Hello, I have done all the research I possibly could about every one of the medical details mentioned in this chapter. If any of you find a mistake, please inform me!

-------------------------------------------------------
 

As hard as it was for Chanyeol to do, he knew it needs to be done. After the instance of his connection with Chris worsening, Chanyeol had no other choice but to contact the only person he knows who could fix things properly. His father.

It's too dangerous to keep things open on bad terms with a person like Chris. He already knows way more about Chanyeol's life and personal connections than Chanyeol is comfortable with. Which means others around him might be at risk.

He wouldn't allow that. Not Jongdae, not Baekhyun, and most definitely not Kyungsoo who's already in a vulnerable position against threats by default.

He's a different person than he used to be before. His cold and stern self is gone. The one that didn't care, the one that felt cautious about giving, careful of expressing his thoughts and feelings, about friendship.

Now he's grown, Kyungsoo's exposure in his life has turned him into a man that not only cut off any connection with the source of all evil in his life, known as Chris, but also contacted his father in order to do so.

Chanyeol realized that unlike his previous old pride that came out of shallow achievements like games, appearance, and success in wooing his chosen targets, now he feels proud from entirely different reasons.

When he studied and finished the exam successfully he felt proud, when he works out he feels proud, when he cooks with Jongdae in their kitchen he's proud. When he is able to make Kyungsoo smile he is the most proud.

After the exam, both Kyungsoo and him have no more classes and nothing to study for, Chanyeol's been visiting him on an almost daily basis. They don't leave the apartment much at all, once in a while maybe. But Chanyeol's still a little wary that Kyungsoo's well being might be compromised if they stay outside too much.

Luckily, his father who noticed the shift in Chanyeol's way of life once the latter had to call him in order to ask for help, agreed to step in and end the toxic connection between the two once and for all.

Chris Lee will no longer be bothering Chanyeol. He wouldn't be bothering anybody else at the university either once Chanyeol's father will complete the reasearch and take him to court for his previous crimes.

These were great news, but it still doesn't change the fact that Chris had quite a large following, and even if the head of the snake is off the records, it's still a little dangerous.

He was doing well, spending his time to do things that make him happy. Be it play games from time to time, hang out with Baekhyun and Jongdae, or visit Kyungsoo. They had a while until graduation to enjoy the simplicity of university life without the real world's interruptions.

At least Chanyeol did. Kyungsoo's dealing with the real world's challenges every single day.

"Hey, Chanyeol, you've been really out of it lately.. Are you okay? What's bothering you?"

Kyungsoo asked him one visit, looking a little worried yet careful, soft and compassionate right in his direction. Chanyeol is not used to being handled with such gentleness, it surprised him a little to discover how easy it was for Kyungsoo to detect his bitter mood.

"It's nothing big.. I just had to get my parents involved in some mess I've caused before. I mean, it ended up fine. My dad even offered to meet up with me again."

He explained, dropping out the details about everything that happened with Chris and his threats. It's better to forget about it completely. Chanyeol cannot be held accountable since he technically didn't even know what was done with his borrowed money.

So it shouldn't be such a problem for his father to handle. At least he thinks so, because it seems like his father noticed the changes in Chanyeol's lifestyle.

He used to be harsh, even hostile, but now after Chanyeol came to him and explained what he's been up to, he received a different reaction than some cold bites.

"You? Causing a mess?"

Kyungsoo replied wide eyed, but in a very obvious joking manner. He would never let Chanyeol's punch fight in the hallway during his exam die down. The two of them chuckled lightly.

"I don't really know if you'd want such a thing but... Uhm. My parents are actually going out for the weekend, after probably years they couldn't. Would you want to stay over?"

The boy added, with a much more obvious nervous tone to his voice, tugging lightly onto the blanket covering his legs. He looks so hopeful, and Chanyeol doesn't have the heart to deny him of it.

"That's actually a damn good offer. Especially since Jongdae decided to invite Baekhyun for the weekend too.. It's the perfect escape plan!"

Or maybe Jongdae said he's going to stay with Baekhyun? Chanyeol doesn't quite remember, but it doesn't matter because it sounds pretty convenient to stay over at Kyungsoo's place for a bit. 

Who would have thought that a person like Chanyeol would actually be eager to sleepover at the place of a person like Kyungsoo? Not in a thousand years anybody could have guessed it would ever happen.

