Chapter 8: Never Alone 

"You'll be Okay"- A Great Big World
 
'Cause you're never alone
And I will always be there
You just carry on
You will understand

And I will be strong
When you are gone
And I'll carry on...

You'll be okay
You'll be okay
The sun will rise
To better days

A/N: It's been forever since I gave a S/O to my upvoters so, THIS CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO MY MORE RECENT UPVOTERS: MissAndrogynetic, Artesti, Kimbapkidding, Nellaa, Kisachin, SugaFreeBoyscouts, ellandthemoon, and bubbles501. Also overall big thanks to my giant support: Nightsstar, I have a bunch of awesome readers/commenters/upvoters, but this girl always comments super long deep and supportive stuff. So yeah, you are awesome and I LOVE YOU ❤.

    "No wait! I got your test results back early!" Wonwoo paused, he somewhat understood the significance of this but his test results never change; they never better nor worse. Thus, this would only be a big deal if....  "They're... different than previous times. Things have... changed. I know you don't want to, but we need to talk about some things" It would only be a big deal if they were different. 

    "What... what do you mean things are different" Wonwoo sighed exasperatedly, "Stop beating around the bush Mingyu. I can take it. This is what I've been trying to prepare you for. It spreads that last bit, and I'm dead. I can handle that. Just tel-" 

    "No" Mingyu interrupted and walked over to the edge of Wonwoo's bed, "No, I won't just tell you that you're dying because you're not." 

    Wonwoo rolled his eyes, "Mingyu, just shut up with the optimism already." 

    Mingyu grabbed Wonwoo's arm fervently "WONWOO, just wait one second and let me speak" Shock and confused, Wonwoo waited silently For the younger to continue, "the lymph node under your collarbone has practically shrunk to the size of a pea, it's receded from the grip it had on your lungs and it's path to your heart is literally just gone. The little dots that pointed to new cancer development on your pancreas and liver are also completely gone. And the tumor under your leg is small enough to remove without any great obstruction to your mobility, you just have to schedule the surgery in the morning. I mean, sure you're not clear of this yet or anything, but you are not dying on me anytime soon Jeon Wonwoo." 

    Wonwoo didn't know what to think or how he was supposed to respond to that. He wasn't sure when he started crying, bUt, Mingyu reached up and wiped away several of the tears that had slid down his face. So, what did this mean? He wasn't dying... yet? Hope was maybe not so hopeless? Maybe it wasn't the smartest idea, but he certainly couldn't fight it with this news, "H-how or why did this h-happen and why now?"

     Mingyu smiled, "They don't know exactly. When I was on one of my first rotation with you here, I had been doing quite a bit of research, and I had recommended they change your treatment schedule a bit. Less chemo, more radioactive therapy, more activity overall on your part, and lessen your depression. They did do the first two parts, but I attempted to cover the last two, I don't know if that did it but...." Mingyu shrugged slyly, "That's everyone's best guess. I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier, but I just found out during school and I wanted to tell you after everyone left, since I thought you um might get emotional and you hate when people see you emotional...." 

    Wonwoo grabbed the interns hand and tugged him down into a hug, "Thank you, Mingyu. Thank you."

    After they pulled back, Mingyu's smile faltered a bit, "Wonwoo, I know you might not like this part, but you're going to be able to be going back to school, part time at first probably, in a little over 3 weeks, but we can talk about that tomorrow if you'd like." 

    Wonwoo nodded quickly "Yes please tomorrow. Not tonight." Wonwoo frowned, "I need to um come to terms with this myself, and I need to tell my mom... but I'll do that tomorrow" 

    Mingyu smiled small, "Okay, I'll um make you a deal?" Wonwoo rolled his eyes, very used to and suspicious of Mingyu's "deals" at this point, but he still nodded, "We can just not talk about it tonight, at all. But you have to promise me that you will  to talk to me about it tomorrow and.... let me spend the night" Wonwoo raised his eyebrows and Mingyu shook his head, "Not like that, I thought we could just.... you know... watch a movie or something and then I'll grab the cot or sleep in that chair and then we'll do our normal routine, no big deal." 

