The clock reads 09:45am and Siwon is sweating. Even in this cold room, the coroner was getting exhausted.

Three and a half hours ago

Siwon was surprised to say the least. The head of the ER Dr. Youngwoon a.k.a. Kangin, called him around three in the morning to come to work ASAP. The very rare occasion wherein he had an emergency call was never a good thing within their town; Death was palpable. He immediately took a cold shower and grabbed the first set of clothes from his closet. Black, of course. After quickly taking his attaché and ID, he was able to hail a cab and paid a hefty amount since it was a midnight fare. ‘I’ll charge this to Kangin hyung.’ He dropped off at the ER since Kangin would surely be there waiting.

“Siwon, sorry but we needed you here now. A tour bus lost its breaks; eighteen casualties including the driver.” “How many dead?” Kangin looked grim, his fist clenched at his side: “Nine deaths, severe blood loss and well pretty much DOA. We wheeled them in for you since we needed the space here; relatives were called and they will arrive soon. Teukie hyung hopes you can finish before twelve in the afternoon since reporters are already ringing him twenty minutes ago. So…they’re all yours Siwon.” Before Siwon could nod in acknowledgment; Kangin already turned and left him for the onslaught of injured patients. Without wasting another minute, he briskly walked off from the ER and headed to his sanctuary. A few of the nurses bowed to greet him but right now Siwon needed to start immediately.

Once he entered the morgue and saw the nine beds all lined up for him; he knew its’ going to be a very long day. He quickly scanned the injuries; grotesque and unimaginably bent limbs. He hopes rigor mortis haven’t set yet. “.”

Due to the blaring alarms from incoming ambulances; Yesung was having a hard time getting back to sleep. He woke up from the many panicked whispers of the nurses and thought something big might’ve happened. PJS hospital rarely got extreme casualties but when it does; it’s pretty obvious. “Hyuk might get called soon.” After a couple of hours the ambulances stopped coming. He doesn’t know the time so he lay down and closed his eyes; hopefully sleep would claim him, wishing harder that he’d have a dreamless slumber.

But of course, if anything in Life can be directed by one’ Will; it’ll be too convenient.

Yesung did fall asleep, so quickly it would have baffled him. He also was at peace in his subconscious but not dreamless; no. Yesung was sure what his mind was showing him; they were not the usual blur of confusion, anger and pain. Right at this moment; he was seeing his memories of triumph, of romance, of adventure and of the filial love he knew he had before the tragedy. It was a beautiful dream, so beautiful he never wanted to wake up. A peaceful sleep enclosed with everything he was and everything he had. His surrounding was painted in brown; like that of a faded photograph, mocking him that his happiness was all in the past.

“Yesung-ssi?” a soft voice was beckoning him, familiar but he couldn’t remember who it belonged to. “Wake up Yesung-ssi, it’s already past nine in the morning.” No I don’t wanna wake up! His subconscious is already losing control; the already fading memories are getting fuzzier. The voices he knew by heart which was beckoning him into his fantasy are getting static. The moment his consciousness takes over; darkness would soon greet him again. No! I don’t want to go back!

Too cruel! His mind is too cruel to play with his weakness like this. He would rather live thru a nightmare than to wake up to relive what he loss.

And thus Wookie was surprised to see his patient opening his eyes with angry tears. “YOU! THIS IS YOUR FAULT! GET OUT!” Yesung grabbed the nearest object: his water bottle, posing to aim at Wookie. ‘Hyukjae hyung never said Yesung-ssi was violent!’ “Yesung-ssi I’m sorry please put the bottle down. I will leave, please just put the bottle down.” Wookie slowly backed out from the distress patient; though this is unprofessional, he would not want to get a bruise before lunch break. Good thing he was already done before waking him up. ‘THIS IS SO THE LAST TIME I’M COVERING FOR HYUKJAE HYUNG! I DO NOT DESERVE THIS BULL!’ Wookie quickly left eh room; ready to give Hyukjae a piece of his mind in the staff room.

The scurrying footsteps made Yesung both calm and disgusted. The moment he placed the bottle back to his side had him feeling guilty of what he just did to the poor man. Now, he felt worse than when he woke up. He wiped his tears away; he’ll ask Hyukjae who that nurse was. “I feel like a piece of trash.”

“You sure are hyung! Wookie wanted to scratch my eyeballs out!” Hyukjae came in just in time to hear his hyung’s self-depreciating thought. Something might have shaken the usually tame patient out. “That was Ryeowook-ssi? , now I really feel guiltier. Why didn’t you tell me he was taking over your round today?” waiting for Hyuk to seat near him. Instead, he felt a flick on his forehead. “YAH THAT HURTS!”

“Hyung you don’t understand! Wookie literally came running to me wanting to poke my eyes with his PEN! He’s screeching in the staff room on why I didn’t tell him you were actually part crazy. And to answer your question, I wouldn’t know either. Kangin hyung called my supervisor this morning to have more nurses on standby; by five in the morning to be exact, and poor me since my house’s damn near here.” Now he remember