XXII.

Irene caught her breath. In the rush of things—in her own rush—she nearly tripped over her own foot, nearly slammed into a stretcher being brought in from the ambulance and nearly got lost in the maze of the hospital wing. She had to be redirected, stopped by a nurse, to which then a series of questionings were done and Irene ended up blurting irrational words.

Are you lost?

Son. Son Wendy! Tell me the room… Please.

Are you Miss Son’s family? We can’t reveal this information to strangers. You know, confidentiality and all that.

Family. Yes. I’m her girlfriend.

O-Okay? Can I have your name?

Just tell me damn it!

Then being told to take a lift. VIP wing. Room 207.

It’s at the end of the corridor.

Room 207. Bizarre. Wendy in a hospital. Wendy in a VIP room. But Irene didn’t hesitate any longer. She reached for the doorknob in a heartbeat, trembling hands almost unable to fully turn it and right there, lying on a hospital bed, IV drips connected to thin arms, was Wendy.

Irene didn’t want to waste any more time. Three years had gone and that was more than enough. Right here, right now, right in front of her, laid Wendy. A very poorly Wendy at that but still her precious Wendy, nonetheless.

So thin, very fragile, almost unrecognisable. Her honey blonde hair had been cut short, just past her shoulders, and her cheeks… Irene had been told she’d gotten thinner but looking at Wendy, her cheeks sunken, collarbones quite prominent, her body, currently, so small, frail and not the Wendy she had remembered… Just how much had Wendy been through in three years?

A lean man came into view right then. Suit and tie. Glasses. Sharp nose. Sharp eyes.

“You cannot just come in here. This is the private room of Ms. Son.”

“Ms. Son? Who are you?”

Irene should’ve realised. The humidifier with its rounded edges that sat by Wendy’s bedside table. The black leather couch, the 43” flat screen TV, the vases of flowers, the not-so-lack of space. VIP room, indeed. Wendy… a VIP?

“Secretary Lee,” the man said, short and sharp, much like everything else about him. “I believe I need to you outside… Ms. Bae.”

Seulgi and Joy arrived soon after, left behind in the hotel room, by Irene’s frantic rush to get here despite Joy’s refutes. A call came in before, an hour ago, answered by Joy.

Hello? Secretary Joy, speaking. Yes, Director Kim. Ms. Son? Hospital? Yes. I understand. I will inform, Ms. Bae.

Ms. Son…?

Ms. Bae, your meeting with Director Kim and his son has been moved to an earlier time. You are to meet with him now.

You said something about a… hospital?

Yes, I did.

Ms. Son? Son…

Ms. Bae, you have to go to the dinner—

I have to go to Wendy.

Ms. Bae! You must not break off the meeting. Chairwoman Bae demands you to attend this.

Go, Irene. I’ll hold Joy off.

Thanks, Seulgi.

Let her be, Joy.

But my orders—

Seulgi passed halfway into the big room, surprised and confused in the same way Irene was. Ms. Son… VIP room. How the heck did that happen? It seemed that only Joy and the man who stood before Irene had the knowledge about it. Secretaries did know everything.

“She’s a VIP? Wendy?” Irene asked.

“She is the current CEO of Nexon Electronics. Successor of her father.”

“Father? Nexon… Electronics?”

“Up and coming electronics company. Looking at the latest innovation of technology, focusing on mobile phones, computer software and other devices.”

“How…? Wendy… Wendy!”

“Ms. Bae—”

“What’s happened to her?”

Irene didn’t care that her tears were smudging her mascara and the rest of her make-up. She didn’t care that she had missed the important dinner. Or how this Secretary Lee was hovering over her, watching her, as if she was a threat to Wendy. All Irene cared about right now was Wendy, her lying in this hospital bed, in a deep slumber.

“Wendy…”

Irene pushed some of the loose strands of hair, tucking it behind Wendy’s ear. She cupped Wendy’s cheek, caressing it, tracing the outlines of fatigue on her face. Here, being able to touch Wendy, flesh that was real, existent, right in front of her, even if not in exactly a very good shape, felt surreal. Almost akin to a miracle.

“Oh, Wendy…”

Eyelids fluttered. Eyes were opened. A blink and so, before they came into focus, droopy but awake.

“Wendy! Wendy! Thank God, you’re awake! I’m so worried. Are you okay?”

“I…Irene…?”

Irene sniffed. She tried her best to swallow a growing wail of a cry. She needed to get some words out. She needed to talk to Wendy. “What happened? Why did you lose so much weight?”

“You lost… weight too…” Irene could see a faint smile on Wendy’s lips. She could tell it was weak, filled with struggle and strain, but Wendy continued to speak, “You’re… still… beautiful, though.”

“You, silly idiot! Why did you leave? Only to be in this state!”

It was a small movement, barely noticeable, when Wendy lifted her hand, attempting to reach for something. Irene had a quick eye, observant as she was, and she grabbed Wendy’s hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

“Why didn’t you tell me? That you’ve taken over your father’s company here in Korea? You have a lot of explaining to do once you’ve recovered.”

But Irene’s questions were left unanswered as Wendy’s eyes closed, her breathing becoming steady and even.

“Wendy… no… wake up… please.”

“Ms. Bae, if I may, Ms. Son just needs some rest. The doctors had advised to refuse visitors so to not disturb her. So,” Secretary Lee said, extending a hand that pointed towards the door.

“I—I’ll stay… I want to stay. It’s been three years since I’ve seen her.”

“But—”

“Please.”

Joy watched with wondering eyes, confused and slightly baffled. The actions before her were a strange occurrence. Never had she seen anything like it. Crying for the sake of another? A foolish act. Was this what caring resulted to? Caring…? What was caring? An act of compassion? But, there, as her hand slowly raised, moving to her chest, she felt something. A tug or a pinch. Did she get moved by the trifling cries?

Seulgi remained a bystander, her mind still in the process of understanding the sudden bombardment of information. She had never been a quick one. She glanced at Irene then at the man who introduced himself as Secretary Lee and then finally at Joy. Joy, who looked as if… she had been touched by the scene. Empathy…?

“Joy, are you okay?”

The voice was a snap back to reality, away from the silly thoughts. Joy cleared before speaking. “Yes, quite fine, thank you.”

“The meeting… could you—”

“It appears that I need to reschedule. I will tell Director Kim and the Chairwoman.”

Seulgi was quick to hold out her hand and touch Joy’s. There was a pleading look in her eyes when she said, “Please don’t tell the Chairwoman about this. Let them deal with it in their own time.”

Joy with knitted brows, seemingly caught in perplexity, wondered what the touch was for and why… why it felt so… nice… and warm?

“Please,” Seulgi pleaded once more.

“I do not understand but very well. Though do know this, Ms. Kang. Chairwoman already knows about Wendy’s situation and she has eyes everywhere. It won’t be long before she finds out that they have seen each other again.”

Seulgi, relieved, gave out a smile in return. “Thanks.”

* * *

Wendy awoke fully now. Sitting up caused a sudden wave of nausea to hit so she leaned on the headboard and sighed deeply. She looked around but no one was in clear view, not even Secretary Lee. Where was he? Where was she? What hospital? What happened to the factory visitation?

Odd. Her hand felt warm as if someone had been holding it for a while. Was it because of the dream? The dream that felt so re