Chapter XC - We’re Back!

Sitting in the front of the car for a change, Sophie browsed her phone while holding Kyu in her lap. The time had finally come for them to introduce their new family member to Ryung. Irene and Amelia agreed to drop them off before heading home, but Arthur had every intention to invite them in, wishing to introduce his first-ever girlfriend. Quite a bit happened during their trip, and they couldn’t wait to share.

“Did he message you?” Arthur asked, looking over at Sophie while Irene kept making weird faces at Kyu.

“No,” Sophie sighed, looking at Irene before handing her Kyu. “Here you go. . .”

“Thanks,” Irene said with a wink before giving her full attention to Kyu, making kissy faces and grabbing his paws.

“The last message I got was yesterday morning saying he’ll take a day off today.”

“Maybe his still asleep?” Arthur asked.

“Probably.” Sophie looked back at her phone. “He works too much. . .”

Arthur noticed worry on her face, and it was warranted too. They both wanted to help Ryung as soon as possible as he overworked himself.

“You’ll be able to help him soon,” Amelia said, focused on driving. “And I’m sure all the good news will cheer him up.”

“You’re right,” Sophie said, looking around the streets of Seoul.

It had been a while since they’d last seen them, and despite spending so long in the city, it felt foreign after getting used to the beach house. However, as much as Sophie loved living at the beach, having a store next to her house was something she dreaded not having.

Once they arrived at the Park household, Arthur got out of the car and took out their suitcases.

“Girls,” he said, looking at Amelia and Irene. “I hope you’re coming in with us.”

Irene glanced at Amelia, who had been driving the entire time. Her older sister looked hesitant, sparking Sophie to convince her.

“I could use the backup,” Sophie said, holding Kyu up in the air while making puppy eyes.

“Fine.” Amelia sighed before a coy smile appeared. “Just stop looking at me like that. I’ll end up selling my soul at this rate.”

“Thanks!‘ Sophie cheered, making everyone laugh.

Taking deep breaths, they slowly made their way to the front door. Arthur swore he could hear Sophie’s heartbeat from a mile away. She considered ringing, but Arthur took out the keys and unlocked the door.

The two walked in slowly with the sisters in the back, hoping to surprise Ryung. However, Kyu did the unthinkable. He meowed.

“Shh!” Sophie shushed him, kissing him on the head. “Don’t give us away like that.”

“We’re home!” Arthur yelled, scaring Sophie.

“Oppa!” She turned around, cutely glaring at him.

“We’re not trying to ambush him. . .” He chuckled.

“Still. . .” She pouted. Taking a deep breath, she looked around, noticing there was no response. “Is he really asleep?”

“I’ll go check in his room. You girls wait in the living room,” Arthur said, walking down the hallway.

On his way to Ryung’s bedroom, Arthur’s heart skipped a beat as he heard Sophie’s scream.

“Art!” Irene yelled, making him rush over as quickly as possible.

“Grandpa!” Sophie repeatedly yelled as her cries echoed throughout the house, kneeling on the ground while Amelia held her from falling over.

Arthur was shocked to see Irene crouching next to Ryung as he laid down on the ground, nonresponsive.

“He has a pulse!” Irene yelled. “I’ll call an Ambulance.”

She stood up and took out her phone, switching places with Arthur. He checked for a pulse again and listened to his heavy breathing, quickly realizing that his life was hanging by a thread. Looking at Sophie, he could see her whole body trembling in fear.

“Grandpa!” Sophie cried into Amelia’s shoulder.

“It’s going to be okay,” she whispered, looking just as shaken.

“Yes. We need an ambulance! The address is-” Irene called the hospital and alerted them of the situation, hoping they dispatch someone quickly.

Sophie cried in Irene’s arms as they all sat in the waiting room. The ambulance came relatively quickly and took Ryung to the hospital. His condition hadn’t been determined yet, and their phones were blowing up with messages from the group chat. Iseul and Max were on their way but needed a bit more time to get there due to heavy traffic. Arthur walked back and forth, lost in thoughts while trying to figure out how to help. However, without knowing what was wrong, he couldn’t do anything.

Once Sophie calmed down a bit, Irene gestured to her sister to take over while she checked on her boyfriend.

“You okay?” Irene said, soft-spoken. She reached for the back of his head with her hand, leaning against him. “He’ll be fine. I know he will. . .”

