[CONTENTID1] CHAPTER THIRTY TWO - HELLO [/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2]

Happy New Year's Eve! I just realised that in the last chapter when I wished TaeTae a happy birthday, I said I was in Scotland. I'm actually in Spain for the christmas holidays ._. Oops. Whatever, it's not important. It that I won't be with my friends for New Year's though D: no partying for me....fml. ANYWAYS ENJOY!

I gasp as I resurface the water, air rushing into my lungs. It feels like heaven. The freezing temperature of the sea, however, feels more like torture. I just want to wrap my arms around myself and stay in one spot but I know that if I do, I’ll drown. Wait…how did I swim up? My eyes widen and I realise that I’m being carried on someone’s back. I rub the salty water from my face and try to focus my vision on the person beneath me. I see an orange lifeboat but before I can react, I’m thrown onto it. 

I bounce a few times when I land. 

“Hyerim!” Someone exclaims. I’m lying on my face. Rolling myself over, I hug my body and start shivering violently, the cold almost rendering me unconscious. “Someone get her a blanket or something, she’s going to die from hypothermia.” I can’t muster up the energy to look around. All I know is that there are at least five other people on this lifeboat with me. I’m scooped up and I feel warm, bare skin brushing my left arm. Suddenly, my life jacket is being taken off, then my jacket. Am I…Am I being !?

“What are you doing!?”

“Saving her life. She needs heat and the best thing we have right now is body heat.”

“Do you have to strip her, though!?”

“Yes, I do. Unless you’d rather let her die.”

“Do all humans argue like this?”

“Shut the up, robot.”

“Hey, show some ing respect! He saved Hyerim’s life.”

“Hello, people? SHE’S STILL FREEZING!”

“Hand her over to me, I’ll keep her warm.”

“No offence, Jackson, but Julien’s way bigger than you.”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“Uh, he has more skin? Skin that’ll keep her warm!”

My shirt is torn off, leaving me in my plain black bra. The cold air whips me and I bite down hard on my lip, goosebumps coating my arms. Then, my bra is taken off and I’m enveloped by huge arms. My body is crushed against hot skin and I let out a breath of relief. I regain feeling in my upper body and immediately nuzzle into the large body carrying me. The person hugs me tightly and I gasp, the feeling of euphoria drowning my senses. I bury my face in the person’s neck, breathing in their warmth and masculine scent. Is this heaven?

“See? She’ll be fine,” the person holding me says and their chest vibrates. I gulp, nuzzling their neck. “You’re alright, Hyerim. You’re okay.” I close my eyes, wiggling impossibly closer to him. I need more of whatever he has, I need it all. I feel like I’m holding onto a lifeline. Fatigue grips me and, in a matter of minutes, sleep claims me.

~

My eyes flutter open and I wince as pain rockets in every part of my body. Even my teeth hurt and I didn’t think that was possible in the absence of a cavity. I gulp and moan when it also hurts. My throat is as dry as a desert. I slowly raise my arm and rub the sleep from my eyes, all the while biting my lip in pain. I turn my head, grunting, and look around whatever place I’m in. It looks like the inside of a tent. There are needles, bandages and medicines everywhere. I see backpacks, beds, blankets, tables and chairs. I see empty cans of food and water bottles. 

It looks like a military camp, the kind that is used by armies who are camping out in foreign countries. If I never have to see another camouflage piece of clothing, it’ll be too soon. I’m sick of anything and everything military related. I lift my eyes to the flaps that look to be the entrance and exit. Suddenly, a head of black curls pokes through. A smile immediately forms on my face as bright green eyes stare back at me.

“Y-y-y-you’re a-a-a-awake!” He stutters and rushes over, throwing his arms around me. I grunt in pain but hug him back, ignoring the horrible feeling in my muscles and bones. Karim shudders in my arms and I hear his soft crying. I gently rub his back, patting it occasionally. Finally, he lets go and takes a seat next to the bed I’m on. I wipe away his tears and smile up at him. “Y-y-you s-s-scared m-m-me.”

