FORBIDDEN IDENTITY

RECOVERY

Su-yeon's crying could be heard all over the east wing. The household staff came running to Su-yeon as soon as they heard her cries. The six maids found Su-yeon on the floor crying hysterically with her hands over her right knee. The maids comforted Su-yeon until her nanny Muoi arrived. Muoi looked at Su-yeon's knee. Su-yeon's knee had a red scrape from a fall. Su-yeon must have been running in the house again. At just five years old, Su-yeon was an active little girl, always full of energy. Su-yeon loved to play and run around so being told she couldn't go outside because of stormy weather was disappointing.

Su-yeon was in her room watching the heavy rain fall from the bedroom window. Su-yeon's father was away on business and her mother wasn't feeling well today. She felt lonely, there were no other kids to play with and no one to talk to. All she could do was watch the heavy rain fall from the bedroom window. Su-yeon kept her gaze at the green hills off in the distance. She wondered what was beyond the green hills. Su-yeon's vivid imagination filled her mind with all kinds of stories of her travelling to fantastic places beyond the green hills. Su-yeon's imagination was she had at the moment. For now, all she could do was be lonely watching the rain.

The heavy rain fall began to diminish becoming light drizzle. A few minutes later, the rain completely stopped. Su-yeon's eyes lit up, now she could go outside and play. She didn't care the grounds were still wet, Su-yeon just wanted to be out. She turned around and ran for the bedroom door. Su-yeon ran through the halls. One of the maids yelled, "Su-yeon! Slow down!" Su-yeon, still barefoot and wearing a blue dress, didn't listen to the maid's warning and kept on running. Su-yeon turned a corner way to fast and down she went hitting her knee on the carpet floor.

One of the servants arrived with a first aid kit and treated Su-yeon's knee. Muoi held Su-yeon until she stopped crying. Muoi was Su-yeon's nanny since the day she was born. Knowing Muoi her entire life made Su-yeon look up to her as a second mother. Su-yeon was feeling a lot better now, her crying had stopped. Muoi felt Su-yeon had recovered enough to be scolded for running in the halls. Su-yeon learned her lesson and would never do that again. Su-yeon's mother arrived and thanked the servants for treating Su-yeon. Su-yeon's mother lifted her up and took her back to the bedroom. Being in her mother's arms made Su-yeon forget about wanting to go outside to play. All she wanted now was to feel safe and protected.

Su-yeon's mother laid her on the bed and tucked her in. Her mother stayed with Su-yeon until she fell asleep. Su-yeon felt so loved and cared for in that moment.

Su-yeon began to wake up but the bed felt different. She felt weak and could barely move. Everything felt different the more awake she was. Slowly, her eyes open. She wasn't in her room in Vietnam, she was...where was she? In the void between dreaming and waking up, Joanne forgot where and when she was. She realized it was a dream but for a moment, Joanne expected to see her mother beside the bed. Joanne awoke more and was shocked to find herself in a hospital bed. She heard the steady beeps of the heart monitor. Joanne noticed the IVs inserted into her left arm and the sling holding her right arm.

"What happened to me?" Joanne asked out loud to herself. The last thing Joanne remembered was leaving the house to go for a drive. How she ended up in a hospital bed was a complete blank. Joanne slowly tried to sit up. Suddenly, Joanne felt a sharp pain in her chest. She fell back on the pillow in pain. Panic raced through Joanne's mind as she looked around for some way to call for help. Next to the right side of the bed, Joanne found a call button. Joanne pushed the red button with a cross symbol.

A few seconds later, a nurse entered the room. "Help me, it hurts so much." Joanne had tears in her eyes. The nurse injected a medication into the IV. "Just relax, the pain will be gone soon." Joanne quickly nodded, her face still in agony. The pain began to subside. The nurse looked over Joanne's chart. "You must be Su-yeon. I'm Nurse Jenny, try not to move, you in a terrible car accident." The pain was now reduced to minor soreness on Joanne's ribs. Joanne asked, "How bad am I hurt?" "You have a few cracked ribs and your right shoulder was dislocated but we popped it back in. Also, we stitched up the wound on your forehead." Joanne reached up with her left hand and felt the bandage on her forehead.