Chapter 5

Coma

Seohyun appeared in front of the KBC building, walking through the crowd of people. She was wondering about what they were watching. The panic voices and whisper from the people accompanied her to enter the hall. She then reached the main hall of the office to find something surprising. Some medics were rushing to carry an unconscious man on the gurney, he was Jay, using a cervical collar around his neck. Seohyun widened her eyes as she watched this scene. She felt like coming back to her past, on the day when she was seeing her fiancé death.

“Please, give us the space to go!” One of the medics shouted to the crowd of KBC employees. The medics kept pushing the gurney to the ambulance that was awaiting their coming. The employees made a way for the medics, watching one of their friends being carried to be saved.

It’s felt like a slow motion in Seohyun’s eyes, when Jay’s limp body went pass her place. She felt like could not breath as the noise became so silent in her ears. “Jay? Is it really you…?” She called.

“Oh My god…. How could this happen to him? He is a talented reporter.” A woman beside Seohyun said, covering in concerned. “Poor Jay...”

“I can’t believe this. I heard that he is in critical condition. His head hit the ground so hard. Let’s just pray for the best.” Her friend said as he saw Jay was gotten into the ambulance. Right after the door closed, the ambulance drove away, taking Jay to the hospital nearby.

Seohyun looked away from the ambulance that had been far away. She then caught a figure who was walking down the staircase. She widened her eyes when she knew that the figure was Jay.

Seohyun frowned. “Jay? Jay!!” She called loudly as she ran toward him. She hugged him tightly, expressing her happy feeling after knew Jay was alright. The worried, afraid, and sadness were all like disappeared in second when she knew Jay was in a good condition and now standing upright in front of her, in her embrace.

Jay didn’t give any response to her, ignoring Seohyun who still put him in embrace. His eyes just stared blankly at the floor, thinking of the things he didn’t know the answer. “Why? Why can I see my body being carried away? I’m still standing here, looking at everyone and speaking to anyone. But, why? Why can no one see or hear me? Why? They all ignored me like I was invisible.” Jay asked desperately.

Hearing Jay’s speaking, Seohyun’s heart stopped beating, she was feeling like a thunder shook her body. She was not wrong about this. She saw Jay’s body being taken to the hospital before and it was reality. “You are right.” She said, quickly released Jay from her embrace. “You are right, Jay. I can touch you now.” She proved it with touching his cheek. “It means that we are the same creature. So…”

Jay just looked at Seohyun, wanting her to continue her words.

“…You are a spirit.” She added. “Your body and your spirit are parted. This usually happen to the people who has been died. But, you are still alive in this case.”

“….??” Jay didn’t understand.

“I wonder why this happen. You are alive, but why are your spirit out of your body? It’s what I’m thinking now.”

“Let’s find out the answer.” Jay said before walked away, leaving Seohyun behind.

“Jay, where are you going? Wait me!” Tucking up her long dress, she ran to catch up with Jay.

۩  ۩ ۩

“I’m so sorry to say this… Jay is in comatose. The hard hit on his head caused this traumatic head. It’s why he can’t maintain his consciousness. Besides that, he fractured his collar bone too. But, the one thing that we worry about is his head. We can do nothing to end his state right now. We’ll keep watching his progress at anytime.” The doctor explained to Jay’s parents.

“When will he wake up?” Jay’s mother asked between her cry.

“…We don’t know. It depends on his condition. Let’s pray for the best, so he’ll wake up soon.”

Jay’s mother could not stop crying as she stared at her unconscious son on the bed with all medical things put on his body to support him live. Never for once, she expected this happened to her dearest son. He went to work in a healthy condition, but now, she saw him lying weakly on the bed and badly injured.

The doctor then tapped Jay’s father shoulder, trying to calm him down. “I feel sad to your son… Please, be strong. I’ll try my best to help him. He is still young and strong. In his age right now there still a lot of hope that he’ll recover. I am sure that he’ll pass his condition.” He said before walked away, leaving the room.

“Thanks.” Jay’s father said before looked at her wife who was sitting on the chair next to Jay’s bed.

“Jay? My son… Wake up…” Jay’s mother called softly as she caressed her son’s face. She really wanted him to open his eyes and said that he was alright. But, there was no sign from him to do it.

“Believe that Jay is alright.” Jay’s father told her wife, looking at Jay with the sadness in his eyes. He then stood beside his wife, placing his hand on her shoulder.

“He is coma… Why this happened to him? I can’t lose him. He is our only son. I will do everything to have him back again... to see him smile again.” Her mother sobbed, leaning her head on her husband’s waist.

Standing behind the door of his hospital room, Jay dropped his hand from the door knob when he was hearing her mother cry and his condition right now. He cancelled to enter the room, feeling that he didn’t have a brave to do it.

“You don’t want to get in there?” Seohyun asked Jay beside her.

“No… I can’t stand to see my mother cry. Seeing her cry, it’s the hardest thing for me. It will make me sad... much more sad than my condition right now.” He answered as he walked toward the chair in front of his room. He then sat on it, resting his head on the wall. He felt hopeless.

Seohyun was sad too when she saw him this way, desperate, sad, and standing between the life and the death. She wanted to be with him. In this situation, she could do everything she wanted because she could touch him now. He was a ghost like her, but a ghost that still had a living body. But, her mind said a different thing. She wanted him to get his life back. She then followed Jay to sit beside him.