There he stands again, a classic sports bag filled with a few necessary hygiene items for the weekend. A pair of pajamas for the night in one hand, and a plastic shopping bag  with a bunch of snacks and drinks in the other.

When the door opened in front of him, Kyungsoo was already rolling on his way to his own room, smiling at Chanyeol to follow. Without even needing to say a word Chanyeol closed the door after him, left the snacks in the living room and followed Kyungsoo into his room.

"I prepared you a big futon right by my bed, I hope its okay. It's longer than my own bed so I'm sure you'll fit in it, right?"

He gestured into the room, allowing Chanyeol to look inside before entering. The room was in perfect order. Clean and neat just like the rest of the apartment, a few pictures were hanging on the walls, too tall for Kyungsoo to have been the one who put them there.

Chanyeol smiled and allowed his necessities bag to drop on top of the futon before patting Kyungsoo's shoulder and thanking him for the effort.

They've spent the entire day watching series and movies in the living room, munching on all the snacks and drinks. Later Kyungsoo made them both a simple dinner with Chanyeol standing near the kitchen by the wall, watching him, so that the flow of their conversation wouldn't end.

He didn't know if he should or should not offer help, but from the way Kyungsoo's face remained in a permanent small smile, Chanyeol decided he'd just allow him to do it and enjoy himself.

By the time they finished eating and lazying around some more, either watching things, or allowing Kyungsoo to play the games on Chanyeol's phone, which was adorable because he got so invested in them, it was already pretty late in the evening.

Way earlier than Chanyeol's usual bed time, but while in Rome do as the romans do. As they say.

They changed their location to Kyungsoo's room, Chanyeol sat down on his futon while Kyungsoo transferred to his own bed by himself, leaving the wheelchair beside it for easy access.

They were calm, pleasant, and happy. Almost even relieved that they wouldn't need to be parting until at least the next day. Chanyeol was immersed and Kyungsoo was so amazing.

Somehow they managed to grow twice as close as they were in these few hours spent together, learning about each other. Chanyeol had tried to avoid asking a certain question all day, because he didn't know if he was ready to know the answer himself.

But now, when it's dark outside and Kyungsoo starts to look a little sleepy, his curiousity won over him, and he asked the question he feared knowing the answer of.

He stared intensely at Kyungsoo's thin legs hidden inside baggy jeans for a pretty long while, sort of losing himself before finally turning his head up to see Kyungsoo's smiling down at him from on top of the bed.

"How.. uh. How did this happen? If it happened? I don't really know how these things work."

Chanyeol finally asked, feeling a certain sense of nervousness from the whole situation. Before, he didn't want to know anything about these things, but now that he finally wants to know he isn't sure what's right to know at all.

"Don't be so stressed, it's fine. I wasn't in any sort of tragic accident or something like that."

Kyungsoo responded right away, chuckling calmly at the visible display of Chanyeol's relieved sigh to know the story wouldn't be nervewrecking.

"It was between middle school and high school. We moved from Ilsan to Seoul to stay closer to my father's sister. While we moved all the boxes into the house I probably carried one that was a little too heavy. You know, I was just a kid."

He started, calmly talking while Chanyeol could see in his eyes that he replays all of the memories he speaks of in his mind. There weren't any specific emotions on his expression.

"At some point I heard and felt a really loud and strong snap in my back, and just collapsed down on the floor. It was a little scary, I tried moving my legs to get up but they just wouldn't move at all."

He continued, a small smile popped on his face, but Chanyeol could see his hand tightening its hold onto the mattress of his bed.

"I kinda panicked. Clearly. Began crying and all that. I don't remember much after that, but my parents told me later that after I was brought to the hospital the doctors had to be really quick, except.. My parents didn't have enough money to get an expert..."

Now Chanyeol could see something in his face shift a little, not into sadness, but rather, regret. He listened quietly, that's the most he has ever heard Kyungsoo say, and he didn't realize just how much he enjoys having this voice in his ears.

A question that remains unsolved is the nature of Kyungsoo's regret. Why would he feel remorse about anything? Does he actually think any of what happened to him is somehow his fault?

Chanyeol wanted to either smack him or hug him really tight just from the thought of him possibly blaming himself.

"So the operation wasn't successful, and I lost everything from the thighs and below. I actually got an infection from the surgery too, and until my parents got me this wheelchair to start school, I was grounded to bed because of it."

