Page 43 of Scarbound

CHAPTER 18

San rushed in from the hallway at Chung-Hee’s shout.

“San, help me!” Chung-Hee shouted, dropping to his knees beside Noeul. His hands were already stained with blood. “He’s losing too much blood. Rei, help me stop the bleeding. San, call an ambulance. Then contact Dr. Cho and tell him we’re on our way to the emergency room. Also call his insurance provider in the U.S. They may cover part of the treatment.”

Rei immediately knelt beside Noeul. Having first-aid training, he raised the injured arm and applied firm pressure to the wound while Chung-Hee supported him.

The apartment fell into a tense silence, broken only by hurried footsteps, ragged breaths, and San’s voice as he spoke with the emergency operator. Blood soaked the floor. It stained their hands. Their clothes. It seemed endless. Noeul never regained consciousness.

The paramedics managed to slow the bleeding before loading him into the ambulance, but his condition remained unstable. They stabilized him as much as possible during the drive, while Chung-Hee sat beside him, his eyes never leaving the pale face lying on the stretcher.

The moment they reached the hospital, the emergency team took over.

Dr. Cho, who had already been informed of the situation, met them in the emergency department. After a brief assessment, he made the decision to operate immediately.

Only then did Chung-Hee call Noeul’s family. He answered their questions as briefly as he could, avoiding any explanation of what had really happened.

Ji-Woo arrived first, with Duri beside him. A short while later, Noeul’s parents rushed into the waiting room, fear written across both their faces.

“What happened?” Ji-Woo asked immediately.

His expression hardened. “Did he hurt himself again?”

Duri remained beside him, silent.

“No,” Chung-Hee replied. “He tripped and instinctively used his hand to break the fall.”

If they learned what had happened, they would take Noeul away from him. He wasn’t ready to let that happen.

Nearly two hours later, the operating room lights finally went out. The electronic board changed from IN SURGERY to COMPLETED. Moments later, a member of the surgical team approached them.

“The operation was successful,” he said, “but Mr. Jung remains in critical condition. He lost a significant amount of blood, so the next few hours will be very important. We’re monitoring him closely.”

The tension in the waiting room eased, if only slightly.

Mr. and Mrs. Jung remained seated, clinging to each other without speaking. Across from them, Ji-Woo stood with a paper cup of untouched coffee in his hands while Duri remained at his side.

Chung-Hee, however, was already walking toward the medical team.

“I want him to receive the best care available,” he said. “Whatever it costs.”

“When can we see Noeul hyung?” Duri asked quietly.

Chung-Hee noticed the concern in Duri’s voice. No one reacted to the way he addressed Noeul, suggesting such familiarity was nothing new to them.

“He’s been moved to the recovery room,” the nurse replied with a reassuring smile. “We’ll continue monitoring him until he wakes from the anesthesia and his condition is stable. Once he’s transferred to his room, we’ll let you know. The surgeon will speak with you afterward.”

Another two hours passed.

Still nothing.

“Damn it…” Chung-Hee muttered, pacing the waiting room.

Then, without warning, he kicked the nearby trash can.

“How much longer?”

The outburst echoed through the corridor.