Save Me-A Park Chanyeol Love Story

Chapter 21

Recap: "You, Eomma, Appa, and Dae were in the car on the way home when a drunk driver swerved into your lane. He hit the driver's side and Appa was killed on impact. The car spun a few times before flipping into a ditch. By the time the ambulance arrived, Eomma was gone. They took you and Dae to the hospital and performed surgery on Dae, but he didn't make it," he says and I pause to take all this information in. That can't be true. I remember getting the call. I wasn't in the car. If I was in the car, then I wouldn't have been with the guys all this time. "You already had the funeral?" I ask and he nods. "Why didn't you wait for me? I wanted to be there!" I exclaim, my eyes filling with tears. I already experienced the pain of losing my family once, but now it's as if I've lost them all over again. "I couldn't have!" he defends himself and I glare at him. "And why not?" "Mari, you've been in a coma for six months."

Mari's POV

After Iseul explained what had happened, he called the doctor in to check on me. He said that I was fine, but I would need to stay over night just in case, and then I was free to leave first thing tomorrow morning. Iseul insisted on staying the night but I told him to go home and get some sleep, he needed it. I wanted to be alone anyway. Finally, he relented and left, promising to be back early the next morning. Jaehee stayed a little later with me. I told her to go, but she started crying about how she hasn't talked to me in six months and she needed to catch up, so I agreed to let her stay a little longer. She told me how she came every day with Iseul and she would play her music, much to Iseul's annoyance. She played all of the songs by some band called EXO, that she's obsessed with. When I asked why, she shrugged and said that EXO was the cure for everything. That made me laugh and she went on to tell me how she was told that comatose patients can hear everything around them, so she would also play their variety shows all the time. She said she wouldn't be surprised if I was familiar with their names, but of course, I don't know any of their names. How could I?

Finally, she left and I was able to drop my happy façade. The hospital grew quiet and dark as evening passed into night. The nurses came in to check on my i.v. and other things a few times, before bidding me goodnight. I sat in my bed for a moment, before pushing the scratchy sheets aside and standing on shaky feet. I grab onto the pole that the i.v. fluids are attached to and drag it with me to the bathroom. I stand in front of the mirror, shocked at my appearance. My hair is a tangled mess, sticking up in all different directions. My cheeks are sunken and my skin is a sickly pale color, the only contrast being the dark bags underneath my eyes. I don't understand how one can have bags underneath their eyes when they've slept for six months. I splash some water on my face, leaning on the sink, letting my messy hair curtain around me. After a moment, I glance back up at the mirror, and place my palms on my stomach. With shaky hands, I lift my gown enough to get a clear view of my stomach. There is no mark, just clear skin. I let my shirt drop and glance down at my forearm, which is also free of any blemish. I back into the wall and slide to the floor, my vision blurry.

How can this be? I remember everything so clearly, how could it all be a dream? A story made up to entertain me. The boys don't exist. Chanyeol doesn't exist. I created a character who was almost perfect. A man to love, but now he's gone. He was never even there to begin with. None of them were. A chocked sob escapes my lips and after that I find it impossible to stop the rest from bubbling out. I curl up in a ball, sobbing loudly, the pain in my heart almost too much to bear. I lost my family and the boy I love. Is this my punishment for not dying with my brother and parents? Am I meant to live, mourning over the loss of a fictional character created subconsciously for my amusement? Why does it hurt so much, to know that he isn't real? Why does it hurt more to know that I can never hear his laugh again, than the pain of losing my family again. Why is he plaguing my mind? Can't he leave me be? What did I do to deserve this misery? After what feels like hours of crying, my voice is hoarse and my throat aches, but it's nothing compared to the ache in my heart. I feel my puffy eyes swell shut and I slip into an uneasy sleep, my mind plagued with dreams of imperfect boys, in a strange mansion.

"Miss, please wake up. Miss!" I'm shocked awake by a short haired, young nurse, who looks worried. "Are you ok? What are you doing on the floor?" she asks, helping me up.

"I'm fine," I croak out, my voice hoarse from all the crying I did last night. "It was too hot in my bed so I slept in there," I lie as she places me gently on the bed.

"If you were hot then you should've called a nurse! They would've turned the heat down for you," she says and I shrug.

"It's ok," I say and she drops the subject. She takes the i.v. out of my arm and covers up the area it had been in with a bandaid.

"Here, drink all of this juice before getting up. After that, you're free to go," she says, handing me a cup of apple juice and leaving me alone. I glance down at the golden liquid, before tipping it all back into my mouth quickly. The door opens and Iseul walks in, smiling as soon as he sees me.

"Hey Sleeping Beauty. I brought you some clothes. You're allowed to shower and change here if you'd like," he says, handing me a bag.

"Thanks," I mumble, my voice clearer after drinking the juice. I slowly stand and make my way back to the bathroom, taking a long shower. After not showering for six months, I feel extremely greasy. After my long shower, I quickly get dressed and dry my hair, slowly making my way back out to my brother. He holds his hand out and I take it, allowing him to lead me outside and to the car. It's raining and I stare out the window at the drops that streak it. Iseul senses my sadness and doesn't say anything to me the whole ride, for which I'm grateful. As soon as we get home, I make my way upstairs to my room, that is exactly the same as I left it six months ago. I turn and walk out, making my way down the hall and into my parents bed room. Nothing has changed since the last time I saw it. I close my eyes as tears fill them, and breath deeply. The room smells like a mixture of my mother's perfume and my father's aftershave. My hands start to shake and I make my way to their bed, collapsing on it, weeping. They're really gone.

*Two Months Later*

It's been two months since I woke up, and I'm slowly getting back to normal. Well, what I consider normal. I'll never be the same again, I know that, Jaehee and Iseul know that, but they still hope that I'll go back to being my happy go lucky self. The way I was before this mess. Iseul graduated and became a doctor, so he's gone most days. Jaehee is at school almost everyday, so I don't see very much of her. Iseul enrolled me in an online college a week after I woke up. He said he figured I'd prefer to do my schooling at home, as opposed to being surrounded by people all day.

I close my laptop, shutting my eyes and resting them. After a moment, I decide to go out and get some coffee, so I slip my shoes on and leave a small note for Iseul, even though I know he won't be back until later tonight. We conveniently have a small little cafe about a block away from home, and I've been going there ever since the accident when I need to escape and being locked up in that house with all the painful memories is too much. I order my usual when I get there and stand behind a tall man who is wearing a beanie and sunglasses, even though it's fairly hot outside. He gets his coffee and spins around, apparently not having noticed me because he slams right into me, spilling his drink all over both of us.

"Oh my gosh I'm so sorry!" he exclaims in a strangely familiar voice, but I'm not paying attention to that. I sigh, grabbing some napkins, dabbing them on my stained shirt.

"It's fine," I say, annoyance clear in my tone.

"No it's not! Let me make it up to you!" he says and I shake my head.

"You don't have to-"

"Please, I want to! I feel like such an idiot!" he pleads and I smile slightly.

"Ok fine, why don't you buy me lunch?" I suggest and he smiles brightly, nodding.

"I can't right now, but how about Saturday?" he suggests and I nod. I hand him my phone and he puts his number in, texting himself so he has my number as well. "I'll see you Saturday. Why don't we meet here at 12?" he asks and I nod. He turns to leave and I stop him.

"Wait, I never caught your name!" He smiles, removing his glasses to reveal a familiar pair of brown eyes.

"I'm Chanyeol. Park Chanyeol."