Last Story: Doctor Choi. Chapter 0.

Sometimes one can feel the blows of life in an unexpected way. It is an event that we cannot anticipate or simply prevent from affecting us because that blow will come with such brutality that it will end up collapsing us sooner or later.

The scars that remain on the soul of a person who has been exposed to a blow that comes with force and impacts with surprises are difficult to forget. Someone who is not in the best state of mind could be affected by these events in a terrible and overwhelming way, but many times, these blows that life gives us become the origin of some change, of something that transforms our lives, of something very big or it is simply the origin of other creatures.

A similar event turned out to be the life of Doctor Choi. Choi was fond of the cells that make up millions of living beings around our planet, life forms with which we can interact, and whose developmental processes are completely interesting once understood well. Choi called herself a doctor when she worked in her office, in that multi-story building, which was imposing and all white. But, inside her laboratory, on the outskirts of the city, she became a renowned scientist, but a professional scientist who was quite hidden from the outside world, because no one had seen the face of the famous scientist Louisa, but they all knew Choi's face. Clearly somewhat ironic.

While Choi attended to patients in the mornings and a little in the afternoons, after lunch, worked hard inside a recognized hospital, the scientist Louisa devoted herself with all her being to discover more about the cells of the human body, in specific to a part of the tiny cell: its DNA, because she wanted to take the next step in the field of science and technology. Louisa wanted to improve the cloning process in ordinary people, like those other pediatricians and doctors who surrounded her in her work.

The main objective at the time of starting this project in the remote spaces of the mountains was solely for therapeutic purposes. Choi hoped that in the near future, thanks to her research and constant work, diseases such as insulin-dependent diabetes could be cured, the health of patients affected by Parkinson's or Alzheimer's could be restored, and even neurons damaged due to an accident could be replaced. However, the event that occurred over the weekend had transformed all plans in mind for the advancement of science.

Doctor Choi had a daughter, she was not that small, but not very old, and her name was Clara. Clara Choi. Her first-born was studying her first year at a prestigious university, an establishment recognized for having taught the great minds of the country, but according to Dr. Choi, Clara was not putting all her effort during her classes, or rather, during her stay at the university. It all started when her cellphone vibrated non-stop, inside the pocket of her white coat. Before answering, she looked at the number that was calling her, but she was not very surprised to see that it was a contact that she did not have registered on her device, it was an unknown number. She always received calls from his co-workers, other pediatricians, nurses, and doctors, whom she did not have scheduled, or she also received calls from other relatives of her extended family, some acquaintances and others whose faces she had never seen in her life, but she still didn't have that numbers saved. So, Choi didn't get into too much trouble and she slid her index finger across the screen to answer the call.

—Hello? —She answered without worrying who would be the people behind the screen. —Who is it?

Before long, a female voice answered her. —Good morning, Can I speak to Mrs. Choi? —Hearing that, the doctor made an affirmative noise with her throat. —We spoke to you from Chang University. It's about the performance of your youngest daughter, Clara Choi.

The woman dressed in her impeccable white robe sighed wearily upon hearing that information. She knew about Clara's current situation, or rather, she was beginning to sense that the young woman was not doing well at all in her studies, because little by little she was beginning to neglect her. The first time she didn't even know it, she didn't know the wrong path Clara was plunging into uncontrollably. A few months ago, her daughter had asked her mother if she could allow her to go to a party. The doctor did not think much about it, because she believed that young people like her daughter frequented those environments: loud music, friends everywhere, and fun to the fullest, for that reason, she did not question it so much. Dr. Choi had not had that freedom as a child, as her father was very strict with her and graduated from university at a very young age, while her friends were enjoying the parties, but she could not, because her parents basically did not allow it. So she did not want her daughter to suffer from what she did and accepted. The first big mistake.

What Mrs. Choi did not know was that the week it came, her daughter had an important exam to take and she had not studied on time. Because of that happy party. After a few days, they called her at work and informed her that her daughter's grades were starting to drop a little, but it was only a few points, so with some study in the afternoons, Clara could achieve better grades for the following semesters. The doctor was happy about that because she wanted her offspring to be the applied girl that she was again and to graduate with honors in the career that her daughter had chosen, so she talked to her about that review of the afternoons.

—Clara, we need to talk. —Said Mrs. Choi at lunch. —Your teachers have told me that your grades have dropped, honey, and that worries me a lot. —She continued with her face showing distress. —They told me that if you try a little harder on the final projects, you can get better grades, so you should review in the afternoons.

—God, Mom. —Clara replied with notable dejection. —Those teachers hate me, but it's okay, I will try a little harder for you and deliver my work much better. —She said and ended the conversation.

That day, the doctor thought that her daughter would begin to return to the right path, the one where she continued to be a good girl, applied and responsible, but above all, a girl close to her own mother. Choi loved her daughter a lot, always looked after her well, like any mother, gave her a quality higher education, and pampered her in every way, therefore, she hoped her daughter would value the effort her mother made for her, and to keep his word that she would try harder in college and that by the end of the semester her grades would go up. Well, no. That didn't happen, and it was the second serious mistake.

Again, Clara was not turning in her homework on time. She also did not pay attention in class and as if that were not enough, she began to miss the university in the week in which the students had to prepare and present their final projects. Dr. Choi was unaware of this information, as she was seriously busy with her work at the hospital, but she was even more focused on her new human cloning project. She was not enough to spend time with her daughter or ask about her day.

