it's always ourselves that we find in the sea || jensoo

Chapter 33

She came back to consciousness while she was in the back of an ambulance, strapped to a spine board and buckled onto the bench for passengers to ride in the back. Her lungs ached as she sucked in a shallow breath, the sound of beeping, wailing sirens and heavy rain battering metal as she was gently jostled by the speed at which they were flying down the roads. Her vision was blurred and everything was white and bright, making her squint with pain. Jennie felt panic take hold of her immediately, and she tried to move, encumbered by the thick straps wrapping around her chest. Crying out, trying to reach for the thing covering her mouth and nose, Jennie strained against her restraints.

            "Don't move," a deep voice cautioned her, a hand warm against her collarbone as she was gently forced back against the spine board.

            She was aware of the fact that she was shivering, wrapped with blankets while her wet clothes clung to her skin. She felt blue all over, and frozen to her core. It wasn't enough to distract her mind from Jisoo. There was nothing in the world that would have turned her thoughts aside as her breathing increased, the steady squeezing of the manual bag ceasing as the paramedic tried to quell her fears. Jennie could feel her fear growing, her scratchy throat burning as she breathlessly sobbed.

            "I need you to keep still for me. You're on your way to the hospital."

            "Jisoo," she mumbled, her voice coming out deep and hollow as it was distorted by the oxygen mask.

            "Jisoo? Jisoo's right here. We're taking good care of her," he soothingly reassured her.

            Letting out a sigh of relief, she relaxed against her restraints, involuntary shivers wracking her numb body as her lips trembled beneath the mask. As exhausted as she was, she found herself clinging to consciousness again, unwilling to slip back into darkness until she was sure that Jisoo was okay. Each thump of her heart in her ears felt far apart, like it was taking an eternity for them to reach the hospital, but eventually she felt a rush of freezing cold air rush into the back of the ambulance as the doors were thrown open. Loud voices were shouting over the sound of the rain, and Jennie was dimly aware of movement in the back of the ambulance, and minutes later, she was being lifted out of the back and people were crowding around her.

            The smell of antiseptic, stale air and something that was distinctly death and Jennie blinked slowly as she stared up at the white fluorescent lights overhead, the feeling of safety washing over her. They'd be okay now. And then she heard more voices as doctors were crowding her, placing her on a gurney and pushing her through the white halls. The exclamation of surprise that came from one of them cut through Jennie's sluggish mind.

            "Shit. This is Minzy's daughter," a doctor said with surprise, "someone find Doctor Gong Minzy. Now."

            A sigh of relief slipped from Jennie's lips, her head lolling as she blinked slowly, darkness encroaching despite her best efforts. Minzy was there somewhere, and she would look after Jennie, just like she had for years. And she'd look after Jisoo too. The doctors would look after Jisoo, and she'd be fine. She couldn't lose her after everything she'd gone through to find her again.

            The sound of a panicked voice cut through her repetitive reassuring thoughts, trying to convince herself that they were okay as she staved off the blacknesses creeping in and inching her eyes closed, jolting her back to alertness with a start. The love and concern in Minzy's voice made tears prick at her eyes, and a blur of brown hair and pale skin loomed above her as gentle hands touched her face and hair and shoulders. Letting out a shuddering sob, Jennie felt the knot of worry in her stomach unravel itself slightly. Minzy was here.