I don’t know how long I slept. There were no clocks in the infirmary, nor were there any windows to the outside. The first thing my blurry eyes saw when they opened was the blinking red light of the surveillance camera in the corner. It’s unrelenting gaze never waning. I should get used to it already. 

Someone must have come in and unhooked the blood bag and ECG machine while I was asleep, since the only thing I saw attached to me was the IV. 

Still groggy from fatigue and crummy sleep, I fixed my gaze on the surveillance camera’s blinking red light. I let its rhythmic pulse hypnotize me. It’s actually quite comforting. It’s stable, like everything in this place– except for me of course. I chuckled at the thought, and my body movements caused a dull ache in my amputated leg. I looked back at the camera. 

This small red light. You always know what it’s going to do. Whenever it turns off, it will always turn back on again. 

On.

Off.

On.

Off.

. . .

And then it stopped.

The red light no longer blinked. I smiled sheepishly.

I smacked my own face with both hands, a desperate attempt to keep another wave of sleep at bay. I studied the camera once more, but the red light still didn't flicker back to life.

I am free.

With a grimace, I pulled the needle from my arm and attempted to stand.

I was still dressed in my puffy jacket and warm pants. The doctors, having cut the pant leg off the injured leg when they were examining the wound, didn’t see the need to take off any more clothing for the moment thank goodness. I’m just glad they didn’t strip me when I was asleep. 

I grasped the IV stand, using it as a makeshift crutch, and began hobbling towards the door.

A large face popped through a small window in the door. A stern voice echoed from the guard, making me freeze in my tracks. "Hey, kid, turn back."

I stood there, leaning on the IV. 

"I said turn back–" his words cut off abruptly, followed by the deep thud.

I backed away from the door in alarm as it slowly creaked open. 

Then Baek's head popped around the door. He took a moment to take in the sight of me. I could only imagine what I looked like with my disheveled hair, wrinkled clothes, sweaty face– not to mention my missing leg. 

"Dummy." Baek pushed the door wider and dragged the limp body of the guard into the room. A welp gradually formed on the back of his neck.  

Baek tucked the guard's body against the wall, out of view from the door’s window. His gaze then shifted to scrutinize me. I could feel the heat rushing to my cheeks as his face inched closer to mine, and my gaze fell. 

"Why... Did you cut off your own leg?" His voice was soft, almost a whisper.

"Huh?" I was taken aback.

His whisper turned into a loud, panicked hiss, "Are you crazy?! Why would you cut off your own leg?! Out of everything you could’ve done! The leg?"

I stumbled over my words, trying to find an explanation, "I-- I didn’t know! I needed to get back here!"

"Ohhhh my. Is this what you meant when you said you had a plan?" Baek stared at my missing foot in disbelief. "I should’ve known it would be this extreme. Every day I thought to myself ‘Maybe I should come up with the plan instead’ ‘No I should trust Dahyun, I believe her–’"

"--My plans aren’t bad! I got here didn’t I?" I argued back, my voice an octave higher than usual.

"But... you. lost. your. leg." Baek's words were staccato and exasperated. It was hard to keep a straight face at his reaction.

Without warning, Baek wrapped his arms around me in a tight hug, and I found myself melting into his embrace. It was a comforting warmth, a brief reprieve from the pain and chaos.

“I’m glad you're okay.” He said, burying his face in my puffy jacket. 

“I missed you.” I murmured. His strength empowered mine. 

Then reality struck. My gaze fell on the lifeless guard on the floor. "Is he dead?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

“What? No. I just knocked him out.”

“Oh.”

“Come on. Let’s get out of here."