Chapter 16 

Changwook was being wheeled into the operating room. He was heavily sedated and barely conscious. He was scared. He wished with all his heart that Yoona could be with him now. He needed her. 

Maybe it was due to the effect of anesthesia or maybe it was because he yearned for his wife so much but he could have sworn he heard her voice and got a whiff of her sweet fragrance. Imagination or not, it was enough to make him smiled as he succumbed to oblivion. 

Yoona watched her husband's gurney disappeared into the operating room. There was nothing more she could do but to wait and pray. She barely made it in time. She vaguely remembered rushing from airport to airport, making one connecting flight to another, wanting to be with Changwook as soon as possible. She wanted to let Changwook know that whatever happened, she would always be there for him. 

Flashback 

"Changwook would be upset that I went against his wishes but I don't think he's being sensible about this." Yunho finally said. 

"What are you talking about?" Yoona knew there was something going on, "Yunho Oppa?" She prompted impatiently. 

"Yoona, Changwook is in Taipei." 

'No!' Yoona screamed inwardly, 'How could he?!' "Oppa, tell me?" 

"Changwook had been planning this for a while. He knew that you never would agree to him having an operation so he decided to just go ahead with it. Everything was set; his only problem was how to leave for Taipei without you stopping him and you know the rest." 

"Why would he insist on getting an operation that might kill him? I never could understand that." Tears were falling non-stopped. Yoona was terrified to the point of almost being paralyzed. 

"You never could understand this part of Changwook. He is a man who must always be in controlled of his situation. He could never live in a life of darkness where everything seems so uncertain. That's another reasoned why he couldn't deal with your activities. He couldn't control the outcome and your safety, that's why it drove him crazy. Yoona, being in controlled of a situation is a very large part of Changwook's makeup, he could never be anything less than that." Yunho paused for a second, "But is any of this important now? Whatever Changwook said, I think that he would really want you to be in Taipei with him." 

End of Flashback 

Yoona couldn't sit still. She ignored everyone's annoyed looked as she paces restlessly back and forth in the waiting room. Minutes turned into hours and hours to eternity as she waited for the doctor to come out of the operating room, 'Please Changwook Oppa, please make it? I will promise anything. I will do anything you want me to do, be anything you want me to be, just please be...' 

"Mrs. Ji?" A nurse inquired. 

"Yes, that's me." Yoona stopped breathing as she waited for a word from the nurse. 

"Your husband should be out soon. There is nothing more we can do." The stone-faced nursed said, "Come, the doctor talked to you." 

Yoona almost collapsed when she heard the nurse's words. Was she saying that...? 'No, Yoona. Get a hold of yourself. Talked to the doctor first.' 

Yoona doggedly followed the nurse as they headed outside the operating room where the doctor was taking off his cap, "Mrs. Ji, congratulations. There is nothing more we can do for your husband. Wait about one hour and he will wake up." The doctor grinned happily as he extended his hand for a shake. 

Yoona's tired, muddled brain tried to reconciled what was said and what she was seeing. Then it dawned on her that she was in Taipei and the people here, not used to speak much English, were probably misusing some words and that means that...She ignored the doctor's extended hand and hugged him instead, "Thank you. Thank you." 

Sounds finally penetrated into Changwook's consciousness as he slowly awakened from his drug-induced sleep. He was still so very tired and wanted nothing more than to slip back into oblivion but something was urging him to open his eyes. He felt a comforting presence closed by and wanted to see who it was. Without any further thought, he forced his eyelids to part. The intensity of the sunlight shining through the window made him promptly shut his eyes again, but not before he caught a glimpse of the most stunning sight in the whole world, "Yoona." He whispered. 

Yoona had almost nodded off. The tense energy that was keeping her going during the long transatlantic flight and the hours of vigil had finally worn off when she found out that her husband was going to be alright. Her head snapped up when she heard her husband's whispered. 

"Changwook Oppa?" Yoona said urgently. She held onto his hand, staring longingly at his dear face, "Are you awake?" 

Changwook smiled without opening his eyes. 

Yoona thought that Changwook was still unconscious. She tenderly brushed his thin lips when his smiled formed, "Must be having a sweet dream. It had better be about me." She started talking, "Oppa, you silly man. How dare you have this operation without telling me? No matter what, I still loved you. Good thing you made it through alright or you would never be able to rest in peace. Oh, Oppa." Yoona started talking like she was confessing to a priest, "You have no idea what you put me through. I was worried sick. I don't think I will ever forgive you for making me take that tripped to Los Angeles for nothing. I'm so sorry for not being here for you. Did you know that I was so scared for you that I promised almost everything? I even promised not to do anything dangerous anymore." 

At this point, Changwook opened up his eyes again. Yoona's eyes got large and round as she stared into her husband's soft brown eyes, "Hi." Changwook whispered, "You are so beautiful." And he smiled. 

Tears streamed down Yoona's face as Changwook's hand reached for her cheeks without any hesitation, "Oppa, you can see?" 

"Yeah." He closed his eyes again, as weariness overtook him, "Yoona, I'm tired. Need to sleep." 

Yoona smiled understandingly, "Go ahead. I loved you." 

"I loved you, too." Changwook whispered back, "And one more thing, I will hold you onto your promised of never doing anything dangerous again." A smiled was plastered on Changwook's face as he rested peacefully with a light heart. 

"Oppa, that's cheating."