CHAPTER 27

There're somethings in life you think happen only once, but life decides to laugh at your face. When I was found my mom passed out that day, I was so scared. I thought nothing could even make me feel that scared again. But atlas, life just has to play a mean game towards me

"Ya, wae geurae?" hey, what's wrong? I asked getting scared

There was no cause of any doubt anymore. He was clearly not fine

"I'm calling an ambulance" I said

He cover my hands that held my phone, but before he could say anything, he passed out

I jut stood there for a second, rooted and shocked, before what happened finally set in my brain

"JI SUNG!!" I shouted as I rushed over to where he was

I shook him

"Ji Sung. Sung-ah" I called out desperately, but no reply

"Ya, jeong-sin cha-ryeo. Ji Sung!" hey, come to you senses

It was no use, and I was so close to hyperventilating

I close my eyes, trying to even my breathing

Choi Soo Joon, calm down. Calm down, and think straight. This is not the time to panic. Please, we need to help Ji Sung, I told myself

I opened my eyes and took a deep breathe

"Okay. Now, what's first?" I asked, talking to no one

I looked around trying to look for answers, then I saw my phone

I snapped my fingers

"That's right. An ambulance" I said

I hurried over to it and dialed the emergency numbers

"Hello. My friend suddenly passed out. Please help us" I said

I gave her the address, then she told me to calm down and tell her what happen

"We were talking, then he became in pain. I was asking him what was wrong, before he fell off the chair and passed out. Please hurry"

"How long has he been passed out?" she asked

I looked at my wrist watch

"I don't know, I didn't keep track, but I think it has been about sixteen to twenty minutes" I said

She then asked if this had happened before. I told her no, but there had been time when he suddenly became overwhelmed with pain

I shouldn't have just let it go when those moments happened, I scolded myself

I became more anxious every passing second

She told me ambulance will be there in seven minutes, they came before the time was up

I sat beside him on the way, holding his hand throughout while telling myself it was going to be okay

"Are you sibling?" one of the medics asked

I shook my head

"No" I said

"What of his parents?" he asked

I suddenly became angry with his parents at that question

"I know, right. Just where are they?"

He seemed to have understood the gist, because he didn't ask any other question

I don't know how long it took before we got there, but we got to the hospital

He was rushed to the ER, Emergency Room, and I was excused

^^^^^

After a while, the attending doctor came out. I quickly got on my feet, and went to him

"Doctor, how is he?" I asked him

"Are you his family?" he asked

"No" I reply for the third time

"Are they around?"

"No" I said with impatience

"How close are you to him, then?"

"Very close" I said

He signed

"Then you should know about his illness? It seems to have gotten more severe than the last time" he said

I was puzzled, what sickness. Ji Sung was sick. Right?

I looked back at those time when he suddenly doubled over in pain, but shook it off

That doesn't been he was sick

"Sickness? What sickness?" I asked

"He didn't tell you anything about his sickness?" he asked

"No, but there were times they he suddenly became in pain" I answered

"Ji Sung has Fabry disease" the doctor announced

I dropped my phone

"Mwo? Fabry disease?" what?

"Seonsaengnim, neo museun sori-eyo? What do you mean Fabry disease? How can Ji Sung ha...? Wae...?" doctor, what are you talking about? why...?

I bent over, resting on my knee

"I really think he should get treatment. Why not talk to him?" he suggested

"Has he been refusing?" I asked

"Ne" yes

"Mwo?" what?

I signed

"Arraseo, I'll talk to him. Thank you, doctor" okay

I bowed, and he left while giving me a small smile I couldn't return

I went to Ji Sung's and sat beside his bed

"Just wait until you wake up" I threatened

"I'll pull out your mouth and make a talking drum with it. See if you can dare say no to treatment again" I said

A nurse came in holding Ji Sung and I's phone

"You dropped this a while ago, and this is your friend's phone. They're both ringing" she said

She was clearly amused by that fact. I would have been, but I didn't have the stamina, trying to breathe evenly without hyperventilating was hard

I went to my phone first, it was longer no longer ringing. I opened the notifications, I had missed calls and text from my mom. Just then another text entered

'Soo Joon-ah, where are you?' she asked

'Why don't you come home first, then we'll talk'

'It's already late. Where are you?'

'At least give me a text or something'

I didn't even bother to reply, I just put the phone inside my pockets

Ji Sung's phone started ringing, it was his mom

I answered

"Why in the world have you not been picking your phone? You dad and I have been calling you. Are you being a child again, because your dad and I aren't around. How many times would I tell you...?"

"Such a lovely thing for a mother to tell her child the first time she'll calling him in months. Maybe even years" I said without thinking, cutting her off

"Who is this? Isn't this Ji Sung's phone? Did he change his number?"

I chuckled sarcastically

"You don't even know if he changed his number or not" I said purposely quiet, but able for her to hear

"Excuse me?"

Before I could say anything, Ji Sung held my hand

"Ya. Are you okay?" hey I asked

He smiled

"I'm as good as a baby" he said

"As good as a baby, my foot" I said

He chuckled, then looked at my phone

He jabbed his head towards his phone. I folded my lips inward as I raised the phone for him to see who it was

"Biane" sorry I muttered, although I wasn't really sorry

"It's okay" he said and took the phone

"It's Ji Sung" he said

Even if my mom and I usually fight, we don't talk the way Ji Sung was talking to his parent, it was very formal

He pinched the bridge of his nose, and leaned against the bed

"I'll be there" he said and cut off phone

"I have to go home" he said

"The heck you are" I said

"Alex..."

"Don't 'Alex' me. You aren't leaving this place until you have treatment" I said

"Even if I agree, I can't just start immediately" he said

"Then you agree first" I stood my ground

"Soo..."

"For goodness sake Sung, you could die! Don't you care about your life?"

He didn't immediately reply like I though he would

"Ya..." hey...

I laughed

"Wow" I said

"Are you suicidal?"

"What? No" he said immediately

"It's just that, even if I do it, the chance of being recovered is very low. Like very, very low" he said

I calmed down a little, sitting back down

"But there's still a possibility"

"Like one in a billion" he said

"Then, have the treatment. Please. Even if not for anything else, do it for me" I begged

He looked at me

"I don't care if I'm being delusional, just go with the flow" I said

He laughed

"You aren't. Fine, I'll do it. If you'll stay with me" he said

I smiled

"I wasn't planning on doing the opposite" I said

Then I hugged him, relief flooding through my brain