--

            "It's been two weeks, doctor. Can't you do something for her?!"

             'Umma....I'm right here....'

--

            "Quick, we're losing her!"

--

            "Please...wake up...We need you...I need you..."

--

            Ella sat up with a gasp, immediately regretting it when a painful stab shot up her spine, sending her writhing in the bed.

            ‘That was a weird dream,' she thought, reaching up to wipe her forehead. Her arm stopped halfway, held back by some unknown force. Confused, she looked down to find herself clad in a hospital gown with cords and tubes attached to her arms. Her left leg was in a cast and she was suddenly conscious of how sore her ribs were. The room seemed to grow smaller as she began to panic, scanning the white abyss, only to find some monitors, a couch, and nothing else.

            'What's going on?' she thought, 'why am I in the hospital?' She tried to call out for help, but all that came out was a distorted croak. Water, she needed water. A glass and jug sat on the bedside table just within her reach. Desperate to quench her thirst, she leaned over and tried to grab the cup, but within a few millimeters, she lost balance and fell out of the bed.

            The reaction time of the doctors and nurses were almost instantaneous. They filed into the room and hoisted Ella back up onto the bed, reattaching unhooked wired and tubes. The doctors checked her physical injuries while the nurses checked the monitors and scanned through the readings to see if the fall had affected any vitals. Everything was in an organised chaos, people moving in unison, but seemingly fulfilling their own tasks. It amazed Ella how these people could work together diligently without having to speak to one another.

            'If only my relationship was like that,' she sighed. After everything was checked out and given a pass, the crew moved out and Mr. and Mrs. Choi scurried in.

            "Oh, my daughter, you're finally awake. Thank you for listening to my prayers," Mrs. Choi cried, gripping onto Ella's hand tightly, too afraid that she would slip into another coma if she didn't. Mr. Choi wiped a tear away and cleared his throat.

            "My dear Ella, I'm glad you're finally awake. You don't know how much we have missed you around the house."

            "I sure didn't. I was enjoying the peace and quiet for once." Haneul strutted into the room, a scowl adorning her usually bright visage. Ella bowed her head in respect, greeting her older sister.

             "Thanks for coming to visit, unnie."

            "Puh-lease, I wouldn't be here if mother wouldn't stop nagging me," she hissed, rolling her eyes. Mr. and Mrs. Choi sent her a warning glare to hold her tongue. Now wasn't the time to act petty.

            "So, how are you feeling, my daughter? Is there any pain? Discomfort?"

            "Umma, I'm fine. The doctors just checked everything," Ella replied, giving her step mom a reassuring pat. Weak as she was, Ella couldn't help but have a smile on her face. Her sore body seemed numb with joy that her family was there with her. Yet, the happiness became overshadowed by one question: what happened?

//

[MC Tales: Yeah, what happened?! Why are you in the hospital?! WHAT’S GOING ON?!]

//

            Ella was propped up in the hospital bed, soaking in the information her parents were telling her. Everything they said was detailed, down to how many stitches and broken bones she received. They told her about the call from the hospital, the hours of waiting, the notion that they could possibly lose one of their daughters that night.

            She felt horrible. She realized how much pain and trouble she must have caused for her family. Apparently dead to the world for just over 5 weeks, she imagined how much money was put into her recovery. Flashes of her mother's voice rang through her thoughts, words that she thought she had dreamt.

            'Can't you do something for her?!'

            She couldn't suppress her emotions any longer and burst into tears. All the pain and hardship she put her family through came streaming down her face. The guilt of being so reckless and selfish drowned her in another wave of tears.

            "Oh Honey, it's okay. Don't cry. Your body is still not strong enough to handle this type of stress yet," her mother cooed trying to calm down the hysterics that wracked her fragile framed.

            "Psh drama queen," Haneul muttered. Mr. Choi calmly strode over and grabbed Haneul by the arm, dragging her out of the room.

            "If you're going to act like this and make snarky remarks, then you shouldn't be here. Honey, I'm taking her to mother's house."

            "No! Not grandmother's house! Please, dad, I'll shut up now," she pleaded for him to let go, pulling herself back into the room. If there was one person in the world who Haneul feared, it was their grandmother. With an attitude as hard as a rock and stricter than both the parents combined, Mr. Choi's mother was a force to be reckoned with. Her obvious distaste towards people who have no self respect or manners puts Haneul in her line of fire. She had lost count of how many hour long lectures she's had to sit through regarding her speech and appearance.

            "Enough!" Mr. Choi barked, "You brought this upon yourself when you decided to speak so rudely. Now come on," he pulled her out of the room and dragged her to her worst nightmare.

            "Umma, call them back! It's okay if she talks to me like that, I don't mind," Ella whimpered, trying to save her sister from an inevitable doom. Mrs. Choi lightly pushed her back into a resting position and stoked her hair.

            "I'm sorry, honey, but I agree with your dad on this one. That daughter of mine needs to learn her lesson one way or another. How she has not one fraction of respect in her body is the greatest mystery in my life," she said with a sigh. Ella couldn't help but giggle at her mother's words. They sat for several hours, talking about all that had happened during her coma. From time to time, nurses and doctors would come in to check on her and give her some painkillers for her ribs.

