[a/n: hey guys! hope u all like this chappie! its a little longer, so enjoy! comment please? hahahaha]

In the ambulance

After the paramedic had attached an oxygen mask to Dong Woon, Hyun Seung handed the bottle over. The paramedic read the label and gave it back to him.

‘It’s Tramadol, a mid-level painkiller. It’s stronger than normal aspirin or paracetamol but not as potent as morphine. But since its mid-level, if taken in large dose it could still result in overdosing effects like brain damage, coma, seizures or even death. Nosebleeding is a sign of brain injury and he might be in a coma because he is unresponsive. We will do more thorough checks at the hospital.’ The paramedic told the two shell shocked members.

‘Brain injury…’ Doo Jun whispered.

‘Hyung…’ Hyun Seung didn’t say anymore. He just hugged the leader tightly.

The ambulance reached the hospital in five minutes. Doo Jun and Hyun Seung got out of the way when the nurses wheeled their group mate into the emergency sector. They waited for the rest at the sitting area, and soon enough they appeared. Hyun Seung had to explain what they’d learned because Doo Jun was too shocked to say anything.

The members had never ever seen Doo Jun so down before, and they were unsettled. They didn’t really know what to do because the leader isn’t saying anything. Ki Kwang crashed into the seat next to Doo Jun, stunned at the grim possibilities. He couldn’t believe how things turned out. His Dong Woonie… He remembered the way he had been so still in his bed, bleeding from his nose. The way he hung limply on the leader’s back when they carried him down. He never would have thought Dong Woon would be the one in trouble. The maknae, cheeky as he is, was still responsible. He hadn’t shirked his training and practices, and he even requests for more. The always lively maknae that was now in the emergency room. He couldn’t wrap his mind around the fact.

‘His behaviour this past month had been seriously weird. Why would he even eat those pills anyway? Why didn’t we notice him eating those pills?’ Ki Kwang was getting worked up.

‘He couldn’t have been eating them regularly, the bottle was almost full.’ Jun Hyung pointed out.

‘He could’ve just opened this bottle. Who knows if he had already finished a previous bottle or not.’ Ki Kwang shot back.

‘But why would he even need them anyway? He looked fine!’ Yo Seob cut in.

‘He wasn’t. I’ve noticed him wincing and occasionally holding his head. Whenever I ask him he will say he’s fine and it was just a slight headache. But what kind of headache would require him to eat strong painkillers?!’ Doo Jun sounded ashamed, blaming himself for what happened.

‘I’ve noticed it too. And he wasn’t feeling well a few days ago. Remember the day I caught him throwing up?’ Jun Hyung stated.

‘I think he might have had a headache then too. He would flinch if there was a loud sound suddenly.’ Ki Kwang speculated.

‘Damnit!’ Doo Jun stood up and punched the wall. The members were taken aback by his outburst.

‘Doo, that’s not gonna help.’ Hyun Seung said gently, while the others looked at him a little fearfully. They didn’t need their leader breaking down too. They just simply can’t handle any stress then.

‘Yeah. What? You’re gonna punch the wall like you punched Dong Woon that time?’ Ki Kwang spat the words.

His eyes widened and he looked immediately contrite.

‘Sorry Doo. I didn’t me-‘

‘Yes you did. You might have not said it out loud, but I know you all are still angry at me. I am too. There was no excuse, you were right Seungie. That very day you told me there were no excuses, and I agree.’ Doo Jun hung his head, not looking at any of the members.

Ki Kwang’s anger drained out of him. ‘Hey, I suddenly remember something. I think it was the day when Dong Woon came back after he was discharged without our knowing. I had heard something when I walked past the room and went in to check. He was having a bad dream. He was whimpering, and I can still remember his cringes, even though he was dreaming. He looked like he was in pain.’

