7 Days.
Coma. (Threequel to One Shot and Betrayal.)7 painful and slow days passed. Daehyun made sure to visit Youngjae every single day - except yesterday because Zelo fell ill from a high fever again. It frustrated the older man that nothing seemed to be getting better. Youngjae didn't seem to be recovering at all, and Daehyun was slowly losing faith. Even though it had been only a week since the accident, he felt as if he had aged through months, years and possibly even a lifetime - but not measly 7 days.
The good news however, was that Yongguk had regained full consciousness. When the hospital told him, Himchan with a smile, sighed in relief. He hurriedly packed a few of Yongguk's belongings and told Daehyun to look after Zelo.
"Can't we go with you hyung? You said we could visit them every day." Daehyun asked gently.
It made Himchan feel bad. Himchan did say that, after all. "Sorry Daehyun, just not today. Zelo's ill and I need to see Yongguk. I'll let you know how Youngjae is though, okay?" he negotiated with the younger.
Daehyun sighed, and nodded. Even though he felt that telling him was not enough. He needed to see Youngjae, just as much as Himchan needed to see Yongguk.
As soon as Himchan left, Zelo appeared, lightly leaning on the wall for support. "I'll be okay. If you run you can catch up to Himchan and see Youngjae at the hospital." he weakly responded, sweat running down his forehead.
Daehyun scoffed. "Do you really think Himchan's going to let me leave you alone at home? Idiot..." he mumbled.
Zelo only looked down, feeling guilty. "Sorry." he apologised quietly, before going back to his room.
"Please make yourself as comfortable as possible." the doctor insisted. If you need any assistance, please press the bell and we'll be with you right away."
Yongguk nodded. "Thank you."
It was not long when Yongguk was looking around the room, that he saw Himchan approaching from behind the curtains with a box in his hands.
"Glad to see you awake." he greeted the older man.
Yongguk chuckled as he sat up properly. "You too."
"Everyone has recovered." Himchan started to explain, swallowing heavily, "Except for Youngjae. He's been in a coma for a week now."
The good news however, was that Yongguk had regained full consciousness. When the hospital told him, Himchan with a smile, sighed in relief. He hurriedly packed a few of Yongguk's belongings and told Daehyun to look after Zelo.
"Can't we go with you hyung? You said we could visit them every day." Daehyun asked gently.
It made Himchan feel bad. Himchan did say that, after all. "Sorry Daehyun, just not today. Zelo's ill and I need to see Yongguk. I'll let you know how Youngjae is though, okay?" he negotiated with the younger.
Daehyun sighed, and nodded. Even though he felt that telling him was not enough. He needed to see Youngjae, just as much as Himchan needed to see Yongguk.
As soon as Himchan left, Zelo appeared, lightly leaning on the wall for support. "I'll be okay. If you run you can catch up to Himchan and see Youngjae at the hospital." he weakly responded, sweat running down his forehead.
Daehyun scoffed. "Do you really think Himchan's going to let me leave you alone at home? Idiot..." he mumbled.
Zelo only looked down, feeling guilty. "Sorry." he apologised quietly, before going back to his room.
"Please make yourself as comfortable as possible." the doctor insisted. If you need any assistance, please press the bell and we'll be with you right away."
Yongguk nodded. "Thank you."
It was not long when Yongguk was looking around the room, that he saw Himchan approaching from behind the curtains with a box in his hands.
"Glad to see you awake." he greeted the older man.
Yongguk chuckled as he sat up properly. "You too."
"Everyone has recovered." Himchan started to explain, swallowing heavily, "Except for Youngjae. He's been in a coma for a week now."
Yongguk's face fell. "How are they taking it?"
"Not very good." Himchan responded worryingly, taking a seat opposite the older man. "Daehyun's been a wreck ever since. He's stopped eating properly and I think he's been having nightmares. He cries a lot at night. But when he's here he just talks to Youngjae all day. It hurts to see him like that. He would've visited Youngjae today but I told him to look after Zelo at home. Maknae has a high fever. Jongup's with his family at the moment."
"Daehyun is brave to do that." Yongguk pointed out. "I haven't even seen Youngjae yet, but I'm scared to. If that was you in a coma, I wouldn't even be able to bring myself to look at you. So I don't know how Daehyun is strong enough to confront something as scary as that."