He went a little further with the details, and Chanyeol's already aching heart could only clench tighter in his chest, both his palms were gripping tightly to his own ankles on the futon and it took a lot out of him to not hold Kyungsoo's hand, at least.

Although this new information was difficult for Chanyeol to understand as a whole, he did pay the entire span of his attention to the speaker out of respect. He learned that Kyungsoo's situation was actually a very rare dysfunction of a peaceful spina bifida from type occulta.

A defect that Kyungsoo was born with and went undetected all of his life until the incident. Where there was an incompletion in the building of his bones and barriers around his spinal cord.

A normally harmless defect that affects nothing at all in the person's body, had been snapped due to Kyungsoo trying to help and carrying something nobody knew his body wouldn't be able to handle.

"We had to move here afterwards, my parents uh.. Couldn't really afford to stay in Seoul. So here I am."

Kyungsoo finished the explanation, smiling at Chanyeol without a trace of any burdening emotions that he might have caught while talking before.

Pretty rough. Pretty unfair. Kyungsoo must have had his life set out in front of him towards the future. Chanyeol can only assume that he was extremely loved wherever he chose to go. This boy did nothing to deserve the fate he lives through right now.

His parents are dedicating their lives to pay back for something nobody had any control over, pay back for the system that failed them. Chanyeol just now understood just how meaningful it is that Kyungsoo's parents are out for a weekend.

It was bad, and yet Chanyeol didn't exactly feel like shying away from the subject. Now that he knows how it all began, he feels more connected, but he barely knows anything about how things are right now.

He used to be a coward, too scared to learn about this and accept the fact that some people just weren't free like him. Everything different was so wrong, and now... Now everything different is Kyungsoo, and Kyungsoo is right.

"How--.."

Chanyeol gulped, after being so concentrated on the story he didn't realize he was silent for so long.

"How is it today then?"

Kyungsoo seemed to be surprised. It was obvious that Kyungsoo wouldn't expect Chanyeol to wonder about such things after very clearly showing and stating how difficult it is for him to understand.

He stared at Chanyeol for a little while. Chanyeol wondered if he noticed the stiffness of his shoulders after asking it. He really wants to know now. It's important, it matters.

"It's fine. It doesn't hurt or anything.. I simply can't feel it. Only the upper part.. From like, here."

Kyungsoo gestured onto his own legs, placing a finger in the middle of the upper part of his thighs, he then slid his hand downwards and smiled at Chanyeol calmly.

"Technically, it's possible to just cut my legs off without me noticing at all."

He laughed. 

How can he laugh about this? It sounds like he doesn't take this subject seriously at all himself. Like it was nothing.

Maybe for Kyungsoo who has been dealing with it for years it really sounds like nothing anymore, but Chanyeol's face grimaced at the thought and he had to fight the urge to hug around Kyungsoo's legs as if to protect them from invisible saws that'll pull them off of his body.

They've spoken for a while more, Kyungsoo softly answered any question Chanyeol had, and Chanyeol calmly answered all of Kyungsoo's, too. It helped Chanyeol calm back down from the seriousness of Kyungsoo's legs.

Chanyeol thought his heart was going to burst from what felt like happiness mixed with cautiousness when after they finished talking and Kyungsoo's sleepiness was more present, he asked Chanyeol's help in changing into his pajamas.

Under Kyungsoo's gentle instructions and guidance, Chanyeol helped him change up. Kyungsoo easily took care of the upper part on his own in a matter of seconds, but the lower half of the body was a little more challenging.

At first he only asked for Chanyeol to help with the feet where it's harder to reach, because he's able to push off and pull on the pants just fine on his own, but Chanyeol insisted in helping more.

Which left Kyungsoo a little stunned, Chanyeol wasn't surprised to see Kyungsoo's shock. He never offered any help before. 

Very carefully he began pulling Kyungsoo's jeans off over his legs, revealing thin boney limbs. He stared at the two legs quietly, knowing that Kyungsoo's getting more and more nervous the longer that passes, but he couldn't help it.

Kyungsoo was just so fragile right under his hands on the side of the bed. After hesitating for a little while Chanyeol finally placed his palm on top of Kyungsoo's knee, feeling the low temperature of the body part and how soft the skin is.

"Do you feel it?"

His friend shook his head.

"Only the upper thigh. But I'm getting a little cold."

Chanyeol nodded and slid the soft yet thick fabric of Kyungsoo's pajama pants over his legs, until Kyungsoo took over the task again and brought it above his hips.