‘Think back on all the times you saw him acting like he was in pain.’ Jun Hyung suggested, trying to make some sense in this nightmarish situation. He needed some facts, something to hold on to, be it anger or frustration, so he can be strong. Doo Jun wasn’t doing anything to keep the other members calm, so that left him to stand strong in front of the others. Even if that meant bottling up his emotions, so be it.

All their eyes widened. They had finally realised that despite the maknae’s brave front, he had still been hurting after the incident. Thinking back to the little signs Dong Woon hadn't been able to hide. The little signs that said 'Help Me!' but were ignored because they didn't thought it would be significant.

‘But how did we not see the signs of him hurting?! In these weeks, more than a month, how did we not have spotted it? How can we not have noticed it? WHY did we not notice it?!’ Yo Seob exclaimed, on the verge of tears. Hyun Seung reached over and folded Yo Seob into his warm embrace, struggling not to cry himself.

‘That pabo… Suffering quietly by himself, not even letting us share his burden.’ Hyun Seung mumbled, just a little accusingly, even though he understood why the maknae did it.

‘Do you think the headaches are like those we saw when we visited him in the hospital the last time?’ Ki Kwang whispered.

‘I think so. It’s the only logical explanation.’ Hyun Seung said.

Doo Jun had not spoken since his outburst, he just stood a little away from them, with his head down.

Jun Hyung looked at him, not knowing what to say to comfort him. Ki Kwang was still a little riled, anxious and worried. He didn’t know what to do with the excess emotions, so he just bottled them.

The light of the emergency operation room had shut off, and the doctor walked out. Hyun Seung spotted the doctor and rushed towards him, with the others hot on his heels.

‘Are you all relatives of Mr Son?’ The doctor enquired.

‘No. We’re his group mates.’ The doctor saw the worry in their eyes and decided to treat them as the patient’s family members, even though that was technically not allowed.

‘The patient had swallowed a large amount of Tramadol, and had suffered some effects of painkiller overdose. He had some brain swelling, which explained the nosebleeds and he had entered into a coma. We are not sure when he will wake up, or even if he would wake up at all. Comas are hard to predict. He might wake up in the next few days or not. Even so, he should be able to hear you. I will recommend you guys stay with him, talk to him and try to get him to respond. Since you are all close you might have a better chance in waking him than anybody. You all can go inside now. That’s all.’ The doctor bowed and left.

The members were in a state of disbelief. Their lively maknae, in a coma?! It was unthinkable! But it was the fact, and they needed to accept the fact that he might never wake up again. They stood in the hallway, rooted to their spot, when their manager found them.

‘What happened?!’ the manager asked, looking at their faces and fearing the worst.

‘He…’ Ki Kwang started sobbing, holding onto Yo Seob, who was standing beside him.

‘He’s in a coma. The doctors are not sure when he will wake up.’ Doo Jun said, his voice flat. Doo Jun refused to think of the other possibility. He might break down if he did, and he needed to put on a strong front for the rest, even though it was desperately failing.

‘How did that happened?! He was fine when I saw him just now!’ the manager couldn’t believe it. How could things go so wrong in the matter of hours? They had been celebrating one moment, the next, this happened.

‘The doctor said he had overdosed on pain pills.’ Jun Hyung rasped out. Hyun Seung was leaning on him for comfort, and he had his arm around the older man, trying to give whatever comfort he could.

Looking at the members’ faces, he knew yelling at them isn’t gonna help matters. He led the members into the room the maknae was in. The youngest was attached to an IV drip, an oxygen mask and some other tubes connecting him to the monitors. The beep of the heart machine is constant, reassuring but also intimidating. They gathered around the bed, looking down at the deceptively peaceful face of the comatose Dong Woon. No one knew who broke down first, but the room was suddenly filled with the sound of supressed sobbing and sniffling. The atmosphere was dark, and oppressing. The manager was at a lost. He never would have thought his role in taking care of the boys would ever include this scene. He wanted to cry along with the members, but he knew that would be pointless. He needed to report back and keep the news quiet in the meantime. He stepped out, and placed a call to the CUBE headquarters.