Sancutary | 박성훈

19. The Family Comes Together

Maena's vision was filled with smoke and tears and she could no longer see properly ahead. "My son!" Junho's relieved but still worried voice soon shouted from behind her. The firefighters finally let him go and he ran to his son.

There he came with one of the firemen half dragging him. Ashen, weak, coughing and almost completely passed out. It may have been tears of relief that she burst into tears again and ran to Sunghoon when the man holding her let go of her too.

"S-Sunghoon." Her voice wavered. He was immediately taken to an empty ambulance whilst Maena and Junho came after him in a panic, trying to get in between. While he was being put inside the ambulance, a man stopped the two of them again.

"You two can come in the ambulance, but I need to know who you are to him. You're his father if I got it right?", the fireman spoke, looking at Junho.

"Y-yes, and she's-", Junho started, but Maena cut him off. "I'm his wife!"

The fireman patted both their backs, referring them to get in so they did. There was only one female paramedic in the ambulance, all authorities must've been busy helping every victim of the fire. The paramedic instantly checked Sunghoon's blood circulation, breathing and injuries. Maena and Junho just sat and watched as the she did everything so fast.

The ambulance started moving. They were going to the hospital. He's going to be fine.

"I need to undress you a bit. Can you still hear me?", the woman spoke to Sunghoon in a clear voice. "Nod if you can hear me."

Sunghoon slowly moved his head, meaning to nod. "Try to stay awake, okay.", she said nicely and lifted his torso from the ambulance bed, taking out his suit jacket and his tie to ensure his breathing. She also quickly unbuttoned the first buttons of his collar shirt and took a breathing mask, putting it on him.

She then cut open the already ragged sleeve of his shirt, which revealed an awful burn wound. It hurt Maena to watch, so she didn't look into that direction, it must have hurt a lot. The paramedic put a wet gauze over it and started holding it there.

"He'll be okay, won't he?", Maena asked anxiously.

"We hope for the best. Could one of you hold this for me?", she asked and Junho immeditaely rose from his seat and hold the gauze on Sunghoon's arm for her.

The medic took something from the selves, Maena wasn't curious what. Then she held the gauze again which allowed Junho to sit back down. The situation seemed to get more peaceful. With her other hand she handed Maena and Junho some tissues, seeing Maena's sniffing and her teared cheeks.

"Now I can't do more than this. The condition is quite critical, he has inhaled a lot of carbon monoxide. But when we get to the hospital as soon as possible, I guarantee that he will be fine.", the woman spoke sweetly.

Maena felt so relieved. It was that kind of happines that she rarely feels. The paramedic checked Sunghoon's pulse occasionally, and it seemed to be fine. "He's a strong one. Usually patients who have breathed carbon monoxide pass out quickly. But look, he's still awake."

Maena felt like crying or smiling again. The woman tried to make them less nervous of the situation and it worked in some way. Sunghoon's eyes weren't closed, but they weren't really open either. She sniffed again and now took Sunghoon's free hand, holding it. She felt Sunghoon squeeze her hand, but very weakly. It was cold, a little sweaty and smeared with ash.

Junho laid his hand on Maena's shoulder and rubbed it. It made her feel like she was part of the family. They were there together at Sunghoon's sickbed.

-

At the hospital, the doctors received Sunghoon at the emergency entrance and the nurse from the ambulance informed his condition. "Severe carbon monoxide poisoning. Patient received supplemental oxygen on the way and was awake the whole time. The airways are functioning stably, the blood circulation is normal. Third-stage burn on the right arm, needs treatment."