Hwarang: Past Memories

Chapter 16: Awake

"...Yu-ri...?"

"...Y-Yu-ri... Please..."

"You have to wake...up..."

"Eomma?"

"You can't leave me... not again..."
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It had been a day or two already, time blended at this point, and Yu-ri was still in deep sleep from her arrow wound. 

Somehow the arrow had not pierced anything major in her shoulder, which had confused us as the wound had bleed dangerously. So much so to the point that she still had yet to recover from it.  

Ah-ro's father fidgeted a bit nervously while facing a room full of concerned faces: Yeo-wool, his Aunt, Ah-ro, even the King, and then myself... Little Jin-a had thankfully been taken by my sister for a while. 

"Go be there Soo-ho. I know how much you want to be," she had said solemnly, hoisting Jin-a up on her hip. 

"Thank you Soo-yeon, I'll be back right after I get another update," I responded, nodding my head before stepping forward and bending down toward the child. 

Jin-a had been doing well for the most part. She asked many questions but we did our best to distract and entertain her until she could be reunited with her mother again. It didn't escape me however when she would go unusually quiet at times, clearly lost in thought. She missed Yu-ri dearly...

My hand rested on her soft hair lovingly, "Be good for Auntie Soo-yeon alright flower? I'm going to see how your eomma is resting. I'll let her know you miss her and want to see her soon," I said with a smile. 

She looked at me almost surprised before nodding, leaning toward me for a hug, a habit she had developed when she wanted comfort it seemed. I pulled her in for a small hug before stepping back and smiling at my sister. Soo-yeon's expression however was unusual as she watched on... strange even? She looked like she had seen a ghost.

"Are you alright?" I asked her eyebrows raised. 

She nodded quickly, "Y-Yes, I'm sorry I'm just...worried about Yu-ri is all. You best be going. We'll be alright," She replied all too quickly. 

My sister's strange behavior was odd but I took her advice and sped off toward the doctor's house. 

The doctor lifted his head up toward Yeo-wool first, "Are you aware Yu-ri has a tendency to bleed out easier than most?"  

The brother had been distraught since learning the news of what had happened and had stayed permanently by Yu-ri's side the entire time, holding her hand tenderly. Every time I had asked for an update or quickly stopped by, there he was faithfully. 

Yeo-wool paled before shaking his head, "No, I wasn't aware of that!" He exclaimed, looking confused as his fingers dug through his hair, processing the news given. 

Their Aunt stood suddenly and placed her hand on his shoulder, "I knew this yes."

Yeo-wool snapped to face her, "W-What? How?" He asked, clearly still confused. 

The older woman sighed, closing her eyes, "When Yu-ri had Jin-a... it had been a difficult labor... She, well, she nearly bled out then also... It was a close call." 

The image of a nearly dying Yu-ri during childbirth was enough to require me to take a walk to get some air. I could still hear Yeo-wool's pained gasp at his aunt's story and see Yu-ri laying in her cot unmoving as he threw himself over her lower half, whispering apology after apology to her.