The Time When Our Path Someday Cross Again

Chapter 7

That moment flashed just like that in front of his eyes. The scene was too overwhelming. The voice of the paramedics, the clattering noise from the wheel of the gurney, the loud rushing steps of the nurses, the cries from Sol's mom and her family, all the chaos that came into him at once, paralyzed him. Everything moved in a chaotic slow motion, with the pain that it brought dragged him to the deepest and darkest pit.

When he got the chaos in his head subsided a little, he asked the paramedic to repeat her medical condition. He tried to regain his focus as quick as possible, trying to be calm, collecting, memorizing, and processing her medical information from the paramedic carefully. But, as her vital signs appeared in the monitor kept dropping, he knew he would fail at any time.

"Im Sol-ssi, Im Sol-ssi, can you hear me?" with his trembling hand, Sunjae pat her shoulder, checking her consciousness, hoping the her body would respond. But her body stayed still. He tried once again in frustation, patting Sol's shoulder, putting more strength on it. He repeated the same question with the same trembling voice, with the same trembling hand. "Sol-ah, can you hear me?"

Sunjae's eyes darted to Sol's pale beautiful face, waiting for any sign of response. A few seconds had passed, but her body remained unresponsive. He pinched both of Sol's inner arm to confirm her response, but again, any signs of response was negative. Sunjae turned his body abruptly, with a stern look and hoarse voice, he gave an instruction to the first nurse that came into view . "Nurse Lee, please prepare for a CT scan. And please prepare her CT result around a month ago."

Nurse Lee's sensed the urgency in Sunjae's tone, she quickly nodded and moved into action. The fact that there was no bruises and blood could be seen anywhere in her body, he expected the her unconsciousness was not caused by any external trauma. He took the penlight from his pocket, then checked her pupil reaction, start from the left, to the right. His heart sank. He confirmed her pupil reaction once again, left to right.

No response to light, her pupil dilation was almost twice as normal.

"G-Gwanghyeon-ah," he called out one of the resident. His voice was loud, almost breathless. "Can you call Prof Chae? Or any... anyone, any neurosurgeon available. Please, be... be quick."

Sunjae put the oxygen mask on her. His hand involuntarily squeezed the corner of Sol's hospital bed, with the fear and anxiety he fought so hard to control. He knows brain damage is almost confirmed. Among all the cases he treated in the ER room, patients with brain damage is his nightmare; not only because human brain is so complex, but also you need to race with the time to prevent further effect of the injury.

"Prof Chae will be here, she's just in the hospital lobby." Gwanghyeon notified him. Sunjae nodded, it shouldn't take long until Prof Chae arrived. But of course, in this situation, every wait feels like an eternity.

When Prof Chae came, with the remaining strength in his body, Sunjae explained the situation to her. His eyes welled up, his throat almost choking him up. The words came out in ragged breaths, his throat tight with the effort to remain composed. Then, Sunjae took a step back, he withdrew himself, giving space for Prof Chae to take over. His hand violently trembled, he couldn't even stand straight.

"I'll take care from here. You don't look okay. Go get some rest," Prof Chae turned to him, her eyes furrowing with concern. Sunjae, too overwhelmed to respond, walked out of the emergency ward in a daze. As soon as he stepped into the corridor, all the strength drained from his body. He slumped against a wall, sinking to the floor.

When the door closed, he couldn't hold his tears any longer.

-

It was almost midnight, the hospital lobby was dark and empty. Alone in the quietness and darkness, Sunjae had been sitting in the lobby's bench for hours. His eyes was empty. There was a big lump in his throat that suffocate him, making it difficult just even to breath. He was certain that the earth had just lost its gravity, that was why in the last 24 hours he had been walking in the void. He didn't know how he could he still be living.