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Eun-mi’s life had turned unfamiliar a couple of months ago.
It had started when she received a call from the police regarding his husband’s whereabouts.
Harvey had left a week before. Saying he had found a solution. Saying their situation would be better soon.
‘Don’t fret, love. I’ve got everything.’
Eun-mi hadn’t minded him. She hadn’t inquired about his destination. She hadn’t expressed any concern about the nervousness in her husband’s voice nor the strained smile on his face. She had later realized that it was because she didn’t care.
It was their last resort, wasn’t it ?
They needed money. It was a fact. It wasn’t just about her own selfish needs nor the expensive kind of life they were living. Harvey’s 50’s suits were costly. And her own wardrobe was not any better. And their house had a high rent. And their son was going to a private school.
And their debts were stacking. And it had long since started to feel like there was no way out.
They needed money.
Hence, Eun-mi did not care about the ways. She wanted to keep this family together. She wanted Toby to be fine. She wanted to keep on dressing with those fancy shirts and live in this comfortable house. She wanted Harvey to keep on wasting a ridiculous amount in his hair routine.
Because it was comfortable. And because it was the life she feel like they deserved.
Because it was right.
Yes, it was the right thing to do.
And yet, something stirred in her chest when the cops had called her that one night.
She hadn’t been surprised to hear about Harvey’s condition. Deep down, she had known it would end like this.
She had known whilst waving Harvey out dismissively - he had still seized her wrist to kiss her hand nonetheless. She had known when Toby had knocked at the door of their room late at night after a nightmare, asking where did Daddy go. She had known when she had picked up the phone that one evening and heard the apologetic voice of the police officer through the device.
And yet, she couldn’t bring herself to regret her decision to let Harvey go a couple of days ago.
She knew Harvey would do everything for hers and their son’s wellbeing. She had shamelessly abused it. And was not even feeling bad.
She was also a bit disappointed their last resort turned out to be a mess as well. Now they were cornered, were they ?
It was a bit bothersome.
Everything had changed long ago, when Harvey had made them go broke because of a disastrous bank placement. Their relationship had never returned at least nearly as warm as it had once been.
Eun-mi hadn’t left. She preferred to believe it was for Toby’s wellbeing. But deep down, she still cared for Harvey. She did not want to leave him. Not when he was so madly in love with her. Not when he was still loving her like he had during the first week of their relationship. Not when he was trying to get everything right again. Not when he was trying to get her back so badly.
Little did he know he had never lost her.
If he had, she wouldn’t have driven to the hospital as fast as possible - not minding the traffic lights and speed restrictions. Lord, she would have run over a cop if they had ever tried to stop her.
‘This moron. Overdoing everything again.’ She had thought, violently pulling the gear lever to drive faster.
Just what did Harvey do again ?
It was a small hospital. A small hospital in an equally small town. The police officer hadn’t told her anything. Just that Harvey had been found on the side of a countryside road. So far from their house. From them. From home.
They hadn’t warned her about his state. They hadn’t said anything about this.
They had seemed terrified by the very thought of it.
Eun-mi could understand why now.
Her breath nearly stopped when she slammed the door of Harvey’s room open. The nurses around trying to stop her had only helped to increase her irritation.
‘Ma’am, please calm down-’
‘Mrs. Harvington, your husband is not-’
‘His state is a bit-’
‘Mrs. Harvington, you probably need to be prepared before entering there-!’
‘To hell with all that crap.’
She did not need advice. She did not need help. Nor nosy people trying to mind their family’s business. Those vultures be damned. The police officers as well.
She was fine. Harvey was fine too. They could handle this. Together. If there still was a together anymore.
Or at least, that was what Eun-mi thought at first.
She stood straight, frozen in the doorframe. Her sharp eyes widened a bit, and her purse slid down her shoulder a bit. She didn’t try to arrange it.
After a short while - the time she had needed to regain her composure - her shoulders slumped slightly. She slowly walked to the side of the bed. In a cautious yet steady pace.
It was a good thing the policemen had prevented her from taking Toby here.
The smell in the room was awful. A mix between burnt flesh, blood and sanitizer. The figure laying on the bed was barely breathing under the sheet, and the limb dangling down it had no hand anymore. Under the loads of gauze strips and bandages, she could only guess the man who had once been her husband.
Eun-mi should probably have been disgusted. She usually would have been before such a pitiful state. Loathe the messy and bloody pink strands matching hers. Feel nothing but disdain taking in the ragged suit and all the cuts of her husband’s swollen face.
That would have been a normal reaction. Or at least, she knew it would have been hers. In any other situation. Could such a pathetic man - such a pathetic thing - be her husband ?
It was. This thing was Harvey.
And she couldn’t bring herself to despise him for looking so messy. So improper.
‘Don’t fret, love. I’ve got everything.’
This idiot.
“Look where it got you…” She muttered under her breath, her pointy gaze roaming down Harvey’s face. His well kept and composed face… All inflated and hurt now.
His beautiful face…
‘Such a waste.’
Harvey hadn’t reacted when she had approached. He seemed deep asleep. It was probably due to the medicine.
