How It Should Have Ended Part2 (The Continuation)

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"Come in," the doctor said, as Ji Hoo entered the tiny but clean clinic.

He sat down and looked around the clinic. On one side of the wall hung many of the doctor's certifications and accomplishments. When he was doing his research, he had specifically sought the one with the best success record in the industry. His name was Dr. Taylor and he was an orthopedic surgeon, presumably one of the best in his field. (It was the main reason he picked Calgary instead of the other major cities in Canada). Ji Hoo was a doctor himself, so he knew what to look out for – and could tell when someone was an expert or not. After only a few minutes of talking to Dr. Taylor, he knew he was the real deal. It gave him renewed hope.

"I reviewed the reports you sent and based on the preliminary findings, I think your friend's going to need surgery." The doctor was flipping through a chart.

"My girlfriend," he corrected. Or future wife, he thought.

"We need to do a physical exam and possibly some imaging tests to be sure, of course."

He nodded.

The doctor spread out a leaflet in front of him.

"Here are the different types of surgeries that are available. She'll also need some physical therapy after to help with the healing process."

He scanned the leaflet over quickly, absorbing each detail that the doctor laid out. "What are the chances of success?"

"Quite high, considering she's still young," the doctor replied. "Once she hits her 30s though, it may be be a little harder for the muscles to heal." The doctor examined his face. "It will be quite an expensive procedure – from start to finish."

He smiled at the doctor. "Money is no object."

The doctor's eyes widened, but he recovered quickly and simply gave a quick nod.

He looked at the doctor, eyes full of hope. "You really think she'll be able to swim after?"

The doctor smiled at him. "I'm sure of it."

...

Ji Hoo sat in First Class again on his way to New York. He was glad to be leaving Calgary that day - the clouds looked dark and menacing. Someone even told him they had a snowfall warning in effect for that evening.

He thought about his discussion with Dr. Taylor earlier that day. He would need to bring Jan Di to Canada soon, provided she agreed to do the procedure. He promised her he'd find a way for her to swim again, and he did. He was confident of Dr. Taylor's abilities. It would be up to Jan Di, though. He would never force her to do anything she didn't want to do.

He closed his eyes and tried to get some rest. He was running on adrenaline, but he knew that sooner or later his body was going to crash. And then he would be in trouble.

He arrived in New York later that evening, and took a cab to a hotel near Jun Pyo's penthouse. He looked at the address written neatly on a piece of paper.

Jun Pyo lived in a luxury penthouse across from Central Park. Gu Jun Hee (Jun Pyo's sister) had given her his address. She had wished him and Jan Di the best – she harbored no ill feeling towards them, and it gave Ji Hoo some comfort to know someone from the Gu family understood and accepted them.

After he checked into his hotel, he walked over to where Jun Pyo lived. The security guard, a man who looked to be about his late 50s, stopped him outside the building.

"I'm here to see Gu Jun Pyo," he said, trying his best to smile at the man.

"Mister Jun Pyo?"

He nodded.

The guard looked him up and down and then narrowed his eyes suspiciously at him. "What for?"

He hesitated for a moment before he answered. "I'm his friend. I'm in town and just want to see him for a bit."

"Mister Jun Pyo is not in." The guard simply said.

Ji Hoo gave a small bow. "Okay, thank you." He had tried calling Jun Pyo, of course, but Jun Pyo would not take his calls. He decided to sit in front of the building and wait for Jun Pyo to arrive. It was late, and surely he would be coming home soon? At around one in the morning he decided to go back to his hotel and get some sleep. He would have to come back early the next day to try to see Jun Pyo again.

...

Ji Hoo woke up to the sound of his phone ringing. He glanced at it, hoping it was Jun Pyo. Perhaps the guard told him he stopped by to visit?

It was Jan Di. She was calling him through video call, so he picked up and got out of bed. He walked to the small fridge and took out a bottle of water.

"Hey," he greeted her. He was exhausted from lack of sleep, and his head throbbed painfully.

"Are you okay?" she asked, worried.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"Are you enjoying the weather there?"

Huh? Ji Hoo was a little puzzled. He went to the window and looked outside. The sun was shining, and based on the clothes of the people walking about outside, he assumed it wasn't too cold out either.

"I guess," he said. He decided to go back to the bedroom and get dressed. He looked at his watch. It was a quarter to seven in the morning. He sighed. He had to try and see Jun Pyo again. What if he had left for work already?

"Hey, I have to go. I have a meeting here soon," he yawned. He gave her a lazy smile. "I miss you."

He got dressed quickly, picked up a cup of coffee and ran to Jun Pyo's building. He sat in front of the staircase again. The old security guard from last night was nowhere to be seen – instead a young man stood guard there that morning. He gave him a quick nod, and waited.

He waited outside for a few hours before he decided to leave. He stood up, sore from sitting for so long, and was about to walk back to his hotel when the old security guard appeared in front of him.

"Hey, you're back," the guard observed. "Still waiting for Mr. Jun Pyo?"

He nodded.

"He's not in."

Ji Hoo forced a smile. "I kinda figured that."

The guard shook his head. "No, I mean, he's not here. Not in New York. He's in California on a business trip."

His heart sank. "Oh."

Before deciding to fly to New York, he had asked Jun Hee if Jun Pyo would be in New York that week, and she had assured him he was. "His sister said he'd be here this week."

The guard shrugged. "Mister Jun Pyo wasn't supposed to leave, but he got called to speak at the last minute."

Go figure.

He looked hopefully at the guard. "Do you know where in California?"

The guard grinned. "Los Angeles."

...