His friend had just left his car when Sehun ran up to him, grabbed and dragged him toward his car frantically. Without explaining he stepped on the accelerator and sped all the way to the hospital at such speed that had Chanyeol screaming into his ears. Heart pounding in his ears, the only thing he could think about was Namjoo’s angry cries still resonating in his head.

Rushing down the corridor, still lugging Chanyeol after him like luggage, he finally halted when he spotted a bloody Namjoo standing nervously in front of the ER. The shaking figure of the bold wife did not look like his person. There was a nurse standing afar from Namjoo who hurried forward at the sight of them.

Pulling Chanyeol forward he explained, “He…he’ll do the blood transfusion.”

Footsteps clambered up to them. It was Namjoo. Her eyes were crazily wide and beet red. She looked like a wild child who’d just climbed out of a bloody hole. Weeping again she clung onto Chanyeol, barely slipping down onto her knees. The sight broke Sehun’s heart.

“Please save her,” she begged. “Save my daughter. Please!”

A painful frown climbed onto Chanyeol’s face. The shock of seeing Namjoo bloody and shaking left him speechless.

“Please calm her down,” the nurse said before gesturing toward Chanyeol to follow her. Sehun placed his hands around Namjoo, beckoning her to step back, but she clung harder onto his friend, still wailing.

“Namjoo, come on,” Sehun tried, gently prying her hands off Chanyeol’s arms. “They have to go in.” Finally relieving Chanyeol of Namjoo’s strong grasp, Sehun watched them disappear behind the ER doors. Namjoo was a trembling mess unable to hear him. Her eyes looked dazed and she shook her head whenever he called for her. He tried to get her to sit down, but Namjoo only shoved him away only to return to the spot she’d been standing the whole time.

“All right,” he gave in. “Stay here and wait for Soo Ae. I’ll be back.” Rushing off to get some wet towels he returned minutes later. Even as he worked to wipe the blood off her the tears continue to flush down her face. Sehun felt useless not knowing what to say to her except that Soo Ae would be all right. The whole time he tried he didn’t think Namjoo heard him.

*****

“Did you see her?” Sehun rushed forth when Chanyeol emerged from the doors, flexing his arm. “How is she?”

Chanyeol shook his head, “There’s an injury to her head. They said most of the bleeding came from there. I don’t think she’ll require surgery though. Maybe a few stitches.”

A loud cry came from Namjoo and Chanyeol glanced at her. She’d cupped a hand over . She looked exhausted from crying, he couldn’t blame her. His heart went out to her and wished he could do something more. In the end, they each stood there locked in their own thoughts, wishing how this should have never happened. He witnessed how Sehun tried again and again to comfort her only to be rejected. Each time, Namjoo stepped further away from him. The sound of her crying became the music in the hallway.

An hour felt like an eternity before the doors opened and a doctor finally relayed the news that Soo Ae had fractured ribs and had a bleeding head. She would be fine if she rested and healed. They could finally go see her. Namjoo rushed in through the doors and ran around until she found Soo Ae asleep on a bed with a beeping monitor next to her. How she dropped down into the seat beside the bed and immediately grasped her tiny hand was a sight Chanyeol would never forget.

Motherly love and affection flowed from her so strongly. It swept him up like a gust of wind and was something he never felt before. Not from his parents. Not from anyone. It was silly to say, but Chanyeol envied Soo Ae. Having a mother who didn’t birth her but loved her as much as she was her own. No one had ever cared about him like that.

He could have left, but decided to stay and wait for the little one to wake up. Chanyeol had forgotten all about the things sad Soo Ae had told him when Sehun dropped her off yesterday. He should have been more thoughtful about her words, knew something was up. Whatever had led up to this made him curious. Something was going on in Sehun’s home for sure.

*****

It was surely around midnight when Soo Ae came to. Each time the monitor beeped, Namjoo felt like jumping up, afraid that something was wrong. She was ready to put blame on the doctor, scream for the nurses, and throw a fit. When Soo Ae’s eyes flickered relief hit Namjoo like an oncoming wave, plunging her below. She had feared her daughter wouldn’t wake up…ever. Now she felt like crying again. She was so relieved.

Soo Ae was alive. Her daughter was ok. Though pale and weak, her daughter was alive. Namjoo couldn’t be any more thankful. Quickly promising herself that she would never yell at Soo Ae again, that she would be a better mother she felt her lips quiver as she leaned over to run her hand over her daughter’s forehead and into her hair. Still in one piece, she assured herself.

