“You shouldn’t have waited so long.” 

“You should have called me immediately.” 

“Why didn’t you say anything if you felt sick?” 

It is all pretty gentle as far as lectures go, and yet it tests his nerves a bit as Changmin says the same thing over and over in different words. He had got it the first time, all of the others were just overkill that made him want to throw the man from his apartment. 

He does know better though.  

Junsu has left to the market at the suggestion of the doctor and he knows enough to be skeptical.  

Following their disaster of a group date type thing he had felt just a little bit stranger than usual. At first it went brushed off as stress, but when the dreams that come to him at night are explicit in nature he wakes up in a sweaty panic. A cold shower doesn’t cool his skin as immediately as he wants it to, and so he had swallowed down what was probably too many tablets. 

It had never really happened to him before, but he felt a lot like he was dying afterward. Still, Jaejoong had opted to wait another two days before making a call to Changmin. That morning his attempt to get out of bed had been a disaster, his legs had refused to support him and he had clipped his head on the corner of his nightstand as he tumbled.  

His best friend had found him about 20 minutes later because he hadn’t shown up for coffee. Admittedly he had forgot anyway, and if he would have remembered he would have cancelled, but maybe it is a good thing that Junsu had showed up when he had. 

It would just be nice if his best friend would get back quickly, because Changmin is angry and he doesn’t like it. 

“Do you really have no idea what you’ve done?” Changmin huffs, and Jaejoong marvels at the way the doctor can wrap a bandage around the small wound on his head and nag at the same time, “Your health is not a game, Jaejoong. You could have at least gone to the hospital.” 

“And then what? Tell the whole world that I’m a...I’m an... an,” a violent chill runs through him and he cannot bring himself to finish, so he shakes his head instead. 

So it wouldn’t be the whole world, it wouldn’t be the Yunho thing again he knows. He wouldn’t word vomit his identity and out himself to the whole of society or well doctor society and his world wouldn’t crumble around him. However, if any of those people happened know his parents, well it would be just like the world falling apart. 

With the assumption that he was having some kind of typical omega issue he has done what he was supposed to, he had taken medicine to keep it under control.  

Which had seemed to work, except he had felt so weak and dizzy that he hadn’t been able to get out of bed for two days. In that time his fever had spiked, he was dehydrated and lacking in nutrients and then like an idiot he had fallen down and hit his head too.  

“Jaejoong I understand the predicament you think you’re in,” he already doesn’t like the tone of Changmin’s voice, “You’re an omega, so what? You aren’t a murderer or anything. You’re hard working and smart, talented... I’m sure your family won’t think any less of you. It’s getting to a point... I really think it is in your best interest to tell them.” 

Somehow a person with a medical degree also happens to be the dumbest person he has ever had to interact with.  It is obvious Changmin has never had to deal with a family like his, it isn’t much of a surprise for there aren’t many left, and most of them prefer their own kind. Changmin would be considered incompetent because he was not an alpha, though that made him the perfect doctor for someone like Jaejoong. 

Well, except for now when he was being difficult.  

“No. No you really don’t understand, you wouldn’t understand you aren’t a part of my family,” he is getting frustrated and can feel the telltale prick of tears behind his eyelids, “I’m of legal age now, you cannot tell me family anything if you want to keep your medical license.” 

He doesn’t want to be that person, the one who threatens and bullies people into doing what he says, he also doesn’t want to fall into hysterics and start to cry because that will not help him either. So he presses his hands over his eyes with a trembling sigh.  

If his family was understanding he would have fessed up a long time ago. Almost had once, he had gone crying to his mother after a particularly rough day, he hadn’t been able to open his mouth to get a word out before she had informed him of the way his pitiful behavior was reflecting poorly on the family. 

“The road you’re going down is dangerous, Jaejoong, all of those inhibitors are starting to impact your nervous system.” 

Jaejoong isn’t particularly listening though. He stares past the doctor instead, gaze far away and the words around them gradually fade as well. The words sound like they’re underwater as they reach him, he hears the urgency in them but that fails to inspire him to focus. 

He feels hot, way too hot and too sticky. Is he sweating again? Because he certainly feels like he had just jumped head first into the water, but it’s too hot, maybe he jumped into lava instead because his skin itches and burns like he had just been set on fire.  

Somehow it all happens far too quickly for Jaejoong to keep up with. One second he was fine and the next he finds himself screaming because it is like his flesh is being boiled and peeled from his bones. The pain, though intense and blinding doesn’t last but a few second before the entire world goes dark and silent. 

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