Chapter 41 - The Promise You Made

Is this the end? he wondered as his consciousness began to slip. The green eyes were now crying uncontrollably.

Don't cry, he pleaded inwardly. Watching tears streaming down from those eyes hurt him more than the gunshot.

"Stay..." she held his hand, begging him. "Stay..."

No! he scolded himself. This can't be it for us! I want to be with her for a little longer.

He tried to fight off the drowsiness. He could not leave her there crying, but it was a lost battle. The last thing he saw before slipping into the darkness was Mirae's crying face.

....

"We're losing him!" the doctor shouted as he pumped more blood into the patient. 

"Sir, the wound is too severe!" a nurse said frantically. "Even if we operate, he's losing so much blood. Moreover, the bullet may have barely missed the heart but it ruptured some arteries."

"Get me the clamps!" the doctor ordered.

One of the nurses handed him the clamps and the doctor tied them at the arteries. He sliced away the rotten parts and began to sew the veins.

"Doctor, his heart is becoming unresponsive," a nurse warned him. "We must revive him quickly!"

"We need to shock him!" the doctor instructed. "Bring out the Cardioversion!"

A nurse quickly wheeled in the machine. The doctor covered the pads with sticky liquid and placed them on the patient's heart. He had to save this patient, no matter what.

This was an important patient who is a member of EXOTIC. The entire nation was shocked when they heard that one of EXOTIC's member was shot. Fans are demanding quick treatment and if the doctor fails, the entire hospital's reputation will be tattered. Many fans have even gathered outside the hospital but they were being held back by large number of security forces. No one except a few VIP and top security personnel were allowed near this patient.

But the bullet was shot from a close range. By the time the patient was wheeled in, he had already lost a lot of blood. Moreover, his blood group was very rare. It was by sheer chance that they got a donor at a short notice. 

Praying for a miracle, the doctor placed the pads on the unconscious man's chest.

"Shock!" the doctor ordered.

The patient's body jolted. The doctor looked up at the heart rate. The rhythm was going down.

"Increase the voltage!"

The nurse kept on increasing the voltage till the doctor told her to stop.

"Shock!"

The patient's body jolted again. The heart rate was still going down.

"Again!"

The doctor was perspiring. Please god, please make a miracle, he prayed as he shocked the patient. He then looked up at the heart rate.

....

Mirae was sitting outside the Operating Room. She was waiting there without any break for twelve hours straight. Even with a mask on, her hair was disheveled and eyes were bloodshot.

"Ma'am."

She looked up to see Riggs standing there.

"We have intercepted Madam Hong on the spot," he informed her. "I have handed over the video to her husband and the police has already arrested her. They will be charging her with prostitution, solicitation of prostitution and attempted murder. If...if he dies then the charges will change to..."

He stopped upon seeing Mirae's expression. 

"Take care of it," she said in a heavy tone. "Just make sure the Cartel does not get to her. Make the necessary arrangements."

"Understood Ma'am," he bowed and walked away. As he was heading towards the exit, he paused and looked back.

In all these years, he has never seen her so distraught. She was beside herself when they brought in the injured man. Her hands and clothes were full of blood stains as she held on to him, crying uncontrollably.

Now, she was sitting there, paralyzed with grief. She will never be able to forgive herself if something happened to that man inside the Operating Room.

Riggs pitied his CEO. She was always a lone wolf, working on her own to win her war. But now, she was no longer alone. She had comrades who are willing to share her burden. If she failed to protect them, then she can never get over it.

"So young and yet so much burden has been put on her shoulders," Riggs lamented. He walked away, determined to fulfill the mission given by his CEO.

Mirae buried her head in her hands. How could she be stupid enough to let Madam Hong go? They knew that woman was dangerous but none of them even dreamt that woman could also kill. Mirae's head was spinning with all the 'what if...' questions.

What if they had not let her go? What if they had her arrested after she gave up Teppei's location? What if they never had implemented this plan? What if...

Fresh tears began to flow from her eyes. This is my fault, she concluded. If only I hadn't entered his life...

She cursed herself for entering his life. If it was not for her, he would have kept on living his own life. He would not have gotten involved in her battles.

The door of the Operating Room slid open. A tired looking doctor emerged from it. Mirae rushed towards him.

"Doctor, how is he?" she demanded.

The doctor took a deep breath. "We managed to close up his wounds," he said. "But he lost a lot of blood. His heart rate fell to dangerous levels and is still very unstable. I'm afraid..."

"What is it?" Mirae pressed. She held her breath as she heard the doctor's next words.

"I'm afraid he has slipped into a coma," he revealed. "We don't know if he will ever come out of it."

Mirae was petrified. The doctor was saying some gibberish but she was not listening. Her mind was completely stunned, too blank to think anything.

Backing off, Mirae was absentmindedly walking to an unknown direction.

This can't be happening, her mind cried. It's not real. 

She kept on shuffling forward as her head chanted that it was all untrue. He needs to wake up. No. He must wake up. Didn't he promise her? Why was he breaking it off now?

"This isn't true," Mirae whispered as she kept on walking. In her dazed state, she did not realize she was heading towards the stairs. Not minding her step, she was almost at the edge when she stumbled.

A strong pair of hands grabbed her waist and pulled her back.

"Are you crazy?"

The deep voice broke her trance. She looked up to see a pair of familiar eyes, full of concern for her. A pair of grey eyes.

"Are you crazy?" Ash scolded her. "What if you had fallen? KJ is already in a critical state and now you're trying to hurt yourself!"