“Yixing, Sehun, open the damn gate!” Jongin yelled as they approached the large fence. Baekhyun could see two men with guns on the other side quickly approaching. They unlocked the fence from the inside and opened it just enough for the two to squeeze inside the compound, locking and barricading it behind them. One of them turned to run inside while the other looked toward Baekhyun wearily. “Jongin, who is this?”

“It’s okay, Yixing.” Jongin’s voice is laced with exhaustion, body leaning as much as he can on his uninjured side. “This is Baekhyun, I injured my leg and he helped me get back.”

Before Yixing could get another word in they heard a loud gasp and looked up to see a doe-eyed man running towards them. By the way Jongin handed his gun off and started limping forward, arms opening, Baekhyun could tell this had to be his boyfriend. The way Jongin affectionately said his name and took him in his arms just confirmed it even more. Baekhyun didn’t know how to feel. It was sweet to see love despite the world ending around him, but it was also bitter to him. His mind couldn’t help to drift to how he used to feel when Jinho’s arms wrapped around his waist, nausea growing in his stomach as the fond memories started to flood his brain.

“What the .” The words pulled Baekhyun from his train of thought and he looked over to see Kyungsoo and Jongin, now separated from each other as Kyungsoo held the candy bar in one hand, the other pointing accusingly at his boyfriend. “If you dare risk your life for something stupid again. Jongin. I… I appreciate the candy but I just want you to be safe. Let's get you in to see Sana so she can check your wound.”

Baekhyun felt anxiety build up inside him as Kyungsoo helped Jongin towards the building. He wasn’t sure if he was supposed to follow. He felt so out of his element that he couldn’t help starting to question if this was even a good idea after all. He feared he was going to be the odd one out, everyone seemed to already be so well acquainted with each other. Did wrapping up Jongin’s leg really mean that everyone would accept that their food supply should now also go to him?

“You can go up the stairs on the left to the second floor.” His head whipped to the side to look at the man from earlier, Yixing. He didn’t mean to stare blankly but his brain felt too overwhelmed to take in the information. Yixing repeated it calmly, easing Baekhyun’s anxieties even if just slightly. “Go up the stairs on the left to the second-floor ICU. Find the nurses' station. Usually people are hanging out there and they can figure out a room for you. There should be signs you can follow once you get out of the stairwell.”

Baekhyun whispered a soft thanks before he scurried off nervously towards the doors labeled ‘Emergency Room’ in big white lettering across the top. The motion sensor doors didn’t work and he had to manually slide them open with his hands. Even though they had power according to Jongin, he figured they had disabled the doors so that the infected couldn’t just come waltzing into the building if they managed to get past the gates. There wasn’t anyone on the main floor as far as he could see and it looked pretty abandoned. There was a receptionist desk and a few chairs scattered around but mostly it was barren and cold. Remembering the instructions he had been given, he looked towards the left for the stairwell and found a closed metal door with a sign that depicted stairs screwed onto it.

He hesitated at the bottom of the stairs for a moment, unsure of what to do. There maybe was still an opportunity to turn around and run out of the building. He could ask Yixing to open the gate back up for him, and explain that he wouldn’t tell anyone what he had seen. He would explain that he just did better on his own. He had just started to accept his destiny of being alone forever, it didn’t even make him sad anymore. Food, water, and safety were ridiculous to turn down.

He placed his foot on the first step and started to climb, the soreness of his legs slowing him down. Once he was out into the long hallway he found a handmade sign with an arrow pointing to the right and so he followed it, stepping cautiously. Jongin had said that the building was quarantined off in the areas that everyone was living in but after being careful for so long he couldn’t stop himself from still feeling this way. As he came down the hallway some more he could finally see the nurses' desk that Yixing had mentioned. There were a couple of people near it, all chatting privately but he decided to directly approach the two men sitting behind the desk.

He examined the two men as he neared them. One had feline-like eyes and sharp features, Baekhyun found him both pretty and masculine at the same time. The other male sent a type of chill down Baekhyun that he hadn’t felt in a while. He was resting his long legs up on the desk, his dark fluffy hair a mop on top of his head, and his soft gaze was making Baekhyun feel extremely conscious about his appearance all of a sudden.

“Uh.. hello. I’m Baekhyun, I came back with Jongin he uh- Well no, Yixing said that I could talk to someone here about getting a room.” He tripped over his words, not sure who he was even directing the sentence towards.

The feline male spoke. His voice was friendly, it soothed Baekhyun a little. “I’m Minseok I can figure out a room for you lemme just... find the notebook we write people’s information in.” He dipped down to start digging through some stuff under the desk.