"You're right, I guess. I'm so scared that Daehyun's going to do something stupid because of this. Jongup has been with his family ever since, and I can't expect Zelo to stop Daehyun, he's been so ill."
"Go home and look after them. I'm going to be fine here, since I have help if I need it. Plus I'm safe here. The younger ones should be our priority."
"Will do. But first..." Himchan placed a box beside Yongguk's bed. "I brought you your music player, a few books and a few snacks I made at home, just so you're not bored."
"Thank you." Yongguk smiled gently.
"I can't handle all this by myself. I really need your help - so get better soon, alright?" Himchan told him, patting him on the shoulder before he left.
It was the early afternoon at Youngjun's apartment, where Hana had been pressing her cheek against the cold table in the living room for quite a while now. Although Hana was only supposed to stay one night, somehow she had been there the entire week and Youngjun became very used to having her around. She brought a few things from her apartment and became very settled in. But today was just a day where nothing was going well and she was close to having a breakdown. Ever since Youngjae fell into a coma, nothing was the same. And she started to fear that nothing will ever be the same, ever again.
Her thoughts were interrupted when Youngjun joined her, also sitting down with his face pressed against the desk across her so all she saw was his face. He smiled, "Hi."
Hana couldn't help but smile. "Hey."
"Wanna tell me what's up?"
"It's just..." Hana was taken aback with what she was going to tell him. This was Youngjae's brother. His only remaining blood. And she really didn't want to hurt him. "Nothing."
"Are you worried that Youngjae won't wake up?" he asked, almost as if he knew what she was thinking.
Hana's eyes widened softly. And she looked a little panicked. "Yes." as soon as she answered, she felt like something was suffocating her. "I'm scared for him."
"Can I tell you something?" Youngjun suggested.
"Sure." Hana suddenly became curious.
"Back when I was a policeman from the Seoul Police Force like you guys... I lost my best friend in our last mission. He was Yongguk's twin brother. Yongnam. We shared everything together. And we told each other everything. A few months before he was shot we were talking about very serious things. Our families. Including our brothers. And death. We were telling each other that if so there were to be an incident that took one of us away, we'd look after our younger ones whatever happens. I had no idea that following on in the late summer, we were going to be ambushed and Yongnam would be fatally shot in the heart. When he had been hit, the next time I saw him and said goodbye to him..." Youngjun's throat tightened at the distant yet permanently scarring memory. "It was at his funeral. He died at the scene. And I was hoping, praying, everything - that there was one survivor from our team. But there was none. And that's what hurt the most. The fact that I was the only survivor from 20 men involved in the case was terrifying. I was the only one that got out of there, alive. From then I found difficulty in living with myself. I hated myself for not being able to save anyone. I couldn't eat, sleep or carry on with my life because all I thought of, was them. I went into deep depression and I was even thinking of attempting suicide the following months after their deaths."
Hana's heart dropped. She struggled for breath, not even having the slightest idea of how Youngjun must have felt.
"The worst thing is, I don't think I ever got over their deaths. Not even until this day. I tell myself I'm okay and that I will eventually recover from it. But I don't think I will. Ever. But seeing you guys and looking out for you heals me a little. Makes me happy and realise that my life still has a purpose. I promised myself that I would look out for Yongguk and Youngjae more. And now that Youngjae's in a coma, I feel as if that's my fault. As if I'm responsible for his injury. And I am too, scared to lose him. But Hana, can I ask you for a favour? Can you smile for me? Whatever happens, make sure to pick yourself back up again. Cry when you need to cry. But I want you to pick yourself up no matter what. And I'll be there helping you. I've wasted practically all my life mourning for them. But I don't want you guys to go the same thing I have. Feeling like that will destroy you as a person, both mentally and physically. So even though you're hurt right now, can you do that for me?"
Hana at this point had shed tears and couldn't stop. She sat up and nodded. "I'll try." she replied eventually.
Youngjun, a little teary himself smiled at her. "Thank you."
Tears fall down
I’m trapped in memories of you, no.
I’m trapped in memories of you, no.
Zelo-bot: Meiyoung is currently not here, so Zelo is helping her update~
She will be back soon, as Zelo has been told.
Zelo-bot, over and out!
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