ChapterTwo

Soo-Kyung felt the weight of the world on her shoulders. It had only been two hours since she responded to Seung-heon’s emergency page, but she felt like decades had past.

She had spent most of those two hours sitting beside Ahn Moon Hee, the mother of five-year-old Jae Woon, whose life Seung-heon was desperately trying to save.

The little boy had been battling leukemia for over two years, and his latest admission to the hospital came as his condition took a turn for the worse. The cancer had spread to his lungs, causing him difficulty in breathing, and he had various tubes placed in his body to help him breathe.

Jae Woon had been her first patient, and her heart had broken when she learned of his condition. Ironically, it had been Jae Woon who offered her support; he never failed to cheer her up with his optimistic outlook, and how carefree he seemed despite his illness. She had learnt a lot about the resilience of the human spirit – especially that of children – from Jae Woon.

She allowed a small sigh to escape her lips as she reached for the elevator button. Seung-heon, Jae Won’s pediatrician, had determined that the boy needed emergency surgery to relieve the blockage in his lungs which were hindering his airway.

Upon hearing that, she had excused herself from Moon Hee to return to her office. Moon Hee was a single mother who could ill-afford the medical bills that her son incurred, and most of Soo-Kyung’s job over the past two years had been to ensure that the pair received as much financial aid as they could. Knowing this was another one of those cases where the bill would balloon exponentially because it involved a major surgery, she had immediately gone to her office to start on her latest report, and then faxed it over to the relevant authorities. Hopefully she would receive a positive response fast; she wanted Moon Hee to have nothing to worry about financially. She already had enough to worry about.

Tapping her foot, Soo-Kyung reached for her phone and dialed a familiar number. “Hey, it’s me,” she said once the caller picked up. “I need you to do the usual transfer for me.”

“Same amount?” the person on the other line asked.

“Yes, I think so,” Soo-Kyung thought for a bit. “I’ll let you know if it has changed.”

“Alright,” came the reply. “And I’ll text you once it’s done.”

“Thanks.” Soo-Kyung hung up, and then rested her forehead on the cool surface in front of her.

Seung-heon had had to resuscitate Jae Woon twice when his heart stopped as Seung-heon and team had tried to ease the pressure in the boy’s lungs. The prognosis did not look good for her favorite patient, and she blinked away the tears that had already begun to form.

A quick glance up indicated that the elevator was arriving. She took a deep breath to steel her nerves. She was a social worker; the only emotion she could show her patients was empathy. Crying was definitely not permitted. Crying because she felt truly helpless at her patient’s situation was definitely out of the question. It could get her fired for being unprofessional.

Over the two years since she first started this job, Soo-Kyung had learnt to manage her tears. She learnt to hold all emotions in, and release them only when no one was looking, usually in the privacy of her office or at home. To her patients and her colleagues, she was ever the cheerful social worker, intent on brightening everyone’s day. Inside, she was a different story. Inside, she was angry at the circumstances befalling some of her patients and sad at their helplessness.

Soo-Kyung took another deep breath. Deep breathing usually helped. She blinked a few times, trying to get rid of the moisture in her eyes. Just as she felt ready to face the world again, a ding heralded the arrival of the elevator.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Once again ensconced within the small confines of the elevator, Siwon let out the breath he had been holding. The visit with his uncle had gone well. The older man had been feeble and weak, still recuperating from the heart bypass surgery he just had a few days ago. Other than that, his mind had been sharp, his determination to recover strong. More than once during his visit, his uncle had voiced his desire to get out of the hospital and return home.

Siwon had merely chuckled, and patted his uncle’s hand. “Soon,” he had promised the older man, and then had immediately launched into a report of the family’s activities in his uncle’s absence.

He felt the tension leave his shoulders. His visit had assured him that his uncle Chang Euk was well on the road to recovery. Siwon was glad for that. It had been a nerve-wrecking touch-and-go period when Chang Euk first had the heart attack, but now the danger was over and although the recuperation journey would be long and tedious, they were sure of the end goal.