“Did your stuttering get worse?” I croak, my throat even drier now. He nods, his cheeks flushing. “I’m sorry.” I don’t need to ask to know that it’s because he was worried about me. I his cheek, too sore to lean up and kiss it. “Are you okay?”

“I-I-I’m f-f-fine. A-are y-y-you o-o-okay?” he asks and I nod, albeit slowly. “Y-you’re i-i-in p-pain?” I nod again. He retrieves something from the nearby cabinet and returns to me, grabbing my arm. With his other hand, he lifts a needle and carefully injects a serum into my vein. “Th-there. Th-that sh-should h-help w-w-with the p-p-pain.”

“Where’d you learn to do that?” I ask, though I think I already know the answer.

“I-I-I h-had t-t-to v-visit T-Taeyang a lot s-s-so h-he t-taught m-me h-how t-t-to t-t-treat m-myself,” he stammers and I smile, his cheek again. I can’t imagine how frustrating it must be for him to have such a developed speech impediment. Even the simplest phrase takes a while for him to utter. But, unlike Sehun, it doesn’t stop him from talking a lot. “I-I-I’m r-really h-happy t-to s-see y-y-you.” 

“Oh, Karim. I’m really happy to see you too,” I coo, pinching his cheek lightly. He stares back at me with his big greens and I see the love in them. I see the innocence and it touches me unlike anything else. He leans down and presses a gentle kiss on my forehead. When he pulls back, he has a tear rolling down his cheek. “I’m okay, baby. Don’t cry anymore.”

“N-n-not e-e-e-everyone m-m-made it,” he whispers and my heart skips a beat. I let out a shaky breath and stare up at the ceiling, my thoughts running wild. I try to remember everything that happened but I can’t. All I can recall is the plane crashing then blackness ensuing. I remember a lifeboat, warmth and then silence. The last thing I remember is waking up, just a few minutes ago. Karim turns around as footsteps are heard. “Sh-she’s a-a-awake.”

My heart swells. “Jackson.” He bends down and hugs me tightly, sending shocks of pain through my body. “Ow.”

“I’m sorry,” he gasps, letting go. His eyes are soft as he caresses my cheek, his thumb like magic on my bruised skin. “You scared the out of me. I thought you actually might die.”

I smile and shake my head. “You won’t get rid of me that easily.” I close my eyes for a few seconds to collect my thoughts, then open them again. “What happened out there, Jackson? Did…did everyone make it out?” His smile falls and a solemn expression replaces it.

“I don’t remember it all, everything happened so fast…it all went bad at once. But when I woke up in the plane, I saw you there in your seat. Hyoyeon was bleeding all over the place so I helped her first. Then, I came to you but…the explosion.” He shudders at the memory. “It knocked you right out of my arms. I tried to get you up again but you were so weak…I was scared for your life. Then Julien came and dragged me out. He thought you were dead.”

“I saw…I thought I saw BamBam,” I whisper, my voice shaky. “I spoke to him. He looked…so real, Jackson.” A tear escapes my eye. “He was smiling and joking. I really thought I was dead. But then…he told me it wasn’t my time. Then Sehun came and got me out of the plane before the water could swallow me up.” I gasp. “Sehun! Is he— don’t tell me—“

“He’s fine,” Jackson interrupts, patting my cheek. “Just beat up, like you. He refused to stay in bed, though.” Relief washes over me. 

“Who made it out?” I ask daringly. I want to know as much as I don’t. But sooner or later, I’ll have to face the facts. I take a deep breath and wait for his answer.

“Most people made it, thank god. But…Chaerin didn’t get out of the cockpit with Sehun. She died on impact. The soldier, Alex, he didn’t make it. Youngbae died trying to get Jieun out. She died of hypothermia, so did Sunhwa. Jongin drowned.” My heart stops and I feel as if I’m about to faint. Nausea hits me and I jerk up, against my better judgem