The Exchange - An AMBW Romance

Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Critical 12 Hours

Danny POV

"Is there no other route we can try?" I asked the taxi driver, rain pouring down on this gloomy day as we sat in standstill traffic.

"No. I'm sorry, Miss. We are completely stuck."

I looked down to my phone as I pulled up my GPS, my hands shaking due to how terrified I was that bad news would come in at any moment.

"I'll get off here." I said, rushing to pull won out of my wallet now that I saw I was just under a mile away from Nam Group Medical Center.

"But Miss, it's pouring! You'll get sick!"

I ignored the elder's concerns and handed him the money before I opened the door and started running towards the hospital.

The rain was certainly pouring but I didn't care. After over 24 hours of no sleep, no appetite, and living in constant fear of the unknown when it came to Min-seok's condition, nothing could slow me down now that I was finally back in Seoul.

I picked up my pace and started sprinting as my tears began to blend with the large rain drops.

Despite how much I had been crying over the last day and a half, I still couldn't stop. I couldn't register how any of this was happening. The last time I spoke to Min-seok, he was fine. He was his handsome, charming, and bright self. Now he was fighting for his life, and he appeared to be in critical condition.

I glanced up at the large screen on the side of a skyscraper, Min-seok's incident still breaking news in Korea. The news was reporting there was no update on his condition at this time.

"Dear, God. Please let him be okay." I softly prayed, though I couldn't help but sob as I continued to sprint towards the hospital.

The emergency room entrance was the first entrance of the medical center I came across, and as soon as I ran inside, I became overwhelmed by the hectic space.

I could hear the sirens of the latest ambulance that came to a screeching halt in front of the ER. Nurses and doctors were rushing from patient to patient and many people were screaming and crying in agony as they were tended to, their family members either panicking themselves or soothing them.

I looked around, and did my best to locate signage that could direct me to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) but I couldn't find one, and I was growing dizzy all of a sudden.

"Excuse me." I breathed, gasping for air as I approached a nurse. "Can you please point me in the direction of the ICU?"

Though startled, the young woman gave me clear and easy directions before I was running towards Min-seok. Luckily, the ICU was close to the emergency room and only three or so minutes passed before I entered the ICU's main waiting area.

"Excuse me." I said, setting my hands on the long receptionist desk. "I'm here to see Nam Min-seok. He's here, right?"

"I'm sorry, only family and approved friends are allowed past the waiting area." One of the three nurses I was standing before answered. 

"I'm his girlfriend. I'm sure his family will be okay with me entering."

The nurses looked to me, their eyebrows furrowed as if they didn't believe me.

"I promise, I am being honest. Please just let me see him." I begged. "Please just let me see how he is doing."

"I'm sorry. You can't enter without the family's blessing." She replied again. 

I pulled my phone out of my purse, my hands trembling from both fear and how cold I was, as I opened Min-seok's mother's contact information. However, I paused. If I was in this state, I couldn't imagine how she was doing. Was it too selfish of me to ask her for help?