First Love

Chapter 32

Saturday 10th November 2018

Jae woke up, disoriented. She was greeted by the beeping sound of the monitor. She tried to focus on her surroundings. She lifted her hand to realize she was hooked on the IV cannula.

She was in a hospital?

How did she get there?

The most important thing was, why?

"Doctor, she's awake," said a voice nearby.

"Good morning, I'm Dr Park," the doctor introduced himself. Jae tried to speak but it felt that she had sandpaper in her throat. Jae nodded. Then she started to cough and vomited. The nurse helped her straight away.

The doctor asked her some questions that she either nodded or shook until the doctor was satisfied. From what she could tell, there was fire at her place. A lot of things went through her mind. How bad was it? How much of her things were safe? Or was it all lost in the fire? There were too many things that she needed the answers to.

Jae moved uncomfortably. She was also hooked to a catheter. How long was she out that she needed to be hooked with one? From her previous experience, once she was mobile, she can get the catheter off. Her bed was put on a reclining position, so sitting up wouldn't be much of a problem, she thought.

She was wrong. She tried to get up and felt the world spin. Jae looked around her. The logo looked familiar. Jae sighed as she slumped back. She was in the same hospital as Chin Hwa oppa.

Yoongi.

How can she get to Yoongi?

The constant beeping sound from hers and other patients' monitor was making her sleepy. She dozed off to the sound as her lullaby.

*************************************

Jae woke up again to the feel of someone holding her hand. Her eyes fluttered open and saw Chan Ri and Ki Tae at her bed side. Both of them were wearing masks and Jae could see relief on their faces.

"I'm glad you're awake," said Chan Ri, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Glad too," whispered Jae slowly. She then coughed uncomfortably. Did she just swallow a lump of wool? She did feel like it.

"How are you feeling?" asked Chan Ri.

"Like I ate sand," answered Jae short. Her voice was hoarse and sounded really dry. Chan Ri and Ki Tae laughed only to be reprimanded by a nurse there.

"You can crack a joke. You're fine," deduced Ki Tae

"Sorry. Troubling you," she apologized.

"No, don't say that Jae. It's not your fault," comforted Chan Ri.

"Eonnie?" called Jae.

"Yes?"

"Does Yoongi know?" asked Jae.

"He came in to see you when you were still out. He had to leave and settle his work after he saw you," informed Ki Tae.

"That's good," replied Jae. "What day is it?" she asked.

"It's Saturday afternoon. You were unconscious for more than 24 hours," said Chan Ri.

"I'm sorry," she apologized again.

"Don't apologise. If you do, I would spank you good," threatened Chan Ri. "You didn't purposely get yourself in this situation," she continued.

A doctor came to Jae and checked on her vitals, "You're recovering real well Miss Ahn," he commented as he looked at the monitor.

"Can I be discharged?" asked Jae, hopefully.

"Release to the normal ward, yes, discharge, not yet," said the doctor.

"I am fine," Jae objected.

"We need to keep you here for further observation. You inhaled a lot of the substance from the fire and some of the soot made its way to your respiratory tract. You will be discharged when we are really sure your lungs are cleared out and you are safe from harm," said the doctor sternly.

"Just follow the doctor's order, Jae," advised Chan Ri.

"Your visiting time is up," warned a nurse to Chan Ri and Ki Tae.

"Do you have my phone, eonnie?" asked Jae before they left.

"A lot of your stuff were gone in the fire Jae. The only thing that was safe in your room was your keyboard," explained Ki Tae.

"It was under the bed," said Jae.

"That figures. The firefighters managed to control the fire before it could get to your keyboard," said Ki Tae. "I have it at the restaurant. I tested it, and it is still working fine."

"Thank you, oppa," said Jae.

"Jae," called Ki Tae. "Yoongi had just found out about Chin Hwa."

The feeling of trepidation swept her and she went pale. She planned to tell Yoongi about Chin Hwa but her current situation beat her up to it.

Chan Ri hit Ki Tae's hand for that, "Couldn't you just tell her that some other time?"

"Like when?" protested Ki Tae. "She's going to know about it and it is better that she knows it from us."

"Correction. From you," Chan Ri rolled her eyes.

"We'll see you later. Don't think too much and take a good rest," Chan Ri and Ki Tae left straight away after the the nurse reminded them about the time.

Jae was anxious and she was feeling drowsy again. In the end, she laid down and fell asleep.