The Lazarus Phenomenon.

 

It's when patients who are pronounced dead after cardiac arrest experience a delayed return of spontaneous circulation. In plain words, they are seemingly brought back to life. Cases such as this are rare and often require further research in the field of medicine due to the low number of reported instances and sometimes inexplicable reasons attributed to the phenomenon itself. 

 

 

For her family and friends however, what transpired in that private room was nothing short of a miracle. After two doses of epinephrine, two bags of fluid, and repeated attempts at compression, Dara flatlined and was declared dead. Twenty minutes later, the monitor beeped and her pulse returned. What happened subsequently confounded even Dr. Scott who claimed that in his twenty years in the field, this was the first case he dealt with where the patient's condition immediately stabilized after going through that much trauma, her heart rate returning to normal. Despite not voicing his personal standpoint— being a man of science and all—Dr. Han couldn't bring himself to deny the existence of a higher power that basically pulled the young woman from the clutches of death. Whatever the reason was, one thing was clear: Dara fought to live and she succeeded. 

 

Now all they have to do is wait. 
 

~~~~••••~~~~

 

It's past two in the morning. The low hum of the vacuum cleaner filled the silence in the otherwise subdued hospital wing. The janitor, a man in his forties dressed in his uniform grays, offered an amicable nod to the woman standing in the hallway, her dark sunglasses and square scarf loosely placed over her head making her stick out like a sore thumb amidst the white walls of the facility. She'd been rooted to the spot since he started his morning shift, her gaze boring holes on the closed door of room number 403.

 

A close call, he overheard the nurses say last night. They liked to gossip and he, well, he gets bored very quickly. After all, there's nothing much to do around the vicinity except eavesdrop on things. And it's not like he's doing it on purpose. The staff were predominantly female and their voices tend to become loud and high-pitched when they discuss something exciting or anything that fazed them so much they just have to convene in the break room. 

 

The vacuum sputtered once, twice, then died down with a sharp hiss. Stupid old thing, he mentally chastised, shaking his head and bending down to untangle the loose wires. From the corner of his eye, he noticed the elegant lady take small, hesitant steps toward the door, her hands clasped together in front of her as if in silent prayer. He continued to watch even as the vacuum whirred to life and the woman's shoulders moved up and down while she drew in a deep breath before slowly raising her hand. 


 

~~~~••~~~~
 

 

Jiyong woke up to the sound of someone calling his name. Groggily, he lifted his head and looked up to see Seungho's concerned expression. 
 

 

"Get up. You need to get some rest."
 

 

He rubbed his eyes tiredly, one hand still clasped around Dara's. He must've dozed off after talking to Dami over the phone. "What time is it?" 
 

 

"It's two a.m.," answered his brother. "I called Taehee earlier to come pick you up. He's already waiting for you downstairs. Besides, you look like you're one blink away from dropping."

 

He shook his head and said, "I'm fine-"

 

 

"No, you're not. Trust me," he started to grab his arm and Jiyong struggled in resisting, but his faculties were swamped more than he cared to admit because after a few more tries, Seungho was able to pull him to a stand. "Don't worry, heojangnim and I will look after her while you're gone."

 

The mention of Dara's father made him instantly aware of his presence in the room.  Looking over his shoulder, he saw the chairman standing near the window, his suit now replaced with a simple gray sweater and a pair of dark slacks. A duffel bag sat on the floor beside his shoes. He offered him a small bow to which the chairman returned with usual apathy. Jiyong once again shifted his gaze to the bed, his eyes darting from the monitor to Dara's still figure. 

 

"She's gonna be okay, hyung. You heard the doctors. They said her vitals are improving."

 

 

"I know, but-"

 

 

"I'll call you if anything happens, I promise."

 

"I just-"

 

 

"Look, if you get sick, they would never let you back in here," said Seungho, knowing perfectly well that his brother won't be able to get past his reasoning. "Dara's pretty sensitive right now so we have to make sure she doesn't catch anything from us. God forbid she has to stay here longer due to an infection."

 

 

Jiyong seemed to consider this, his tongue darting out to his dried lips. After a few seconds, his shoulders dropped in resignation and he sighed. "Alright. I'm going."

