There are many theories around what happens after death. That there is an afterlife. That there isn't. That there is some heavenly being that is waiting to give your judgement on the day you die. That you're reborn into an incarnate.
But no one has really been to heaven and back, so there's no real way to know for sure until you actually die.
※
The operating room lights were blinding as the doctors desperately tried to bring their friend back to life.
She was bruised and bloody, looking only a shell of her usual vibrance.
"It's too late," one of her colleagues sobbed.
As the heart monitor in the background faded into a long, single beep, someone in the background collapsed onto a chair.
The head surgeon was still doing CPR on her, not willing to believe that his former student who was lying on the cold metal table, hand hanging limply off the side was dead.
"She's gone," one of the nurses murmured, placing a hand on his shoulder.
He only shook his head, biting his lip until it bled. His arms were aching at this point, and he vaguely heard one of his other colleagues tell the nurse to leave him alone.
Come Back.
Please.
※
"She was my most innovative student, and one of the best doctors at our hospital," he murmured to the silent crowd, save for someone's sniffling towards the back.
"Her death was an honorable one. She saved so many lives, and will forever be remembered- I, will never forget her."
He took a deep breath, feeling regret work it's way up his throat, until it came out in a barely concealed sob. And then he realized that everyone was staring at him, and he was crying, and when he looked over- to where her coffin was open, he could see her pale face facing the sky, and he wondered if she was in a better place now.
"She stole the hearts of everyone she met, i-including me. But she treated it with such care, and I just- I never got to tell her," his voice cracked on the last words, and he cleared his throat, blinking up at the sky to try to rid himself of his tears.
"I know she's in a better place, because if she didn't go straight to heaven, then the world really is a messed up place. And I just- I wanted to say that I'll meet you there, okay? It might take a while, but your Jungkookie will find you."
※
When she awoke, it was to an unearthly blue sky, enormous white clouds dotting it. It looked so much closer and ethereal than she remembered, so she stayed staring at it for a long, long time.
The air was warm and sweet, rustling her hair that was no longer shoulder- length, but long and lightened by the sun's rays. The surface she was lying down on felt smooth- and when she looked at it, it had a strange quality, almost like water, almost like glass. It was so clear, that it reflected the sky above it, making it seem like it was just one giant ocean of sky.
Slowly, she sat up.
Instead of what she remembered wearing last- a ratty old T-shirt and jeans, she was now clothed in something entirely plain yet breathtaking at the same time.
It was an oversized T-shirt dress, the sleeves coming to rest just past her elbows, the hem stopping mid-thigh. The color was something in between cream and white, and the material was thick and soft, but not suffocating in any way.
