Part 66

DESTINY

Hyunwoo is just standing at the door, quietly watching Changkyun who seem occupied with Hyungwon's brain scan images - on the large screen in front of the laboratory. He approaches the Neuro after he got enough of what he sees and what he heard - Changkyun is chanting 'I must have missed something' as he studies the scan images. He quietly stands next to the Neuro for a few seconds before he says, "The surgery is done. Why are you here - looking at these images?" 

"It's a high risk surgery, Hyunwoo. Complication is expected. It ended smoothly mean I must have missed something" Changkyun replied without looking at Hyunwoo. 

"What are you looking for?" Hyunwoo asked as he stares at the images one by one. The only thing he notices is the blood clot is getting bigger, nothing else. His little knowledge in neurology is telling him, removing the blood clot without damaging the nerves around it will solve the problem. Of course, it is easier to say than the real action. 

"I will know once I see it" Changkyun sound desperate without him realizing. 

Hyunwoo gently put his hand on Changkyun's shoulder, squeezing it a little. He isn't lying when he says his touch is like a 'waking up button' toward Changkyun. The latter who was pretty much enchanted by whatever in his mind is finally returned to this room - is now actually here, in this room - mentally and physically. "What if there is really nothing to fix?" he whispered. 

Changkyun froze a little from the touch and the whispering. He clears his throat, "How is Hoseok?" he asked as he zooms in to the blood clot area.  

"He passed out from a low sugar level. He come to consciousness while I transferring him to the General ward. I told him to go back to sleep" Hyunwoo takes a deep breath. "He probably is still sleeping. When I left, Minhyuk come to check on him. I bet he still there. He seems to be avoiding Hyungwon"

"Hyungwon said Minhyuk first self-defense mechanism is denial. Don't you remember?" 

"I do" Hyunwoo smiles. "Hyungwon also said your first self-defense mechanism is bargaining" he added. 

Changkyun turn to look at Hyunwoo. "I know what you are going to say. So, don't" 

Hyunwoo keep staring into Changkyun's eyes. The latter did not avoiding him, though. "I cannot lose you twice, Im Changkyun. I promise her to take care of you, to make sure you are safe. I broke that promise once and I intend to not repeating it" he cupped the Neuro face with his left hand. 

"I don't know, Hyunwoo" Changkyun hold Hyunwoo hand on his face, looking for comfort. "The surgery is done. There is no way to undo it. I was sure I did everything I need... then I watches him lying on that bed and I doubted myself. What if I make a mistake? What if he didn't... " 

Hyunwoo rub his thumb against Changkyun's cheek to shut him up. "Listen to me. All these months, there is not even one doctor is willing to give this surgery a try. But, you... though you know how risky and bad it could be, you still choose to do it. I don't know about your what if scenario, but I know you already did everything you could" 

"Will it be enough for them?" Changkyun is referring to Minhyuk and Hoseok. "We all need him, loves him. But, they are the closest to him" he sound insecure. 

"Let's not worry about what if, ok?" Hyunwoo kiss Changkyun on the forehead. "How about you go and see Hoseok? Explain to him what you have done... perhaps, it will help you figure out what you have missed instead of standing here and staring at this images" 

Changkyun smiles. "You should stop doting on me"  

"Kihyun will scold me if I do that. You know what he thinks and feel about you" Hyunwoo smiles as he pinched Changkyun cheek gently before he crossed his arms in front of his body.

"He still feels it ain't right that he got to live and she had to die. But, knowing my sister... it's quite expected of her. She's clumsy, have no sense of direction. If she didn't die on the cruise, she probably drowns after swimming to a wrong direction" 

"That's my wife you are talking about, Changkyun" Hyunwoo reprimanded the Neuro for dissing his late sister. 

"Well, before she is your wife, she is my sister. I can diss her anytime I want" Changkyun replied. 

They are both laughing - for a moment. Then, they become quiet. Both are looking at the screen again. 

"I feel sorry for Hoseok" Changkyun suddenly blurts out.

"Why?"

"All this time, I don't think we have treated him right. Hoseok is like our backup plan. When we got too busy with work, he always there for us. He often watched the children for us. Every time something happened, he will come running. He hides about Hyungwon from us, he was acting weird. But, none of us is asking him why. Today, he passed out and we are all still occupied with our life. Do you think he ever feels we don't care much about him?" 

