A monitor beeps softly in the background of the hospital room. Jungeun lays in the bed, unmoving. Jiwoo has been sitting by her side since they brought her in, not even moving when Jungeun’s mother came in. She brought Boris with her, hoping her dog could help her recover faster. He instantly whined until they let him jump onto the bed, cuddling against her side. The old dog lays with her, staring at the rise and fall of his owner’s chest intently. Jiwoo startles at the buzzing of her phone.

SooSoo: I found her, she was fast asleep at my dorm… We’re otw

A sigh of relief leaves Jiwoo’s lips, and she turns her head to the end of the bed, where Jungeun’s mom is seated. Their eyes meet and she clears to speak. ‘Miss Kim, Sooyoung found Jinsol. They’re on the way.’ She takes a deep breath and nods at Jiwoo. Hyoyeon is relieved that her daughter’s girlfriend is safe and on the way. When she came in and Jiwoo explained what happened to lead up to Jungeun’s attack, her heart was torn between caring for her daughter and the girl she treated like a daughter. For now, Jungeun is safe, and soon Jinsol will be here too. She hopes Jinsol can offer Jungeun support together with Boris. They’re the only 2 to have actively been able to stop attacks of hers before. Maybe they can help her wake up and recover now, too.

Jinsol runs across campus with Sooyoung, not caring about the stares they’re getting from the students around them. Jinsol’s heart is beating loudly, her ears drowning out all sound but her own breathing. Sooyoung is struggling to keep up with her friend. She hasn’t seen Jinsol run, ever, let alone this fast. She honestly hopes Jungeun and Jinsol will both be okay. Sooyoung reaches out as they run, gripping onto Jinsol’s wrist and slowing her down. ‘Jinsol!’ She whimpers, desperately trying to pull away from Sooyoung. Her eyes are wide and crazed. Sooyoung needs to calm her down before she barges into the hospital. Jinsol doesn’t even know what floor or room to go to. ‘Jinsol, take a deep breath and calm down. We can’t go into the hospital like this.’

Jinsol breathes heavily as they come to a stop in front of the hospital building. Her chest moves up and down fast, a mixture of sweat and tears rolling down her cheeks and jaw, dripping onto her shirt. Sooyoung sighs sadly, loosening her grip on Jinsol’s wrist to hold her hand instead. Her other hand moves up to wipe away some of the tear streaks and drops of sweat on her cheeks. ‘It’s going to be okay, Jinsol. She needs you to be your usual calm self for her right now, okay?’ Jinsol blinks, looking into Sooyoung’s honest eyes. She sees the worry in them and sniffles, holding her hand tightly to anchor herself. Nodding, she waits for Sooyoung to lead the way.

Slowly, Sooyoung guides her up to the 12th floor. They walk through the hallways, Jinsol’s eyes fluttering between the walls and doors they pass nervously. Sooyoung nods at nurses passing by and stops at the end of the ward’s hall. Door 1206. Jinsol is visibly nervous, moving her weight from one foot to the other and whimpering softly under her breath. She reminds Sooyoung of a scared puppy. Sooyoung raises her free hand and softly knocks on the door. After a few moments, the door opens, revealing Jungeun’s mother with a worried look on her face. ‘Oh, thank god, Jinsol, you’re okay!’ She instantly steps out and pulls Jinsol in for a tight hug.

Jinsol is shocked. She’s the cause of Jungeun’s attack. So, why is her mother fussing over her? She should be angry at her. Frowning, she releases Sooyoung’s hand and wraps her arms weakly around the woman she too has come to call mom. ‘I was worried sick, dear. You wouldn’t believe how relieved I was when Jiwoo said Sooyoung found you.’ Tearing up again, Jinsol hides her face in Hyoyeon’s shoulder, mumbling apologies. Sooyoung moves into the room, giving them some space. She walks over to Jiwoo’s side, wrapping an arm around her girlfriend’s shoulders. ‘How are you?’ Jiwoo lucks up at her with teary eyes. ‘I’m worried about her. She hasn’t even moved an inch so far.’ Sooyoung holds her closer, kissing her on the head. ‘She’s strong. She’ll be okay, Jiwoo. And Jinsol is safe and here for her too now.’

Jiwoo nods softly, rubbing Jungeun’s hand gently. Sooyoung puts her hand on top of theirs and squeezes gently. They both look back up when they hear the door open a few moments later. Hyoyeon walks back in and stands by the end of the bed. Jinsol is frozen by the door for a moment. is hanging open at the sight of Jungeun hooked up to several monitors. Boris’ sad body slumped next to her breaks her heart. Sooyoung shares a look with Jiwoo and they move away from the bed together. ‘We’ll go for a walk and get some drinks, Miss Kim.’ Hyoyeon nods at Sooyoung in thanks as she pulls Jiwoo out the door gently.

Hyoyeon steps back and takes a seat again. ‘You can sit beside her Jinsol.’ Jinsol blinks at the sound of her name. She slowly walks towards the hospital bed, her hands automatically finding Jungeun’s cold limp one. ‘Jungeun…’ Her broken whisper barely reaches Hyoyeon’s ears. She sighs and decides to step out for a moment to give Jinsol some privacy. She should probably get herself a coffee to stay up beside her daughter. ‘I’ll be back in a bit.’ Jinsol barely notices her leaving, her focus solely on her pale girlfriend laying unmoving on the white bed. Her eyes flicker over to Boris as he lifts his head and leans over Jungeun’s body towards her. She lays her hand on his head, tears pricking in her eyes again. ‘I’m so sorry…’ Sobbing softly, she sits in the chair Jiwoo occupied before, holding tightly onto Jungeun’s hand and burying her other hand in Boris’ fur. She cries against Jungeun’s hand, her tears wetting the bed sheets around it.

After a few moments, Boris sits up on the bed and barks. Jinsol stands up, startled. ‘What’s wrong?’ He nudges his nose against Jungeun’s cheek, whining softly. Jinsol moves in closer, resting her forehead against Jungeun’s. ‘Please, wake up.’ Boris barks again. This time, Jinsol saw it too. Jungeun’s toes are twitching.