Location: SBS-R Power FM: CulTwo Show 
Time: Monday 7:44 am (4 days after collapse)

Chanwoo:  Yuna and I actually went to see EXO perform at the arena Friday night. 

Taegyun: How was it? I was surprised they did not reschedule at least a few concerts considering the circumstances.

Chanwoo: It was good but they were struggling to hit some of their notes and without Chanyeol, DJ time just did not have the same hyped up mood it usually does. I know he gets a lot of attention for some of his older raps that weren’t as good but he has really improved as a rapper. His low voice is just what EXO needs…

Taegyun: That’s what I’ve been saying! 

Chanwoo: The members looked so sad I just wanted to give them all a big hug – especially Baekhyun. I felt like his heart just really wasn’t into the performance that night.

Taegyun: Well Chanyeol and Baekhyun and really close right? He has to be devastated. I heard that he’s been practically living in the hospital. (chuckles) I bet they had to threaten him just to get him to the arena. Did they give the fans any updates?  I didn’t see anything new on their website.

Chanwoo: I got to speak to EXO’s leader Suho after the concert and he said that Chanyeol was still in a medically induced coma. Supposedly the doctors weren’t sure if he would recover but he started responding to treatment. The doctors are saying Chanyeol will be released soon within the next day or so.

Taegyun: Oh man – EXO, if you’re listening, our hearts are with you and Chanyeol. We wish a speedy recovery for Chanyeol and hope to see him soon. If you need anything, please call us.

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Location: Room 61, Seoul National University Hospital
Time: Tuesday at 10:23 am

 “So that medicine will make Chanyeol wake up?” Suho said with wide eyes.  

“Yes,” said Dr. Kim “It counteracts the medicine we gave him to keep him in a coma. When Chanyeol actually wakes up will be up to him – it could take a few more days so please be patient.” 

“But he will,” Baekhyun asked nervously, “he will wake up?” 

“I don’t see any reason why as of now, he shouldn’t wake up within the week – as long as he remains stable.” 

Tao crossed his arms in annoyance; he hated when people were not straight with him. He knew what the doctor was trying to say – that the odds of Chanyeol waking up were good but there was still a chance that he might not – but still.   

All of the members held their breath while Dr. Kim administered the medicine into Chanyeol’s IV. “That’s all you have to do?” DO asked. They all stared down at Chanyeol’s face hoping to see any kind of reaction but there was none.   

“Mhm. Now we must wait,” Dr. Kim replied.  

————

Suho sighed at the sight of Baekhyun starting off into space again. He was really getting worried about him the longer Chanyeol remained unconscious. Baekhyun was always the one in the group who was hyper and vocal but recently he is quiet and separated. Suho was not used to seeing Baekhyun this way and wasn’t quite sure how to handle it. He wanted to be there for Baekhyun and comfort him but any attempts to talk to him seemed to only make him more upset. Suho knew the only way to help Baekhyun was for Chanyeol to wake up.

Suho’s thoughts were scrambling together - What were they going to do when Chanyeol did wake up? Should we celebrate with a party? Maybe I could try talking to Baekhyun about that – give him something positive to think about? And how weird that Chanyeol always called Baekhyun “puppy”? Suho had no idea where this nickname came from. It was always said with humor and affection so Baekhyun never seemed to mind.

Sometimes Suho admired just how close and comfortable Baekhyun and Chanyeol were with each other. Yes, all of the members were close but sometimes he wondered if there was more to this story. He could never really shake Sooman’s comment about Baekhyun’s uality. Baekhyun had pushed the camp boat enough times to raise a few eyebrows but he had had girlfriends in the past and always made comments of his attraction to the female population.  But what about those times when he would catch a shared look between the two or a lingering touch? Was it possible that Baekhyun could be attracted to boys? And if Baekhyun was gay then Chanyeol certainly had to be gay because he always returned every touch and gesture. In fact, he was usually the one to instigate the affection when cameras weren’t rolling – and why was it only this way with Baekhyun? Perhaps Baekhyun was just a confident person that was comfortable with both es. Did Chanyeol know?