Baekhyun’s eyes naturally drifted towards the taller handsome male and found him staring right back at him, lips spread in an amused smile. Baekhyun shyly looked back toward Minseok, who was now opening up a notebook. “Okay, I just need to take your name and a list of any personal belongings you’re bringing in. It keeps everyone safe from theft. Just so you know though, we do share most things here.”

Baekhyun didn’t mind at all, he sat his pack on the desk in front of him and opened it up to look in. After using all that fabric on Jongin’s leg it looked rather empty. “Uh… I have a pencil.” He tried to ignore the way the tall man snickered. “I don’t have much. A pencil, a couple of water bottles..” He looked up to see Minseok shaking his head.

“We’re not worried about that, just anything more private. Maybe clothes? Personal belongings?” Baekhyun noticed Minseok had scribbled down the pencil anyway, and he peeked into his bag again before diverting his view to his left hand.

“Oh… I have my engagement ring.” Baekhyun’s voice was soft and weak. He watched as Minseok wrote it down. “Also my pistol and holster. That’s it other than the clothes on my back.”

“Please sit your pistol on the counter, we will return it to you in a couple of weeks when we’re confident that you aren’t a murderous psycho.” Minseok looked up enough to flash him a smile and make sure Baekhyun was following his directions. “Okay, one pencil, one pistol, one engagement ring...” His voice quieted for a second, looking like he was hesitating to ask something. His eyes shifted towards the hallway where Baekhyun came from as if expecting someone else.

“He got infected and I had to… yeah… so it’s just me moving in.” Baekhyun mumbled before he could hear the question. He knew it was going to be asked, it was understandable. Minseok just wanted to know if he should be expecting someone else to move into the hospital. For the first time, he noticed the taller man looking away from him, messing with his jeans in a distracted manner.

“I’m so sorry. Okay, Baekhyun. I’m going to put you in room 216. It's right next door to Chanyeol here so he can get up and show you the right direction.” Minseok spoke with a much softer demeanor now. While Baekhyun did appreciate the importance of empathy, he couldn’t stand the feeling of pity from a stranger. Everyone in that hospital had undoubtedly lost someone they loved in this mess. “We have bags somewhere that the hospital staff gave out to patients during their stay. It has a small shampoo, a toothbrush, and some other self-care items in it. We also have razors so you can shave if you would like. I’m sure I can get you some clothes too. You’re pretty thin so I’ll have to look around, just wait right here.” And then Minseok was up and gone.

Baekhyun wasn’t sure if he should make conversation with the other man behind the desk, or maybe introduce himself to the three girls gossiping and giggling beside him. Laughter had become unfamiliar to his ears. It felt odd… pre-apocalyptic almost, to hear socializing in such a joyful way. He didn’t want to get his hopes up but he could already feel his body relaxing in the situation.

“Have you eaten?”

He didn’t expect the question, nor the deep yet smooth voice that came with it. His eyes flashed back to the man, Chanyeol, if he remembered right. Their eyes met again. “Jongin gave me a granola bar.” He replied, nervously shifting under the curious eyes of the other. Without any other words, Chanyeol opened the drawer and slid a snack-size bag of bbq chips across the counter.

“They’re stale just so you know. I found a party pack a couple of weeks ago.” Chanyeol smiled, rubbing the side of his neck. “They’re still pretty good. That’s uh… my secret stash, so if you could not tell anyone else about it I would appreciate that.”

“I can’t give you anything in return-” Baekhyun started to reach to open his bag again, just to make sure there wasn’t anything to trade. “I mean I have my pencil if you want it but-”

”You don’t have to repay me. We’re a team now.”

Minseok returned quickly, some clothes folded in his arms with a small clear bag on top of them. “Here you go. There is a shower in your room so you can clean up. Just try not to make it long okay? The water can get hot but try to just keep it warm at most. After today, your showers will be on every two weeks just like everyone else. We have to conserve what we have.”

“Absolutely, thank you so much.” Two showers a month with warm water sounded better to Baekhyun than a spa trip would have been to him years ago. Chanyeol stood up and made his way around the desk. His height was on full display now and Baekhyun knew he was going to have to look up if they were ever going to make eye contact while standing. The room they arrived at was a basic inpatient bedroom but it looked like a luxury hotel to Baekhyun.