“I know it’s hard for you. But, there must be away for you to come back.” Seohyun said to make him feel better.

Jay looked at Seohyun. “How is it? Do you know something?” He asked.

Seohyun shook her head, “I don’t know.”

He sighed, feeling disappointed by her answer. “I feel like I’m already dead.”

“Don’t ever say it!” She said firmly. “I hate to hear the death word.”

“You hate the death, but why did you kill yourself?” He disproved.

“I-“ She was about to say, but something interrupted her.

The tapping sounds were heard from afar, getting closer in their direction. Jay and Seohyun stopped their conversation to see who were coming. Their visitors were Yoona and Yunho. They rushed to get in the room where Jay was hospitalized, not noticing that Jay was sitting and looking at them. They pushed the door open and quickly got in the room.

“Even they don’t know that I’m here…” Jay said.

Seohyun gave Yoona her suspicious look before she looked at Jay again. “Who is that girl? Is she your girlfriend? The girl who has been chosen by your mother.” Seohyun asked.

“Yeah… But, she is not my girlfriend.” Jay answered lazily before he got up from his seat. Shoving his hands in his pants pocket, he walked away, leaving the room where would make him sad.

“Jay?” She called, but Jay ignored her. “Where will you go?” She quickly ran toward her fiancé before she lost his trace.

۩  ۩ ۩

Standing at the rooftop of hospital, Jay stared at the blue sky above him, trying to feel the breeze around him. This noon was felt so hot in reality, but as spirit, he could not feel any senses. Everything became so empty. He didn’t say a word since his arrival in this hospital rooftop.

Seohyun was standing behind him, watching him silently. She then sighed at his behavior before decided to stand by his side. She could not stand to stay in this silence any longer. “What are you thinking?”  She asked, breaking the silence.

“Many things…” Jay answered without looking at her face, his eyes just looked straight.

Seohyun just nodded, staring at the city scenery and storey buildings in front of her.

Jay looked away from the sky and glanced at Seoyun. “Seohyun?” Jay finally called.

“Hn…??” Seohyun answered, looking at him.

“Is this what you felt when you’re dead?” He asked. “It’s so empty and lonely… like no one knows that you’re here. Honestly, I am afraid to die. I am not ready to lose my family, my friends, and my life.”

Seohyun could see the sadness and the fear on him. But, she could do nothing about it. She then lloked down as she answered, “Yes. I felt that way. I thought that I would meet my fiancé when I was dead. But, I was wrong… He had gone to another place and I just stuck in this world… I could not go to hell or heaven. I really don’t know where to go, don’t know how to meet my fiancé. I’m just waiting here for years…” She turned her head to look at Jay. “... and then, I met you. You remind me of him. When I look at you, I always feel that you’re him. Your face and everything on you are the same with him. It’s why I’m here…” Seohyun kept staring at his face, thinking of him.

‘Since that time, I hoped that you would be mine forever. But, will it happen? Will you be mine?’ She thought.

“But, I’m not him. I’m Jay. Your late fiancé and I are different.” Jay said.

Seohyun looked down for a moment, feeling sad about his denial before she looked up again. “I know it. To tell you the truth, you’re him. He was reborn as you… as a new man who will never know about his origin spirit. You’re his reincarnation.”

“I… I don’t really understand about what you’ve said.” Jay said, he was feeling confused.

“I understand that you’re confused. Come with me, so you will know who you are.” Seohyun suggested.

Jay frowned. “Where is it?”

“You will see soon.” She answered. She then remembered again about what she wanted to ask. “Um… Jay?”

“What?”

“How could this accident happen to you?”

“I didn’t know. I was startled by a black shadow who tried to attack me. I lost my balance on the stepladder. Then, everything went black. I got up from the floor to see my own body there, my head was bleeding. I thought I was dreaming, but it’s reality. How could I leave my body? How could I see myself lying helplessly? Why did the people act like they didn’t see or hear me? These are the questions I often ask to myself.” Jay confessed. “Now, I know the reason. I’ve became a spirit like you. I’m invisible.” He added.

“Victoria…” Seohyun said, clenching her fist after heard Jay’s speaking. She had guessed that the accident was Victoria’s fault. She really attempted to kill him. And Seohyun hated it. ‘I will never let you get Jay. He is mine if the fate says yes.’ She said inwardly. When Victoria got Jay, it’s the same with his death. Seohyun was thinking of a way to get him away from her. 

Seohyun took Jay’s hands, standing face to face with him. “I’ll take you to somewhere safe. Close your eyes and don’t think about anything, try to concentrate… Let me take you to teleport. Believe me… I won’t do anything that will harm you.” She told him.

“Wait. What are you talking about? Go to safe place? Why?” Jay asked.

“Just do what I said. If you just stay here, it won’t help anything. We’ll also try to find the way to bring your spirit back to your body.” Seohyun said. “Please… Listen to me this time, my fiancé.”

“Don’t call me your fiancé.” Jay protested.

“You better listen to what I said and stop protesting about my words for you. Come on, my fiancé…”

After a long time of thinking, Jay finally accepted her offer and decided to follow her command. Nodding in agreement, he then closed his eyes. Seohyun also did the same. She tightened her hold on his hands before they finally vanished into thin air.