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This was first time a woman had fainted in Enrique's arms. It wasn't as much fun as they made it seem on TV. Kind of scary, actually. One minute the day was going along just fine and then BAM, he's responsible for an unconscious girl!
Enrique shook her gently. "Ajumma? Hey," he gave her another little shake. "Hey. Wake up."
No reaction.
Trying to keep a good hold on Dok Mi's puffy winter coat, he looked around for help.
Should he call the emergency services maybe?
But he didn't think she was sick. Not the way an ambulance could help anyhow. And what good would it do to surround her with a bunch of scary EMTs?
Hmm. This was a situation where a quick decision had to be made. Lucky for Dok Mi, he had a talent for making good impulsive decisions.
He adjusted his grip on her and lifted her up in his arms. Carrying her bridal style, he marched back to his cousin’s building with an air of confidence.
He started out strong, but about half-way there he realized that it felt much further with somebody to carry. "That's all right," he said, pausing to catch his breath. "We'll think of this as an adventure," told Dok Mi. "Yeah? Adventure." He took a deep breath and forged ahead. "Fighting!"
When he got to the door of his building, it posed a challenge. Opening it and keeping hold of his damsel proved difficult until an old guy in a snappy blue suit came by.
The man glanced at Enrique in passing. Then looked again, his eyes widening.
“Good afternoon, sir!” Enrique sang out, smiling. “Could you maybe please please please lend a hand to a very worthy cause…?” he gestured at the door with his foot, wobbling a bit as he tried to keep hold of Dok Mi. “She’s passed out you see and I really—”
Curling his upper lip back, the man did as asked.
“—wonderful! Wonderful. Very kind. Thank you.” He walked on ahead, still trying to explain. “I’m sure my friend would thank you too but she’s definitely passed out, but it’s nothing serious I don’t think. Like in a melodrama, you know…? Where the heroine just suddenly,” he tilted his head back and let out a breathy sigh, fluttering his eyelids shut for a moment. He opened them again quick enough to narrowly avoiding overbalancing. “And it’s very moving!”
When Enrique got in the elevator, he held the doors open for the man. One good turn deserved another.
The man swerved off to take the stairs instead without making eye contract.
"Huh," Enrique said, letting the doors close.
As the lift rose, he glanced down at Dok Mi's serene face.
"You know," he said, "I don't think that man wants to be seen with us?"
No reply.
"I don't understand it either." The elevator's smooth metal walls reflected their image back at him. Enrique smiled at himself. "We make a very endearing picture! Sleeping Beauty and her Prince Charming, eh?"
He watched his own smile fade. "Though a suspicious mind might see something unsavory in an unconscious young woman being dragged around by a guy..."
Enrique swallowed hard, sudden visions of violent arrest coming to mind. "You don't think he went off to call the cops, do you?"
She was as peaceful as ever. Looking at her he realized this was the first time he'd seen her face when she wasn't upset by something.
At least somebody was having a good time.
"You'd acquit me of all charges, though, wouldn't you? You couldn't send Prince Charming off to prison! Besides, I was nice about your peeping tom habit, right? Even though my maidenly sensibilities were offended."
His only reply was the elevator doors sliding smoothly open.
Getting her up to his brother's door and inside posed its own special challenge. When it was over he was glad to be able to set her down on the black couch near the windows.
"Whew," he said, collapsing into a nearby chair. "I would never comment on a lady's weight, ajumma, but it isn't every day that I rescue damsels." Lazily reaching out to the glass table, he snagged a watermelon flavored sucker.
"Ajummaaaaaa," he whined, poking at her shoulder. "Isn't it about time to wake up now?"
She shifted position, but didn't stir.
"You know--" Enrique said, pulling the sucker out of his mouth with a pop. "You know what they never tell you about this Prince Charming business?" He looked out the window, across at her empty apartment, and thought about the upcoming dinner. "It can get pretty lonely."