With the water rising dangerously high, walking beca exhausting and breathing difficult. Kim Ga-young, the shortest among us, clenched her mouth shut and lifted her chin as high as possible. It seed she was using the strategy to prevent water from entering her nose.
I walked watching their dark silhouettes floating in front while keeping my neck above water. About halfway, the black object I assud was Jihyun suddenly disappeared with a shriek and flash of light.
Jihyun-ssi!
I saw the flashlight light rippling underwater where she had fallen. Then within seconds, Kim Ga-young, who had been 60 cm ahead, also noiselessly sank into the water. What the! Why did they both vanish underwater!
Frightened, I instinctively pushed off the wall with all my strength. Sothing slamd forcefully into my calf. I saw stars from the pain. As I opened my mouth, a mouthful of water gushed in, which I involuntarily swallowed before standing up. At least there will be bruises or gashes on my calf. At worst, fractures.
The pain was excruciating but I managed to stand by clawing at the wall with my fingers. And despite risking death, I had to know what it was. Feeling around underwater it was a bed.
This is crazy. Almost all the furniture in the underwater base is fixed in place. With all the open dorm room doors and floating objects, why would a non-fixed personal bed be rolling around knocking into peoples calves? Jihyuns face surfaced from the water. The wavering beam of light illuminated my face.
What about eonni !
Shes underwater!
Hearing that, Jihyun imdiately subrged without hesitation. The flashlight also went underwater. Using my hands and feet, I walked forward like a goalkeeper, flailing my limbs. Plastic items, books, chairs, wigs (frightening), clothes, etc, brushed against . As Jihyuns and my lights converged, sothing touched my arm. My hairs stood on end, not just on my back but my nape too. Grabbing it and pulling up the figure, the body drooped limply. It was ghost-like but I hurriedly hoisted the arm over my shoulder. When Jihyun re-erged, I loudly exclaid,
I got her!
Lets go!
This was the second ti carrying soone underwater. Or third if counting my dream. She wasnt heavy, just difficult. My legs hurt so much. And with Jihyun ahead without anyone to see my face, I wept uncontrollably in the darkness. Crying made it even harder to see ahead. Dammit. Crying now could lead to dehydration or shock. My rationality judged my physical state dispassionately from a third persons view yet stupidly, my tears kept streaming down relentlessly.
The water was now up to my neck. Regaining her senses on my back, Kim Ga-young loudly coughed before weakly saying, Leave . Go alone. Ill be okay.
Hearing that made cry harder. Waaahhh! Why did we co here! Did I co to leave alone! Waaaaahhhhh! All sorts of objects floated past, occasionally slapping my weeping face.
Then suddenly, Jihyun, my hope and guiding light, tumbled backwards with a swoosh. The flashlight beam illuminated 2 ters below before plunging into the water with a splash. While bawling, I approached where the light was rippling.
Ridiculously, despite bursting into tears, my mind wondered if the flashlight was waterproof, considering the situation so far. Fortunately, the wrist lanyard had looped around Jihyuns wrist so she was easy to locate.
Sniffling noisily, I shifted Ga-young on my back before draping Jihyuns arm over my other shoulder. Both their arms hung across each of my shoulders. If unlucky, their arms may dislocate or shoulders pop out from this rescue thod. With my face above water, I couldnt think of any better transportation thod for carrying two people simultaneously. Why are there no thods for carrying two? Is that why its never done? Then what should be done in this situation!
Muttering dont fall repeatedly between sobs, I walked forward clutching them both. Another chair floated past . Extrely fortunately, being completely subrged provided enough buoyancy that their combined weight didnt hinder my walking too much.
While accidentally gulping down another nasty mouthful of water up to my chin, I barely made it near the stairwell. Sothing jerked Ga-young from in the darkness, startling to shift my body. The dark figure said,
Its ! Yoo Geum-yi!
Still supporting Jihyun, I climbed the stairs with eyes shut after glimpsing the light, tears pricking from the sudden brightness since my vision had already adapted to the pitch black dorm. Like a bat with poor eyesight exposed to light.