    "Deal" Wonwoo said with no hesitation at all, and was met with the smiling giant climbing up right next to him in the hospital bed and grabbing the TV remote. 

    They ended up watching a basic action movie. About half way through the movie, Wonwoo dozed off and Mingyu shook him awake, "Hey Wonwoo?" Wonwoo grunted a reply, "Since you're not like dying anymore, does that mean we can really be friends, like at school and everything?" Wonwoo thought for a second. It was still a risk, but it was a new kind of dangerous and still mixed with the old one. Nevertheless, Wonwoo nodded his head yes to Mingyu. Wonwoo actually slept through most of the movie, his head often falling to Mingyu's shoulder. Eventually, he dozed off completely, for once having a long peaceful sleep, with nice dreams. He knew he couldn't just jump into this whole hope thing, but at least for this night, he'd allow the celebration, he'd allow the hope to envelope him. 

<><><><><><><><><><> 

MINGYU POV 

<><><><><><><><><><>

    The next morning around 6AM, Mingyu woke with a start at the sound of the door. He looked around confused before setting his eyes on the sleeping skinny sick boy next to him, whose head was lying on his shoulder. He smiled and remembered the night before. Wondering where he placed the scans that proved it all, the scans that could make Wonwoo feel hope again and maybe a little happy too if Mingyu was lucky. 

    Mingyu practically jumped out of his skin for the second time that morning when he heard a loud cough from the door. He had been staring at Wonwoo since the intruder walked in and had totally forgotten about the sound that originally woke him up. He turned his face quickly to the door, ready to tell off whatever nurse had come into their, or Wonwoo's, space and could have woke the precious sleeping pessimist up. But it wasn't a nurse. It was Choi Seungcheol. Wonwoo's (former) best friend, and he was currently glaring absolute daggers at Mingyu. 

    At first, Mingyu could understand how this could look. Mingyu was the school bad boy, former player, and they were cuddling in a bed that they'd obviously slept (but only actually slept) together in. But then, Mingyu realized that it didn't look like that. They were in a HOSPITAL bed for god's sake, and unless Seungcheol was an idiot, Wonwoo obviously had cancer. Maybe it was shock that was causing the anger then. Mingyu was typically a fairly understanding person of people's more irrational feelings, but he didn't know why he was reacting so strongly to the glare that Seungcheol was shooting at him. 

    Mingyu lifted his index finger of his left hand to his mouth in a shushing motion and then slowly distangled himself from Wonwoo, being super careful not to wake the boy up. He didn't want to startle Wonwoo by being gone if he were to wake up, but he didn't want to test Seugcheol's patience so he didn't have time to write a note. He just hoped Wonwoo wouldn't wake up. 

    He motioned for Seungcheol to join him outside and then slid out the door. When they walked outside, they just stood there awkwardly for a second, Seungcheol just glaring at him and Mingyu looking down guiltily, although he knew he had absolutely nothing to be guilty about. Mingyu had never talked to the other boy, although he maybe had a few classes with him before they definitely didn't know each other. He knew of his relationship with Wonwoo though, he knew they'd been best friends for as long as they'd all been in school together. 

    Eventually Mingyu figured that he ought to speak up because it was obvious that Seungcheol wouldn't be saying anything anytime soon. "Look..." he started," I'm not sure what I can or cannot legally tell you, but what do you want to know?" He said with a shrug. He actually knew exactly what he could tell the other boy. He had made a promise to Wonwoo and he wasn't planning on breaking it, but he did not want to appear hostile to the older, and most likely stronger, boy. 

