Defence

68

Yoona's eyes went wide then filled with tears as Taecyeon shot up from his seat and raced at the doctor grabbing his collar.

"Don't tell us that! Go back in there and revive her! She isn't dead! That girl's escaped death 10 times! She can't die! Go and bring her back to me!" Taecyeon screamed.

"Sir, sir," the nurses and the doctor tried as they pried his fingers off. "Her body will be transferred to the morgue in a few hours. You can visit her then."

As the doctor and the nurses walked away Taecyeon dropped to his knees. Tears dropped from his eyes as he pounded against the ground.

Two hours later they were allowed into the morgue with the specialist. It was a small room full of light but smelly air...air that smelled of some kind of slick death. Victoria's body was covered with a clear white blanket.

"You have twenty minutes before we talk to her family about how to do the funeral process," the specialist indicated.

Taecyeon felt his heart die slowly as the specialist uncovered Victoria's sleeping face. Yoona turned her face away recalling her last moments with her friend. Tears were threatening to fall.

Taecyeon slowly stepped toward the body and hesitantly reached a hand out to touch her but stopped midway. Was it ok to touch her?

His legs felt weak, his heart rushed, his blood slowed, and time felt frozen. It felt like a morning where Victoria was sleeping in late and he had just finished cooking breakfast and was about to wake her up. If only Victoria would wake up. But why...then...was this environment that should have been his apartment so different? Why was he hearing a woman crying in the background? The past month flashed in front of his eyes. He'd drove into Victoria, had given her a home, had argued with her, became the damsel in distress in a fight to lure Victoria out, and he reconciled with her on their first date when everything had somehow gone smoothly without argument.

His lips trembled. Why didn't he realize that something had been different from the moment she'd suggested to have a date? Why didn't he know!? The image of her flailing hair while she chased his car onto the street blurred his eyes before he realized he was not driving nor was he in his apartment, but standing in the underground morgue with Yoona sobbing like a wailing child behind him.

A leg moved forward before he collapsed before the stroller-like bed in front of him landing on both knees. Heavy shaking hands appeared before him and reached for her icy cold arm. The fear swept through him that she had forever left him to suffer his loneliness alone.

"You...you're going to wake up any second now and look at the dresser then come out to eat with me, won't you?" he questioned. "This is your idea of a sick joke...of making me fear you. That's right. You're doing this to make me afraid of you."

"Taecyeon-ah..." Yoona's voice seemed distant and far.

"But I won't be afraid of you. I won't be afraid of you. Don't you remember when I chose to believe in you no matter what you told me? You're so good at making me feel useless. The night in the hospital I promised to protect you but you didn't even give me that chance. Why are you so mean? Don't you want to argue with me? I won't get mad so just open your eyes. Please."

"Taecyeon-ah..." Yoona's voice seemed even farther now.

"Why didn't you take me with you?" Taecyeon asked, a tear falling down his face. "I thought we were mutual...why did you lie to me when I loved you so much? What am I supposed to do with your things...how am I supposed to live without you? Why did you leave me?"

He turned his head down and silently sobbed beside her.

"Won't you wake up?"

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