“Mommy…” her voice weak had Namjoo ready to bawl. Tears glistened in her eyes, her little fingers moving within her hand.

Fighting to pull on a smile of strength Namjoo nodded. “I’m here. I’m here, Soo Ae.”

“Hey, kiddo. How are you feeling?” Sehun leaned over them.

“Daddy…”

Namjoo shot him a glance without word. At the moment she felt numb and disregarded Sehun’s presence. All that mattered was Soo Ae. Never before had her daughter appeared so sickly and weak. Her daughter had always been well cared for under her. Never before had her little one been so injured until she met Sehun. Soo Ae was always so healthy and bright. Nowadays she had to be locked up in her room, spend her time inside instead of outside where she should be enjoying her childhood. Soo Ae was losing more than she was gaining.

This wasn’t right…it just wasn’t.

Namjoo wanted to cover her face in shame and cry out to the world. She’d done wrong. She’d made so many wrong decisions.

“You should take Chanyeol home,” she finally spoke to Sehun. She wanted to be alone with Soo Ae.

“No, it’s fine. I can return myself.” Chanyeol interfered.

Namjoo shook her head, “Sehun will send you home.” Silence, then, “Thank you. For saving Soo Ae. Thank you.”

As if sensing that she wanted time alone with Soo Ae, Sehun turned to Chanyeol, “I’ll take you home then.” Namjoo felt his hand on her shoulder, but feeling dejected after all that had happened she was more bitter. “I’ll be back.”

Namjoo didn’t turn to bid them farewell or watch them go. Her grip tight and firm on Soo Ae’s small hand was the only thing that mattered.

“Mommy,” tired daughter called for her. “I want to go home.”

“Should we?” Namjoo questioned then watched Soo Ae nod her head. Her heart weak and tired she reached over to her hair. Turning she glanced around to see if the doctor was in sight. None of the nurses seemed to be paying attention. Removing the monitor and drip from her daughter’s arm she helped pull Soo Ae up as gently as possible. She was aware Soo Ae should stay for a night, but she didn’t want to be in the hospital. Soo Ae could heal up at home as well and Namjoo wanted to be with her daughter alone.

“Let me know if it hurts,” Namjoo said. Carrying her daughter she walked out of the ER. Hailing a cab outside didn’t take much work and in between a few minutes they were at Sehun’s home, where she carried Soo Ae upstairs to her room. Namjoo was finally beginning to dread the house even more again. The house of hell she wanted to call it.

“Lay down,” Namjoo inquired upon setting her daughter down, but Soo Ae shook her head. Sitting up at the edge of her bed Namjoo kneeled before her. Silence passed between them as she held her daughter’s tiny hand, still sinking in the fact that her daughter would be all right and trying to gain the strength to believe it.  

Tears welled up in Soo Ae’s big eyes as she gripped her hand. “You lied, mommy.” The tears became threatening and dripped like droplets. “You said you’d be happy if I was happy, but I was happy and you weren’t.”

Namjoo’s heart broke again and again, realizing she hadn’t been able to hide anything from her daughter. That all this time Soo Ae had been trying to smile for her instead. All the tears she’d tried not to shed in front of Soo Ae came pouring out. She was sorry, so sorry.

“Lets go, mommy.”

When Namjoo looked up at her she felt as if she had failed everything she had worked for. To give Soo Ae a home, a father, and a happy life. Yet, to know that her daughter realized, from the very beginning, that she didn’t want to get married was probably the worse.

Trying to sniff back the tears, Namjoo nodded her head. “All right. Wait here for me.” And to see that her daughter had been injured in the process killed her even more. Emotional stress was too much for a child. Namjoo had done wrong.

*****

“Just drop me off here,” Chanyeol pointed toward the side of the building. Sehun did as told without argument.

“I owe you,” he turned to his friend. “Thanks. If not for you, we would have lost Soo Ae.”

“Don’t worry about it. Glad I was able to do something,” Chanyeol smiled releasing his seatbelt. Before he got out, he turned back, “You should watch over Soo Ae. I mean, really keep your eye on her. I don’t think she’s been well.”

Sehun was curious about what he meant, but didn’t ask for more. Nodding, he waved as Chanyeol left the car and drove toward the hospital, anxious to return to Namjoo and Soo Ae’s side. Earlier he’d felt Namjoo give him the cold shoulder. He could understand the turmoil she’d been through, watching Soo Ae get run over. She’d practically raised her and to have her heart ripped out from her chest was something he wouldn’t be able to fully understand.

