"Look, I hate to be the bad guy here, the one who tells you what and what not to do, but I can't help Mouse. I know you risked your lives to come all the way over here -which is damn stupid, as I can't stress enough- but treating something like dismemberment is beyond my out-of-home capacities. Maybe if I brought him to the university, where we have supplies and people with more experience, but not here. All we can do is make him comfortable and hope he makes it til morning." Minhyun plopped down onto the couch and gave them an apologetic look.

"You can't be serious!" To both Minhyun and Ren's surprise, it was Baekho who cried out. "After everything we did to get here, you can't be serious." He repeated sadly, eyes swivelling across the cat in his arms which gazed steadily back at him with a mournful look. After all that running, after almost getting caught, and after what happened as soon as the lights went. The way the Lurkers seemingly hypnotised Ren, the way they almost stole Ren away from him. That can't all have been for nothing, he wouldn't let it be.

“What do you expect me to do? Singe the wound shut with a Zippo and wrap it in tinfoil? I don't have any medical supplies here, Baekho.”

Baekho looked up at that and his eyes narrowed. That was a lie. He didn't know how he knew, but he did. That friendliness towards all the world's creatures he had, the one that more often than not came back to bite him in the rear also brought with it an unsurpassable gut-instinct when it came to people. And right now, his friend was lying to him. “You're lying. Why would you do that?”

The shocked expression on Minhyun's face told him he could only be right; he looked like a little kid caught with his hand stuck in the cookie jar.

"What? I-"

"You're lying, I can tell it just by looking at you. You do have medical supplies here, and you can help him. Why won't you just say so?"

Minhyun clenched and unclenched his fists next to his body and looked nervously at Ren, as if for help, but all he returned was surprise and disbelief. When he dared to return his eyes to Baekho he was startled by how uncharacteristically angry he was. He doesn't like being lied to, he reminded himself. Baekho tolerates a lot of things from those close to him, but he does not let people be dishonest with him.

"I-" he began, not having felt this guilty about his secrets for a long time. "I'm sorry. I just- It's because."

Ren cut in. "Is that true, hyung? If there's anything you can do, then please. Please help." Oh god now he's begging. I can't stand it when they beg.

"Fine, I'll do my best." He suddenly turned around without any kind of warning and quickly left the room. Baekho stood rooted in his spot, not sure whether to follow and utterly surprised the other was suddenly won over with such ease. Ren, on the other hand, ran immediately after him.

"Minhyun, where are you going?"

"To get what I need, stay with Baekho. Tell him to put Mouse on the table, I'll sterilize it when I get back and see what I can do."
He didn't look back and the sharp edge to his voice sent a clear message that he didn't want Ren to follow him. Ren didn't care. The glare he received as penalty nearly froze the blood in his veins, and at the very least stopped him dead in is track. Ren himself had a talent for sending icy glares, but Minhyun could one-up him dramatically. One might say his feline eyes were made especially for it, and it wouldn't be a very incredible claim.

But Ren knew that it was only a glare. He knew Minhyun better than most people did, and he wasn't swayed by mean looks and an aloof attitude, he knew it was all just for show. Knowing that he had plenty of courage to defy him and he took another step closer to let it be known he would not turn back.

Minhyun sighed in defeat. He turned back and continued towards his destination, which was apparently the hallway closet. When he opened it it was clear he tried to find what he needed as quick as was humanly possible, but that didn't prevent Ren from catching a glimpse of what he kept in there.

The small space was cramped with shelves full of supplies. Supplies of all kinds; canned food, fuel, batteries, portable floodlights, emergency flares, and even an old police radio. How on earth did he even get his hands on that?

However, most importantly at the moment was the wall of medical supplies. Mostly basic things, the kind found in a well stocked first aid kit and things that a medical student would like to have handy in case of more severe emergencies. Bandages, gauzes, medical grade disinfectant, needles and biodegradable thread. Minhyun raided this shelf for things he thought he might need, before hastily opening a small refrigerator in the corner and removing a single vial of morphine as well as some other chemical Ren didn't recognise the name of.

Why does he have that? Ren thought. He didn't know much about medicine, but he was sure that stuff wasn't sold in shops, it was much too powerful for civilian use. Along with the string of other complex chemical names that flashed by as the door quickly opened and closed this sounded like things only a real doctor or veterinarian would have access to. Medicine Ren doubted Minhyun was allowed to just take from the university practice, even if it was for personal use. Medicine he couldn't possibly have acquired legally.

Shaking him from his thoughts, Minhyun stepped from the closet and pushed lightly against Ren's shoulder with his elbow, his hands full. Ren took the hint and stepped back to allow him to pass and then absent-mindedly followed him back to the living room, wondering why his friend had an emergency survival cabinet filled with stolen chemicals.