 

"Good. I'll give Taehee a heads-up,"  Seungho clapped him on the back before heading out the door. Jiyong leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on top of Dara's head. "I'll see you later, ahjumma."

 

 

"You don't have to do this."

 

 

He straightened and watched the chairman approach the bed, the latter's hand immediately reaching for the blanket so he could tuck his daughter in. "You don't have to keep watch on her. You're not obligated to. You are a busy man, after all." His voice didn't hold any bite to it, he was merely stating facts.

 

"So are you," came his smart retort. Squeezing Dara's hand one more time, he added, "I'll be back by six."

 

 

~~~~~••~~~~
 

 

The door suddenly swung open and the woman took a startled step backwards. The guy who was about to head out paused at the door, tired eyes fixed on the stranger before him. "Sorry. I was just..." she shuffled to the side to let him pass while he closed it behind him. "...visiting."

 

Squinting, he fixed the mask over his face. "Are you a relative of Dara's?"

 

"I--she's..." she murmured and pushed her sunglasses up her nose, seemingly ruffled by the unexpected scrutiny from the young man who had yet to step away from the threshold of the room she intended to enter. "Y-yes."

 

He gave a small nod. "She still needs the ventilator to breathe, but the doctors are discussing about slowly weaning her from it. At least that's what I've heard when they came in to check."
 

 

She fiddled with the scarf's knot under her chin. "But she's gonna be okay, right?"

 

 

"Yes," his voice full of conviction. "She just needs time to heal." He rubbed the back of his neck and added, "You can go inside and see her if you want. The others went home to get some rest. I'm actually headed to my own place now to grab some stuff. Don't worry though, her father's with her."

 

Behind the dark lenses, her eyes widened a fraction. "Park Shiyoon is inside?"

 

It took him a few seconds to reply, his forehead creasing in confusion. "You mean the chairman, right?"

 

"Um, yes."

 

"Oh okay," he said with a nod. "Yeah, he's in there." Jiyong watched in apt attention as she fiddled with the bracelet on her wrist, a nervous tic, a gesture so familiar he immediately realized who the woman was. Her scarf started to slip from her hair and she pulled it back to right it. Yes, the resemblance was undeniable. Not only that, but he was certain he knows who she was.

 

"I'll-uh...come back later." She started to turn away.

 

 

"You're Kang Hyerin, aren't you?" She paused and stared at him. "You're the actress from that afternoon show." She glanced around the hallway, mouth tightening with worry. "It's okay. I'm not some crazy stalker. I won't tell."

 

Her shoulders relaxed the tiniest bit. "Then I won't either...Mr. Kwon."

 

 

It was his turn to gawk. 
 

 

"You're not that hard to recognize. Plus, I've  seen the news. No one's talking about it now, but that scandal's hard to brush off when it involves-"

 

 

"Your daughter?" he finished for her. Hyerin visibly swallowed and stood straighter, her chin jutting forward ever so slightly. "It's all bull by the way. The things they wrote about her aren't true. Dara's the most selfless person I've met in my life and anyone who says otherwise." Belatedly, it dawned on him that she was his girlfriend's mother. He grimaced. Cussing didn't really offer a very good first impression which is why when she smiled, it caught him off guard.

 

"You must really love her," she stated.

 

 

"More than my life."

 

 

She looked at the floor and nodded. Jiyong chose to voice out his thoughts before he could change his mind. "She always talked about wanting to see you." He placed his hand inside his pocket and tipped his head toward the bracelet on her wrist. "She has the same one. Wears it all the time." Jiyong observed as she raised a finger to swipe the tear that escaped her eye. 
 

 

"I was scared," she whispered, opening her purse to retrieve her handkerchief. "I'm aware it's not an excuse, but I didn't want to disappoint her more than I already have. Giving her away was the biggest regret of my life. I-" she pursed her lips and tried to compose herself. "I'm a terrible mother."
 

 

 

"It's not too late to change." She looked at him. "I mean, that's why we make mistakes, right? It's so that we can learn from them. I know Dara will be happy if you're there when she wakes up."
 

 

 