Shortly after Chanyeol tucked Kyungsoo in bed, covering him like a child and laughing at the way his head popped out from under the blanket. Kyungsoo is really something else. As strong as Chanyeol thought he was, Kyungsoo's probably twice as much.

He was happy. It looked like Kyungsoo's eyes were shining up at him from the bed, and after turning the lights off, to make sure he remains silent yet entertained until he'll be tired enough to sleep in such an early hour, Chanyeol played on his phone.

Eventually he managed to fall asleep. It was weird. He slept very lightly, definitely not used to anything other than a bed. He wasn't uncomfortable, but he just couldn't fall into deep sleep like he wished.

After a few hours of light and actually pleasant sleep, in the middle of the night, Chanyeol suddenly woke up. Weird noises were echoing around the little room and he knew for a fact that it is not his phone, nor himself.

Rubbing his eyes lightly, his hearing stabilized and the noises didn't sound so odd anymore. They sounded like heavy breaths coming from a choked up throat of someone. Surprised, Chanyeol scanned his eyes around the room but there was nobody there.

That means the only source could be none other than Kyungsoo.

With worry he sat up on his futon, brows furrowed in order to focus his vision in the dark. Checking on Kyungsoo revealed that he was correct. He finds him huffing and puffing, hands gripping tightly onto the sheets, his eyes shut tight.

Almost as if he sensed Chanyeol was there without a sound, Kyungsoo opened his eyes and winced in his direction, Chanyeol is able to see the corners of his eyes shimmer from gathering tears while he looks pained, panicked.

"What is it? Kyungsoo what's wrong?"

Chanyeol began panicking himself, removing the blanket from his friend, he wraps Kyungsoo between his arms and hugs him upwards into a sitting position. Kyungsoo's body is hot and sweaty, he's trembling and his chest keeps growing in and out quickly.

He has no clue what to do, he never had to deal with anything like this. It's terrifying to see Kyungsoo in such a state of terror. his palm over Kyungsoo's back slowly did result in a very slight decrease in the speed of the panic, but not enough.

Carefully lying Kyungsoo back down on the bed, Chanyeol rushed to the windows, opening them all the way for fresh air to flow into the room. It's a little colder outside that night, luckily. But when he gets back to the bed there's no change in Kyungsoo's state.

Should he call the police? An ambulance? Kyungsoo's parents? Do they even have phones? Chanyeol's body tenses up when his mind keeps running. Kyungsoo's in pain and there is nothing he can do to help.

"--...Air--.."

There was a faint mumble coming from Kyungsoo's mouth, nearly a whisper, but it was enough for Chanyeol to hear and take the initiative for choosing a course of action. Kyungsoo's hands were holding tightly onto whatever was in his range on the bed as he huffed again.

It's time to go. Kyungsoo needs to go outside. He doesn't know why, but he knows he does. Without a moment to waste, Chanyeol grabbed the wheelchair and brought it out of the apartment and down the stairs to the street.

Carefully wrapping his arms around Kyungsoo's body, he felt the stress of the other from the way his fingers nearly dug into Chanyeol's back when he grabbed onto him. With a wince Chanyeol placed Kyungsoo in the chair and buckled him up quickly.

Kyungsoo was panting heavily, tugging hard on the sides of the chair, he couldn't let go even for the sake of fixing the position of his own two legs, so Chanyeol did it for him in the best way he could imagine being correct.

"Kyungsoo, let's go get you come air. Just breathe now!"

Chanyeol shouted loudly and began running, pushing Kyungsoo in his chair in front of him. He just ran. Ran more and more on the empty roads of the night. Up and down streets he never even visited, with Kyungsoo right in front of him.

He could feel the sweat dripping all over his body, he was breathing heavily himself, making sure to continue running fast through the cold air until the very brink of his exhaustion.

Starting to slow down, Chanyeol was a little relieved to find that their location was actaully not too far from their starting point. Only a few blocks away, right at a spot he didn't really know existed near a small river.

A cement half-wall of separation stood between the street and the grass that leads to the water, so Chanyeol pushed Kyungsoo there and allowed himself to sit down on the ledge, catching his breath and wipining the sweat.

Glancing back to see Kyungsoo's state, he found the boy sitting and staring at the little river, looking calm, but sad. So utterly sad. His eyes slightly squinted now that his vision must be blurry without the glasses.