A wave of gratitude rolled over him. Chang Euk was closer to him than his own father was. He’d often wondered why that was so, and as he grew older he realized that it was probably due to the different marriages they had. His own parents had always been distant – from him and from each other. Jung-su’s parents, on the other hand, were the exact opposite. Chang Euk, though the louder and more boisterous of the couple, had a deep affection for his wife.

There had been a certain warmth in the Park household that he always escaped to whenever his parents fought or worse, had a cold war. As the only child, Siwon had no other close playmate except Jung-su and his sister In-Young. He had always been welcomed by the Parks, who seemed to understand his need to escape the confines of his own home. He found a real family with his cousins.

It was the reason why he’d been the first person Jung-su called the moment Chang Euk had a heart attack, and it was also the reason why Siwon had dropped everything and walked out of an important meeting to rush to the hospital. His own father hadn’t even cared.   

Two days ago, he had come dangerously close to losing one of the few people he cared deeply about, and it unnerved him greatly.

And now… Siwon lost his trail of thought as the elevator jolted to a halt and the doors open. He felt a sense of déjà vu as the increasingly familiar female figure stepped in.

This time though, Siwon fired the opening salvo. “Ms. Park.”

Her head snapped up in response to his voice, and her gray eyes widened. “Mr.… Mr. Choi,” she stammered, offering a bow.

Siwon frowned inwardly. Soo-Kyung seemed… different. Something wasn’t right with her. When they met earlier that afternoon in the elevator, she had exuded a quiet air of confidence, as she had the first time they met. Now, she was like a frightened rabbit ready to bolt at the slightest noise.

He peered closer at her face, and noticed how glassy her eyes looked. Had she been crying? Her voice was calm, even-toned despite her stammer. He thought it was due to the surprise of seeing him, but now he was not so sure. Had someone upset her?

Siwon felt the overwhelming urge to gather her in his arms, and give her a reassuring pat on the back. The notion left him feeling fairly stunned. Why on earth did he feel so protective over this woman whom he barely knew?

Soo-Kyung gave him a small smile, but he noticed that it didn’t quite reach her eyes. Her eyes didn’t sparkle, and they looked downcast. He heard her inhale sharply and gave her a questioning look, but Soo-Kyung had already turned her attention back to the elevator doors. It was obvious to Siwon she was not in the mood for conversation, but he didn’t understand why he felt so compelled to say something – or do something – to make her feel better.

As before, he opened his mouth at the same time he heard a sound. This time, it wasn’t her ringing phone. The elevator had come to a stop again, and this time a man wearing scrubs stepped in. It was clear from his attire that he was a doctor, probably even a surgeon. Like Soo-Kyung, he looked battle weary. Unlike Soo-Kyung, his mien was infused with a determination.

The newcomer gave Siwon a quick glance, and then spoke. Not to him, but to the woman standing next to him. “Are you okay, Kyung?”

Siwon inwardly flinched at his words. Four short words, but they were infused with such intimacy that Siwon shifted uncomfortably. This was not a colleague addressing another; it was more than that.

Siwon glanced at Soo-Kyung, waiting for her answer. She didn’t seem to register – or even react to – the familiarity. “I’ll be okay,” she said. Her voice had returned to its level tones and she seemed surer of herself now than when she first entered the elevator.

The other man gave Soo-Kyung a worried look, then shrugged his shoulders, accepting her answer. Pabo, Siwon thought. Soo-Kyung was obviously anything but okay. Anyone looking at her could tell. Her shoulders had drooped a little, and exhaustion was written all over her face. If he looked closely, Siwon was sure he would find dried tear tracks on her cheeks.

No one spoke as the elevator continued its descent. Siwon tried to think of a way to initiate conversation, but the presence of the other man stopped any words from actually leaving his mouth.

Finally, Soo-Kyung’s voice broke the silence. “Seung-heon,” she murmured. Siwon and Seung-heon both looked at her – Siwon in astonishment, inferring correctly that this was the Seung-heon of the earlier emergency phone call, and Seung-heon in expectation.

“Promise me something,” she looked at Seung-heon, her eyes silently pleading.