"Thank you," she told him with a smile. "Not many people in this industry would be willing to risk being seen. It's already a challenge for me to show up like this," she gestured to her current ensemble, "I can only imagine how difficult it must be for someone like you."

 

 

He shrugged. "It's not without struggle." His phone beeped and he fished it out to see Taehee's text on the screen. "My apologies, but I need to get going."

 

 

She nodded. "Be careful on your way home."

 

"You too."

 

"And Mr. Kwon?"

 

He turned at the waist and looked at her. "Yes?"

 

"Thank you. For loving my daughter unconditionally."

 

He could only nod in reply. 
 

 

=======
 

Days passed in the same routine, each of them working in rotations so that Dara would always have someone watching over her. Sometimes they'll do it in groups, sometimes in pairs; CL, Bom, and the rest of Bigbang come to visit when they're not busy with rehearsals, Mino and Seungho usually take over the night shift to relieve Chairman Park, or when the hotel's not teeming with backpackers, Yoo Jaesuk drops by and brings them food to eat. The only one who never misses a day was Jiyong. 

 

This of course took a huge chunk of time away from his work which eventually led to an argument with Taehee who he found waiting for him outside his apartment when he came home one night to get some fresh clothes. 
 

 

"I can't go into the office without sajangnim breathing down my neck," he grumbled, "He noticed you being MIA for almost a week and is badgering me with questions on your whereabouts. Obviously I haven't told him anything, but I can only lie so much before he finds out the truth. Plus, I'm here to remind you about that meeting with-"

 

"Cancel it," he told him absently, his main focus on the clothes he's trying to fit inside his bag.  

 

"You're not serious, right?"

 

 

"I am."

 

 

"Hey, hey, look-" Taehee circled around and began stacking the hangers which Jiyong had haphazardly strewn over the bed, his brows meeting at the center as he continued, "I know you're having a hard time right now and I get that you're worried about Dara, but...c'mon man. You practically live in the hospital now. I mean, look at this!" he gestured around the mess in Jiyong's room and the overall state of his neglected apartment. "You're forgetting that you made commitments too, you know."

 

 

"I didn't forget," replied Jiyong in a clipped tone. "I'm just choosing to postpone them."

 

 

"They could sue you for breach of contract, you know that, right? Tickets are already sold out. If you cancel the concert now, that would spell trouble for the company and-"

 

 

"I'll deal with it as soon as Dara wakes up."

 

 

"That's the tricky part, isnt it? I mean, what happens if-" 

 

 

Faster than he could blink, Jiyong's hand shot out to grab him by the collar of his shirt. "Don't you dare finish that sentence," he hissed, a dark look flickering across his face. Taehee was so taken aback by the venom in Jiyong's voice that his mouth dropped open. He hadn't mean to sound so pessimistic, but the probability of Dara not waking up is still very much up in the air. Still, he realized it might've been a move on his part.

 

"Okay, okay," he said carefully, putting his hands up in a placating gesture. "I'm sorry. I was out of line." 

 

Jiyong stepped back with a heavy sigh and let him go. "Just...don't do it again." Running his fingers through his hair, he continued on where he left off. "I'll sort this out with President Yang first thing tomorrow. In the meantime, just reschedule whatever meeting I have for this month."

 

 

Taehee adjusted the lapels of his shirt and tamped down the protest at the back of his throat. "Alright. I'll see what I can do."

 

 

=======
 

 

The muffled laughter that emanated from Dara's room gave Jiyong pause, his hand hovering over the brass knob as he tried to listen. He briefly wondered who the visitors might be and why the chairman was letting the racuous activities unfold without kicking them out. Hitching his backpack higher on his shoulder, he took a deep breath and let himself in.
 

 

 

"Dude, seriously. Get away from—"

Jiyong stay rooted at the door, his eyes locked on Seungri whose leg appeared to have gotten stuck between the hospital bed and the ventilator machine. 

"Okay," the maknae started, hands raised in front of him like a shield. "Before you decide to hit me with the IV pole, I need you to know that there's a perfectly good explanation for this, hyung."

 

 

