"it seems like you're always crying when i see you" junmyeon teases.

minseok sighs, too tired to even feel embarrassed.  there are tubes dangling from a bag, going into his arm and minseok looks up numbly, following the lines.  junmyeon follows suit, sighing as he leans back into the visitor's chair.

"i just came back from a mission and this is what i find?  my best officer in a car accident.  minseok-ah, you've got to..."

but the nagging words die on the captain's lips when he sees minseok's distant gaze.  the young man's skin is paler than usual and junmyeon almost imagines minseok disappearing at the edges.  instead, junmyeon clears his throat.

"it's good that i called when i did.  imagine how alarmed i was when the emergency room nurse picked up?"

minseok's head twists sharply, expression twisting into horror.  "my phone!  where is it?!"  

the frantic action causes a stitch to break open and a bit of blood blossoms on the hospital gown.  

"minseok-ah, they..." junmyeon tries to grab minseok's hands from trembling.

"where is it, captain?!  i need to... i need it!" minseok screams and gasps in junmyeon's firm hold.

tears are forming silently in minseok's eyes again and junmyeon knows he can't keep it from minseok any longer.  minseok stills as his eyes follow junmyeon's hand as it goes into the pocket of his sweater.  when it emerges, in junmyeon's hand is a battered 2g phone.

minseok grabs at it eagerly but -

"they say they can't do anything to recover it.  i'm sorry, minseok.  they can't recover your number either.  it was too old."

minseok's hands drop limply to the bed.  the phone - his precious phone - lies in three pieces in junmyeon's hand.  it is suddenly hard to breathe and his heart seems to be beating erratically slow.  he can't stop crying and before the world goes black again, he sees the phone fall from junmyeon's hands in slow motion.

"minseok-ah!  minseok-ah!" 

junmyeon runs to catch minseok, who's already falling mid-faint. 

+++

[hyung, i'm not supposed to tell anyone this.
but we found a new liquid source on the main planet r45. 
it might be a new alternative fuel source.]

[we ... might be going deeper into space starting next week.
the supplies carrier just left today after a restock.]

[hyung, remember the supernova we saw on 
that trial run?  it was beautiful.
i miss you.]

[hyung.  
hyung.
i miss you.]

jongin looks at his sent messages folder.  and then checks his inbox.

[0 messages received.]

"unit two, prepare to enter warp speed."

"kim jongin, it's time to strap in" a fellow officer taps him on the shoulder.

a book about wormholes drops to the floor.

"ah, yes sunbae.  i'm sorry."

"keep your wits ok?  what's with you these days?  almost as if your head's out in space" the sunbae teases, the corners of his lips curling up as he picks up the book for jongin.

jongin manages a weak smile before opening his containment unit.  he slides in, gripping the phone and book in his hand.  even as the top closes, releasing a hissing sound from the decompression, jongin's eyes don't leave the screen on his phone.

'please please please' jongin thinks.

but the containment unit clicks shut and oxygen fills the unit.  the green indicator light blinks, then changes to yellow.

'please please please'

"standby for the jump" comes the pilot's voice over the system.

the indicator turns red.

jongin closes his eyes, trapping the tear that threatens to fall.  

when he opens his eyes again, the solar system is long gone and a new planetary system shines through the windows. but none of that comes into his line of sight.  all that's left in jongin's eyes is his cell phone screen that hasn't changed.

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