Seung-heon said nothing, but waited for her to continue.

“Promise me you’ll do your best?”

Seung-heon nodded, a solemn gesture. Siwon was lost. What exactly was going on here?

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Taking a deep breath, Soo-Kyung willed herself to relax. She could still feel the eyes of the elevator’s other occupant on her, and it did nothing to soothe her frazzled nerves. Already feeling distracted over Jae Woon’s condition and his upcoming surgery, Choi Siwon’s presence was merely adding to her unease.

Why this man – this particular man – could make her feel so uncomfortable, she had no idea.

She had been stunned when he called her name as she entered the elevator, an exact mirror of what had happened in the afternoon. She tripped over her greeting, and a slight blush had covered her cheeks as she bowed.

Siwon had looked at her quizzically after that, and his scrutiny unnerved her greatly. Soo-Kyung thought she caught a hint of concern in his eyes, but it was gone so fast that she thought she imagined it. Her gaze fell on his hands, and she was suddenly overcome by a desire to have his arms wrap around her. At that moment, Soo-Kyung was positive that the world would melt away, and everything would go away, if he would only hold her in an embrace.

Soo-Kyung gave him a smile, hoping it would cover up some of the embarrassment she was feeling over thinking such nonsensical thoughts about him. He was a patient’s family, end of story. There would never be anything going on between us, she scolded herself. Besides, chaebol heirs didn’t date medical social workers.

She turned away, hoping to put some distance between them. The intensity she saw in Siwon’s gaze, and the strange tension that filled the air every time they met made her feel like running away. There was no explanation for that. Yet she felt with equal compulsion that being in his presence would be the only place where she could truly be safe.

The elevator doors suddenly opened and Soo-Kyung found herself face-to-face with Seung-heon. He looked like he had aged since she last saw him twenty minutes ago, but she also recognized the preoccupied look on his face.

She worked very closely with Seung-heon, since a lot of his patients were hers too. Both of them shared a special affinity for Jae Woon as he also had been Seung-heon’s first patient after graduating from medical school. They had a genuine affection for the little boy, and over the past two years, had bonded over numerous cups of coffee as they discussed Jae Woon’s condition and the aid he would require. Like her, Seung-heon was determined to ensure that Jae Woon received the best care he needed.

She felt Seung-heon look at her in concern, and when he asked if she was okay, Soo-Kyung thought about the irony of his words. How can any of us be okay at this moment?

It was more etiquette than anything, since she was positive Seung-heon knew, or at least suspected, that she had escaped to her office to cry, under the guise of writing Jae Woon’s latest report. He had called her out on that once before, but had understood why she did so. He had covered for her on several occasions after that when her emotions got the better of her, allowing her the use of his office, or just offering a piece of tissue to dry her tears when she was done.

Soo-Kyung caught sight of the elevator screen and realized they were almost at their destination. “Seung-heon,” she called softly.

As the man in question turned to her, she wondered what she should say to him. What do you tell a surgeon who is about to operate on a small child with a fifty percent chance of survival? A word of comfort would not be enough; the success of the surgery rested solely on Seung-heon, and she was sure the pressure was immense. 

In the end, she settled for a question. “Promise me something?”

Seung-heon looked at her, seeming to know what she was going to ask next. His expression had softened although he said nothing, and Soo-Kyung noticed how handsome his features actually were when his face was not scrunched up in concentration. She felt like bursting into tears at the understanding in his eyes; Seung-heon knew exactly what she was feeling at the moment because he felt the same things too.

For him, the fear of the unknown – whether Jae Woon would make it through this round – was overshadowed by the adrenaline rush of going into surgery, being able to actually influence the outcome; but for Soo-Kyung, that same fear paralyzed her because there was nothing she could do.

“Promise me you’ll try your best?” Soo-Kyung hated how her voice sounded, like that of a little child whining over something inconsequential. She couldn’t help it; she felt like a little child, helpless and vulnerable to the circumstances.

She saw Seung-heon give an imperceptible nod in reply, then he stepped out as the doors opened, leaving her and Siwon staring at his back.

Good luck, Seung-heon.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *