The pungent musk of cigarette smoke filled the air around him. His eyes strained to bring the cream colored popcorn ceiling into focus. The air conditioner of the run down motel room was working overtime. He could hear it but could not feel it. The copious amount of drugs he knew had been pumped into his system gave him an unsettlingly high fever and caused him to sweat uncontrollably.

His body was so heavy he could hardly move his eyelids let alone sit up and try to make his escape. The only options available were to lay there and overdose or hold on long enough for someone, likely the police, to take him away. Who knew just what would come first. 

It felt like weeks that he waited for something to happen. His massive high left him incapacitated and skewed his sense of time. It could have been hours, minutes, or even seconds until something happened. Anything. 

"Hansol Vernon Chwe!" Loud banging sounded from the doorway. Due to his current condition it sounded much farther away. However, he knew they were there for him. His life had been saved and ended in the same exact moment. 

Their voices were muffled but he knew that they must be shouting their demands. The door was soon knocked off it's hinges thanks to the heavy foot of an officer. 

They pointed their guns uselessly at Vernon's limp body. At that very moment they began to read him his rights the room became even more blurred than before. His arms now wer not only limp they were numb. 

His throat began to swell and the thoughts in his head were getting lost and faded. It was a darkness that could only mean one thing. Death was upon him. He knew it was taking over. It was succeeding. 

Vernon had not fight left in him to prevent this darkness from overtaking his body. He could no longer feel the men roughly pulling him from the bed. He couldn't feel them drop him on the floor when he was too useless to move. He was painfully unaware of the ambulance being called and the heads up that they might need a body bag. 

His mind, which was quickly fading away, filtered through his life. The good times and the bad. The hardships and the best days. His mother. His Mina. 

As quickly as these thoughts came to him they all disappeared. Every last functioning part of his body halted completely. The world around him was shrouded by a visible darkness. 

Then came a light. So bright. So white. It was nearly blinding compared to his previous state. It hurt in a way. The steady and rhythmic beeps slowly became louder. The smell of bleach and rubbing alcohol filled his nose. 

He blinked several times trying to adjust to the harsh lighting. Vernon attempted to bring his hands up to rub his eyes. Unfortunately for him his hands were painfully stopped at his sides. Looking down he saw the shiny silver cuffs that secured him to the bed's safety bars. 

His wrists didn't bother him as much as the sight of the crook of his arms. His skin was littered with track marks. So many. Too many to count. Some once prominent veins had disappeared. They had collapsed or been blown out due to puncturing too far. 

This was a sight that he swore he would never see again. The forced end to his sobriety broke his heart and sent him into a crying fit. The feeling of a pumped stomach and withdraw symptoms was enough to rattle his entire aching body. 

After a while, though still aching inside, he attempted to wipe his damp cheeks against his hospital gown. Officers would soon be coming in to make the arrest and Vernon knew the role he was supposed to play in all this. 

Not long after he had calmed himself down enough to play the psychopath that he needed to be the doors began to open up. Though his body was still shaking with withdraw he managed a blank stare into the corner of the room. 

With the chief of police and a deputy by his side he was officially being arrested.

"Hansol Vernon Chwe! You are under arrest for at least a dozen murders in the Seoul and Incheon area, the kidnapping of Jeon Mina, and the use and abuse of illegal substances." They continued on with their little spiel until every last right was read. 

In return Vernon simply smirked and looked over to the officers lazily. He acted as if not a word they had said phased him. Yet it simply wasn't true. All of it hurt. Most of all the idea that anyone would have to believe that he had anything to do with harming that sweet girl. Someone so precious to him.

"I SAID DO YOU UNDERSTAND!" screamed the chief. 

With no signs of weakness showing Vernon sighed dramatically. "Yess... I understand." he said with distain. 

The chief had to hold Donghae back. He knew if he would let him free he would beat some respect into the kid. Personally he would love nothing more than to let that happen. However he was part of the law enforcement. The head of it and he had to show he was capable of being unbiased. Had to show that he was doing everything by the book. 

Later that evening Vernon was relieved to find out that they couldn't immediately ship him off to a jail cell. At the moment he required too much medical attention to be released. He had never been happier to be broken. 

Day in and day out he was monitored by police. They didn't even trust him enough to go to the restroom. So because of this he was catheterized to limit his trips as much as possible. Who knows what someone so dangerous could do with unsupervised time. 

It turns out he had been in a coma five days after his overdose. As a result of all that had happened to him there were some major side effects. Every time he managed to fall asleep he would be out for 15 hours straight. This wasn't just when turning in for the night. No he would be in the middle of eating or speaking and his head would fall. He'd be out, no possible way to wake him, for hours on end. Whatever had been put and mixed up into his system had more serious effects than he ever imagined they could.  

Despite all of this. Every interrogation and every worsening medical condition there was only one thing that continually plagued his mind. How was Mina? Was she safe? Was she being taken care off? How bad was she being hurt? Was she being fed and most of all was this all worth it? Was that monster even going to let her live? Though having his doubts he couldn't break character for even a second. He wouldn't risk her wellbeing. He didn't know if that awful excuse for a human being was at all going to follow through. In no way could Vernon live with himself if she died because of him. She deserved so much more than that. Mina deserved the world and to live. 

Mina was the only thing that he could hold on to. The thought of possible saving her was what kept him going. He couldn't fail her.

_______________________________________

And I'm officially back. Ik I didn't address what I think many are agonizing over. But in due time. Ily so much guys. Also I have been trying to reply to comments but it won't let me but I will figure this out one way or another. I will dm my reply it it's really necessary haha. 

Rina 💜