Suho looked over at his friend, swallowing thickly as Baekhyun picked up Chanyeol’s hand again, in both of his, and slowly rubbed his thumb into the crease of Chanyeol’s. He looked so serious, so unlike himself, like his movements were instinctual.

“Suho!” 

Suho blinked, surprised, as he turned his head to see Xiumin’s hand waving in front of his face. “It’s your turn.”  

Suho had forgotten that he had been playing cards with the other members. How long had Xiumin been trying to get his attention? Embarrassed, he said, “do you have any 9s?” “Go fish,” Chen said. Suho picked up a card and turned his gaze back to Baekhyun who was starting to fall asleep in the guest chair. What kind of brother was he for thinking these things about his two friends? It wasn’t any of his business – but, it was his business. He was the leader – it was his job to know the members’ weaknesses and take preventative measures when necessary. Sooman had practically written it into his contract so that Suho had no grounds to pass blame if it all went south. So what if, in some other world, Baekhyun and Chanyeol did get together? Would that be a good thing or a bad thing? Suho could not come up with any good reason as to why it would affect the dynamic of the group. Chanyeol would be happy which meant that Baekhyun would be happy which in turn would make all of the other members happy so what was the big deal? Okay, sure the media would be overly-aggressive and they may lose some unhappy fans. But the media attention would die down eventually and the true EXO-Ls would continue to be supportive – perhaps even a little too supportive… Was he being naïve to think this way though? Damn Sooman for putting these thoughts into his head!

Regardless, this was something that he was going to have to keep a close eye on. If something did happen, it definitely would not be smooth sailing. There would be many ups and downs which could be detrimental to the group’s dynamics. This needed careful observation and planning. Suho could not afford to mess up again. He really hoped that this was all in his imagination and Baekhyun and Chanyeol are just very good, heteroual friends.  

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Location: Room 61, Seoul National University Hospital
Time: Wednesday 1:57 pm

 “Baek,” Mrs. Park called and she hung her coat in the closet, “here,” handing him a market bag, “I brought you some food.” 

“Thank you Ms. Park but I’m not hungry,” Baekhyun replied, rubbing his eyes. He had arrived back at the hospital, about an hour before, after being physically carried back to the dorm to sleep last night. “Don’t act like a child,” she said sternly, “I know you haven’t eaten since seven last night. You’ll deplete your body of all of its energy and get sick if you don’t eat. You being sick too won’t help Chanyeol or the other members.” 

“I’m sorry,” Baekhyun mumbled as he accepted the bag. He had to force himself to eat by taking small bites. Mrs. Park watched approvingly. 

“Have you spoken to the doctor today?” He asked rudely with his mouth full. 

“No, I just got here, have you?” Mrs. Park asked. “No,” Baekhyun replied, taking another bite of his kimchi.

“Baekhyun, since we are alone, may I talk to you about something?” Mrs. Park asked. Baekhyun nodded while sipping his water. With hesitation in her voice, Mrs. Park continued, “it is very obvious that you care deeply for my son and you have no idea how much that pleases me.” “Chanyeol is my son so of course I know how wonderful he is to be around but it is always more special to see other people agreeing with me.” “I have no doubt that if this situation was reversed, Chanyeol wouldn’t have left your side either – but that’s because I know my son”. “What I don’t know is you Baekhyun. Not very well, at least.” “All I can go on is from what I see – I see you here every day caring very deeply for my son – so please forgive me Baekhyun but I have to ask…” Mrs. Park paused for a moment, biting her lip before asking, “has there ever been more between you and my son than either of you have told me?” Baekhyun frowned, “what do you mean by ‘more’?” 

“Are you in a relationship with my son?” 