"When he comes to consciousness, he mumbles to me 'Is he ok?' and I told him that he will be" Hyunwoo replied before he exhales a heavy breath. "I believe he know - that we care about him as much as he care about us" he added. 'I hope he knows. He need to know this', he thought. 

Changkyun exhales a heavy breath. He looks at the screen and then look at Hyunwoo again. "Maybe you are right. I should go and talk to him" he breathes out and switch off the screen. 

"Good, because I need to go back to work. I've been wandering around for quite some time now" Hyunwoo said and left.  

Changkyun just watches Hyunwoo leaving quietly before he sit on the table, getting lost in his thought.

When Hyunwoo reached the ER, he sees the security guard is holding a patient who seem to be attacking Dr. Jee. He rushes to the security guard side and pull away the patient from Dr. Jee. The patient appears to be delirious, saying something about how he wants his brothers back. Hyunwoo have no choice other than bringing him to the isolation room. letting the nurses attending to Dr. Jee. As soon as he let go of the patient, the man goes to the corner of the room as if he tries to hide himself from the world. "Hello. Do you remember me? I am Dr. Sohn. I treat you this morning" he said carefully and gently. The patient looks at him. "May I check on you?" he actually more eager to know about what happen, but he thinks it is more appropriate if he check for an injury before he do anything else.

"The doctor is a bad person. You should be careful" 

"Your name is Owen Grey, right?" Hyunwoo tries to get the patient attention. 

"Letting him into my mind is a bad choice. I did a very bad thing because of him" 

Hyunwoo is pretty much like an invisible man right now. The patient does not hearing or seeing him. 

"He met my father.... I shouldn't let them meet. I should stop the moment I had that doubt. Everything is too late now... I can't even control my own mind anymore. I missed my brothers so much. I want my brothers back. I want to see Si Woo and Jinho again. I want them back" Owen Grey starts to cry. 

Hyunwoo wonder if he misheard the name. "Mr. Grey" he touches the patient's shoulder. Luckily, the patient didn't flinch or anything - he just look at him blankly. "May I know who is this Si Woo you just mentioned?"

"I know you. I see you in his wallet"

Hyunwoo is starting to get frustrated. This patient is not responding to him at all, he just says something randomly. Hyunwoo's phone ringing. He checked it. The phone call is from Minhyuk. "I am sorry. But, I have to take this call" he said before he left the room. He calls the nurse who happened to be near the isolation room. "Watch over him. Don't let anyone in. I want you to call another psychiatrist" he told the nurse before walking away to answer the phone call. The moment he heard Minhyuk's voice calling for his name on the other line, he knows something is not right. He runs out from the ER, heading to the post-op department. He slows down when he sees Minhyuk is standing in front of the door. "Minhyuk-ah" he said as he approaches his friend. He can see from the wide opened door that the nurses keep running in and out from the ward in the middle of the department - it is Hyungwon's ward. 

"I just told Sunho to not revive him" 

"What?" It's not like Hyunwoo didn't hear it clearly, he just don't believe he is hearing that right. 

"He told me not to wait for him. I bet he foresee this, that's why he sends me those texts. Or, was the text is sign of suicidal? I don't know, I will never know"

Hyunwoo didn't understand what Minhyuk is talking about so he just stand there without saying anything. 

"I can't go there"

Hyunwoo reach out to hold Minhyuk's hand. "I am here with you" he said. "Whenever you are ready" he added when Minhyuk look at him with his teary eyes. 

Minhyuk look back at the scene before him. There is no longer running in or out nurses, but he can imagine the chaos inside the ward. He takes a deep breath. "I think I am ready" he said. 

Hyunwoo wrap his arms around Minhyuk as he walks with the Obgyn slowly. When they reach the ward, they didn't enter. They just stand outside and watch the scene through the glass wall. They can see that Changkyun and Sunho is trying their best to bring Hyungwon back. 

"He's not coming back this time, right?" Minhyuk is talking to himself. He didn't realise that Hyunwoo can hear him. 

"It's not ended yet, Minhyuk. He's barely here, but he still here" Hyunwoo replied. 

"Even if they can revive him, his brain is dead. He's been under for too long" Minhyuk starts tearing. "He makes miracle every day. He brings life back to those who already give up. He beat the impossibility multiple times - but, not this time. I can see it, he's done fighting" he turn to look at Hyunwoo. "He trusted me with his life. He said when it comes to death and life situation, I will know what to do. It's happening now and... I don't know what to do" 

Hyunwoo is at a loss for word. He knows whatever he said is not going to ease or help Minhyuk in any way. 

