Junmyeon wakes up to the full glare of a dawning sun, nestled in by uncomfortable sheets. Through the haze of his morning vision, Junmyeon registers blinding white fabric and a figure sprinting out of his room. 

“Holy .” 

Junmyeon wonders what Baekhyun or Chanyeol is doing in his room, because they're the only two who swear so freely. He tries getting up, to scold them, but working his mouth is taking a tremendous effort. An unusually tremendous effort. Junmyeon swirls his dry tongue around a few times before the cool rim of a glass is pressed into lips. Junmyeon trails the soft curves around the hand holding up the cup to Yixing's softly smiling face. Junmyeon took a grateful sip and looked Yixing over tiredly. 

“I thought you were in China?” Junmyeon prompts as Yixing continues to stare at him in worry. 

“I cam back after I heard what happened.” Yixing says, which, now that he mentioned it…

“What happened?” Junmyeon asks in wonderment. He really can't remember anything after he left practice early, feigning family matters. 

“You don't remember?” Yixing starts. “Junmyeon, you got hit by a car.” 

-

Outside the room and down a corridor, Sowon tries to unsuspiciously adjust her glasses and pear at Minmi and Chorong's handmade signs. 

“You see,” she begins, addressing one unblinking Do Kyungsoo and a passively glaring Kim Minseok. “If it was just a normal car accident, Mr Kim would be fine. Most car accident survivors walk off with a couple of broken bones. In a normal case, the worst we can expect is paralysis or organ damage.” 

“You're going to say ‘but’ aren't you?” Kyungsoo said dryly. Sowon felt a prick of pridefulness, searching her head for a synonym. Chorong helpfully held up a sign. 

“However,” Sowon continued, sounding pleased. “That car accident resembled the opening scene of The Witness.” 

Minseok's face scrunched up and Sowon tried to pretend she didn't just purposely name-drop Luhan's movie. (He watched it! Sowon internally screamed. XiuHan lives!)

“We are expecting to see signs of partial brain failure, long story short. I'm surprised if Mr Kim will wake up at all with the cranial trauma.” Sowon had very little idea what she was talking about, but if social studies class taught her anything it was to bull believably. 

Just then, Baekhyun came running down the halls, sputtering. 

“He woke up!”

-

Junmyeon laughs. 

“Okay, Yixing. Very funny.”

Smiling in an off-kilter manner, Yixing fishes out his phone and a newspaper, as if he expected this. 

The newspaper headline reads, ‘EXO's Leader involved in major traffic accident - SM pressing charges against drunk driver’ and his phone lights up with hundreds of notifications, from family, colleagues and fans. 

Junmyeon swallows and looks up at Yixing. Understanding the silent look, Yixing leans over and lightly hugs him, quelling the sudden surge of panic that rises in him. 

“It was raining. Your car got thrown off an expressway by a drunk driver. He made it out fine but you-” Yixing's voice catches and he struggles to continue. Junmyeon feels his arms shake. “You've been asleep for two weeks. Broke a few bones in you hand and leg. A deep cut down your face.” 

Yixing pulls back to look him in the eye. “We thought you'd die. You had a pretty bad head injury.”

Junmyeon is saved from replying by Baekhyun's return, followed by the storming combination of Kyungsoo and Minseok. 

“Junmyeon!” The latter exclaims at the sight of him, drawing close in quick strides to hug him tight. He is joined by Kyungsoo, an act so rare Junmyeon can do nothing but quietly sit in surprise. 

“I'll let you have your moment.” The doctor says before leaving and Junmyeon peers past Minseok's fluff of hair to see a vaguely familiar face disappear through the door. 

-

Sowon exits the room and walks into a supply closet. 

“Okay sunbae.” Minmi whispers from the floor. “What's next?” 

“Sleeping beauty style.” Sowon says with a level of seriousness that had Chorong look up skeptically from her doodle. “Junmyeon is going to lapse into a coma, and the only thing that can wake him is the combined true love from s.” Sowon says triumphantly. “I'm a genius!” 

“One question.” Chorong raises a pen in the air. “Why are we using a supply closet as a base?”

Sowon looked around, eyes travelling to the dingy light, Chorong squeezed into a shelf beside an army of bandages and Minmi angled awkwardly on floor between boxes of medicine. 

“It's right beside Junmyeon's room! People would kill to be this close to their idol!”

-

“Junmyeon are you sleepy?” Kyungsoo asked, reaching out a tentative hand. 

Junmyeon started and rubbed a hand over his face. He hadn't noticed his eyes had started drooping. He just woke up, why was he so tired. 

“I feel oddly tired…” 

“You're still recuperating.” Minseok concluded. “You need rest. We'll come back tomorrow with the others.” 

It makes sense for them to be leaving now. Outside, the sky has darkened and become speckled with stars. They're all busy, Junmyeon supposes. 

Junmyeon parted his lips but closed them after a moment's consideration. It would be childish of him to ask them to stay with him. He was the leader; loneliness was a weakness, and he was supposed to always act strong. 

“Kyungsoo and I will stay here.” Baekhyun says out of the blue. When everyone starts staring at him, Baekhyun quickly amends himself. “Just in case, you know.” 

Junmyeon smiles. “Thanks.” 

“We were worried you know.” Kyugsoo murmurs quietly before burying himself in his jacket. “You should sleep now.”

“I'm not that sleepy yet.” Junmyeon protests, even as opening his eyes become a struggle. Yixing notices and flattens his palm over his eyes with a laugh. “Sure you're not.”

Junmyeon hears the words taper off and in the next moment, he's dreaming without realising it.