             Ella still didn't know what had put her into a coma, and her mother was skillfully avoiding the questions she asked. Her father came by, clearly frustrated with his step daughter's attitude, but immediately brightened when he saw Ella up and smiling.

            "I missed you, Princess."

            "I missed you too, Daddy." Her father pulled her mother out to the hallway to discuss some "important matters", leaving Ella alone in the room.

--

            "So, how is she doing? Does she remember what happened?"

            "I haven't tried asking her yet. I'm scared it might put her into shock if she tries to think too hard." Mrs. Choi squeezed her husband's hand in worry. They didn't want to hide her from the events of that day, but they were worried about her reaction to the memories.

            "Well, until she remembers, we'll figure it out then," Mr. Choi reassured his wife and led her back into the room.

            "Ella, we have to leave now. The nurses and doctors are here, so call them if anything hurts, okay?"

            "Neh, Appa. See you soon," Ella said, bowing her head as they left the room.

--

            "Ugh, there's nothing to do here...not like I can move or anything," Ella thought with a pout. She readjusted herself for the umpteenth time, feeling the familiar sharp pain in her spine with every move. The bed was uncomfortable, the room was uncomfortable, everything was uncomfortable. Her body felt sore from her obvious injuries, but also from laying there for such a long time. "I need to stretch!" she whined to nobody in particular.

            "You’re not allowed outside until you’re completely healed. For now, I can only open this window." Ella nearly fell off the bed at the sound of his voice. From across the room, his smile shone in the sunlight, accenting his defined features. She didn't realize how much she had missed him, although she had a perfectly legitimate excuse for not seeing him for so long.

            "What are you doing here, Jin Young sunbae?"

            "Taking care of you, that's what. What did you think I was doing here?" he laughed, pulling up a hair next to her bed. She stared at him incredulously. Take care of her? Since when did he care for her?

            ‘After he confessed to you that day, babo,’ she reminded herself. A blush crept onto her cheeks at the thought of his confession to her in the courtyard.

            "Something on your mind?" he asked, noting her sudden silence. "Does anything hurt?" He stood up, but she held out a hand.

            "No, I'm fine." He sat back down and breathed in relief. They sat in silence, admiring the sun shining in through the open window. The sounds of spring birds chirping filled the room, creating a calm and relaxing mood (A/N I actually hear them right now LOL).

            Quite subtly, Jin Young had reached over and took hold of Ella's hand. She was so caught up in the sounds of nature that she didn't feel it. The soothing sounds of rustling leaves and wildlife lulled her to a light slumber, a state between full sleep and consciousness. All was good. 

//

[MC Tales: Why do I get the feeling that something’s about to go wrong?]

//

            Just as she was about to slip into dreamland, Ella was awoken by the sound of metal on metal. Her eyes shot open and her heart began to race. A reel of images flashed through her mind, playing like a strip of undeveloped film. Scenes of her breakup and the events that pursued it knocked the breath out of her and she began to hyperventilate. Memories that her mind had suppressed came rushing towards her and she felt herself drowning in a plethora of emotions, unable to determine her true state. The monitors began beeping and alarms rang. Jin Young woke up with a start and shot up from his seat at the sight of a trembling, slightly blue Ella.

            "Help! Doctor, nurse, anybody!" he screamed, frantically waving from outside her room. A doctor passing by came rushing in and checked her status.

            "She's having some sort of panic attack. I'm going to have to inject some sedatives to calm her down and put her to sleep or else she might suffocate and risk severe brain damage," he informed Jin Young before pulling out a syringe. He inserted it into the tube on her arm and waited for the fluid to mix in and sedate her. Within seconds, her body relaxed and her breathing regulated. The sedatives began working their magic and her eyes drooped down in drowsiness. The last thing she heard was a comforting, familiar voice telling her that everything was going to be okay.

//

[MC Tales: Well what do you know, something happened. Are you okay?! *She can’t hear you, Tales* Go away, Jin.]

//

            After that incident, all windows were forbidden to be opened, despite her complaints.

            "I don't see the point of all this heavy security. Can't we at least open the blinds?"

            "No, we don't want a repeat of last time." Jin Young refused to acknowledge her whines and continued writing in his notebook.

            “But, I didn’t see anything.”

            “Doesn’t matter, now get some rest.” Ella pouted and turned away. Her mind began to wander and eventually drifted to the images she saw during the panic attack.

            ‘Did that really happen to me? Or was it all just a dream?’ she wondered, focussing on recalling all the images she had seen. Her head began to throb and worsened the more she tried to remember. Delving into the depths of her memories, she tried to pick out reality from dream, but ended up clutching her head in pain. A bright flash of light of some sorts blinded her and she out.

--

            "I hope she gets better soon."

            "I do, too. It's just so hard to see his face every time something happens to her. You can tell he cares and worries for her a lot," the nurses whispered to each other. Their attempts to stay quiet were futile when it came to gossiping. Ella stirred awake and caught the end of their conversation.

