A/N : Short chappie! :/ BUT, this is mostly like the foundation of the actual story. It shows how everything starts, sets the launching pace. Coming chapters would hardly be so laid-back. So sit back and enjoy while you still can. *munches popcorn*

 

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"Sir, the chest is severely injured and there is possible inflammation.” a nurse informed.

 

“Hurry and check if there’s internal bleeding.” The doctor commanded, fearing that the patient could suffer from cardiac arrest, or even death, if proper medical treatment was not offered immediately. The patient at hand, a boy no more than twenty, had already lost a vast amount of blood. Any later than this and he might go into shock. He himself prepared the necessary instruments.

 

“Sir, the femur is ruptured and showing.” Another male nurse informed.

 

“Prepare the anesthetics.” The doctor said while putting on his rubber gloves.

 

“Right on it, sir.” The nurse rushed out of the emergency room to prepare the anesthetics.

 

“Doctor, the right end rib is fractured and it has pierced into the stomach and the right lung. The lung cavity is filled with blood.” The first nurse notified the doctor after closely studying the X-ray of the patient’s chest.

 

“Doctor, the patient has stopped breathing.” A third nurse reported.

 

“Doctor, the pulse is falling rapidly.” said a fourth nurse.

 

“Hurry, bring in the defibrillators. We have to move fast or else we’ll lose him. Move it. Move it.” The doctor took over, hands abnormally steady, an ability acquired over years of medical practice. “We have to clear the blood from his lungs.” He said, closely assessing the patient’s condition.

 

“Doctor, the anesthetics are ready for use.” The second nurse came in with the required tools.

“Good, let’s not wait any longer then.” He turned to take one final look of the boy. Hair matted to his forehead with blood. Streaks of red running from his head, along his neck, down to his chest. Eyes closed and lips slightly parted, his face looking too tranquil.

 

God save the kid, the doctor thought, before he commenced the operation. Not just the boy, but the life of many people attached to this boy depended on him as well. It was his job to save these lives.

 

 

 

*

In OR number 4, another boy, a few years older than the previous one, was lying on his side, his clothes no better than a tattered mess. His entire back and waist, along with half of his face, were shrouded with bits and pieces of glass, light from the surrounding rebounding off it creating an unpleasantly striking spectacle.

 

Everybody was rushing to arrange for the critical operation, Doctors and nurses alike.

 

“He needs stitches on his face and the entire length of his back.” The doctor set up precise instruments to gather the portions of glass from the sensitive area of his face.

 

“Doctor, the anesthetic is in and ready.” A nurse informed.

 

The doctor looked at the nurse and then back towards the patient. He looked at him intently for a while, eyes reflecting something akin to pity. He then sighed and lowered his surgical tweezers…

 

 

*

OR No. 4 [20 Hours later]

The patient slowly regained consciousness. He tried to open his eyes but a sudden stinging pain prevented him from doing so. His eyes instinctively fluttered close, the hurt was too much to bear.

 

He cried out loud, trying wretchedly to lift his arm but to no avail. He was still too weak, his limb falling back to its place, sending a sharp jolt of pain coursing through his side.

 

The nurse jumped at his roar. She rushed out of the room to inform the doctor that the patient had achieved consciousness. When she hurried back to the room, she saw the man whispering someone’s name.

 

“Kyuhyun…” he said. “Kyuhyun ah, how did this happen? Are you alright? Does it hurt?” In his unconscious state he didn’t even realize that the person he was searching for so eagerly was not even there.

 

The nurse reckoned hearing the name before and it finally struck her that it was the boy from OR No.2. The boy with the broken leg and the bleeding lung. The boy who was probably not going to make it through the night. It pained her a little inside to see him searching for the younger male despite his own dismal form. They might be brothers, she thought. She held him down by his shoulders, light but insistent, waiting for him to still. But he was still feebly thrashing around, eyes restless even through closed lids.

