Thirty-Two
His ReplyShi Won's mother had gone off to the morgue. Just before I can hang up on Hyeon Jae, Yoon Jae drags me to a deserted corner and pins me on the wall.
“You said you're gonna save her?! Why did this happen?!” he says, his voice oozing with so much poison.
I can't answer because I don't know. Telling him that I might be framed-up is also a bad choice. I don't have a solid evidence yet.
“Yah! Kang Joon Hee!”
I break down in front of him. Every now and then I am overwhelmed of the face that I'm a failure. I failed to save a patient that means a lot to me.
“Bull!” he curses at me.
“I'm sorry...”
He walks away from me. I believe I'm the one responsible. That's the least I can say.
All I can do at home that night is stare at empty spaces. It feels like a dream, a nightmare I'd never wake up from. Her death killed all hopes for me to start over again with Yoon Jae. Just as I had him within my reach, he slips away again in an instant. Those two things are weighing me down right now.
I'm brought back to reality when the door swings open. Hyeon Jae comes in with a worried expression.
“Joon Hee-ah.”
He rushes to me and gives me a hug. It's all I need for now. I break down again. I don't know what else to do at this moment.
“I think it's my fault.” I say.
“You may have hated Shi Won but you can't kill a single fly. Don't put all the blame on yourself.”
“I feel like dying...”
He cups my face in his hands. They're warm on my cheeks. It feels like I'm being brought to life again.
“We'll get through this, okay? It won't be like this forever. Do you get me?”
I nod. I don't look away when he kisses my lips. He pulls away after he realized his mistake.
“I'm sorry.”
“It's okay.” I say and pulls him in for another kiss.
I got a text from Yoo Jung about Shi Won's funeral service. Hyeon Jae refused to go with me no matter how much I asked him. I drove my car to the place Yoo Jung told me.
It's a sea of black and white when I arrived. A big picture of Shi Won stands outside beside Yoon Jae. Her parents come and hug me upon seeing me. I say my condolences while trying to stop myself from crying again. Yoon Jae remains stiff with those accusing eyes. Both of them leave us for a while.
“Yoon Jae-ah. I'm here to -”
“Condolence? I don't need that from you.” he says coldly.
“Look, I did everything to save her. I don't understand how did that IV shot get into her when I only instructed antibiotics!”
“So you're saying you got framed-up? Oh come one! I was stupid to trust you again, Kang Joon Hee!”
Yes, this is a frame-up. No, you weren't stupid to trust me again, I want to say but I don't. I know it will be for naught.
“If it's a frame-up, would you still be mad at me?” I say.
He clenches his fist. “Enough of this!”
I rush to hug him from the back when he turns to walk away. No, he can't leave me hanging.
“Don't go...”
He rips my arms from his body. With tears in his eyes, he looks into me like it's the last goodbye. Pain strikes me from all sides and seeing him go hurts the most.
Before Yoon Jae can open the door, I hear footsteps skid to a stop behind me. I turn and see the police wave a paper at me.
“Are you Dr. Kang Joon Hee?”
I nod. Worse really comes to worst indeed.
“You're arrested for the murder of Sung Shi Won. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say will be used against you.”
Without any word, I find both of my wrists in tight handcuffs and being dragged by policemen. I take one last glance at Shi Won's smiling face in the picture.
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