Beacon of Light in the Dark Sea

With the water rising dangerously high, walking became exhausting and breathing difficult. Kim Ga-young, the shortest among us, clenched her mouth shut and lifted her chin as high as possible. It seemed 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 assumed 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. Something slammed 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 people’s calves? Jihyun’s face surfaced from the water. The wavering beam of light illuminated my face.  

“What about eonni !”

“She’s underwater!”

Hearing that, Jihyun immediately submerged 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 me. As Jihyun’s and my lights converged, something 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-emerged, I loudly exclaimed,  

“I got her!” 

“Let’s go!”

This was the second time carrying someone underwater. Or third if counting my dream. She wasn’t 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 person’s 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 me. Go alone. I’ll be okay.”

Hearing that made me cry harder. Waaahhh! Why did we come here! Did I come 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 me 2 meters 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 Jihyun’s wrist so she was easy to locate.  

Sniffling noisily, I shifted Ga-young on my back before draping Jihyun’s 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 method. With my face above water, I couldn’t think of any better transportation method for carrying two people simultaneously. Why are there no methods for carrying two? Is that why it’s never done? Then what should be done in this situation!

Muttering “don’t fall” repeatedly between sobs, I walked forward clutching them both. Another chair floated past me. Extremely fortunately, being completely submerged provided enough buoyancy that their combined weight didn’t 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. Something jerked Ga-young from me in the darkness, startling me to shift my body. The dark figure said,  

“It’s me! 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 Jihyun’s 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-young’s 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 came 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 extremely tough and rigid. Spitting water far away, Jihyun said,

“My shoulders are killing me. I got struck by a chair leg at the end and suddenly couldn’t see anything. …I’ve 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 basement 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 Jihyun’s flailing with one hand while using all my strength to tear open the bloody pantsuit on her calf. Her leg wasn’t as horrific as I had imagined. I had been petrified that bone fragments might be visible. At a glance, it didn’t seem that severe. While pressing on her wounds with my thumb, I asked, “Does this hurt when I press?” 

Jihyun’s expression contorted whenever my finger moved. “Everywhere you’re pressing hurts.”

Clenching her fist tightly, she answered while grimacing. Her shivering fist made me flinch, worried she might direct it my way.

“Can you stand up?”

“I don’t know.”

“Try once. I’ll support you, to check if you can stand or not.”

While Yoo Geum-yi struggled with Ga-young’s drenched jeans nearby, I propped up Jihyun and helped her stand on both feet. The moment 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 named 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. What’s 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 hammer through that f*cker’s 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 Jihyun’s swearing.  

This scene is rare in a dental clinic. It’s 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 tremendously restrict our movements. And when will we find splints here?

If I could have my way, I would immediately send them both to get x-rays at a hospital. Her legs were swollen but with both legs swollen, I couldn’t 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 fragments.  

“There’s an amateur method I can try popping your shoulder back in place but I don’t really recommend 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.”