 

“Kyuhyun ah, you ok?” He asked, voice wavering with a troubled tenor. He parted his eyes open, wishing to catch a glimpse of the one he was looking for. His sight was hindered by spots of grey blurring his vision.

 

“Mr. Park, I’m your nurse - Lee.Min.Ji.” The nurse spelt it out for him. She saddened when she saw him close his eyes again, probably realizing that she was not the one he was looking for. She sighed to herself and turned back when she heard the door slide open.

 

The doctor entered, accompanied by another nurse. He checked the patient’s pulse and then nodded towards the nurse, who swiftly noted it down. After taking down the necessary figures of the patient’s progress, he sat beside him and said, “You and your friends are lucky to have survived the car crash, Mr. Park Jungsu. Just a look of your van gave me shudders.” He managed a weak laugh but stopped when Jungsu, a.k.a Leeteuk, leader of the famous boy band “Super Junior”, didn’t show any reaction.

 

“Kyuhyun, Cho Kyuhyun, how is he?” Leeteuk asked composedly, though his gruff voice made it sound otherwise. His eyes were still shut and he was clutching the edge of the bed, preparing himself for the worst.

 

“Um,” the doctor felt like speech had deserted him. It would be tough for him to recuperate after hearing the truth, but he thought it wise to tell him.

 

“Mr. Cho, his condition is – It is very critical right now.” He paused long enough for the words to settle in. With the sudden tensing of Leeteuk’s features he thought it had. “We can’t be sure.” A frown. “He might not be able to make it.”

 

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence, neither of them uttering a word.

 

“I’ll leave you to rest.” The doctor finally said, the voice sounding like pin drops in a discarded room, and left without another word of comfort.

 

Leeteuk sighed deeply when he thought he was alone again. He could feel his eyes sting once more, not because of the wounds, but because tears had started forming and were threatening to roll down his eyes. He turned his face towards one side and let the tears fall. It was better that way – better out than in. The members of his group were not mere members to him. They were his friends, his brothers, his family. Why Kyuhyun? He was the youngest, only 19. Why did God decide to put him to test? Why Kyuhyun? Why not Leeteuk himself? He could die for his brothers and this could have been the instance to prove it. He should have been hurt, much, much more than Kyuhyun. Why his little brother? Why him?

 

He prayed to God to, please, just this once, punish him more than Kyuhyun. Kyuhyun might not pass the test. Might not be strong enough to make it this time. What if he fails? What would Leeteuk tell the others? – his brothers who were probably as, or even more, anxious to meet him. Who were probably starving, worrying over him, and praying to God at this moment – praying he’d make it out alive.

 

Leeteuk wouldn’t have the face to meet them.

 

He whispered, just as a lone tear slid down his eye, “Be safe, Kyuhyun.”

 

 

*

 

 [4 Months Later]

 

“Kyuhyun, look what hyung brought for you.” Donghae chirped, as he presented Kyuhyun with a box of chocolates.

 

“Behave like a hyung first. You act like a baby!” Kyuhyun condemned, a small smirk threatening to form.

 

Donghae’s smile turned upside down. “I came all this way for you, all the way from the dorms to the hospital. I even left early from our photo shoot but you’re not even grateful for it!!” He said, brows creasing with a frown, lower lip sticking out in an act of annoyance. He stood up from his seat and was about to leave when Kyuhyun tugged at the end of his shirt, wordlessly asking him to stay. He turned around, glowering at the younger boy, hoping to send the message that he was displeased by his lack of enthusiasm over his visit, but he just couldn’t resist the way Kyuhyun looked up at him – eyes all mushy and big, in an attempt to allure –and DAMN it was working. “Who’s the baby now!” he retorted. He stood there a little longer with Kyuhyun batting his eyelashes at him. He huffed and pulled the chair back to its position, sitting down grudgingly.

 

“You always do that to get your way.” Donghae muttered crossly.

 

“Do what?”

