The Bouquet

Chapter 2

Jin enjoyed the quiet life, for the most part. He had spent the majority of his life in constant stress surrounded by stimuli with little downtime. That was why he found solace in the mountains as often as he could. It was quiet, pristine, and pure, free from the chaos that was his job in the city. He often found himself preferring the isolation of the forest, it was far from anything he ever had experienced. He was content with his luxurious cabin nestled in the thick growth of trees with a large fireplace, a hot drink, and the quiet to keep him company. It was a nice change from his day-to-day life.

When he did leave the comfort of his second home, it was never for too long and only when necessary. Although at work he could be quite the extrovert, he also enjoyed time to himself like anyone else.

But that was about to be quickly disrupted.

His driveway was well concealed by the snow and tall evergreen trees, practically invisible to those who didn't know what to look for. He had been on a simple mission when he backed out of the hidden path, a quick trip to town for some groceries to last him the next few days of his vacation. But, it had only taken him a few miles to come upon the wreck.

He could feel his heart thudding in his chest as he eased his foot off the accelerator. He could see one car that was damaged but not too horribly, the man in the driver's seat out cold with his head craned back against the headrest. A few feet further down the road was where the true carnage lay.

The other vehicle was mangled, glass and scraps of the car had been flung all over the road making it near impossible for him to pass through. He could see limp bodies in the front of the car, one female leaning against the window of the passenger side and one male bent awkwardly over the dash.

He carefully pulled his car to the side of the road and cut the engine before exiting the vehicle. He fumbled with his phone for a moment before frantically dialing the emergency line and alerting them of the accident that had occurred. The operator on the line was efficient and calm, telling him that help would be on its way. He quickly ripped open the door of the backseat and removed his med bag that he kept with him at all times. It was days like this he was glad he had decided to become a doctor.

Each breath that escaped his lips resulted in a gentle puff of steam in the air, it was freezing. He only made it a few steps when his heart dropped into his stomach. A few feet behind the car he could make out the sight of a female figure lying discarded on the side of the road, mere inches away from the guardrail and the drop-off that was beyond it. Abandoning all thought, he sprinted to her.

She was in bad shape, but her injuries were not as extreme as he had expected them to be. And, by some miracle, he could see the unsteady rise and fall of her chest from her labored breaths. He winced as he took in her form, her leg was bent at an awkward angle that assured him it was indeed broken. Her body was littered with cuts in varying sizes and he could see a sizable gash to her upper thigh, most likely a piece of metal having torn through the fabric and flesh. Large bruises were already beginning to form and the skin beneath her eyes was turning red. Her skin was beginning to tint blue as well, her clothing had been torn to shreds in most places and she was exposed to the cruel elements.

His hands shook for a moment before he put himself back together, he had seen a lot of horrible things in his profession - but that didn't mean it affected him any less each time.

A sudden, and disturbing thought had entered his mind as he continued to survey her for any further injuries. She was rather beautiful, young, but beautiful. In fact, the position he had found her in was a horrifically ethereal scene. She was lying face up in the snow, her arms somehow positioned so delicately from her being thrown from the vehicle. He could tell she had injured her head as well, scarlet drops of blood had streamed down the contours of her face and a pool of blood had formed beneath her sprawled tresses. She looked like she had a crimson halo beneath her head, carving its way into the soft, white snow under her. She was ethereal, like an angel that he had found just after they had been dropped from heaven. Forever resting, forever beautiful, and forever young.