『JenSoo Short Stories』

There's a Sweetness in Hell (1/3)

"How are you feeling Lieutenant Kim?"

Jennie closed her eyes as a tight pain ran around her head, her hands curled around a cold metal as a low groan rose from .

"My head hurts." she mumbled through gritted teeth.

"I'm sorry to hear that," a newer voice chirped in a silvery tone, "Would you like me to increase the amount of endorphins in your system?"

Jennie's head spun as she nearly fell off the table, a loud crash followed soon after; a voice attempted to catch her attention but it failed, she could only hear the deeper voice of a cheery female echoing through her skull.

"Who is that?" she asked, her eyes scanning the pearly white room and then the taller woman who stood and anxiously picked at her white coat.

"Sit," she pleaded as she pulled Jennie back onto the table, "Please Lieutenant."

Fingers gently pressed against her scalp, sending muscle twitches and spasms up and down her spine. Her face appeared within her vision, strands of blonde had strayed from her tight ponytail and her lips fluttered as hushed words fell from her tight jaw.

Jennie raised a trembling hand to meet hers.

The freezing touch of metal shot into her fingers, a sharp gasp flew from as she stared back at the blonde doctor.

"What'd you do to me?"

Jennie's finger flew wildly against her scalp, her hand searched feverishly for the familiar warmth of pumping blood and tender flesh; she found none, instead she found the icy metal that coated the side of her skull, it stretched from a little above her ear and ran to the base of her neck.

"Jennie," the woman said firmly as she dragged her shaking hands back to her side, "You got caught in some unexpected gunfire Northeast of Seoul, you died- But I brought you back... Do you remember any of this?"

Her memory was a field of flying dust and settling clouds, even if she did search she was sure she would find nothing but abandoned memories and forgotten causes.

She shook her head softly and murmured a quiet, "No."

She recoiled from her touch, "Do you remember me ?"

Jennie stared back at her, her hand slowly floated up and caught a few strands of her blonde hair between her trembling fingers; there was a twinge of remembrance that danced around her memory, the ashy smell of cigarettes that clashed with the sweet scent of roses and a familiar Australian accent that spoke faded and forgotten words.

She blinked for a few seconds before letting her hand drop onto her lap, "I don't. I'm sorry."

She stood with her shoulders straight and chest aligned, "Don't be."

(Something in her shattered that day, not that Jennie ever noticed).

Jennie glanced down quickly before looking back at the taller woman, her soft looks had melted into a quiet melancholy.

"Who are you?" she asked with a trembling tongue.

The woman hesitated, Jennie saw her tongue flick only slightly before a frown coiled weakly around her lips. "Park Chaeyoung, but you called me Chaeng."

"Chaeng?" Jennie asked softly as she clung onto her freezing hand, "What did you do to me?"

She sighed before speaking. "I had to bring you back- But the bullets destroyed you, so to bring you back fully, I had to fill in the spaces you lost."