Dancing On Thin Ice // KTH

Chapter 69

The white walls of the hospital loomed around her, as she dragged herself behind Jerome, her mind racing. She followed him through the hallways, her face wet with tears. People strangely stared at her, in her satin pajamas and disheveled look. But she didn't scowl at them this time. She couldn't.

Finally Jerome stopped at a door to one of the hospital rooms. There were two police officers, conversing outside the door. Jerome walked up to them, providing them the information to go in. Then he gazed behind at Carmela who was holding her breath. He nodded.

Carmela tried to keep herself calm, as she pushed past him into the room.

It was silent, except for the soft cries that loudened every once in a while. Hosi was sitting on the chair with his head in his hands. Heather was slumped over at the foot of the hospital bed... that carried a motionless limp body. Carmela couldn't see the face of the body yet, and she froze, her legs going numb. Jerome walked past her and stood behind Heather, patting her back. The distressed woman looked up and turned around. She caught eyes with Carmela, and Carmela felt her heart shatter at her dead expression.

"C-Carmela..." Heather's voice broke with a sob, and she cupped her mouth with her hands.

Carmela's head felt dizzy and her knees wobbled, threatening to crash to the floor, as she peered at the bed. Hosi looked up, his weary face streaked with tears. He slowly stood up, glancing at the hospital bed Carmela was staring at.

Her heart had stopped beating, her body had stopped feeling, her lungs had stopped breathing, but she stumbled towards the bed.

"J..." Her throat was raw. It felt like someone was choking her.

Heather sobbed, louder and louder, as Jerome rubbed her back. 

"Ju..." 

Carmela stepped closer, until she could see past Heather's head. Until she could see the muzzled face that belonged to the damaged body of the victim.

Until she could see... Jules.

"N-no...n... no." 

Her heart fell to her feet and a pound thudded through her body.

No. No. No, no, no, no, NO!

"J-Jules... Jules? Jules!" Carmela leapt to her friend's side, falling to her knees. She screamed her name into her lifeless face until Heather and Jerome grasped her by the shoulders. 

"Carmela, Carmela please!" Jerome said, as Carmela buried her face in her hands, falling to the floor.

"My daughter... she is... she is hurt... very badly... but she is alive. We need to pray for her, Carmela. We need to pray--" Heather broke into another sob, and Hosi came around, hugging his mother from behind.

Carmela stared at the ground between her knees, her tears spilling onto the hospital floor. Her body shook and her chest stung with pain. She faintly heard the door open and a clacking of shoes.

"They have him. They're holding him in right now." It was Mr. Jung's voice. 

Hosi let out a growling sob, and Carmela heard fast heels stomping out of the room.

"Koman... Koman, what are we going to do?" Heather sobbed.

"Do not worry. The best doctors are here, and we have the best lawyers. Our daughter... she... she will be alright." His stern voice broke into tears. 

A couple of other voices entered their conversation, but Carmela couldn't hear them anymore. Their words whizzed past as her ears deepened and muffled all of the sounds around her. 

She slowly lifted herself up, and turned to Jules lying in the bed. Her chest was wrapped in a white cast, her head was bandaged and her face and neck were heavily bruised. Her body was pinched with tubes and fluids and her face and mouth were muzzled with a ventilator. Carmela stared down at her, frozen. She reached out, and brushed her fingers over her shoulder.

"J... Jules?" She spoke, and heard the room go silent from muffled voices.

"Jules it's me. I-I'm here." She felt hands wrap around her shoulders.

"It's Carmela. I'm here. Get up, Jules. Get up..." Her face twisted into a sob, and she let the tears flood her face.

"Look at you... l-look at you... how could they do this... how could he do this!"  She screamed, clutching the sides of the bed. A doctor rushed beside her.

"Excuse me, Ms. Lee! Jules is under critical condition right now! We have managed to make her stable but she has slipped into a coma. You have to calm down. She might hear everything you're saying!" The woman rushed. But Carmela couldn't understand what she was saying.

"Jules! Jules!" She fell on her knees, her hands grasping the edge of the bed.

"Please, Carmela... dear--" Heather sobbed beside her.

"How could he do this! HOW?! I HATE HIM! I HATE HIM... TAEHYUNG!"  She shrieked and kicked out and thrashed her arms out at anyone who tried to touch her. 

Loud beeping filled the room and a clamour of shoes. Carmela screamed but multiple arms lifted her up. Her head spun as she felt herself dragged on the floor. People in white suits rushed past her, leaning over beside the bed she was being pulled away from. The room blurred and her vision swayed. A dark cloud engulfed her senses and she felt her limbs detach from her consciousness. 

"Jules..." She whispered before everything went black.

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

They stood under the clouds, side by side, faces streaked with tears. 

Carmela peered down at the long case as they lowered it into the ground. She couldn't feel a thing as they piled dirt onto it, covering every inch. Sobs scattered around the gathered crowd. Heather and Koman stood beside her, softly crying together.

Carmela turned around, cupping her sob with her hand. She walked onward, towards a group of boys dressed in black, standing beside the trees behind the crowd. 

Hosi opened his arms and Carmela crashed into them, stifling her tears against his chest. The others circled around them with tearful eyes, watching the two cry in each other's arms.  

Jimin, JK, Yoon, Namjoon, Jin, Hosi. 

And Carmela.