Jeha Wook stood by the railing on the rooftop at the Wuga Hospital, taking in the city lights and the large moon shining in the sky. His thoughts were preoccupied with his grandfather.
Chae Wook was admitted with acute ulcers caused by stress.
Jeha could not believe it. He loved his grandfather so much; it scared him to see him ill and lying on a hospital bed.
“We have a problem,” a soft-spoken male voice said behind him.
When did they never have a problem?
Jeha cleared his throat and slipped his hands into his pockets.
“What is it?” Jeha asked.
“Moon has sent around thirty kids to the Wuga Emergency Department. They overdosed on Rapture at his club. So far, there have been three confirmed deaths, including one possible brain-dead patient. Either way, we’re on the verge of a crisis.”
Jeha closed his eyes wishing Hades would come and collect his stupid cousin.
“I shut down his rapture factory last week,” Jeha said, through gritted teeth. “Where did he get the product?”
“He probably had standing stock. We’re doing the best we can to handle the paperwork downstairs. The incident has drawn too much attention. The police are on site taking statements. We can’t stop an investigation. The patients are too many.”
“Damn it.”
Jeha opened his eyes, anger rising. He would have started a rant, but then the door to the roof opened and a lean man stumbled onto the roof. He looked exhausted, he wore scrubs, Jeha guessed he was a doctor or nurse.
Jeha blinked when the doctor bent over and puked hard.
“Find out where Moon is,” Jeha said with a frown, his gaze on the lean man. “Send people to take over Wuga Hotel’s warehouse block and take control of Moon’s supply routes. Monitor the clubs too but do not interfere. I don’t want us to draw any attention from the police.”
“I think that is one of the doctors working the emergency room tonight. His name is Dr. Graysen.”
“Oh,” Jeha said, his interest in the lean man rising. “Hm, get downstairs and see what needs to be cleaned up. The Wuga name should not come up in connection with Rapture. I’ll talk to the doctor.”
“Okay.”
Dr. Axel Graysen finished puking and Jeha stopped his best friend.
“Ryan, will you please bring me a bottle of water before you go?” Jeha asked.
Ryan nodded and hurried to the exit.
***
Axel cried hard until the worst of the pressure in his chest eased. When he could breathe easier, he let out a soft sigh, and wiped his eyes with his palms, taking in several deep breaths. He dropped his hands to his lap when a bottle of water appeared before him.
Axel looked up to find a very handsome man smiling at him.
“Water is good for you after a bout of tears.”
Trust him to meet a perfect man right after he had puked his guts and cried his eyes out like a baby. Axel let out a defeated chuckle at the charming smile, looking at the bottle in the man’s hands.
“It’s safe,” the handsome man said, his voice gentle, making Axel look up to meet his warm gaze. “The bottle is still sealed.”
Axel took the bottle because he needed to escape piercing blue eyes. Uncapping the bottle to have something to do and to brush off the embarrassment of having been caught crying.
He took a sip of the cool water, rinsed his mouth, and then drank the rest feeling extremely thirsty. Then, he stared at the empty water bottle when he was done.
“Feeling better?”
“Yes, thank you,” Axel said, looking up to meet a worried blue gaze. “What are you doing up here?”
“I was looking for fresh air. Hospitals can be very suffocating.”
“Do you have family here?” Axel asked.
“Yes. My grandfather is ill. He is admitted here.”
“I’m sorry,” Axel said. “I hope he feels better soon.”
“Me too. What about you? Why are you so upset? Talking about it to a stranger will make you feel better.”
The handsome man sat next to him on the concrete slab and Axel stilled when his heart skipped a beat. He instantly liked everything about his unknown knight.
This handsome stranger fit his type to a tee. Devastating looks, able to pull off tailored navy-blue suits, and boasting a clean-cut appearance. He even smelled very good.
Axel sighed.
“You’re wearing scrubs. You must be a doctor. Did something happen to a patient? Is that why you’re upset?”
Axel placed the empty water bottle in the space between them and wiped a hand down his face. He wanted to escape the mess happening downstairs, but he couldn’t. The image of the nineteen-year-old girl he had lost minutes ago filled him. His chest tightened and he let out a soft sigh. The dead lingered with him.
“I couldn’t save three patients tonight,” Axel said, heart aching. “It feels like I failed them, and it was too much to deal with so I came up here. I needed a few minutes.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I’ve been a doctor for a while. One would think calling time of death should be easier by now.” Axel frowned. In truth, his emotional overload was due to stress and exhaustion. “Still, I wish I could have saved the three of them. Give them another chance. Time in the emergency room is kicking my butt tonight.”
“How many patients came in tonight?”
“The emergency room is busy as always. We just dealt with an influx of twenty patients with critical symptoms in three hours,” Axel said, shaking his head. “Three dead, one is in the balance. The full moon is at work tonight and I’ve already broken down.”
“You saved sixteen. Sixteen lives are saved.”
Axel glanced at the handsome man, surprised by the positive outlook.
“Yes.” Axel agreed with a small nod. “But—”
“We can’t win all battles. We lose some so that we can learn a lesson and continue to fight again.”
“And what battles do you fight?” Axel asked, shifting to face the handsome stranger.
A soft chuckle came and before he could get an answer to his question, the door to the roof opened to reveal a second man. This one was taller, bulkier, and also dressed in a tailored suit.
“Sir,” their intruder said.
“Ryan.”
“You are needed,” Ryan said.
The handsome stranger smiled at Axel. Blue eyes studied Axel with curiosity. They made Axel want to discover more about his unexpected knight.
“I have to go, Doctor. Will you be all right up here? Should I worry about leaving you alone?”
Axel smiled. He could not help it for some reason. He could not remember anyone outside his immediate family asking him this question. It felt…nice, and charming.
“I’ll be fine. I’m sure someone will be calling me to head back to ED soon.”
“Good.” A nod and another devastating smile. “It’s always easiest to get back on the horse once you fall off. Never wallow in what you cannot change.”
Axel agreed with a nod and felt sad when the handsome stranger got up to join his friend Ryan.
“Wait, I didn’t catch your name,” Axel said.
“Jeha. What about you?”
“Axel. Axel Graysen. If you ever need treatment, find me. I’ll see to it.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Dr. Axel Graysen.”
“You too,” Axel said, but Jeha had already gone into the stairwell leading into the hospital.
For a full minute, Axel wished he had gotten Jeha’s number.
But he had no time to dwell on it because his phone beeped.
Nina was calling.
Axel got up and decided to take Jeha’s advice. He hoped the rest of his night would get easier.
****
Sui Writes 