Hour Before Dawn

Chapter 12

The last thing she saw were the bright lights shining right above her as she lay flat on the table. She felt herself enter into a deep slumber and all she saw was darkness. For some reason, it didn't feel right to her. She could hear people calling out to her, people blurting out words she knew nothing about. All she knew was that something that wasn't supposed to happen was happening, and she wasn't sure if she could make her way out of it. She fought to open her eyes again but she just couldn't. The darkness enveloped her even more until she began to see a ray of light. The more she looked at it, the brighter it got. Too bright, if she was to describe it, because she then realized what the brightness meant.

Bin woke up to the sound of heavy breathing. When he opened his eyes to check on Ye-jin, he saw that she was panting like she was having a nightmare. He immediately used his elbow to prop himself up on his left side to face her.

"Yej? Yej." He rubbed her arm to wake her up to no avail. "Yejie, wake up babe."

She continued to pant and breathe heavy, and Bin could see her eyebrows furrowing in her sleep even with the lights turned off.

"Yejie," Bin gently shook her shoulder, continuously calling out to her. "Babe, wake up."

He was beginning to worry even more when she kept shaking her head in her sleep. She seemed as though she was trying to wake up but was unable to.

Ye-jin eventually opened her eyes, gasping for air in a jolt and sending her body to wake up with a jerk.

"Babe, you're okay," Bin immediately said as he caressed her face. "You're okay. I think you were having a nightmare."

Waking up with her body jerking that way triggered the spasms on her back, making her grab Bin's arm tightly. That sudden jolt she had was also hard on the injured spine itself, putting her through a wave of intense pain as soon as she woke up.

"Yejie?"

"Ow babe my back," she said, her voice shaking as she tightened her hold on his arm, turning her knuckles white. Her breathing increased as she brought her arm to cover her eyes, her other hand forming into a fist.

Bin immediately sat up, trying hard not to panic, as Ye-jin moaned and hissed.

"Yej," he said as he swallowed the lump in his throat. "Let me get your meds."

Just as he was about to get up, she stopped him.

"Wait," she said to him, her breathing still fast and shallow. She stayed as still as she could while biting her lower lip. "Stay with me, please."

"Babe..." Bin leaned down beside her and placed his arm across her pillow, his cheeks resting on her forehead while he waited with her for the pain to subside. He closed his eyes when he heard her call out his name softly as if asking for help. He felt as though he was being punched in the gut not being able to do anything for her.

"I'm right here, Yejie, I'm right here," he said softly, his free hand rubbing her shoulder. "I'm right here. Breathe, baby."

Ye-jin didn't dare move an inch until the spasms stopped. It was only then when she was able to relax and loosen her hold on him. Bin could feel her taking slow deep breaths to calm her breathing down as she relaxed her fist.

"Yejie," he said softly.

"Beanie," she whispered as she exhaled slowly.

Bin swallowed the lump in his throat while he gave her forehead a soft, gentle kiss before sitting up. Ye-jin's eyes were still closed and she still hasn't moved other than letting go of his arm.