Eun-mi quietly walked to the other side of the bed, her heels echoing in the silent room. She could feel the medical workers’ eyes on her. Observing her every move - seeming almost outraged seeing the lack of tears or screams. They were probably expecting a more dramatic reaction. Her silence was disappointing.
‘Such a cold wife this poor man has’, was probably what they were thinking. Those fools. Busy buddies that didn’t know a thing.
They knew absolutely nothing. About their family. About her. About Harvey. About them.
She took Harvey’s hand. The one that hadn’t been severed yet. She grasped it gently - in a gentleness that didn’t suit her. And examined it quietly.
Harvey’s body was limp. So limp.
Before this display of softness coming from her, her husband would probably have one of his usual annoying remarks to give. She could almost hear his playful, cheerful voice in his mind.
‘My, my, how nice of you, dear ! It’s not every day that I can see you so eager, yeah ?’
Eun-mi realized she was oddly missing this irritating humor.
Harvey was a rather chatty man. He had an opinion about everything and everyone. Eun-mi could still smell the subtle vanilla fragrance sticking to his hair and suit despite all the mess. Discerning this odor in a quiet room felt strange.
It felt wrong.
She almost wanted Harvey to laugh loudly and tease her about her own appearance. She must be looking quite messy herself - straight out of bed, her black hairline showing under the pink dye and not a single jewel on.
But Harvey did not. He remained unconscious. Limp and silent.
‘How cruel.’ Her husband was such a cruel man sometimes.
His cheerfulness was overwhelming, and positivism infuriating. He wanted to handle everything alone, and was laughing off the issues whenever they were about to blow at his face. Eun-mi hated this. And hated the fact she couldn’t bring herself to be mad and leave Harvey, even when their life had turned shitty.
Harvey was too much.
Harvey was too caring.
Too loyal.
Too gentle.
Too devoted.
Too nice.
Too positive.
Too perfect.
It was bothering her to no end.
And now that she needed him to wake up and utter one of his usual witticisms, Harvey was remaining limp on this bed.
How merciless of him.
Eun-mi was mad.
And yet, she was still holding Harvey’s sole and only hand so gently.
Her thumb was absently stroking the reddened skin of his hand. Harvey wasn’t reacting to her touch. To the cautious brushes over his bandages.
Witnessing the disastrous state of his hands, she thought it was a great thing they both were not wearing their engagement ring anymore. He would probably have lost it.
It was an expensive ring, after all.
And yet, she felt like rummaging through the drawer of their nightstand to find it back and slide it around Harvey’s finger once more. Like she had done years ago during the day of their wedding.
She felt like wearing her own again.
Such a peculiar thought.
Eun-mi will probably bring the jewel to Harvey during their next visit - hers and Toby’s.
She planned on returning tomorrow. And the day after tomorrow. And probably the one after the day after tomorrow as well.
Until Harvey would be back to their house. Back home.
As for now, she needed him to wake up.
They had a lot to talk about. He had a lot to explain.
And Eun-mi probably would need to have a discussion with Toby as well before allowing him to see his father. She should probably wait for this too.
Wait for Harvey to look a bit less… messy.
Wait for the thing to be alright again. Or at least, to appear so.
Things were never right. They had never been since they had gone broke.
This was Harvey’s fault. And yet, she couldn’t bring herself to be mad at him.
Not when she was taking in his wounded figure - not when her eyes were sliding down his wrongly bandaged, empty eye socket.
Her grip around Harvey’s hand tightened slightly.
She couldn’t bring herself to resent Harvey.
Because if their daily life had been nothing but a proper illusion and thin lies, Harvey had always done everything to get everything together. He had made sure their son would never notice. Spoiling him to no end - a bit too much, actually. Harvey had always made sure they could keep their previous lifestyle. Keep on buying expensive clothes, live in this costly neighbourhood and afford school for Toby.
He had taken all the debts to his name and was constantly reassuring her. Not that she had ever needed his words, of course.
Harvey was irritatingly caring. Roaming around with a pathetic apologetic subtone under each of his cheerful words and actions. Trying to get her back. Trying to earn her back.
Even if he had never lost her.
Eun-mi could not take her cold eyes away from Harvey’s inanimate form.
“Just what did they do to you…”
She needed to walk out. To join Toby back in the hall and explain to him they would stay here for the night. She could probably ask his grandmother to bring him to school tomorrow - skipping was out of the question.
The cops probably had a lot to talk with her. But for now, she needed to get Harvey in a bigger hospital. For him to get better treatment.
All this would cost a lot as well.
‘Always overdoing it and needlessly bringing issues.’ Eun-mi did not let go of Harvey’s hand.
She would be back. Eun-mi will stay by his side until her husband will be concious again.
Until Harvey would be back home.
She would then decide on what they’ll do. Together. They’ll handle it together, whether Harvey liked it or not.
It was the right thing to do. She would not give him the choice this time.
Her fingers intertwined with Harvey’s as her bland eyes glanced up at the nurses. The night was going to be a long one.
But this would be okay.
It had to be okay.
They would handle it together. As they should have since the beginning. And everything would be alright.
Eun-mi would remain by his side.
Harvey hadn't lost her yet.