Baekhyun froze at Mrs. Park’s suggestion. It took him a few moments to process through the shock. “What?!” He gasped, “No! I’m straight and so is Chanyeol! Why would you think something like that?!” 

“You’re very close…,” she said with a shrug. “So that means we’re gay?!” Baekhyun said angrily, feeling his face burn. 

“Chanyeol is close with Suho, DO, and Sehun,” she pointed out, “and yet they have not spent every available hour by his side like you have. Please forgive me for making such a shocking statement but I can’t understand your relationship from a friendship angle. The two of you are always touching each other when you’re nearby and you always share these secret looks and smiles like you know something the rest of the world doesn’t. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing I just want to understand – I just want to help.” 

“He is my best friend,” Baekhyun coolly replied, “it may not live up to your standards of what a friendship should be but that is how ours is.” 

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Location: Room 61, Seoul National University Hospital
Time: Thursday, 5:04 pm

Days had passed since Chanyeol was given the counter-medication but he still had not woken up. The doctor explained that Chanyeol’s body was trying to recover from the loss of oxygen. It had to shut everything down in order to focus on replenishing the oxygen in his blood so it would take time to get everything back up and running. Since Tuesday, Baekhyun had done nothing but sit and stare at his best friend. That’s what he was doing right now – studying Chanyeol’s face – memorizing his features. Chanyeol’s nose was long and his ears stuck out. He had very delicate lips, thin, with a hint of pink – like a girl’s. Baekhyun had a desired wondering of what they would feel like to touch; were they soft like his own? Baekhyun allowed his eyes to lazily trace down the contours of his friend’s face and mused over how Chanyeol’s features were so elegant, almost feminine in a way.

If it wasn’t for his thick laryngeal prominence, some may have found it difficult to determine if Chanyeol was male or female. Either way, Chanyeol was very handsome. His hands were long and strong, adding to his masculinity. Absently, Baekhyun traced his index finger down Chanyeol’s arm, fascinated by how soft his skin was. He couldn’t help but do it again. He slid his fingers down all the way to his thumb and smiled as Chanyeol’s fingers slowly started to curl around his. It was such a special moment that he almost missed the fact that Chanyeol’s fingers weren’t supposed to move.

Taking a big gulp, Baekhyun slowly cupped his hand around Chanyeol’s face. “Chanyeol?” he whispered, thinking that he was about to get the biggest let down in his life until Chanyeol’s eyes fluttered. “Chanyeol?” he whispered again. Chanyeol’s eyes fluttered again. Baekhyun almost ripped out Chanyeol’s IV trying to reach for the call button.

“Chanyeol?!” he said, “Chanyeol!?” he said again even louder as anticipation was building. Chanyeol’s eyes fluttered open halfway before closing again. Baekhyun let out a sigh, “Oh, Chanyeol.”    

Suddenly, Chanyeol’s lips began to move as he struggled to breathe past the ventilator. He started choking causing Baekhyun to spring backwards in alarm. At that moment, two nurses appeared, forcing Baekhyun out of the room. Baekhyun watched through the window as they fussed over Chanyeol and extracted his breathing tube. Baekhyun had to close his eyes as the sound of Chanyeol gagging as the tube was pulled out was too much to bare. But Chanyeol was awake! Baekhyun could barely think over his racing heartbeat – he did not know whether he should laugh or cry.

Baekhyun raced back into the room, leaning over Chanyeol eagerly. “Chanyeol?” Chanyeol’s eyes fluttered again and again until finally, they opened fully exposing his large chocolate brown eyes. They looked very weak, but managed to focus on Baekhyun.

“Puh…puppy?” Chanyeol stuttered. At that real moment with Chanyeol, Baekhyun felt every emotion running through his body, punching him in the gut. All the fear, pain, and agony came rushing back. “Wh… what happened? Am… I in the hospital?” he croaked, tired and confused.

“You passed out at the arena,” he said softly while running his fingers through Chanyeol’s hair.