*****

The bed was empty when he ran into the hospital. Confused, he spun around wondering if they’d possibly gotten up to walk around. Going around the ER showed him no sign of his wife or child. Holding back panic and thoughts of the worst he grabbed a nurse to inquire about them. The nurse didn’t know and hadn’t seen them leave. If they weren’t in the hospital, he didn’t know where they would be. Surely Namjoo wouldn’t just up and leave with Soo Ae injured and recovering.

She wouldn’t…would she?

Spinning around, Sehun rushed out of the ER confident that if he searched around the hospital he’d be able to find them. He ran around the first floor, around the back, and through the lobby. No sign of them.

Calling home he met with his mother’s impatience over the phone. Frustrated with how she dodged his questions about them, he hung up. If they’d gone back, there was a possibility that his mother wouldn’t have seen them. Namjoo would have returned silently. Left with no choice, he drove home. Once there he rushed up the stairs calling for them. No one replied.

Swinging the door to Soo Ae’s bedroom open showed him sign of no one. It didn’t even look like they’d returned at all. Then to his room. He still couldn’t find them. He expected to find Namjoo curled up on the bed with Soo Ae by her. That wasn’t what he found. As he twisted around to head out something sitting on the night table caught his eye. Walking over brought to him the surreal nightmare he was sure would never come.

Another set of divorce papers, signed. This time, Namjoo’s wedding ring sat atop it. Panic flurried through him like a hurricane. Spinning around he started going through the drawers frantically. His eyes swam over the contents of Namjoo’s clothes but saw that others were missing. Rushing into his daughter’s room he discovered that most of Soo Ae’s clothes were gone.

His mind screamed like a boiling kettle screeching death. He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. Before the pain spread he thought about how well everything had gone last night. Namjoo had asked for forgiveness, he’d given it to her. They’d been happily intimate and woken up in good moods then he’d left in the morning only to have the day turn into a disaster.

Now this.

It couldn’t be happening. This wasn’t real!

“Namjoo!” he screamed as he raced down the stairs, nearly tripping over his own feet on the way down. “Namjoo! Soo Ae!” he screamed from the top of his lungs.

The door swung open, his heart crashed. Only his mother walked out, not the two he wanted. “What are you screaming for!? Do you know what time of night it is?! Your father is trying to get some sleep! And where have you been?!”

He couldn’t think straight. His chest was heavy and clogged with tension. He was going to cry.

He’d been left behind. 

Ignored.

Running past her he returned to his car. He was going to search every street of Seoul until he found them.

*****

The room was dark and a weak ray from the moonlight lit their tiny but cheap hotel room up. She’d first tucked Soo Ae in, calming her until she was fast asleep. Now sitting by the wall watching over her daughter, she felt the whole aftermath of the afternoon seep into her skin. Her heart wrenched with terrible pain and she tried to muffle her cries.

Tears ran uncontrollably again. The sadness was too much, eating away at her heart like a monster mercilessly. One moment she was gazing romantically into Sehun’s eyes, the next she’d walked away for the sake of her daughter, because how could she continue to stay in a place where her daughter put herself at fault for her mother’s happiness that wasn’t happening?

Her chest erupted with a sob and afraid she’d wake Soo Ae up, pressed her hand against even harder. She didn’t want her daughter to see her a crying mess. None of this was their fault. It was just..things hadn’t worked out.

Yet, Namjoo wanted someone to blame.

*****

Morning arrived. Sehun still couldn’t find Namjoo or Soo Ae. With head hanging back against his chair, Sehun stared out into the lively city resuming life, the kind of life that didn’t belong to him. There was no meaning without his wife or child.

Bitter tears hugged the tired eyes he refused to close. Cars echoed by and he wished he was every person in each vehicle that passed. Any person would be happier than what he was. Namjoo and Soo Ae could be anywhere and they were going to continue life without him. He’d been cut off. He no longer meant anything to them.

Thinking about the divorce papers and Namjoo’s ring – the one he was sure she’d never take off – burned him. Pressing his hands against his face he leaned into the wheel. No, this couldn’t be. He would call in for work and spend the rest of the day looking for them. He couldn’t leave things as is. He needed them.

Hours transitioned by. Sometimes he left his car to walk around. Other times he pulled people over, showed them pictures of Namjoo and Soo Ae. No one had seen them. Then he drove around again and continued asking.