It's fine, Chanyeol was panicked, it's not his fault he forgot about the glasses.

"Feeling better? Are you okay?"

He asked after finally being able to speak, his heart still fast and his breath still hot from the effort.

Kyungsoo turned to look at him quickly, after a short while of silence he smiled, an obvious pained smile, and nodded. Kyungsoo's hand was then brought forward and placed on Chanyeol's knee.

"I'm okay now. Thank you... I am sorry."

He spoke softly, voice airy and weak. Not only that, but he looked exhausted, probably more than Chanyeol himself, who just ran for who knows how long in the middle of the night while pushing a wheelchair in front of him.

"What was it? A nightmare?"

Chanyeol asked again, calming his quick breathing speed until it turns decent again. Then he stood up and began pushing Kyungsoo's chair slowly along the river, towards the direction they originally came from.

Even if he can only see his friend's expression from the back, it's easy to notice the boy looked devastated.

"You could say so... It's uhm. Phantom pain."

"Phantom pain?" 

Chanyeol wonders confused. Is there some sort of ghost that attacks Kyungsoo when he sleeps or something? That doesn't make any sense, but Chanyeol's sleepy head isn't willing to fully wake up just yet when it's still so dark outside.

"Yes. I can't feel my legs at all.. But sometimes I can sense them. And when I sense them all they do is hurt. Really, really bad. I used to have a pill for that back in highschool, but not anymore."

Kyungsoo admitted quietly, but loud enough to surpass the creaking of the wheelchair beneath him on their way back.

That sounds terrifying. Chanyeol came to the conclusion that he was truly a much bigger than he thought. Paraplegic people go through things Chanyeol didn't even know could happen at all.

Just the thought of having a body part that you don't feel, but suddenly begins hurting out of nowhere is crazy. How could he have thought people like Kyungsoo were any weaker than himself?

"Do your parents take you out for air everytime?"

Chanyeol asked, careful. He can feel the layers of sadness emitting from Kyungsoo even if he can only see the nape of his neck.

"No."

"So what do you do?"

There was silence for a little while, and then Kyungsoo inhaled, the view of the familiar neighbourhood taking place around them.

"Just.. Power through it. I guess."

Wow. Kyungsoo has been having these sorts of nightmares while being awake, and he just... He can't do anything about it. Chanyeol's heart clenched lightly in his chest, just like before, something just hurt so bad in knowing that someone is going through such a painful life.

He couldn't say anything for a while. What can he possibly say? No words can comfort such experiences. It's something that seems to have happened before, and that will happen again in the future.

But in the future Chanyeol wouldn't be able to sleep over and help him again. How many of these night terrors did Kyungsoo suffer silently on his own?

There's an ocean of sadness drowning Chanyeol's heart.

"I should have checked on you sooner. I should have been there for you way before--"

"No, Chanyeol. It's okay, really. I'm grateful for all that you've already done. I'm fine. I did it before and I'll do it again."

Kyungsoo shut his words down. And while Chanyeol knew he should be just glad that he was able to help this time, it just hurt too much knowing that Kyungsoo will be dealing with this all on his own if it happens again and he won't be around.

Chanyeol's stomach is twisting with so many emotions, all of them screaming at him to protect Kyungsoo from the world that has been so cruel to him. A world that makes him feel like he is at fault for his own misfortune.

Without saying a word, Chanyeol stopped pushing the chair, stood in front of Kyungsoo, kneeled down, and grabbed onto both his hands tightly, looking directly into his surprised wide eyes with determination.

He knows what he will do.

"Kyungsoo, I'll stay by your side. You're not a burden to me."

Chanyeol said, voice deep and honest, and Kyungsoo's unable to move a muscle other than the lids of his eyes to blink.

"Please accept me into your life. I will be there, I promise."

Because he wants to. Because Chanyeol wants to be there. Kyungsoo's appearance in his life changed him. He became a better person, a happier person who actually loves and laughs and cares.

Kyungsoo opened his heart, and now contains most of its content. After settling things with his father, Chanyeol knows he will be able to make the world a little less cruel for him.

"I know you don't want or need help, you're stronger than all of my muscles altogether. Instead, please help ME make it better for you."

Kyungsoo cried again. And Chanyeol remained on his knees on the pavement in the middle of the night and hugged him between his arms like he was a precious fragile jewel.

Because in Chanyeol's eyes he is no less than a gem.