“I’m in 217 if you need anything…” Chanyeol gestured to the next room over to the right. “I’m not always there but I’m usually around the second floor somewhere if I’m not out scavenging. That’s my job. You’ll have one too, eventually. Don’t stress about it right now, we’ll find something that suits your skills. We only have the second floor, the main floor’s emergency room, the cafeteria, the basement, and the roof quarantined so far. It won't be that hard to find anything but always tell someone where you are going, so if you’re gone too long we know where to look.”

“Thank you. I’m going to shower now.” He stepped fully into his room, closing the door behind him. His mind was spinning with the sudden influx of information. He wondered especially what type of job he would be given. He had only been a florist when everything happened so he wasn’t sure exactly which skills he could offer.

Baekhyun knew he needed to cut as much of the matting as possible from his hair before getting in the shower. He pulled tiny scissors out of the bag, which he assumed had been used to cut off patient wristbands. Carefully he snipped at his hair until the majority of the matting was gathered in the room’s trash can instead.

Never in the past two years had he expected to enjoy the feeling of a shower again. He did try to keep it short like Minseok had instructed him to. He wished so hard to be able to just stay there under the water, let the slight heat soothe his tired muscles, but he wasn’t going to start his stay by just blatantly ignoring the rules he had been given minutes ago. At least the dirt was gone off his body.

He stepped out of the shower and dried himself as best he could before putting on the clothes he had been given. It was a simple white shirt and some adjustable black gym shorts, but it was so nice to be in something clean. He’d only been able to change clothes a handful of times in the past year and they had all been somewhat dirtied in some way by the time he found them. For a moment he just stared at himself in the mirror, something he hadn’t done in months. He’d seen his reflection in water and windows, but it hadn’t been strong enough to accentuate just how gaunt he had become. It scared him and made him wonder just how much longer he could have really gone on like this on his own before becoming too weak and malnourished to go on.

Once he came out of the bathroom, his eyes drifted towards the bed and he was dragging himself there without a second thought. His body felt like it melted into the mattress. The hospital bed felt like the softest place in the world as he sunk his sore body into it. He didn’t want to start his second lease on life with a ed sleep schedule but he didn’t have any control over the way his eyes just fell shut, his body and mind finally relaxing.

He was startled awake by a knock on his door, the sun had set some as far as he could see from his window and he was flying out of bed. Was he going to be in trouble for napping? Did he miss anything important? What if it was the infected at his door? He stopped to take a deep breath. The infected wouldn’t calmly knock like that on the door, at least from what he was aware. He turned the handle, his face peeking out to meet the brown eyes of Kyungsoo, who he hadn’t properly met before.

“I’m sorry for napping,” was the first thing out of Baekhyun’s mouth as he opened the door to its fullest extent. “I fell asleep without even realizing it.”

Kyungsoo’s head tilted and he let out a laugh. “You’re allowed to nap, don’t apologize. I just came to thank you. I was really worried about Jongin. I don't know what I would have done if he hadn’t come back. I’m still pissed at him for thinking it was a good idea but… I’m just glad you helped bring him home.”

Baekhyun wasn’t expecting it. A thank you was very nice and it was obvious now that maybe he should have expected someone to say it. Still, he didn’t feel like he did something that any other decent person wouldn’t have done. “Don’t worry about it, you really don’t need to thank me. If anything I’m more appreciative that Jongin suggested I come back here with him. I needed his help just as much as he needed mine.”

“Dinner is about to be ready at the cafeteria if you’re hungry. I mean, I’m sure you are. Jongin told me how you’ve been on your own this whole time.” Baekhyun was sure they weren’t eating a three-course meal every day but he was excited to eat what he hoped was real food. “Would you like to walk down there with me?”

Baekhyun followed behind Kyungsoo, still taking in the look of the hospital. It was pretty modern for a smaller hospital, built not too long before the outbreak by the looks of it. They took the staircase back down to the cafeteria, which was located on the first floor just past the emergency room. Baekhyun counted nine people in the cafeteria already when they arrived. The more they passed the more his curiosity grew. Baekhyun wondered if they maybe had a garden. He had a garden he shared with his mother growing up and had been planning to have one of his own when Jinho and he bought a home.

“Jihyo does most of the cooking, that’s her job.” Kyungsoo guided him toward where a few people were standing. “It’s not really too much cooking, so she volunteered. It’s always just some random mixture of whatever we have found while scavenging.” He handed Baekhyun a reusable tray and walked up to the serving area. There was a big pot of oatmeal and bottles of water on the counter. Baekhyun could feel himself salivating at the idea of a hot filling meal. He scooped some onto his plate, copying the amount Kyungsoo had grabbed so that he wasn’t taking more than his fair share.

