~*~ Day Three of Rescue ~*~

“You’re getting worse” Daehyung whispered as his hand pressed against her forehead, noting the spike in temperature that had clung to her. “We should get you to the hospital” he tried to encourage, not surprise when she shook her head no and continued the path they had been on.

“We promised to stay here for two weeks. How can I go home now?” She whispered her response with saddened eyes, her fever beginning to take a toll on her energy, every step becoming harder than the last.

“Your going to get yourself killed though. How will your children accept that these woods took both of their parents” he tried to find reason yet she would hear nothing as she stopped to stare at him.

“Should I pay you more?” She asked instead, and guilt quickly lined his entire being as he shook his head and instead took the lead, ensuring to keep a close eye on the ailing woman, knowing that she wouldn’t be able to make the full trip.

~*~ Day Nine @ Noon ~*~ His POV ~*~

“So close…” he whispered as the chopper raised as expected, allowing their hopes to soar just the slightest bit more, now able to feel the strong winds that the large propellers ejected.

They weren’t very far from the chopper and could almost see home, allowing their steps to quicken in pace and the distance to begin closing. They could see the bright yellow pebbles that lined the ground, giving them a clear path to follow, one they could follow even during the night. It was then did they know that someone was indeed searching for them, and the thought of going home was becoming stronger and stronger.

When arriving in the open field, all men were surprised to see a young man sitting alone in the chopper, his dirty appeal hinting that he had been there the entire time. Silence lingered between the soldiers and the pilot until the younger cleared his throat and opened the back of the chopper, allowing them to enter. The flight back to town was silent, as the soldiers downed the bottle of water that was provided, and scarfed the food without mercy, showing their state was much worse than they looked.

“Why were you looking for us?” Taeho asked once finally settled in the hotel, cleaned and properly fed, looking like a human once more and not part of the wilderness, all soldier’s eyes falling towards the pilot.

“Actually…. I wasn’t the one looking for you” he admitted softly as he looked towards the ground “I got paid to accompany someone…”

“Someone?” Seung was the one to ask, finding the whole situation humorous now that he was out of the woods and finally safe, the chance of seeing his wife and children were an arm length away, never dreaming that his wife was much closer than he had imagined.

“Which one of you has the last name Choi?” Daehyung asked in a soft tune, the chatter between the soldiers coming to a complete silence instantly.

“I am” Seung admitted with a raised eyebrow, pondering if this was simply a trap and this young man was sent to rid of them, his guard raising instantly. “Why?”

“We should go somewhere and talk privately” Daehyung explained yet Seung quickly shook his head no in complete disbelief.

“Whatever you have to say to me, you can say in front of my brothers” he expressed with confidence however was quickly silenced by the next words that echoed.

“I’m telling you it would be better if we spoke in private” Dae tried to pressure, however Seung wasn’t having any of it as he once again shook his head and began a mocking laughter. “You owe me your life, and you can’t even give me a minute of your time?”

“You got paid to save my life, it was your job to do it. For all I know, you could have been sent to get rid of me” Seung admitted to his distrust, showing just how much isolation from civilization for such a long time could change someone. “I owe whoever paid you my life” he spoke the last words in a harsh tone, alarmed at the angered eyes that were casted within his direction.

“Fine!” Dae yelled out, surprising the soldiers and making them all stand on edge, clearly not ready for the sudden change in atmosphere. “I was trying to tell you in a more calmer manner considering you weren’t ready to hear it, but it.”

“Ready to hear what?” Seung asked, a sinking feeling taking his chest at the sudden outburst, not sure if he was ready to hear whatever the news was or not, preparing himself for hearing that his wife had moved on, or something along the lines, never expecting the words that echoed in the silent room.

“Abigail didn’t make it…”

(Sorry for the short chapter and the cliff hanger!! I'll update shortly!)