Chapter 19 – My Pain
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Your pain is my true curse. 

     Jimin exhaled. The sound of his breathing seemed to echo in the piercing silence. His body began to feel weak and with consciousness seeping away along with the blood staining his clothing, his legs gave in and he fell back. His fall was broken as he landed in Jeongkook’s arm, the younger down on one knee as he caught his hyung just in time. But to him he was still too late. He lifted his head and met eyes with Taebeom, shooting him the deadliest glare a man could ever give.

Rage boiling in an instant in Taehyung, he swept one leg across the floor and tripped his brother over, automatically climbing on top of him and pushing him down He grabbed his brother’s head and began slamming it against the concrete below them. He was losing it as he shrieked aggressively; all he wanted to do was release his anger. Taebeom finally managed to push him away after a good three blows to the back of his head. He crawled to his feet and quickly stumbled away as he clutched at the pain. The slams had evidently interfered with his vision and it was likely that he would fall unconscious somewhere nearby. But Taehyung could care nonetheless at the moment.

“Hyung! Hyung!”

He finally registered Jeongkook’s desperate voice and his eyes that burned flames suddenly morphed back into the innocent eyes he bore of utmost sadness. He tugged his shirt off over his head as he ran towards Jimin and Jeongkook, his body momentarily oblivious to the amount of blood he was already losing from the cut his brother inflicted earlier.

He dropped to his knees and scrunched his shirt around the knife that was still firm in Jimin’s chest. Jimin winced and yelped at the painful pressure Taehyung applied to stop the bleeding, but other things were on his mind too. He reached up to Jeongkook’s arm and squeezed it weakly. The younger looked down at him with frantic eyes, though Taehyung was more on the verge of tears than he was.

“J-Jeongkook, take off the bandana around my wrist. Use it to wrap around Taehyung’s wound.”

“B-but…” Jeongkook mumbled almost inaudibly; he didn’t want to let go of Jimin. The elder eyed him for a split second. “Please.”

He did as told, lowering Jimin down ever so slowly. Taehyung’s eyes turned annoyed as Jeongkook crouched down next to him. “Jeongkook, call the ambulance. Now.” He said, the blood on his fingers drying up as more continued to soak his skin.

“No. Finish what you’re doing Jeongkook, then call the hyungs, not the ambulance.” Jimin said as he shot Taehyung a bewildered look, “Are you crazy? You can’t let the police find you like this! Your family will be found out!”

“Do you think I care about that right now?!” Taehyung yelled, his fingers enclosing in on themselves to form fists; they weren’t fists of anger, they were fists of hopelessness. He felt so useless, so weak; his strength was leaving him as the seconds ticked past and he felt like he could drown in the tears that streamed down his cheeks any minute.

Jimin’s expression flashed pain. “Jin hyung is in medical training…” he said, feeling slightly guilty. He quickly glanced at Jeongkook. “Hurry up and stop the bleeding.”

“No! Go call the ing ambulance!”

“Jeongkook-“

“Jimin!”

“Shut up!” Jeongkook growled. As the two hyungs stopped talking, the youngest felt his heart silently crack. He was slowly breaking down on the inside. It wasn’t until now did he understand just how much Taehyung and Jimin loved each other; even during the potential of death, all they thought for was each other. He shed tears for himself. Mixed emotions filled him but he suppressed them to handle the situation.

He finished tying the bandana around Taehyung’s cut and pulled it one last time for a tight knot to hold it in place. The elder winced slightly. Jeongkook pulled out his phone and dialled Jin.

“Jin hyung, we’re at-“

“Hyung, call the ambulance!” Taehyung screamed abruptly into the phone. Jimin’s eyes widened and he pushed off the floor, only to fall back and start coughing weakly. He sounded like he was slightly suffocating and Taehyung’s heart broke when he saw blood escape the boy’s mouth. Jeongkook’s face looked like he would faint any second, but he forced himself to look away. He told Jin where they were and hung up, completely drained emotionally.

Taehyung shuffled forward and reached out his trembling fingers to the edges of Jimin’s mouth as he wiped the blood away with inaudible murmurs leaving his lips; the type of sound that resembled a weeping baby who isn’t yet able to talk. Tears dripped from his cheek onto Jimin’s forehead.

Jimin’s fingers trickled up to his hand. Croaking out a sob, Taehyung intertwined their fingers and sunk his head into Jimin’s neck, whispering prayers to himself for Jimin to be okay. He listened to the elder’s low breathing.

“Tae-Taehyung-ah…” He exhaled weakly, his eyes struggling to stay open. Taehyung leaned up and stared at Jimin with puffy eyes, terrified to lose him any minute.

Jimin managed a weak smile. “Take care of Jeongkook for me.”

Jeongkook appeared from behind Taehyung and took Jimin’s other hand. “ you Jimin! you! I don’t want Taehyung to look after me, I want you to!”

Taehyung Jimin’s sweat drenched fringe away when the boy suddenly breathed very fast, and five seconds later, he passed out. Taehyung felt his own heart beat pound. He shook Jimin desperately and screamed out to him, right as Jin and the others arrived and he was lifted away. Hoseok held him back as Jin assessed Jimin. Taehyung was choking to breathe as tears continued to pour down his face; Hoseok struggled to calm him down. After a few seconds, Jin cupped Taehyung’s face and gave him a serious look. “The knife didn’t hit any vital organs. He’s not going to die, so don’t worry. I want you to calm down.” He said in a firm voice, returning quickly to lift Jimin up with Namjoon’s help. They put him in the back of Jin’s car and drove off, Yoongi’s car pulling up just as they left.

Taehyung felt his body give in. He was physically exhausted. He fell unconscious in Hoseok’s arms. They quickly drove him back in Yoongi’s car, Jeongkook getting in with them.

     Hoseok and Yoongi watched over Taehyung as he rested that night. He wouldn’t stop sleep talking. Sweat drenched his forehead and the two keeping an eye on him were starting to get very worried.

“No… No! Jimin! Don’t! No! Hyung, stop!”

“Taehyung has a hyung?”

Hoseok shrugged. “I never heard him mention it before.”

They exchanged concerned faces.

     Jeongkook stayed in Jin’s room where Jimin lied on the bed. Namjoon walked in and out collecting things Jin told him to get that they’d need for the night. The maknae was awfully quiet; he hadn’t spoken a word since they returned and he didn’t look like he was going to any time soon. He just sat on a chair by Jimin’s bed and stared into nowhere, spacing out. Jin had removed the knife from Jimin’s chest and asked Namjoon to soak it in a tub of water. They both wore gloves and were extra careful not to let any blood drip onto the floor. They couldn’t risk staining the floor with blood of this amount.

In less than fifteen minutes Jin had stitched up Jimin’s wound – which Namjoon blocked Jeongkook’s view from – and wrapped layers of bandage around him. After finshing - and being certain Jeongkook wasn't hurt anywhere (any visible wounds anyway) - the two cleaned up the place and double checked that nothing looked too unordinary, except for Jin’s stained bed sheet. They would just wash it after Jimin was strong enough to walk.

The maknae was still not responding. Jin patted his shoulder and suggested he go eat something, but he wouldn’t budge. Jin retreated with Namjoon to the desk in the corner of the room where they ate food and left some in case Jeongkook felt like eating later.

Jimin lied motionless except for the small rising of his chest. His features were still to the point that they glistened in the light that seeped through the blinds. Jeongkook watched over him during the night.