Between Heaven & Hell: A Ghost Doctor Kdrama Fan Fic

Chapter 10: Ghosts of Christmas Past

Seung-won didn't catch a glimpse of who tried to stop him before he was sucked through the wall. Yet, he was lucky. Only half of his body seeped through it; and then stopped. The person who yelled from the hospital hallway was holding onto his arm, preventing him from fully disappearing into the portal. It had to be a ghost. There was no way a live person could touch him. The person was a ghost, too. He couldn't flinch or tug his arm away, though. Not this time.

For the brief moment he was held in between, Seung-won saw everything he needed to see. He knew it couldn't be heaven or hell—it had to be a place here one earth. The raging rainy, thunderous storms had recently turned to a quiet snow. It was already December and he noticed the falling white floating ice outside a window. Yet, in the dark room he entered, shadows of souls were standing around like soldiers appearing as if they were waiting to be deployed. They were under some sort of trance; held spellbound in their positions waiting for a command. Yellow papered bujeok covered the walls doing their best to suck him in. From the crowd of shadows, he saw his Uncle and a tiny silhouette that emerged. They weren't completely restricted. A small hand reached out to be saved and his Uncle stepped forward. Seung-won grabbed hold of someone's hand just as he was pulled out of the ancient Hanok styled room, pulling little Min-Min back into the hospital with him.

It took Seung-won a moment to collect himself after he returned. He felt as if a part of his soul had been zapped of its energy and almost collapsed. But he smiled proud; the child Seung Tak was desperately missing had been pulled out. The child's head was down and his back was turned to him; surely shook up as he was. Seung-won reached out, "It's okay. You're okay, now."

Min-Min turned and faced Seung-won. His eyes were black and he mouth grinned devilishly. Seung-won's hand recoiled at the sight. Min-Min hopped and skipped away from Seung-won as he tripped back against the ghost holding him up.

"You're lucky you didn't suffer the same fate as that kid." Someone clicked their tongue to his side, "Poor kid. Now he's possessed or cursed...or whatever..."

"Cursed?" Seung-won stood stunned. What did I do? The joy he had dissipated. He finally turned his head towards the person holding him, unsure what he'd see. It was a woman, about his age. She wasn't pretty but she wasn't ugly, either. He stepped back with an unappreciative grin, "Thanks." He gave her a nervous laugh, "You must be dead, too?"

"Dead? No. I'm not dead." She crossed her arms, scowling at him.

"Yeah, I didn't think I was either."

She rolled her eyes at Seung-won. "You don't remember me?"

"We've met?"

She eased in closer to Seung-won's face. He didn't appear to be lying. "Hmm...I guess the dead have problems with their memory?" She studied him a bit longer before shrugging off her suspicions, "I was investigating YOU when I got hit in the back of the head."

"You died because of me?" Seung-won was utterly surprised. He failed to show an ounce of remorse as his mind tried to make sense of everything along with place her face with a name.

"I didn't DIE! Didn't I just say that!" She slapped his head with the flat of her hand. "How else would I be here and not sucked in there with you?"

He wasn't following. Seung-won cowered with his mouth agape. "Then! Then if you—you--what are you?"

"I'm in the ICU. There's still hope for me." She started to walk away, satisfied she was still saving people in whatever in between world she was in. "It's too bad what happened to you, though. Sorry I couldn't save you. Be careful of that wall—it sucks the dead in."

Seung-won quickly moved away from the wall and followed her. She was like Dr. Cha—a coma ghost. He was afraid to ask, remaining quiet as he followed, but found a way to sputter his question, "Why were you...investigating me? Do you know who killed me?"