"All I know, he is done fighting. He wishes to leave" Minhyuk takes a deep breath - to gathers his courage then he enters the ward. He knows Sunho decided to call it, but Changkyun refuse to listen. He knows he need to do something to stop Changkyun. That's why he enters the ward even though he have barely enough strength to stand on his own. 

Hyunwoo keep watching from outside. He cannot hear what Minhyuk is saying, but whatever it is - it makes Changkyun become more frustrated, because the Neuro is half yelling. It's not really coherent though. He watches Minhyuk slowly approaches the bed, putting his hand on top of Changkyun's hand - who still performing the chest compression by himself. Everyone else in the room has already stopped moving. One nurse is already in tears. 

"You are hurting him, Changkyun. You need to stop. If you keep doing this, you are going to be hurting too" Minhyuk come closer to the bed. He gently put his hand on top of Changkyun's hand. "I will be ok, Changkyun. Eventually. We are all will be ok. You can stop now" Minhyuk tries to persuade the Neuro. 

Changkyun starts tearing as he shakes his head. "No, you are not ready" 

"I will be ok" Minhyuk replied. "Stop before you hurt yourself"

"I can't. I can't be the one who let him go" Changkyun is crying. 

"You didn't let him go, Changkyun. His time just stopped. There is nothing you can do for him anymore" Minhyuk voice cracked.

"If I didn't make it through, do not blame yourself. I have a good life" 

"No, you are not ready" Changkyun said, shaking his head. Was he responding to Minhyuk or was he responding to Hyungwon voice in the back of his mind? He cannot be sure.  

Minhyuk is about to say something, but stopped when Hyunwoo come. 

"Let me" Hyunwoo said as he replaces Changkyun's hand. Slowly starting the chest compression as Minhyuk pull Changkyun away from the bed. Hyunwoo stare at Hyungwon's pale face for a moment, unconsciously hoping for a miracle. A thought flashes his mind. The memory is from where he was performing a CPR on his wife and having to feel the heartbeat slowly stopped underneath his palm - the scene is playing in front of his eyes, like a movie. This is just the same, except there is no heartbeat underneath his palm - nothing at all and it makes him feel suffocated. He makes an abrupt stop and left the ward in a flash. He stopped in the hallway, away from the department. He feels like crying, but his tears won't come out. Rage is building in instead. He releases the rage onto the wall before he drop down the floor, sitting against the wall. His hand is bleeding, but he feels nothing. He is numb. 

Hyunwoo pulled out his phone after he feel a bit calmer. He makes a phone call to his wife to let him know about the unfortunate news. However, Kihyun isn't picking up. He makes a few attempts and his phone call ended up connected to the voicemail every time. He tries to left a voicemail, but he couldn't proceed saying anything after 'Hyunwon-ie...'. So, he ended the call. He takes a deep breath. Then, he decides to send a text messages. Once again he got stuck after 'Hyungwon-ie...'. His finger just won't move after typing the name.

Like this story? Give it an Upvote!
Thank you!

Comments

You must be logged in to comment
hazhatt #1
Chapter 98: male population is increasing thanks to hyunwoo and kihyun
yellowtulip123 #2
Chapter 98: aaaaa kinda sad when the baby was not a girl, but the last sentence really make it up haha. finally dasom is back. thank youuu for the update
Sunflower_Heart
#3
Chapter 98: Yeay!!? The baby is here!!!
hazhatt #4
Chapter 97: Thank you for the updates XD
Sunflower_Heart
#5
Chapter 97: I'm so happy while reading this chapter. Thank you so much for your update
Neny_haneul
#6
Chapter 96: thank you for the update!! another baby is coming yeayy 😁
yellowtulip123 #7
Chapter 96: omg omgg there's an update and is the baby girl's coming??? thank youuu so much for the update. really need to re-read again so i remember the feel haha anyway thank youu so much for coming backk
Grabila #8
Chapter 96: Can't believe it that there is an update in 2023! Welp yaye I missed it and very happy you're back
Sunflower_Heart
#9
Chapter 96: Yeay you're back with new update.

Yeay too for the new baby
Yha-mhine #10
So touching.. ❤