As I walked, I ducked my head in and out of the rooms on the side where the snake had been, checking. Where is it? Which room was it again? I had found the snake in Room 74. But the problem was that I had a child on my back and a cat strapped to my chest, and with all that weight, I couldn't do a thing. I put Henry back on the bed and grabbed the snake with my hand. Then I opened the cat bag hanging in front of me and put the snake into a small pocket inside the bag.
Coexist! Please! Even if you hate it, at least try!
Then I locked the cat bag and hoisted Henry onto my back again. When I got outside, the water was already above my thighs, and far away, I could see the Russians cutting through the current, walking toward the central staircase.
"Let's go together!"
Then I started running as fast as I physically could. It was a speed that a tortoise on land could likely surpass, but there was nothing I could do. With the water up to my thighs, my body bobbed and floated, making it hard to walk. Between Henry on my back and my own weight, I barely kept from falling. Supporting Henry's bottom with one hand and holding the wall with the other, I soothed a heart that felt on the verge of tears. I was only just passing Room 68. ......I can escape. I can escape! I even did it in my dream! I can do this! I'm not scared! I'm not scared!
The central staircase looked farther than the road to me becoming a chaebol right this instant. In the distance, I saw a man named Nikolai walking while whistling, then grab Sofia, who was walking beside him, and fall over. Viktor and Vladimir cursed as they pulled the two up from the water. Ah. Looks like it's slippery there.
Sofia, having risen with Viktor's help, threw a fist at Nikolai's cheek. Nikolai toppled straight backward. Watching that scene, I vowed repeatedly not to fall. Those who had reached the central staircase next to Room 40 first began climbing, and one by one, people disappeared from my sight. Viktor, the last to arrive at the staircase, made eye contact with me. As I passed Room 55, I shouted toward them.
"Don't lock the door! I'll be right there! I'll lock it!"
As the water began reaching my waist, the bag was submerged about one-quarter of the way. The cat inside started making a fuss, so I bit the bag's handle with my teeth and pulled the bag out of the water by slightly lifting my head. I wasn't sure if I was carrying him wrong, but Henry kept trying to slip off my back, so I had to hoist him up again several times as I walked. I just have to not fall. If I don't fall, I can get out. If I keep walking slowly without stopping, I can get out. Don't be scared. Even if I get scared, this situation won't get any better. We can all get out.
The water flooding the entire quarters clung to my ankles and waist like the Grim Reaper. I couldn't pick up speed. I struggled not to succumb to terror. If fear filled me to the top of my head, I felt like I would abandon the child, abandon everything, and run away alone.
......It's okay. I can get out. When I meet the owners of these animals and the child's parents, I'll grab every single one of them by the scruff of the neck. Why did you bring them here without permission and then not look after them while water was flooding in? I'll be furious that we almost died. And I'll tell them not to bring animals or children to restricted areas. Damn it. I can get out. Let's calm down. ......If the blast door had come down over the staircase in my current state, I feel like I'd burst into sobbing.
I barely reached the central staircase. I spat out the bag handle I'd been holding in my mouth and raised my head, which had been bowing on its own, to look up the stairs. The blast door had not come down on the staircase. Tears welled in my eyes. The realization that I hadn't been left behind brought a crushing wave of relief.
I gritted my teeth and climbed the stairs, then, realizing it was a bad habit for my jaw, relaxed my face. I grabbed the stair railing with one hand and entrusted my entire body to it. Never in my life had I clung to something so desperately as this railing. Supporting Henry's bottom with my arm as I climbed, I fell twice on the wet, waterlogged stairs before I could finally reach the top. The thought that Henry, the snake, or the cat might have been hurt when I fell did cross my mind, but I had no luxury to check.
The moment I left the stairs, I immediately set Henry down, gasping, and grabbed the door with my hand. The water had followed me up, just two steps behind. I pressed what appeared to be the close button among the panels beside the door. Only when the door closed did I realize I was heaving with my tongue lolling out like a dog, catching my breath. I got out. I escaped from the quarters. At least one thing was done. I could do nothing but breathe, so I lay flat on the floor to rest. I thought of Baek Aeyeong, who had counted time when packing food. Recalling her words that there was no time to waste, I counted to one hundred and got up again.
After resting briefly, I started walking again, carrying a 6kg cat and a child estimated to be around 25kg. I wondered if I had walked this path with Viktor before, then hoisted up the slipping Henry. If things went according to the dream, I would now meet Shin Haeryang, Baek Aeyeong, and Seo Jihyeok at the evacuation pod port. ......This time, I won't have to take the cable car. Suddenly, I felt energized. Though my wet clothes chilled me and the weight pressing on my back made me want to collapse at any moment, the thought of seeing them again heartened me.
