XⅣ. Happenings

Beep. Beep. Beep.

A noise made me wake up. I gained my senses back and slowly the pain made its way through my body. I groaned.

"Y-yeol?"

It was a only a whisper, but I immediately knew who was speaking.

"Yeol, are you awake?" he asked, nothing but concern in his voice.

I hummed in response, peeking at the white room with my right eye slightly open and trying to get used to the bright light in here. "W-what....happened?" My voice was hoarse and cracked.

"You fell. Pretty hard." I knew he'd cry and after a few seconds his head was lying on my lap, sobbing like there was no tomorrow. "I-i-i...m...so-sorr-y!"

I made myself (with much effort I didn't show) comfortable in a sitting position and patted his head, then his back. This calmed him down a bit. "No need to." I smiled. He wasn't at fault. "Don't blame yourself. It was an accident."

He looked up at me, sniffing. "B-but..." More tears wanted to make their way down his face.

"C'mon hyung, I'm al-.." A sudden pain took over me. After that, I saw blood, it was flowing from my nose. The eyes from Seyong hyung widened.

"OWMAGWAD!" he shrieked and panicked. He pulled out his napkin from his pocket, pushing it against my nose. "DOCTOR!" he shouted and ran out the door.

"Okay.." I mumbled confused.

'What's wrong?'

∞

The clock on the wall was getting on my nerves. After five minutes it didn't stop working (and Seyong hyung didn't show up) and there was nothing in my room to focus on. Several minutes later Chaejin came with his sobbing boyfriend in his arms. Right after them Jinyoung hyung entered my room and closed the door. His face was straight with no emotions but his eyes told me everything. It was his weak point and I clearly saw the pain and pity he was feeling for me.

"How are you feeling?" the doctor asked monotone.

I removed the napkin from my nose and smiled. "I'm feeling go-.." The sudden pain took over me again. I tried (with much force) to speak up again, "What is thi-.." I coughed. I held the napkin (without blood stains) against my mouth and after removing it again I saw new stains of blood on it. I gulped, tasting my own red liquid.

"I'm sorry." Jinyoung hyung approached me. "I'm really sorry." A single tear slipped out of his left eye. "I wished this never happened."

"What do you m-.." I felt something clutching the live out of me.

"Stop speaking, it only hurts." He sat beside me and took the red fabric out of my hands. "You won't be able to talk in the next few weeks, probably months. Your body doesn't make it possible."

I frowned. "Why?" My voice cracked a second time.

"Because the stairs broke two of your ribs and...", he sighed, "..they pierced your lungs. Thats the reason why blood came out of your mouth and nose. And they made your lungs more unsteady then before."

I nodded. It was a surprise for everyone that I didn't freak out. But it wouldn't help my situation, it'd make it even worse. "Now?" I whispered, not wanting to raise my voice too much.

"You'll stay here for a few days, maybe a week, if you won't feel better." He took my hands in his. I could still hear my hyung's sobs in the background.

"But you kno-.." I breathed heavily, coughing and releasing the red liquid on the white sheets above my body.

"We know. But there's no way you can escape this. And please lay the most of the time, so your ribs can have a rest." My doctor for years took me in his embrace, patted my head lovingly and gave me a light peck on my forehead. "You should also have a rest, you went through a lot of things these days." He caressed my cheek and smiled, obviously a fake smile. Then he stood up, leaving the warm spot beside me. "Please take care of him while I'm away."

Seyong hyung loosened his grip on his boyfriend and nodded, his gaze on the floor. "I - we will!" he assured, still with his hands trembling.

"I count on you." Jinyoung hyung turned around and winked. "Stay alive, at least for me." A smile was plastered on his lips when he took his leave and shut the door close behind him.

It was weird. It hurt but that was it. There was nothing else that bothered me (beside a crying hyung). I was laying myself back and waited for Seyong hyung to calm down. The room was filled with endless tears and I didn't know when they finally stopped and he came towards me. Chaejin hyung smiled encouragingly, he was a good person. I noticed the bandage around my chest. It was white but there were red stains.

'Just like in the past.'

"Do you reme-.." My body was shaking as another fit of coughs came out of my mouth.

Seyong hyung on the other hand just stared blankly at me. He was scary. His hand moved forwards, taking my right hand in his like my doctor. Then he took the spot were Jinyoung hyung sat and moved his other hand to my hair to caress it. I didn't know why it was silent. He should've said something to ease my pain, making me laugh and giving me sweets. But nothing happened except his sweet touches. I felt like crying.

"S-say..." I left the word hanging in the air, not wanting to use my voice more.

Seyong hyung nodded and tears fell down. "Should I tell you what happened?" This time it was me nodding. He took a deep breath. "You know that you fell, right?" Another nod from me. "Like Dr. Jung said, your lungs are hurt and you should not speak. You needed to be operated as soon as possible." I raised an eyebrow. And like he could read my mind he said, "This accident happened two days ago." My mouth formed a perfect 'O' in realisation. "I wanted to invite you to my place because I knew that everyone except you was out of the house. I took the spare key your parents gave me and found you lying on the floor, your head in blood just like your chest. I was in panic, but managed to call the ambulance. It was a hard time for me - for us." My gaze followed his to the lonely Chaejin sitting on a chair. "The doctor also said that it could be possible that you would suffer amnesia." I raised my unoccupied hand and wiped the remaining years away. "And they also informed us that you won't be able to make sports, it doesn't matter if you would start therapies. Your lungs would give in easily." I rested my hand on his cheek, he lay his over mine. "It was almost impossible to get your lungs back to normal. You were for hours in the emergency room." I smiled. It must've been a hard time for him. "After you came out unconscious but alive, they said your parents needed to come. I lied and told them they were in another country for a few weeks. Then you got a call from your friends, asking, why there were blood drops on the stairs." I looked shocked in his eyes.

'He didn't tell them, did he?'

"I told them, it was icing I took from my place to show you and while eating it dropped on the stairs."

I shook my head in disbelief. "You've the silliest ex-.." Seyong hyung handed me another napkin. I mouthed a 'Thank you' and was grateful for his concern.

"If you want to talk to us, use something else." he sniffed.

Chaejin straightened up himself, made his way to the other side of the bed and showed me a notebook. "Here. I bought this in case you'd need it."

I placed the napkin on the white sheet on the bed and took the book in my hands. It was blue, a soft blue, and on the cover was a doodle of a playi