Only upon entering the connecting corridor could we see each other clearly. The pantsuit on Jihyuns calves and shoulders were torn with blood oozing out. After laying Jihyun down, I returned below to assist Ga-young up with Geum-i.
The calf area of Ga-youngs jeans was ripped, blood visible beneath. Glancing at my own calves after folding up my pants, I saw dark swollen bruises but no serious gashes hindering walking. I was probably struck after hitting the other two which slowed down the moving bed.
With Jihyun unconscious, I first checked she was breathing and had a heartbeat. After tilting her head to open her airway and a few seconds passed, she ca to with a gasp. Once confirming she had regained consciousness, I fussed trying to tear her bloodied pantsuit to check her wounds, grunting away. Whatever that black pantsuit was made of, it was extrely tough and rigid. Spitting water far away, Jihyun said,
My shoulders are killing . I got struck by a chair leg at the end and suddenly couldnt see anything. Ive seen the face of God.
The huge bed that struck all our calves swept past.
Suddenly sitting up, Jihyun waved her arms towards my back yelling,
Close the door! Close it! Quick, shut the gate to hell!
In our flustered state, we had left wide open the door to the flooded basent dorm. I hastily rushed over to close and lock the door leading downstairs. Before shutting it, I saw the water pursuing us only 3 steps behind.
I stopped Jihyuns flailing with one hand while using all my strength to tear open the bloody pantsuit on her calf. Her leg wasnt as horrific as I had imagined. I had been petrified that bone fragnts might be visible. At a glance, it didnt seem that severe. While pressing on her wounds with my thumb, I asked, Does this hurt when I press?
Jihyuns expression contorted whenever my finger moved. Everywhere youre pressing hurts.
Clenching her fist tightly, she answered while grimacing. Her shivering fist made flinch, worried she might direct it my way.
Can you stand up?
I dont know.
Try once. Ill support you, to check if you can stand or not.
While Yoo Geum-yi struggled with Ga-youngs drenched jeans nearby, I propped up Jihyun and helped her stand on both feet. The mont she stood upright, she spewed a slew of religious profanities. Foul curses erupted targeting the floating dorm beds that must be sizzling in hellfire along with those involved in the underwater base construction deserving to roast together. She also nad foreign engineers while condemning demons who launched missiles at the fourth underwater base. Finally, she cursed those who bought chairs and beds with private funds without even bothering to bolt them to the floor, swearing they would burn in hellfire above 180 degrees Celsius for over 30 minutes.
Though startled by her sudden outburst, I ignored it and swiftly inspected her calf. Dammit. Whats needed is an experienced orthopedic surgeon, not a dentist.
What f*cking lunatic did not secure the f*cking chairs to the floor! I hope 8 huge bolts hamr through that f*ckers skull! See how he likes flying around with unsecured seats!
Barely standing, Jihyun vented the pain in her calves and shoulders through curses. Choking back water, Ga-young gave a thumbs up to Jihyuns swearing.
This scene is rare in a dental clinic. Its difficult to cuss with your mouth wide open. And we call the dental drill a handpiece who would dare spew profanity at the dentist wielding a whirring handpiece? More patients redirect their curses at the front desk.
Can you walk if the bone is fractured? You can walk. By enduring the surging pain and weeping internally, you can walk. Immobility would trendously restrict our movents. And when will we find splints here?
If I could have my way, I would imdiately send them both to get x-rays at a hospital. Her legs were swollen but with both legs swollen, I couldnt discern if one was normal. After seating Jihyun back down, I approached to inspect her shoulder when she spoke.
I think my shoulder popped out.
It visibly looks that way. Despite torn skin oozing blood and forming dark bruises, feeling it revealed no abnormal protrusions or bone fragnts.
Theres an amateur thod I can try popping your shoulder back in place but I dont really recomnd it. The second option is to immobilize your arm and shoulder with clothes or fabric without reducing it first until we can get to a hospital.
Do you think we can reach a hospital within 2 hours given our current situation and the revelation Moohyun- ssi received in his dream?
I looked around us before shaking my head.
No.
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