Hyuk was rushed to the Emergency Room.
As soon as he arrived, the doctors brought him into surgery.
Seeing that Yeo Ri wasn't in the right condition for dealing with formalities, Jin Goo took up the role of guardian and signed the forms in her place.
Yeo Ri stared blankly at the closed doors. Her legs buckled under her, but luckily In Guk reacted quickly and caught her.
"Yeo Ri, let's sit down, okay?" He brought Yeo Ri to sit at the waiting area.
Just as she was seated, a nurse took notice of them and came close. "Excuse me, I think we should get her treated."
The nurse had noticed the girl's worrisome condition; the young girl looked so battered.
"Ah, yes." In Guk got up, bowing to the nurse. The nurse led them to an empty bed in the ER, where she began to clean her wounds. He allowed the nurse to do her job as he paced back and forth worriedly.
The nurse felt pity as she applied medicine on Yeo Ri's bruises. She started from her arms, down to her hands, then moved to her face. Once she was done, she asked the girl, "Are there anywhere else that's hurting?"
Yeo Ri contemplated the question, then nodded slowly.
"Can you show me?"
Yeo Ri did not reply. She glanced at In Guk's figure soundlessly, seeming uncomfortable.
The nurse noticed her plight, then tactfully ordered In Guk to step back as she drew the curtains, hiding the bed from view.
"Now, can you show me?"
Yeo Ri hesitated for a while before uneasily raising her dress, showing her injuries to the nurse.
The nurse gasped sharply, her eyes wide in horror.
The girl's body was covered with a multi-colour of marks. Hickeys dominated her upper body and there were bruises in different shades of reds, blues, purples, and yellows marking her body. A detail she noticed was that they were all in places that were usually hidden underneath clothes. Clearly, whoever did this to her knew what he was doing.
The nurse examined the bruises closely for a short moment, then raised her head to meet the girl's eyes. "Who did this to you?" The nurse lowered her voice and asked with concern, "Tell me. I'll help you make a report."
Yeo Ri flinched, then shook her head in panic. "N-no! I'm fine!" That man had threatened to kill Hyuk and Gun. If she reported him, then Hyuk and Gun would be in danger. She couldn't risk it. "I'm really fine," she repeated. It sounded more like she was trying to convince herself.
"Please don't make a report," the girl clasped the nurse's hand, gripping it tightly. "Please," she tearily begged.
She couldn't be sure that they would be safe before they caught him. She couldn't be sure that he'd even be caught...
It wasn't just her life that was on the life; it was Hyuk and Gun's, and everybody else who were dragged into the situation. Any collateral, any bystanders—that man could hurt anybody.
—She couldn't risk it. She simply couldn't.
The nurse looked at the girl with a complicated gaze. On one hand, she was worried, and on the other, she didn't want to be a meddling stranger. She wanted to offer help, but seeing the girl's stubborn and insistent gaze, she gave up. It looked as if no words could change the girl's mind. She couldn't help someone who didn't want to be helped.
The nurse extracted her hand away and took out a small memo pad from her pocket, then scribbled a string of number and words on it. If she was so adamant about not turning to the authorities, then the least she could do as a concerned adult was offer some support for the girl. It was better than nothing, she hoped.
The nurse inwardly cursed herself for not remembering the numbers of any helpful hotlines that could have been more useful for the girl. She tore the page from her memo pad and placed it in the young girl's hand, her jaw clenching grimly at her thoughts. "This is my personal number. If you need any help, just know that I'm available."
She earnestly stared at the girl.
Yeo Ri looked at her hand which held the nurse's number, then looked up at the woman. "T-thank you," she says softly, lowering her head.
Yeo Ri bit her lips as she sniffed, tearing up.
"Stay strong," the nurse whispered as she enveloped the young girl in a comforting hug. Then, she finished up with Yeo Ri's treatment.
She handed Yeo Ri a clipboard, asking her to fill in her information. "A doctor will come by to check up on you later, okay?" The nurse offered a few more words of encouragement before going back to her tasks with a heavy heart.
Yeo Ri rubbed her eyes and nodded obediently.
"Yeo Ri," In Guk entered the curtained space just as the nurse exited, followed by Jin Goo. "Get some rest. Me and Jin Goo will look after your brother for you. Don't worry too much; Hyuk's a fighter. He'll live." In Guk smiled reassuringly, patting her head.
"...Okay."
Yeo Ri lied down on the bed.
It was only after the situation calmed down that she felt the brunt of her wounds. Her body was heavily fatigued and sore.
The moment her head hit the pillow, she passed out.