Kyungsoo led him over to a small table where Jongin was eating, speaking to Chanyeol who was sitting across from him. Kyungsoo took the spot next to Jongin naturally, so Baekhyun was left to quietly take the one next to Chanyeol. He focused more on the tray than actually holding a conversation with the other men. The others looked decently healthy compared to him and he hoped he would gain back some of his lost weight over time.

Kyungsoo and Jongin were quickly lost in conversation with each other, and Baekhyun felt guilty but a bit awkward to just be sitting there in silence beside Chanyeol, who honestly seemed like he couldn’t care less. Still, Baekhyun didn’t want to be rude and took a drink of water before turning to him. “How long have you been living here?”

Chanyeol was mid-bite, and he politely covered his mouth to swallow before answering. “About four months, I stumbled across and nicely ignored the no trespassing sign because I was shot.” He says it so casually Baekhyun almost didn’t process it.

“Shot?!” He looked around the echoey cafeteria and lowered his voice to not disturb anyone else, “By the military or survivors?”

“The military, I haven’t had bad run-ins with survivors, though I’ve heard horror stories. It was just in my arm.” He lifts his sleeve to show the scar near his shoulder. “I must have gone quite a distance on adrenaline because they never have stumbled upon the hospital. Most of the people here were worried that I had been followed and would lead them here, luckily because I was bleeding Junmyeon let me in.” He gestures to a boy that is sitting at a different table with Minseok, another male, and two of the girls he’d seen earlier at the nurse’s station.

It was kind of crazy, everyone here had some kind of story and Baekhyun would never know them all. He figured that’s how the world was before too, everyone had things going on, and everything was so much deeper than it seemed. In a sense, it all felt more personal now. A few hours ago Baekhyun would have never given a second thought to how Chanyeol had gotten here and now he was wondering how many times he had almost lost his life in the past two years alone. Every person in that cafeteria had fought to survive what could only be considered the end of the world for who knows how long before being taken into the hospital. The thoughts plus the now unfamiliar warmth in his stomach made him feel sick.

“I think I… I’m going to go lay down.” Baekhyun’s voice comes out weaker than he expected it to, and he wondered if he looks as bad as he suddenly feels. Chanyeol stood so suddenly that it threw him off, almost like it was making the room spin.

“I’ll walk back with you, you don’t look good.” It took Baekhyun a couple of seconds before he felt like standing, and when he did he had to reach out to grab at the taller male’s arm for balance. “You’re probably sick from eating so much in one setting after going so long without it, the same thing happened to Nayeon.”

Chanyeol’s arm wrapped around his shoulders to steady him, guiding him towards the counter to put their trays in a plastic tub before directing Baekhyun back to the stairs. His body was warm and Baekhyun felt weird being that close to someone again. He had helped Jongin here and there when it seemed like he might lose his balance, but that didn’t feel comforting in the way that this did. Chanyeol didn’t let him go until he was on his bed, helping him to get his legs up and watching as he curled into a ball.

“I’m sorry. This is embarrassing, I just feel so nauseous.” Baekhyun whined into his hands, trying his best to not completely purge his dinner in front of the other man.

“Like I said it happened to Nayeon, she couldn’t even keep it down long enough to make it to her room.”

Something flipped in Baekhyun like a switch at the mental image of someone throwing up. He raced to the bathroom and bent over the toilet as his dinner exited his stomach. Baekhyun groaned as the giant male squatted down beside him, rubbing his back. Chanyeol seemed too kind for his own good. Even Jinho couldn’t manage to sit next to a hungover Baekhyun. The memory of his fiance caused a lurch in his stomach that made him throw up again. Tears spilled down his cheeks from a mixture of anxiety and discomfort. He didn’t know how long he spent at the toilet but when he was done Chanyeol was still there. “I’m so sorry.”

“Stop apologizing. You brush your teeth and I’m going to the nurses' station to get you another water bottle.” Chanyeol helped him back up to his feet, making sure Baekhyun was strong enough to stand before leaving.

When Chanyeol got back Baekhyun had finished up and was waddling towards his bed to collapse on it. “Thank you I’m just gonna sleep now.” His ears felt warm as the taller man hovered beside his bed, he had only been here a few hours and he’d made an absolute fool out himself. In front of someone rather attractive nonetheless. Chanyeol’s deep voice broke his line of thought.

“Don’t hesitate to come to get me okay? I’m serious.” And Baekhyun knew he was, the sincereness in his eyes seemed like it couldn’t hide anything. He was gone before Baekhyun could even thank him.