Rogue Ranger

Chapter 4 Her New Bodyguard

The next time Laura woke up it was bright with daylight. The low hum of the television reached her ears and she filtered out the sound to be a news channel. She opened her eyes and looked around. Andrew was walking across the room talking on the phone to someone. Laura thought he looked worn out. To her side she saw a now familiar figure sitting on the couch, his eyes intent on the TV screen. She tried to sit up and winced. Andrew let out a yell.

"Ah, you're awake!" he said in a dither. Ji Hoon's eyes immediately switched to Laura with its penetrating gaze.

"Morning." He said. Laura looked around.

"Is it okay for me to get up? I feel restless being in bed for so long." she said.

"No no, the doctor said you must rest. Mr. Talavera will have a heart attack if anything hinders your recovery." Andrew said.

"Oh, okay. Can I at least order something? I'm kind of hungry." She said.

"I have to confirm if you can eat... I'll go tell the nurse." Andrew said walking out. Laura sighed.

"I bet it sucks being stuck in bed." Ji Hoon said. Laura tried to smile.

"I see you're a man of your word, Mr. bodyguard. I half thought I imagined you." She said.

"Just call me Ji Hoon. I don't like titles." He said.

"Okay, if you call me Laura."

"Laura." She smiled at him. He's so forthright, she thought.

"I trust you're feeling better." He stated.

"Much, thank you."

"You didn't even wake when the nurses came to change your bandages. You're quite a heavy sleeper under sedatives."

"Isn't everybody?"

"Not necessarily." Ji Hoon said before Andrew came back in with a nurse. They stopped talking while she checked Laura's vitals.

"Well you seem better than last night. You can have something light to eat. The doctor will come to see you later. Get plenty of rest till then." She said and left.

"I'll order something for you." Andrew said, picking up the telephone. Laura turned to the TV which suddenly glowed red with the headlines 'car crash: billionaire heiress encounters accident'. A worried look came on her face.

"Turn that up please." She told Ji Hoon who had the remote. Andrew turned to see her watching the news piece.

"Last night at seven thirty two, there was a collision as a taxi cab collided with a truck. The police are still investigating the truck driver with suspicions that it might not have been an accident. So far, he has refused to make a statement." Andrew switched off the TV quickly.

"Wait, turn that on!" Laura protested.

"You're not supposed to be aggravated. You should rest." Andrew said.

"But I want to know what they're talking about! What do they mean by not being an accident?" Laura demanded. Andrew looked tense. Ji Hoon spoke up.

"It means journalists are speculating wild stories to get more views. You're already famous. Couple that with an alleged accident, and they have a big story with top ratings."

"Right. And I need to go put a stop to that, minimize publicity... do some damage control... Ji Hoon, you've got this, right?" Andrew said, sidling out the door. Laura turned to Ji Hoon with a look that said 'I don't believe that for a moment'.

"I need to know what's going on. Please." Laura pleaded. Ji Hoon's eyes flickered from hers.

"They underestimate you, don't they? Alright, I'll enlighten you. By now I would have thought you figured it out. The accident was no accident and the very night it happened, you get a bodyguard. What do you think that adds up to?" Laura stared at him before a look of comprehension passed her face.