 

“That.” Donghae said, irately mimicking Kyuhyun from a moment before.

 

Kyuhyun couldn’t help but laugh at that. “No I don’t!” He knew exactly what Donghae was talking about. Over the years Kyuhyun had mastered the tactics of getting what he wanted from his hyungs.

 

Donghae lowly muttered some curses before opening the box of goodies.

 

“I ordered this especially for you. I know you like dark chocolates.” He picked up a piece, waving it in Kyuhyun’s face. “Now if you act like a good boy – ”

 

Kyuhyun grinned and nodded his head. “I’ll be good. I promise!” He was batting his lashes again.

“Say AH~” Donghae chirped.

 

Kyuhyun smiled at his action...

 

It had been four months since the accident. He and three others – Leeteuk, Eunhyuk and Shindong – were returning from a schedule, when their van had overturned at a road bend. He remembered seeing the glass windows shatter and also remembered the sudden pang of pain when the van hit the road. He didn’t remember anything thereafter.

 

At nights he’d wake up to Yesung’s silent sobs beside his ear, telling him about his and the others’ conditions after the crash, telling him about Leeteuk…

 

“At this very moment, hyung is praying for your recovery…” Yesung sobbed even harder when Kyuhyun did not respond.

 

Kyuhyun lay motionless. Just holding his lifeless hand pained Yesung’s heart.

 

He sniffled, wiped his nose and continued, “If you can do a program with us Super Junior, hyung will never get angry when you hit me or make fun of me…” he stared at him with teary eyes and a red nose.

 

Kyuhyun looked peaceful with his eyes closed, as if he were in deep sleep. As if the accident never occurred.

 

“That’s why you must get well soon, OK?” He felt like he was consoling himself rather Kyuhyun. “Kyuhyun, Fighting!” He patted the back of Kyuhyun’s hand and hung his head in deep sorrow.

 

Leeteuk hyung…

 

Kyuhyun smiled again.

 

He felt blessed to be Cho Kyuhyun, a part of a big warm family called Super Junior. He felt blessed to be the youngest because he had twelve special brothers to look after him and take care of him. But he had taken them for granted. He never realized their importance, the meaning of their existence, of his existence, until after the accident. He was lucky to have them in his life. He was lucky he suffered the accident.

 

He was very thankful he met each one of them. Especially Leeteuk. He was grateful for the times he had spent and would be spending with his Super Junior brothers. He realized how much they meant for him. And he was thankful to God that he didn’t have to lose them for realizing this.

 

When he first became a part of Super Junior he was shy and avoided talking to anyone of them.

 

But all of them accepted him warmly…

 

He acted cold towards everyone, not giving a care.

 

But they loved him back…

 

He neglected them, took them for granted.

 

But they supported him in all decisions…

 

After the car crash, he had drifted into coma and was almost as good as dead.

 

But they believed he’d come back… they still hoped for a miracle…

 

And that’s exactly what happened. A miracle. And he became their group’s “Miracle boy”. Funny to think of it, but all of them were a major part of this miracle. They brought him back. Their love, their prayers and their tears brought him back. He promised himself one thing that day…

 

I’d love them back more than I love myself…

 

Love…

 

Kyuhyun smiled yet again.

 

Donghae saw Kyuhyun foolishly smiling to himself.

 

“Are you gonna finish that or do you want me to do it for you?” He asked eyeing the poor chocolate waiting to be eaten.

 

Kyuhyun snapped from his thoughts and looked up at Donghae. He smiled and opened his mouth wide. Donghae placed the chocolate in his mouth and he chewed it slowly, smiling again.

 

“What’s up with you today? Why are you smiling so much?” He asked incredulously, watching him as if he’d grown another head.

 

Kyuhyun shook his head, still munching on his favourite chocolate, not making any effort to say something.

 

No words were needed.

 

He was still smiling.

 

I’ll never let go of you guys…
 

*