Flashback

This is how most stories end in the hospital. Not with crash carts, and sirens, and electric shocks to the chest, but with an empty room, a crisp white bed, and pure silence. The hospital room was as cold as dead skin, the hallway crowded with lost souls, and reeking of illness.

As he went closer, and closer to the bed, like an ice cube, he just froze up. Inside, his internal organs were grinding themselves into nervous pulp. He had a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach, dark circles under his eyes sink deeper, and deeper into his skull. Yixing's Adam’s apple jerked up, and down, and in addition to whatever else he was feeling, he was confused. But he was not afraid, and he wished for adrenaline to make his veins pulsate in that way that puts them more on the outside of his skin than inside.

He didn’t know if that was really true or not, but he discovered something which was tremendously liberating: he found the answers to every question that swamped his mind. He was very tired of thinking, and thinking, and still not knowing about what happened to Joongki. And now, here he is, standing beside Joongki, who was lying on the bed peacefully, and seeing his chest heave up, and down with a tube on his mouth, with lots of machines beside him.

Sometimes people misunderstand being scared, and cautious. The former is when you are intimidated into the state of anxiety, and confusion, but after it you acknowledge a risk, but undoubtedly expecting positive outcome.

As Yixing felt less overwhelmed,his fear softened, and began to subside. He felt a flicker of hope, then a rolling wave of fiery rage. But his body continued to shake, and tremble. It is alternately icy cold, and feverishly hot. A burning red fury erupts from deep within his belly

You knew then that this was not any kind of hospital that cured, but a hospital that held, that kept their patients away from the rest of the world, a kind of ark that floated along full of life, but not participating in life.... these people no longer made progress.

Yes, because Joongki was in a state of comatose after the accident, and it have been months since he didn’t wake up from his long, long peaceful slumber.

“Here” Chanyeol said, giving a glass of water to Yixing. His hands were shaking as he held the glass of water, and drank it. As the thick liquid slipped down his throat, and into his belly, Yixing started to feel warm, and soft. And after a few minutes, he wasn't scared to know the truth anymore. At least a little bit of truth.

Chanyeol stood on the other side of the bed as he looked at Joongki pitifully.

“He doesn’t deserve all of these” he blurted out, “it have been months since he was in comatose, and there were no improvements yet” he looked at Yixing who wasn’t listening to him, 

“Why?” Yixing stated.

“What do you mean why?” Chanyeol asked,

“You know what I mean” he said coldly. He was hesitant to say everything, but he has to. 

“Okay fine” he sighed, “It's not my fault, Yixing. I never wanted to keep this secret from you. I was just scared.His parents told me not to tell anyone about this, they wanted to protect Joongki..”

“Protect?!" he scoffed, "In what way? Through telling to all of his friends that he’s already dead? That Jinhee is now grieving over his “dead” boyfriend? Do you know how much she’s suffered all this time—“ he telled out of frustration

“Because we wanted our son to be away from the danger in the hands of Jinhee” Chanyeol, and Yixing were both shocked as they turned their heads to the door. Mrs. Song entered the room, looking so pale. “So you already know, Yixing dear” as she closed the door, and went to where Yixing, and Cchanyeol were.

“Danger? You know how much your son loved Jinhee, and how much he cared-“

“What do you know about the life of my son?” as she looked at Yixing displeased, but Yixing did not care less, “Did you know that he was diagnosed with eye cancer?” there was silence. No breathing, no noises, just the machines working. They were shocked. For a long time they watched, hypnotized. There was a feeling of disbelief that came over him, that takes over, and he kind of go through the motions.

“No one knew..not even Jinhee..” he looked at joongki, a single tear escaped her eye, he wanted to grab, and take all the pain her son was experiencing that time, “..not even me” they know the shame, and the guilt, and the sorrow, and the rage. And they did not judge her. They just listened.

The news that Joongki’s mom blurted out had a powerful impact on them they suppose because it was such an obvious sh