People were gathered at the evacuation pod port. As I approached, leaving water trails in my soaked clothes, Yu Geumi, the Russians, Carlos, and several others turned their heads toward me. One of the people standing in front of the evacuation pod dock suddenly approached me. The person was very tall and solidly built.
"We meet here, Doctor."
Gang Sujeong smiled at me. I took the hand Gang Sujeong offered as if in a daze, looking around. Huh? Why is Gang Sujeong here? What about Shin Haeryang, Seo Jihyeok, and Baek Aeyeong? Holding Gang Sujeong's hand and shaking it, I was flustered by this turn of events so different from the dream. Then did those who aren't here leave on the evacuation pod? Does that mean I have to escape anew with the remaining people as before?
"Did Team Leader Shin Haeryang escape on the evacuation pod?"
"Yes. Well."
Then Gang Sujeong smiled like a mischievous child planning a prank.
"I tricked him into going. He's probably bewildered even as he rides up now."
"The deputy team leader called him saying the evacuation pod seemed broken and asked him to check, then shut the door."
Two people I was seeing for the first time were standing a short distance from Gang Sujeong's side, and the woman among them smiled and approached me. A woman with a short haircut that barely reached her chin energetically extended her hand. I blankly grasped her hand.
"Hello. I'm Lee Jihyeon of Engineer Team A. You seem to know our deputy team leader?"
"Yes. We've met before. Nice to meet you. I'm Park Muhyeon."
"You're the new dentist who arrived recently, correct? I was going to visit you, but our schedules didn't match, so I'm meeting you now."
"Is there anywhere you're feeling discomfort?"
"My upper teeth sting a bit whenever I drink something cold."
"I see. Once we escape from here, I'll do my best for you."
"Let's work hard to escape together."
Lee Jihyeon smiled faintly and then waved her hand at Nikita of Engineer Team D before leaving. About 3 meters from where Lee Jihyeon had stood was a man around Baek Aeyeong's height. For some reason, he looked furious, his face scrunched up as he watched people with his arms crossed. Since he completely ignored me, I too withdrew without wanting to talk. Then, unable to contain my curiosity, I asked Gang Sujeong.
"Who is that? Is he on the same Engineer Team A?"
"Ah. Jeong Sanghyeon? He's the one who handles computers on our team, but he's sulking. Just leave him."
"Huh? Why?"
"Aeyeong refused to get on the evacuation pod, so I forcibly pulled him out and pushed Aeyeong in instead. That bastard's perfectly healthy, yet he's grumbling because he gave up his spot to someone sick."
"Was Baek Aeyeong sick? She looked fine when I saw her recently."
"I thought so too, but Aeyeong's voice was completely hoarse like her throat was bad. And seeing her frown while clutching her left chest, I suspected a heart problem and sent her up first."
Throat? Left chest? It felt like something invisible brushed my back and suddenly strangled my neck. Baek Aeyeong's figure inside the collapsed cable car was still vivid in my eyes. The endless ringing tinnitus, the despair as the floor collapsed, and the color of the blood that had flowed endlessly. I struggled to shake off the unpleasant feeling and asked Gang Sujeong again.
"Is Seo Jihyeok alright? He came by my dental office recently."
"Ah. That one too threw a huge tantrum saying his left leg hurt and he couldn't walk, so I sent him up first. A guy who was flying around just minutes ago was suddenly squirming on the floor in pain, putting on a show. Ugh. His leg was perfectly fine."
"His leg was perfectly fine?"
Ignoring the goosebumps rising on my back and shoulders, I asked, and Gang Sujeong giggled quietly.
"Some nonsense about feeling like he'd been shot in the leg, and since he'd been hit in the forearm before, it wasn't like that or something. I looked at his bare leg, and it was perfectly fine. He threw a whole fit to get on the evacuation pod, so I sent him up since he didn't seem like he'd be much help."
Gang Sujeong twirled an index finger in the air, and just as I was about to respond to that, the quiet Jeong Sanghyeon cut in.
"Then why did you send Ji-hyeok hyung first instead of me?"
"Jihyeon yielded her own evacuation pod to Jihyeok. Why didn't you yield to Jihyeon, then?"
"Baek Aeyeong was perfectly fine until this morning!"
"You saw her hoarse throat too. Or should you have rolled on the floor screaming like Seo Jihyeok and pulled down your pants in front of everyone too?"
At Gang Sujeong's words, Jeong Sanghyeon grumbled and went off toward Carlos. Gang Sujeong shook her head at him.
"We prioritized evacuating the injured. Later, whether it's the underwater base superiors or reporters or whoever, they'll check if the evacuation protocol was followed. I didn't arbitrarily send someone I liked first."
Then Gang Sujeong looked at the child I had laid on the floor from exhaustion. Henry was sleeping well even with his limbs wet from the water. Looking at that peaceful, Crayon Shin-chan-like forehead that seemed completely unbothered by this situation, I was barely able to separate myself from the current chaos.