Arthur glanced into Irene’s eyes, allowing himself to be embraced by her. He could see Sophie trying her best to calm down, but the stress was overwhelming. But what pained him the most was the guilt he felt. While he cared about what happened to Ryung, he found himself concerned more with his sister’s well-being.

“Help me look after her, please,” Arthur whispered in Irene’s ear, sighing in frustration.

“I will,” she whispered, scratching his back.

“Guys!” Max yelled, arriving with Iseul.

“Max, Iseul. . .” Arthur called out. “Thanks for coming.”

“Hey,” Iseul whispered to Sophie as she crouched next to her.

“No worries,” Max said to Arthur, glancing back at Sophie. “Any news?”

“Not yet,” Irene said, holding onto Arthur while half-turning to Max. “They’ve been in there for a while.”

“How you two holding up?”

Irene just stood silently, looking at Arthur.

“I’ll be fine once things have settled a bit.”

The lights turning green on the waiting room door interrupted their conversation as Doctor Miller, who treated Arthur after his accident, came out to greet them. They tried not to swarm him as he approached the group, while Sophie simply glanced up, trying to hold back her tears.

“Park Arthur?” He glanced around.

“That would be me,” Arthur said, stepping away from Irene.

“I’m sorry to inform you that your grandfather suffered a stroke likely caused by a blood clot. We’re unable to tell if the damage to the brain or the fall put him in a coma, and we speculate that it might be a locked-in syndrome.” Everyone looked shocked, unsure of what to ask. “Until we do further tests, we won’t be able to tell you more. However, he was likely in that state for over twenty-four hours. It was lucky that you returned when you did.”

Sophie couldn’t handle it and burst into tears again.

“Will he survive?” Arthur asked, glancing at Sophie before looking back at the doctor, pained by her cries.

“He’s not in critical condition, but waking up is a different story. I’m sorry that I can’t tell you more.”

“May we see him?” Arthur asked.

“Yes, of course.”

He glanced back at Sophie, but Iseul shook her head, telling him she was in no condition to move.

“May I come with you?” Irene asked before both looked to Doctor Miller.

“That’s up to Mr. Park.”

Arthur nodded, turning to Max, “Take care of her.”

“I will,” he whispered, tapping Arthur on the shoulder.

Doctor Miller escorted the two to the medical room, where Arthur got to see Ryung in bed, strapped to IVs and a machine that helped his breathing. Irene tightened her grip around Arthur’s arm.

“I wasn’t sure if I should say this outside, but I’ll try to be as transparent as possible,” he tried to ease Arthur into it. “Considering his age and the severity of the case, recovery is unlikely. Even if he wakes up, there will likely be damage to either his speech, memory, or mobility.”

“Can we do anything about it?” Arthur asked.

“Sadly, no. It’s all up to Mr. Park now. However, don’t lose hope as there’s a chance he recovers.”

“What could have caused all this?” Irene asked.

“Old age, excessive stress. . . There are countless factors we have to consider.”

“Thank you, Doctor Miller,” Arthur said, looking at Ryung. “Would it be okay if we were left alone with him for a bit?”

“Take your time,” he said, leaving the room.

“Art. . .” Irene spoke softly, endless worry taking over her. “Can you do anything?”

Arthur took a deep breath, approaching Ryung’s unconscious body. Grabbing his wrist gently with his fingers, he closed his eyes and focused on the inner paths of Qi. Clogged with impurities, Doctor Miller was right; stress devoured him.

“His life energy is almost snuffed,” Arthur said, sighing in frustration.

“What does that mean?”

“It means he is lucky to be alive,” he said, gritting his teeth. Irene walked up to him, putting her hand over his. “But I think there’s a way to save him. . .”

“How?” she asked.

“By infusing my inner Qi into him,” he said but sounded uncertain.

“That doesn’t sound safe,” she worried.

“Typically it’s not, but since I’ve mastered it, I’m confident I can pull it off.”

“Then why was there doubt in your voice just a second ago?”

“Because I’m not sure I have enough. . .” Arthur closed his eyes, biting down on his lip to the point where it nearly bled. “Dammit. I’m so stupid.”

“Stop,” she said, cupping his face. “Whatever happens, you’re in no way at fault.”

“But if I wasn’t so dumb and practiced my Qi as I did in the past, I’d now have enough to save him.”

