Hey everyone! It's me, the author. Before you start the chapter, I wanted to include a warning. This chapter may be a bit heavy and hard to handle. It contains death and arguing, which I understand may be difficult to read about. I have included a short chapter summary at the bottom (underneath the Renjun header), so if you feel this chapter may not be right for you, please do not feel pressured to read it all the way through. Take care of yourselves 🙏
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"P-please, taxi!"
Songmin waved frantically at the oncoming yellow vehicle, nearly stepping dangerously far into the road in order to get the driver to stop. The car slowed and pulled over beside her, and Songmin quickly pulled the door open, chucking her bag across the back seat and getting in.
Songmin beat the driver to his question of where she wanted to go, trying to control her voice but unable to completely suppress the tremor that took over, "M-Mountainside Hospital, p-please."
Probably having sensed the panic in her voice, the driver wasted no time in getting into action, the car jumping into motion and skillfully turning onto the road.
The thirty minute car ride was torturous after the hours-long train ride that had taken her out of the city to the train station near her parents' village. Songmin tried to calm her agitated dread by watching the scenery pass by, but she kept glancing at the driver as if her anxious looks would make the trip any shorter, restless beyond help. Her feet tapped against the floor, her legs shook as if by extension of the car engine, and she pinched herself up and down her arms to give her hands something to do until her skin was dotted up and down with red splotches of pain.
She held herself back from urging the driver to drive faster, biting the tip of her tongue and not noticing that she drew blood. Fear pooled in her stomach and she felt herself growing light-headed, desperately wishing she'd been smart enough to bring some water. To distract herself, she pulled out her wallet and, not knowing how much the driver would ask for, she tried to overestimate how much she'd need to pay so that she could bolt out as soon as they arrived at the hospital. She tried to keep her mind off of what Ma had said over the phone that morning, but when that failed she switched to attempted optimism, trying to reassure herself as she changed from pinching her arms to pinching her legs. Maybe nothing bad happened. Maybe they got him to the hospital in time and they managed to treat him. Maybe he's okay. Gods, please let him be okay, please let him be okay, please let him be okay...
As soon as her childhood hospital was in sight, Songmin was pulling her messenger bag over her shoulder and slipping her wallet into it, gripping the cash for the ride tightly in her hand. The moment the taxi pulled up to the front of the large, stately building, her seatbelt was off and she held out the cash to the driver.
He took it and flipped through it, quickly realizing she'd given him way too much, even for change. Turning around while still flipping through the money and marveling at just how much she'd given him, he began, "Hey Miss, you gave me way too-" The slamming of the car door interrupted him and he looked up to see a completely empty backseat, with no trace to be seen of the girl who'd just been in there a second ago.
