In My Arms (Hometown Cha Cha Cha fanfiction)

Chapter 47: Foul Play

Du Sik's POV

The air feels cold and unfriendly as we rush Hye Jin down the corridors of the hospital. I run along with them as they wheel her to the emergency room. I look at Hye Jin, the sleeping girl on the bed. Her cheeks are completely pale. I bite my lip that trembles. My feet feel like jelly, yet there's an undeniable strength in me that propels me to help the medics push her to the emergency room.

Hye Jin's eyes shift. They open slightly. I jump at the sight. She looks at me with half opened eyes. The lines of pain are etched on her face. She reaches out and touches my hand that holds one of the sides of the wheeled bed.

"I love you." She whispers before her eyes close.

"Hye Jin..." I gasp her name out like a whisper stolen by the wind.

Before I can say anything else, the red words 'Emergency Ward' greets me. The nurse tells me that I can't go any further. They disappear behind the automatic doors. The red light turns on, signalling that the emergency ward is in use.

And the world around me suddenly comes to an abrupt stop.

I stand helplessly, standing face to face with the doors of the emergency ward. The sheer weight of this entire situation falls on me like a rock falling at high speed off a clift. I lean against the wall and collapse onto the floor.

I feel feverish chills run down my skin. Suddenly fear has clasped itself around me, the way a snake would around its prey. Tears fall down my face.

The fear is like poison. I feel it close around my throat and I can barely breathe. The images of Hye Jin lying unconscious in the clinic... The image of her suddenly crying out in pain...

"Chief Hong!" I hear familiar voices suddenly erupt into the waiting room. My mind is too fuzzy to match the voices with the faces. I just follow the hands that guide me to the chair. I bring my knees up to my chest and hide my face in my knees.

"Chief Hong, don't worry. Dr Yoon is very strong. You know that. She'll be okay." Hwa Jeong says comfortingly.

"Exactly, Chief Hong. Dr Yoon is invincible." Chun jae says with a quiver in his voice.

"Chief Hong?" Eun chul's voice suddenly springs up amongst the other voices. I snap to attention at his voice.

"Eun chul!" I exclaim and rush to him. "Where is that ba*****!" I cry out in hot anger. "Where is he! What did he want!" My anger is swiftly overcome with grief and my tone softens worry.

"Chief Hong," Eun Chul says apologetically and gets me to sit down so he can explain the situation to me. "Do you remember the pervert who tried to attack Dr Yoon and Ms Yu?" He asks and sounds like he regrets the news that he's about to share.

"The one that hurt Chief Hong's arm when he tried to save Hye Jin?" Hwa Jeong asks.

"Yes, him." Eun chul says.

"How's he related to this..." Nam suk asks with her hands clasped around her mouth.

"Well," Eun Chul sighs. "The culprit who tried to attack Dr Yoon, the one who planted the chlorine gas bomb in her clinic is his brother, the pervert's brother..."

"What?" Nam suk shrieks and looks worriedly at me.

"Wait so..." Chun jae sounds baffled. "You mean..."

"Why would he do that?" I ask. The information hasn't sunk it. I don't have the strength to react.

"We suspect... it's likely that he wanted to pull revenge on behalf of his brother." Eun chul sighs. "In fact, we found some scribbles on his notebook in some kind of code that seemed to include Chief Hong's name and Ms Yu as well..." Eun chul sighs and rubs the temples of his forehead painfully. "We suspect he intended harm for not just Dr Yoon, but Chief Hong and Ms Yu as well..."

The shock is deafening.

"How did such a foul man..." Nam suk can't articulate the horror she feels.

"And..." Eun chul sighs. It seems like the bad news is never ending.

"What is it?" Hwa Jeong asks Eun chul as he forces the words out with difficulty.

"He... the culprit... well he... he's been admitted to this hospital as well..." Eun chul says, sounding completely agonized.

"WHAT!" There's a simultaneous gasp.

"What?! How can- How can the victim and the assassin be in the same hospital?" Chun jae gasps.

"At that point of time, there wasn't time to consider all this. The medics just ferried both of them to the hospital." Eun chul says. "But don't worry Chief Hong, there are police guarding his ward and he's been cuffed to his bed. I'll try to ask for a transfer." Eun chul says to me.

"That crazy ba*****!" Hwa Jeong suddenly hops up in anger. "I'm going to make sure he rots in prison for the rest of his life." She says angrily.

I collapse my face in my hands. It's a sick mix of emotion. There's so much anger that blazes in my chest, yet the sickening coldness of fear grips me. I feel feverish.

"Chief Hong, you don't look so good." Chun jae says with a heavy heart.

"Guardian of Hong Hye Jin?" The nurse calls. I get up abruptly and rush over to the nurse while the others follow closely behind.

"Yes, I'm her husband." I say breathlessly. The anticipation spins my chest in circles. "How is she? How is she?" I ask anxiously.

"We managed to pump the chlorine gas out of her." The nurse says, studying the chart. "But," She says with a low voice. My stomach plunges. "We're not sure when she'll wake up." She says with overwhelming empathy in her voice. "You see, she inhaled a toxic amount of gas. And though we managed to pump it out, we can't say for sure what damage it has done." The nurse says.

"What?" The word slips out of my mouth like an echo. "When..." I scramble for words. "When... Where... Where is she now..." I ask desperately.

"The doctors are still with her. We will inform you when we're ready." She says.

I trip backwards. The words are unreal. The news feels like ice that's so cold, it's almost painful to the touch.

"Chief Hong!" Eun chul says alarmed as I almost fall backwards.

"Where... Where... Which ward is that ba***** in?" I hiss, feeling steam erupting from my throat.

"They admitted him to the ward upstairs but why... why..." Eun chul asks but can't finish his sentence as I suddenly sprint off.

"Yah! Chief Hong! Where are you going!" Eun chul calls after me in a worried voice.