            ‘Who is this guy they're talking about? Seems like the ideal boyfriend if you ask me,’ she silently mused. The nurses didn't seem to notice that she was awake and continued with what they were doing. A soft knock on the door broke the silence.

            "Oh! He's here. You can trust him to come back on time. If only my boyfriend was this reliable," one of the nurses spoke with a sigh. They opened the door slightly. "I'm sorry to keep you waiting Jin Young-sshi, but we still have some test to run on her. It'll take about another 15 minutes or so," she informed him. Ella heard the door click shut and soft footsteps heading back to the bed.

            "Poor guy, he's been here every day since she was admitted. I wonder if he's even tired."

            "For any guy in love, there is no such thing as fatigue."

            "Was he really here every day?" Ella spoke up, eyes still closed. The nurses were startled, growing flustered by her question.

            "You were awake, Miss?"

            "Yes. So was he?" Ella opened her eyes and squinted at the bright lights. Once her eyes had adjusted, she could see the two nurses frantically whispering on how to deal with the situation. It was bad enough that they were gossiping, but a patient hearing them was definitely a worst case scenario.

//

[MC Tales: Gossiping is bad! Don’t do it…..often….]

//

            "I won't tell your supervisor anything. Just please, tell me what you know." They looked at each other warily before one spoke up.

            "Well, ever since you were admitted, Jin Young-sshi stayed by your side every day for as long as he could. Most days he came while still in his uniform. He would call your parents and update them when they couldn't come out to the hospital. On the weekends, he would spend the night to take care of you." The monitor momentarily stopped. Her heart skipped a beat.

            "Did he do that? All of it?" The nurses nodded their heads, smiling in admiration.

            "Makes your heart stop, huh?"

             ‘Sure does. Maybe he isn't so bad after all...’ she thought, looking out at his waiting figure.

            "Well, everything seems to be fine now. Call us if you need anything." The nurses bowed out and left the room. Jin Young immediately came in and sat down next to her bed and, as the nurses had said, was still in his uniform. Ella scolded herself for not noticing it before, but she vaguely recalled seeing him in his uniform the last time she saw him.

            "How are you feeling today?"

            "A lot better than before, thanks for asking," she mumbled.

            "Why the long face?"

            "Have you really been here for me every day?" Ella asked. She couldn't contain her curiosity and the question slipped out of before she could stop herself. However, instead of the flustered reaction she was expecting from him, Jin Young simply nodded his head.

            "Yeah, every day; I couldn't stand leaving you here on your own. I also wanted to be the first person to see you wake up, but you decided to do so when I had just left," he replied, shrugging like it was no big deal. He reached into his backpack and took some notebooks and textbooks out. She felt her heart melt at his words. Never would she have thought that he would be so caring towards her. Even if he confessed, she still can't accept his feelings, despite her own growing emotions for him. Guilt washed over her as she realized how much time he must've spent taking care of her when she was out cold. The burden of his favour weighed her down and she had to say something.

            "Oh, sorry, Jin Young-ssh--"

            "Call me Oppa." Ella frowned. Why all of a sudden?

            "O..kay. Um, can i ask you a question?"

            "Shoot."

            "Where's Sandeul Oppa?" It was Jin Young's turn to frown. He placed his pencil down and looked at her worriedly.

            "Do you remember what happened that night?"

            "No. The only thing I can remember was...he broke up with me."

            "So, you don't remember anything after?" He carefully chose his words, afraid that one wrong word would trigger another panic attack.

            "It comes up blank. No matter how hard I try, all I see is black." It wasn't entirely true. She did see those images during her anxiety attack. But, there was such a fine line between dreams and reality, she couldn't figure out what was a real memory or not. Jin Young fidgeted in his seat. His uncomfortable expression clearly showed that there was something wrong with Sandeul, but he would say.

            "Ella, Sandeul, he..." Jin Young paused, uncertain of whether or not he should continue on. "Maybe I should wait until you're recovered.”

            "I've been awake for a while now. Just tell me." He glanced at the door as if Sandeul would walk right in, but no luck. Ella gave him a stern look and eventually he gave in.

            "Okay, well, how can I put this lightly...Ella? Sandeul, he has been missing ever since that day."

            "What??"

            "He's gone. Nobody can find him."

//

[MC Tales: DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUN! WHAT NOW?! WHAT IS THIS?! Where are you, Deullie?! What’s going to happen?! Panda-nim…why you so all over the place?!]

Yay for fail chapterrrr....I updated. LOL. Boxes are weirds. They're....sharp. The pod is here. I need to pack faster. One more week. *self destruct*

Okay, back from the dead...sort of...not really...whatever. I'm sorry if its a bit weird...I wrote them in two separate parts. Doesn't flow, I know, I'm lazy. I've lost inspiration =/ Another storyline popped into my head and I can't stop thinking about it...what to do....

Comment replies in the comment section! Look out for them.

See you in the next Chapter!

-greenninjapanda GNP-