    "What do I want to know? I don't know, everything? I got this.... this text saying that Wonwoo was here and my best friend fell off the edge of the planet last year and all I've done is wonder what the happened, and then I get here and he's sleeping here with you! But I don't even know if that's really him, because it barely looks like the Wonwoo I knew." Seungcheol was seething by the end of his rant. His voice had rapidly gotten louder and Mingyu was looking back and forth between the closed door behind them, praying that Wonwoo hadn't been woken up yet. He didn't need this stress this early in the morning, especially not after he was finally happy for once, or at least not depressed. 

    "Okay, Seungcheol. I'm first going to ask you to quiet down, it's important that Wonwoo sleeps now, for healing purposes." 

    Seungcheol rolled his eyes, "Is that what this is? Did you him and give him some STD and now you're claiming him as your own now or something?" 

    Mingyu clenched his fists tightly so that he didn't respond to the accusation as he would have liked to, "No. Look, all I can say is that I am just Wonwoo's friend an-" 

    "Bull. Wonwoo would never be friends with the likes of you." 

    The old Mingyu would have immediately snapped, or would have already been detained depending on the day. But, Mingyu knew he was different now. He had a life now and he therefore had to keep his cool. He also had to keep his cool for Wonwoo. Everything he did from here on out could negatively or positively effect Wonwoo. So he simply tried to continue where he left off, "And Wonwoo is.... not well" 

    He could tell Seungcheol was about to crack, and was either going to attack him or attack the door. Mingyu shifted in front of the door, so that he could guard it for Wonwoo. "Not well with what? Just let me see him, Wonwoo is mine." Seungcheol faltered for a second and then corrected himself,  "My best friend not yours, I'm the one he needs to be with right now and I deserve to know exactly what is wrong with him." 

    "That's for Wonwoo to tell you, and once he is awake, I can ask if he would like to see you, but until then he has expressly said that he.... doesn't want to see you." And then Seungcheol punched him. Perhaps he had gone a bit too far, but he had to keep his promise to Wonwoo. And that was also why he used all of his strength not too punch him back, no matter how hard the shorter older man punched him in the face. He could feel his lip swelling already and stinging from where it'd most likely split. The bigger problem was the fact that Seungcheol was reeling to hit him again, and he could not hit him back. This was Wonwoo's best friend, and he honestly felt sorry for the guy. Thankfully security stopped him before he could punch him again. 

    The security guard asked Mingyu if he was okay and if they needed to arrest Seungcheol, but Mingyu told them he was fine and to just let Seungcheol out of the hospital and if he came back to buzz Mingyu. Seungcheol kicked and screamed and made a scene as the guards carried him off. Mingyu then decided that Seungcheol was most likely one of two things: drunk or in love with Wonwoo. By the smell, probably the first, but it could be both. He also decided that Wonwoo had most likely been woken up during all the noise. So he turned around and opened the door quietly, bracing for Wonwoo's reaction. He hadn't broken his promise, but he knew that it might look that way to Wonwoo. 

<><><><><><><><><><><><><> 

WONWOO POV 

<><><><><><><><><><><><><>
    
    As Mingyu walked in with his bloodied lip, Wonwoo felt a lot of things. He felt guilt for both boys. He felt anger towards Seungcheol for reacting this way. He felt grateful for Mingyu for protecting him at all costs. But mostly he felt guilty, he had caused this. 

    "Wonwoo, you're awake...." Mingyu sighed, "Look I'm really sorry this all happened, I want you to know that it wasn't me who told him, I would never break that promise to you." 

    "I know" Wonwoo replied, "I heard the whole thing. The next time Seungcheol comes... I'll talk to him. It might be awhile before he comes back though, I'm pretty sure he was drunk. Are you... okay?" 

    Mingyu grimaced and walked over to Wonwoo's bed, "I'm alright, your ugh boyfriend packs a tough punch though" 

    Wonwoo blushed, "He's not my boyfriend, he's just been my best friend for a while. We are very close. I should've told him about this earlier, you were right, but Seungcheol isn't as tough as he seems and it would have just been better if he never found out" Wonwoo looked down. 

    Mingyu reached a finger under Wonwoo's chin and pulled his face up towards his