“No, you’re not.” She forced him to look her in the eyes. “You had your reasons for not picking it up again. You told me so back at the beach house. Don’t blame it on your decisions as it’s not your job to predict the future like this. Life happens, but that doesn’t mean you can’t save him still.” Arthur looked at her lost as he still hadn’t accepted the fact that he was in shock. “Listen, Arthur. You can do this.”

He looked at her silently before finally taking a deep breath and slowly exhaling.

“Thanks. . .” he whispered, smiling meekly.

“Welcome back,” she said with a tender smile. “Now, how do you plan to do this?”

“Simple,” he said, looking back at Ryung’s hand. “I need to be in contact with him, channeling the inner Qi directly through his pathway. It’ll reinforce his inner Qi until it can recover on its own. I’m not sure if it’ll heal him, but it’ll definitely stop things from worsening.”

“And the downside?” she asked, knowing he was hiding something.

“Well, if I mess up, it’d be dangerous. Otherwise, I’ll just feel tired. But I won’t mess up, I promise.”

She gripped his arm, looking down to the ground with worry. However, with a quick breath of fresh air, she looked back into his eyes, filled with resolve. “I trust you.”

It was the first time Arthur managed to genuinely smile as she inspired hope in him. “Thank you.”

“How long do you need?”

“Five to ten minutes at most,” he said, looking at the clock. “With the amount I have, that’s all I can do. However, I do need to do it daily.”

“So you’ll be exhausted from here on out, huh?”

“Sorry.” He awkwardly smiled.

“Don’t be,” she reassured him. “I’ll take care of you.”

“Somehow, it always seems as if you’re coming to my rescue,” he pointed out with a smirk.

“You’re a retired hero, so it’s only fair,” she teased, letting go of him. “Okay. I’ll leave you to it and guard the door. You just do whatever you need to do.”

Arthur nodded, looking back at Ryung.

Taking a deep breath, Arthur closed his eyes again and focused on connecting with his inner Qi. Because he hadn’t done it in a while, his pathways were dusty but far from clogged. Despite regretting his current state, he couldn’t allow himself to fall down the rabbit hole of self-doubt as it would’ve endangered Ryung’s life as well as his. Once he managed to reconnect and allow the Qi to flow through him, he grabbed Ryung’s wrist gently and focused on sensing the path. The pathway between the wrist was the fastest natural tunnel leading to his heart which connected directly to the dantian.

The Qi flowed into Ryung, almost as if digging through mud to get to a hidden passage. Irene watched as Arthur’s expression changed from calm to strained, as what he did was no simple feat. Things would’ve been different had Ryung trained his Qi as well, but the harsh reality Arthur faced was that ideal scenarios didn’t exist. It took time, but eventually, Arthur made progress in unclogging his pathway. It would take a lot more than that, and if Ryung was to recover, it could take months.

By the end of it, Arthur was left heavily breathing. Irene rushed to hold him, but he looked as if he just needed sleep.

“You okay?” Irene had to make sure he knew he was her priority.

“Yes, and I managed to make progress. If I do this daily, Grandpa might be up and running in two or three months.”

“That’s good, but will you be able to endure it?”

“I’ve endured far worse. . .” Arthur chuckled, gathering himself.

“Let’s get you home.” She sighed with a proud smile.

Arthur pretended the best he could that he was not winded after such a treatment, and considering nobody asked anything, he assumed they believed him.

They talked about arrangements to help the two out, and everyone agreed they shouldn’t stay alone. Sophie mentioned that Ari invited her over thus Iseul took it upon herself to get her there. They agreed that being home might prevent Sophie from getting any sleep, so there were no objections. Arthur was going to stay back at the house as he was still composed. Feeding Kyu was necessary, and Irene was going to be with him, unwilling to part ways under any circumstances.

When Irene and Arthur got dropped off back at the house, she helped him get to bed, and he collapsed immediately.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled, barely keeping his eyes open.

“What for?” Irene covered him up with a blanket.

“Causing you to worry. Needing you to help me like this, and I’ll probably ask for more in the future to help Sophie.”

“Dummy,” she whispered, hiding away the tears that watered her eyes. Irene leaned down and kissed his temple, pressing her forehead against him. “That’s how it’s supposed to be when you care for someone. I-”

She stopped herself, noticing he fell asleep.

Chapter End.

Thank you for reading.