Dr. Choi also did not know that her daughter was running away from important classes in courses where if she did not pass, she could end up out of college. But most important of all, Mrs. Choi was unaware of an unpleasant fact that Clara was hiding from her a few weeks ago. And the young lady who spoke to her on the phone made it known.

—Mrs. Choi, her daughter Clara has been absent from university on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays of what she has been in this week. Also, we have received many reports that she sleeps in class and is not turning in the assignments, she has not turned them in for many classes, but that is not what I wanted to talk to you about today.

—Okay, and, What do you want to talk to me about, miss?

—Yeah, well, what happened is your daughter is in the principal's office right now. She was discovered- —the young lady seemed at that moment to be debating the words she would use next. —Inhaling substances and powders in the bathroom on the second floor. You must come immediately, please.

The whole world —and the dignity of Dr. Choi— fell apart in those moments. Inhale substances? How was that possible? Obviously, the doctor knew of her daughter's inability to —at least— do her homework, but what she least expected to find out from her was that Clara was using drugs. And above all, at the university.

He walked as fast as his thin legs allowed, and headed without blurring his eyes towards the parking lot, where his car was. The other doctors saw her go through the corridors of the hospital and felt a bit intimidated because the aura that emanated from Choi's body denoted a lot of anger, but also disappointment.

She drove at blinding speed until she saw the establishment where her daughter was studying in the distance and she stopped on the sidewalk. The talk with the director passed very quickly and in less than she expected, she was inside the car, with Clara next to her.

—How could you do that? —She asked, her eyes threatening to shed large tears. —I have given you everything, Clara, and you pay me this way? You're fucking punished! No more parties, no more meetings, no more friends and no more cellphone, I will change you from a university to another where I do not have to pay so much, because, from what I see, you do not value the effort that I have put into all your expenses. —Suddenly her voice began to break and she began to cry.

—Effort, you say, Mom? Oh sure! The effort you have basically given me by ditching me for going to your stupid fucking lab and ditching me like those damn cells in their damn Petri dishes were more important! I appreciate it, mom! Thank you for giving me your full attention, thank you for asking me how my day went! —From one moment to another, Clara lowered her voice, but she did not do it because she wanted to, but because her mother had slapped her right cheek.

—Shut up once and for all, Clara Choi! If I didn't pay attention to you then I am so sorry, I am sorry I put you aside and focus on my research, but that doesn't justify you taking drugs, my goodness!

—You know what? I don't give a damn if you don't like what I do, I don't give a damn if this will destroy your reputation as a scientist or some nonsense like that because for your information when I needed someone, my friends accompanied me and now I feel better, I don't need you, damn it!

—Shut up for once! —The doctor yelled and slapped her again. —Let's go home! And you know, no parties until you show me you deserve it.

—I don't believe that, mom. —Clara said and she got out of the car quickly. —Hey! —She whistled back out of her mother's car and ran there, then she got in a black car that the doctor had never seen before. —If I want to, I'm going to a damn party and that's what I'm going to do! —Then the unknown transport disappeared from the doctor's sight, plunging into the darkness of the road.

After the fight, Dr. Choi did not know more about the location of her daughter. The hours passed and the minutes grew so long that she believed that night would never come. Nervousness gnawed at the professional's body, she constantly thinking about the place where Clara was, without really knowing the true answer to her inquisition.

When the clock struck nine at night, she began to get seriously scared. If she had previously been anxious about Clara's sudden escape, now she was willing to drive to the nearest police station from her home to report the disappearance of her daughter.

But, no, Choi thought again that she was delirious, so with tremors in her body, she decided that it would be best to watch a little television. Yes indeed, a relaxing mind-blowing movie was much better than-

—Holy God...

The doctor's eyes traveled from the headline of the news projected on the screen of the device to the horrifying images of the accident. Apparently, there was a collision between a car and some boys, including a girl, who when leaving a party in the center of the city, did not notice the lights of the car and were seriously run over.

The ambulance had already arrived at the scene and was heading to the nearest hospital to treat the victims. At first, the doctor believed that it was Clara, but she wanted to think that she was not that way, Why would she be? There were so many parties in different places in the city where they lived, Why would this accident happen to the party that her daughter had attended? The only daughter of Choi..., No, surely Clara was fine in someplace in the city, having a good time with her friends, when her daughter came home they would speak more severely about her studies, yes. This was what Dr. Choi was going to do until she received another call.

Her eyes went from the TV screen to the phone in a few seconds; it was another unknown number. Or at least, that was what she thought, because she had no record of such a contact. What Mrs. Choi didn't know was that this number was nothing more and nothing less than the one for the hospital reception room where she worked.

—Hello?

—Choi... It's me, Amalia. —The hospital receptionist answered.

—Oh, Hi Amalia, What happened?

A strange silence was present after the question, and that act on Amalia's part made the doctor worry.

—I... Look, I don't know how to tell you that, but your daughter is here in one of the operating rooms.

And again, for the second time that day, Choi's world came crashing down on her, and everything that was important to her ceased to make sense with the words Amalia would utter in a few moments.

—How...? Is Clara in the hospital?

—Yes, apparently... She was in a car accident, a car hit her on the avenue and the doctors took her to the emergency room. You must come soon.

Amalia didn't wait for an answer from the doctor, and Choi didn't allow herself to waste any more time, so she hung up and left her house quickly.