Chapter 302 - Jade(2)

KJ watched in despair as Jade was being examined by the vets. He had already coughed up a lot of blood and his pulse was weak. They had run a series of tests on him but to their surprise, could find nothing wrong with the cat.

Jade was kept under observation as a team of the country's best vets looked into his case. KJ was summoned at Dr. Shin's office.

"Did you find out what's wrong with him?" KJ demanded. Dr. Shin had some charts drawn up in front of him and he looked very worried.

"Well…" Dr. Shin started. "Physically, there seems to be nothing wrong with him. No food poisoning, his vaccines were up to date and we couldn't find any worms in his stomach either. He's quite healthy and his food intake is also normal. But his pulse dropped suddenly and his blood count also decreased. We're trying our best to find out why but it's very mysterious. His heart seems to be fine!"

The doctor had never seen something like this in his three decades long career. How did a healthy creature suddenly collapse?

"There must be something you can do!" KJ yelled. "Should we take him abroad? Or is there another expert who would be able to help us?"

"The team working with Jade consists of the finest vets in the country," Dr. Shine sighed. He was not offended by KJ's loss of temper. People loved their pets very much and seeing them in pain often made many pet owners act harsh towards the doctors. "We will try our best to save him," Dr. Shin added kindly. 

KJ ran his hands through his hair. He had never felt so helpless in his entire life. He had no idea of what to do. His mind had an inkling that if he could just find the red lady, his problems would be solved but she always appeared at random times. He did not know of her whereabouts nor her name, making it difficult to track her down.

With his hands shaking, he sent a text to Mirae. She was probably at a meeting but she had to know. After all, Jade was connected to her as well.

….

Mirae was at the middle of an investor's meeting when her phone vibrated. 

"So the next year, we are projected to make over five billion in profit-" one of the investors was saying but Mirae paid him no attention. The color on her face paled as she read the text.

"I'm sorry gentlemen but you'll have to excuse me," she apologized. "An emergency came up. Please continue the meeting without me. My secretary will take the notes and hand them over to me later."

She bowed to them and hurriedly left the room. Everyone watched in surprise as she rushed towards the elevator.

"Mir?" Somi asked, feeling astonished as Mirae sped past her. "Where are you-"

"A little emergency," Mirae replied. "I'll call you later!"

Before Somi could open her mouth, Mirae disappeared behind the elevator's doors. Mirae ran towards her car in the parking lot and revved up the engine, speeding off.

Please let him be safe, she prayed. Please don't let anything happen to Jade!

….

She barged into the veterinary and looked around for KJ. Finally, she spotted him on the topmost floor, sitting on a bench. His face was devoid of any colors and he looked broken. The only time Mirae had seen him like this was when she had her miscarriage.

"KJ…"

She gripped his shoulder. Without a word, he embraced her waist. He was shaking a bit. Mirae realized that he was crying.

"They don't know what's wrong with him," he said tearfully. "He's getting worse and I don't know what to do! What will happen to him, Mirae? I can't lose him. He's all I've got from my past! He's been my closest friend! I…"

He broke off. His words also brought tears to Mirae's eyes. She had seen how the cat risked its own life for KJ and the latter, too, was devoted to Jade. He took care of Jade's needs everyday without fail. The cat and its owner were dependent on each other, a bond which only solidified with time. If something happened to Jade, KJ would shatter from within.

"He'll be safe," she said firmly. "He'll come back to us. He's strong! I know he'll make it."

But she had little faith in her own words. Jade's soul was getting weaker. His connection to this timeline was beginning to thin and his limited magical abilities would diminish anytime. Mirae did not dare to say these things aloud because she was afraid that if she said it, everything would turn out to be true.

A doctor emerged from the Emergency Room, looking very grim. KJ broke off from Mirae's embrace and stood up.

"Is Jade alright?" he asked desperately.

"We've transfused some blood into him," he explained. "His color returned a bit but his pulse is still too weak. We're going to run some tests on his heart and brain, to see if there is anything we missed."

But his tone was unsure. They simply could not figure out what could have happened to the cat. There were no bruises on it either. The cat was simply healthy and very well taken care of. Even with their vast medical knowledge on animals, they could not find anything wrong with Jade. 

Moreover, the owners, KJ and Mirae, seemed to be very attached to it. The cat had a loving home, a healthy diet and all its medicines were given to it on time. Was it old age? 

But the doctors doubted it. The cat was very healthy and could easily live another five years at least.

"We'll consult the other vets of the country," the doctor promised them. "And see if we could identify the cause of the problem. If we can find out what happened to him, we could at least solve half the problem."

KJ simply stood there with a blank look. Mirae noticed that he was barely listening. He knew that nothing was going to help Jade. Only the red lady could help him.

"Thank you, doctor," Mirae said with a slight bow. As soon as the doctor was gone, KJ slumped back onto the seat, feeling lost and hopeless. Mirae did not say anything but sat beside him, holding his hand.

They did not know for how long they were there but it felt like an eternity had passed. PEople moved around them in slow motion but all they could think of was their beloved cat. The cat which was a part of their erased past and would have been born as their son if circ.u.mstances had not thrown them apart across two timelines.

"I'll get you some coffee," Mirae finally said. She was getting worried for KJ too. He did not eat anything since morning and she was afraid he would have another panic attack if he continued like this.

KJ vaguely saw her get up from the seat and walk down the hallway towards the stairs. He was sitting there all alone by himself, lost in his thoughts. His mind raced back towards the first time Jade had appeared to him. At that time, he was so distraught and depressed, that Jade's offer was a solace to him. 

He was staring at his hands, which were clasped together as if in a prayer. Suddenly, a shadow fell over him. 

"Mirae I-"

KJ looked up to tell her that he was not hungry but to his surprise, it was not Mirae. It was a woman wearing a dark black jacket and red pants. Her neck was adorned with a red scarf.

"Hello, Kwon Jiwon," Cherry greeted in a matter of fact way.