take my entire focus. Namjoon's worry pulled at me, and I whispered, "Jin." Then spoke a little more loudly, "Jin. Take, take Namjoon out."

"What?" Namjoon cried suddenly, "No! Felina?" He gazed at me in shock, his voice just above a whisper. A sense of betrayal laced into his features, but they softened as he gazed at me.

I closed my eyes and tiredly responded, "Please. I can't do this with you here, Joonah." I felt, more than saw, Seokjin nod and begin to lead Namjoon out of the room, who both allowed himself to be pulled towards the door, but fought to stay.

The doctor pulled an IV needle from his bag and ripped the package open, then spoke as he fiddled with the apparatus, attaching it to the saline bag. He then stuck the needle into the vein of my arm, "I think that's a good idea, actually." He looked from my arm to Namjoon, who was only half docilely allowing himself to be led out. The doctor continued, his word seeming to push Namjoon the last few steps to the door, "You, young man, need to leave so that I may work." He then looked at Seokjin, who paused at the door, beside Namjoon, "And when you take him out, come back here and help me." He instructed.

Namjoon looked from the doctor to me, to the IV in my arm and then back to the doctor, who had turned to tape the IV to my skin. He gazed at me again and reluctantly allowed himself to be led from the room. As the door closed behind them, I heard Seokjin quietly speak, "You can see her after, Joonah." I closed my eyes with a small amount of relief and a sense of gratefulness to his friend.

Dr Choi grabbed my attention as he carefully peeled back the bandage over my stomach, to peer at the wound. He examined it carefully and nodded, talking to himself, then taped the bandage back over the wound, "This one can wait." He murmured, then looked again at the knife wound that had begun to seep blood again. He prodded the wound again, murmuring, "Some burning of the skin. That may actually help you, young woman." He said, glancing at my face, then back to the wound, "Or not. It's a kind of poisoning for your kind, I believe. I'm think the IV needle doesn't help either, but the fluids will do you good." He stated. I said nothing, silently agreeing with him, and closed my eyes briefly again.

The sound of the door opened and Seokjin walked back in, standing at the end of the bed, watching us. Dr Choi looked up and gestured, "Grab a pair of gloves and put them on. I need several packs of gauze opened and ready. When I tell you to, he said, I will need you to put them in the wound."

Seokjin gaped at the doctor, then looked at the knife protruding from my side. The doctor said, "Any time now, young man." I wanted to laugh at the look on Seokjin's face, but could not. I closed my eyes instead and prayed for the worst to be over soon, as sounds of packages being opened fell into my ears.

I felt Dr Choi grab the edge of my shirt as he cut the material away from my body and pushed it away from my skin where both wounds lay. He then cut through the middle and along the sleeves, so that he could more easily work. When the doctor pushed my shirt to the side, after cutting it open, Seokjin was shocked and looked away, "Don't be shy, young man. Her shirt is soiled, either way and will need to be removed completely, and I need to be able to work without it getting in the way. I also still need you to be ready with the gauze." The doctor looked at him pointedly, "So are you with me?"

With Seokjin's slow nod the doctor leaned back over me, turning his attention back to the wound at my side. I felt his gloved fingers prodding at my skin again and winced at the pain. As he moved his palm over the handle of the knife. He instructed me, "I need you to focus now, Felina. Okay? Keep the blood flow at minimum. Got it?"

I closed my eyes and barely nodded, a look of concentration falling across my face. In my mind, I saw the smaller veins surrounding the knife that were partially blocked off from the metal and the burning it caused. I saw the larger veins that fed the smaller ones, and I saw the poison of the metal as it seeped into my bloodstream. It was faint, but it was there. Little by little, I did my best to shut down the veins leading to those closest to the knife and whispered, informing the doctor of my compliance, "Ready."

With my word, the doctor pulled the knife out slowly as a small gush of blood followed. The doctor instructed, calling to Seokjin, "Now. Stuff the gauze in and don't be shy about it."

Seokjin hurried to stuff several pieces of gauze into my wound, careful but determined. The sensation was strange and I groaned as they worked. I closed my eyes again, refusing to watch the two men any further, as I kept my mind from the work. My only focus was on stemming the blood flow from the damaged veins around the wound. I shut the rest of my mind off, to disappear into its depths. I was exhausted and allowed myself to partially drift, while Dr Choi did his work.