By the time the sun went down again, he returned home alone.

“Where have you been the whole day?” his mother first asked when he walked in through the door. “Did they leave? I didn’t see them all day.” She sounded bright and hopeful. Sehun no longer had the energy to get angry. Ignoring her he travelled up the stairs and slumped down onto his bed without bothering to turn the lights on. He lie on Namjoo’s spot, burying his face into her pillow. So exhausted he felt sorry for himself. Should’ve been better, done better for them. Then they wouldn’t have left.

Guilty tears wet his eyes. Clutching the blanket into his fist he gritted his teeth as he wept. Why…why did it have to happen? Why did they have to leave him? They had been happy. Everything had been so right between them, even if it had been wrong outside. They had been perfect…the three of them. So why…why was this happening to him?

Sehun slept fitfully and woke at the same time Namjoo always did. Immediately changing he went downstairs to hear his mother and Eun Bi in the kitchen, cheerily talking about how there had been no sign of Soo Ae and Namjoo the past day. Tired, Sehun put up no argument. Walking in he pulled a chair out and sat down to await breakfast.

“You’re up early, look at you,” his mother sounded calm and glad for once. Nudging Eun Bi, “Get him a cup of coffee.” then calling out to him, “Breakfast will be done in a few minutes. Eun Bi came over early to fix something good for you.”

Sehun’s eyes flatly landed on the wall ahead of him. Even that blank space looked happy. The sound of another chair being pulled out entered his ears. He heard the sigh of his father as he sat down and unlike him, glanced around to see how empty the table was.

“Where’s everyone?”

“This is everyone. What are you talking about?” his mother answered. Sehun could feel his father’s eyes on him, but he said nothing. “Don’t worry about them. Finally picked up and left. At least they have enough sense in their heads to do the right thing. I was going to throw their things onto the streets any day now. Now I won’t have to waste my energy.”  

“Here, Sehun. I mixed some sugar in it for you,” Eun Bi placed a steaming cup of coffee before him, which he didn’t bother to look at. “Mother and I are going out to look for some things later. Is there anything you’d like us to get?”

He couldn’t hear her. Inside his head he saw Namjoo sitting beside him, Soo Ae on her right. Their shoulders would rub and Soo Ae would laugh at something. They’d be happy just hearing her. The tie around his neck would be later fixed by Namjoo. He’d watch her slip it around him and focus on making it look neat. Sehun could barely make her out in front of him, looking shy as he stared. His heart throbbed.

She wasn’t here with him. And he wouldn’t be taking Soo Ae to daycare.

Freshly cooked dishes quickly filled up the table and when his mother and Eun Bi sat down, he pushed back his chair and rose.

“Where are you going? Eat first.” His mother said.

Without answering he headed for the door. He was going in for work.

*****

The night Chanyeol returned home from the hospital he took a shower and changed into fresh clothes. Then he stared at the blood Namjoo had left on his clothes, recalling every moment of how she’d cried. Those tears that stained her cheeks spoke of misery and the effort she put into raising Soo Ae. Hard times, Sehun had said, he didn’t want them to have hard times any more.

He hadn’t heard from Sehun Monday. For some reason, he’d taken leave from work. Chanyeol had assumed he did so to stay home and take care of Soo Ae but then he was at work on Tuesday…looking dead. His eyes dull without emotion, his movements robotic. The silent friend wasn’t who he’d seen Saturday or Sunday morning.

When he found Sehun in the lounge during lunch, he hadn’t touched his food. Just sat there, staring into space. Joining him, Chanyeol first glanced at him cautiously.

Knocking onto the table with his knuckles he asked, “Earth to Sehun. What’s wrong with you today? You look…so out of it.” Chanyeol was taken aback when Sehun suddenly looked up at him with those lifeless eyes of his. A brief moment of silence passed within them bombarding Chanyeol with confusion. He felt as if he understood why.

“Lets go out,” Sehun quietly said. “You know of any good drinking places?”

Chanyeol’s brow literally shot up. “Why? You shouldn’t be doing those things at this time.”

“You’re the only one left who’s willing to stand on my side,” his voice was a weight of depression. So heavy that he couldn’t lift his lids up again. “I don’t know what else to do.” 

***Well...the divorce is finally pending. Now that Namjoo's signed it again, only Sehun has to put his mark on it. His lone fight since Namjoo has given up. 

***Last update of the week. I have to get focusing on school and my freelance work now.