"Not true," piped CL from the couch, YB and Tabi sitting on either side of her.
 

 

"So not true," Bom agreed while chewing on a granola bar which she probably nicked from the nurse's station on the way here." Go ahead and hit him, Ji. You have our blessing."

 

 

"Yaaah! How dare you turn this on me! Hyung-" he turned to look at Jiyong with the most innocent look he could muster, "it was their idea, I swear! They said it's fine if I film near Dara noona so the message would seem more genuine."

 

 

"Film?" Jiyong asked, brows furrowing as he closed the door. He quickly scanned the room to find the chairman nowhere to be seen. Flinging his bag on the chair near Bom, he turned his attention back to Seungri. "You're filming Dara?"

 

 

"Uh, not exactly. See, I was in Myeongdong yesterday with my sister and I saw this," he raised the small, black camcorder on his hand. "And then I thought, 'hey, what if we made a short documentary of our everyday lives so Dara noona could watch it when she wakes up?' That way, she won't feel like she missed out on anything. We could even decorate the room and have our Christmas party here. We'll take lots of pictures and bring-"

 

 

Silence filled the room as they watched Jiyong envelope the maknae in a tight hug. 

 

"Um...h-hyung?" Seungri could only stutter, flabbergasted as he was from their leader's sudden show of affection.

 

"Thank you," whispered Jiyong in his ear, clapping him softly on the back. "I'm sure she'll love it." He gave Seungri's shoulder one last squeeze before he let him go. "So..." he said, clearing his throat, "can you show me what you have so far?"

"Uh-it's not, um, I-I actually haven't gotten any footage yet. These guys were making fun of me as it turns out." He glared at the bunch who were now snickering in the background. "Oh hey! Why don't you be the first one to give it a go, hyung? I mean, it's only fitting, right?" Seungri handed it to him after finally extricating himself. "C'mon. It'll be fun!"

 

 

Jiyong studied the camcorder on his hand. That's right. It's all good things from here on out. Dara needs to know we're not giving up on her. He turned it on. Making sure the camera focused on him, he then pressed the red button. 

 

"Wait, am I doing this right?" he called out. YB sauntered toward him and flipped the screen so he could see himself. "Uh, is this recording?"

 

 

"Yep. You're good to go, bro."

 

 

"Oh, okay," he bashfully straightened his shirt. Now that he realized that Dara would one day see this made his stomach turn. For one thing, he looked like absolute hell. He only had time to shower and change, he didn't bother combing his hair coz what was even the point? Apparently, this was the point. "Um, t-thanks." He raked his fingers through his hair, his eyes nervously darting from the floor to the cream-colored walls, as if what he needed to say were written across it. Swallowing the lump on his throat, he finally looked at the camera, his reflection staring back at him. 

 

"Hello, ahjumma. Um-" he hid his face behind his hand and broke into an awkward chuckle. "Aiissht. This is so embarrassing. Aigoo. It's actually Seungri's idea and I...I, well, I thought it's great. It's, um, for you. We just want you to know that we're still here." He bobbed his head, mouth lifting into a smile. "Everyone's waiting for you to come back." He turned the camera to the rest of the people in the room. "Say hi to Dara, guys!"

 

 

"Unnie! We miss you!!"

 

"Dara-ya! I'll buy you lots of strawberry ice cream when you wake up!! So hurry up!"

 

 

"Dope friend, congrats! Hahaha! Fighting, Dara!"

 

 

"Yah, you need to wake up or else I'm showing the world your Spongebob ." Jiyong raised a brow at this, but Tabi continued as though this was completely normal. "You liiiike?"

"Noona, wake up so hyung wouldn't be so cranky. He's also starting to smell so-"

 

 

"He's lying," Jiyong was quick to push Seungri away, panning the camera back to his face again as he sat on the stool beside Dara's bed. "Anyway, your Dad must've gone to the cafeteria to get some breakfast. Daesung's back in the studio, I guess. Jaesuk hyung came by the other day and brought us some toppoki, your favorite. Hong, Mino, Butler Kim and even the Ma's also take turns in watching over you." He glanced at the monitor behind him, the continuous reading assuring him of her heart's steady beat. He looked at the camera again, a wistful smile playing on his lips. 

 

 

"Come back home, love," he whispered. "I miss you."