“What’s wrong with me?” Chanyeol swallowed thickly as his eyes began to close, “I feel awful.”

“You had untreated Hypoxia, which got worse, causing Hypoxemia,” Baekhyun replied.

“Is that why my chest hurts? It’s hard to breathe.” he mumbled, opening his eyes again.

“Yeah,” Baekhyun nodded, trying to hold back the tears. 

Chanyeol locked his eyes with Baekhyun’s, slowly reaching up to touch his cheek. “Are you alright puppy?” At that question, Baekhyun couldn’t help but laugh at the fact that out of everything going on, Chanyeol was only worried about him. Baekhyun could no longer control his emotions, grabbing Chanyeol’s gown, shaking him. 

“What is the matter with you?!” He snarled, not even thinking about what he was doing. Baekhyun couldn’t control himself. He punched Chanyeol in the shoulder over and over, swearing at him – he was so out of control he couldn’t stop.

“Baek! Ow! Stop!” Chanyeol whined, “Baekhyun!” He said so harshly that it caught Baekhyun off guard, stopping him instantly. Baekhyun’s anger vanished, leaving him in complete grief. Baekhyun laid his head on Chanyeol’s chest and uncontrollably sobbed. “Hey?” Chanyeol croaked as Baekhyun moved up to press his face into the hot skin of Chanyeol’s neck. Baekhyun closed his eyes. The warmth and smell of his friend was so familiar, he couldn’t hold back the tears any longer. 

Feeling Baekhyun’s tears on his neck, Chanyeol weakly lifted his arms and wrapped them around Baekhyun. “Baekhyun?” he asked softly, “are you leaking on me?” 

Baekhyun choked, trying to laugh through his tears. Chanyeol’s left hand slowly started to rub Baekhyun’s back and while his right hand played with Baekhyun’s hair. “Stop,” he murmured, “you know I can’t handle puppy tears.” Chanyeol could feel Baekhyun smile against his skin and continued, “that’s it, be strong puppy, it’s not like I died or anything.” 

That comment made Baekhyun shiver as he remembered Chanyeol’s body arching under the shock of the paddles, “but…but you did die Chanyeol…multiple times,” he whined.

“Oh…” Chanyeol winced, “I guess that’s why my chest hurts so much.”

“And I…” Chanyeol returned his attention back to Baekhyun, cupping his head, “You what?” he asked gently. 

“I…” Baekhyun sniffled, closing his eyes, “I said we should plan your funeral because I was going to kill you if you woke up for putting me through all this and then your heart just stopped.” Baekhyun started sobbing again, “I didn’t mean it! I am so sorry Chanyeol! I don’t want you to die!”  

“Oh…” Chanyeol swallowed, his heart was breaking at the site of Baekhyun crying into his shoulder, “Puppy, please tell me you haven’t been worried about saying that, have you? I know you don’t want me to die. It’s okay, really. Please stop crying. I don’t like it when you cry.”

He suddenly started to harshly cough and Baekhyun remembered just how weak and sore Chanyeol was. He was probably making it even harder for Chanyeol to breathe with his weight on top of him. He slowly shifted to the side, running a hand over Chanyeol’s cheek.

“That’s better puppy,” Chanyeol said softly, managing to smile.   

Clearing his throat, Baekhyun asked, “How do you feel Chanyeol? Don’t lie to me,” as he brushed some strands of hair out of Chanyeol’s eyes. 

“Sick… like very sick and sore. Everything hurts,” Chanyeol admitted, closing his eyes. 

Baekhyun leaned forward gently pressed a kiss to Chanyeol’s forehead, “rest then,” he said softly. 

“Stay?” Chanyeol whispered back. 

“I’m not going anywhere,” he replied, linking their fingers together. He smiled as Chanyeol’s fingers curled around his before relaxing.

No - Baekhyun thought. He wasn’t going anywhere – absolutely nowhere.