Things were said about Minhyun. Never to his face, but everyone had heard them. It was said he was mean and arrogant. This Ren knew was a lie. Rumours went around about why exactly he never had a girlfriend. These too, were false, Ren could say with certainty. But the things that were whispered about his paranoia, about the strange things he does when he's home alone at night, about the research he does on his own that no one is allowed to know of. Those things, he thought now, may just be the truth.

…

Baekho leaned against the far wall of the living room with his arms crossed while he watched how Minhyun prepared the syringe with anaesthetic. The confident air he had about him and the fluent almost graceful movements with which he went through the procedure were highly reassuring. He may still only be a novice, but he clearly knew what he was doing.

Ren was pacing around nervously, and kept passing in and out of Baekho's line of sight. It was making him anxious. When he could no longer stand it, he stepped forward and took hold of Ren's arm to keep him still. Ren didn't say anything, he just looked up through his blonde fringe and sighed.

“Have you guys had anything to eat yet?” Minhyun interrupted, generously offering them both a reason to leave the room and get their mind off things.

“We never got around to it, in all the excitement,” admitted Baekho.

“I haven't got any dinner left, but there's plenty of instant ramyeon. You should both eat something, think of your own health.” He put the syringe aside after gently having administered Mouse the drug and soothingly the animal's flank. He smiled at them warmly. It was a smile that implicitly added, you don't want to be here when it gets bloody, take a break.

Baekho nodded and Ren led the way to the kitchen. Neither of them was sure where to search nor did they want to go back to ask so they instead divided the kitchen wordlessly and started rummaging through various cupboards until Ren emerged successful.

They waited for the water to boil and Baekho could not handle the silence.

“Ren,” he began, his voice low and his gaze lingering on his shoes. “What- what exactly happened to you back there?”

“I don't remember.”

Baekho's head snapped up and looked at Ren inquiringly. “You don't? Not at all?”

“I remember it happening, but I can't explain why. I can't remember how it felt. But I heard myself, and the things I said.”

Baekho frowned. He had been hoping for an answer that would put him at ease, even though he knew that would have been
unlikely. “It scared me. It scared me a lot,” he said.

“It scared me too.” Ren was biting his lip. “I don't know why I'd just... give up like that.” And the scariest part is that it was only me, not you. It only happened to me. I was the weaker one and I was affected somehow. He couldn't bear to say it. He didn't want to make Baekho worry. Any more than he already was, that is.

With a click that startled them both the kettle shut off.

“We-we should probably eat,” Ren said, and Baekho just nodded.

…

They had finished their meagre meal for a while already when the knock on the door came but they hadn't wanted to return to the living room. They thought it was better not to bother Minhyun while he had to concentrate. Now he poked his head around the doorpost with a satisfied smile that instantly released most of the stress in their hearts.

“Is he okay?”

“Okay, yes. But not well. You're going to have to take him to a real vet first thing tomorrow morning, but this'll do for now.”

“What did you do?” Baekho asked as they all made they way back into the living room where Mouse lay asleep on the sofa on a clean folded sheet. Although on closer inspection he was too limp and his breathing was too slow. He wasn't sleeping he was just sedated.

Minhyun raised an incredulous eyebrow and smiled a crooked and mildly condescending smile that acknowledged he didn't expect Baekho to know anything about what he did.

"I gave him some Thiamylal before I started to sedate him. I could've gone for a local anaesthetic only in his paw, but I thought the conscious sensation of paralysis might make him panic, so instead I gave him this to knock him out completely. Then I cleaned up the wound edge, it was very messy, so I had to remove some of the skin to prevent it from getting infected later on underneath the bandage, it was all dead meat there anyway so there would have been no saving it. I then disinfected everything, and put on a gauze and wrapped the end up in bandages to stop the bleeding. It probably still hurts a lot, because the thing is a mess, even after what I did to fix it, so I've got morphine at the ready. But first we need to wait for his anaesthetic to wear off, it's best not to drug him senseless.”

Ren looked at Baekho. He couldn't help but notice how badly Minhyun wanted them to see how smart he was and he must have wanted them to tell him what a good job he did.

“That's amazing, hyung. How'd you know what drugs to use?” Ren faked interest, feeding his friend's strive for confirmation.

“Experience. You pick that stuff up. Speaking of which, the biggest problem that's still risking his health now is that he lost a lot of blood. And I mean a lot. If anything like this ever happens to you again, whether it's a cat or not,” he looked at them both meaningfully before continuing. “you need to apply a tourniquet to stop the bleeding. I know you were probably afraid you'd hurt him, and you would've, but that always better then letting him bleed out.”

They nodded in understanding, not sure why he was so concerned about this now.

“Promise me you'll remember that. Blood loss is your biggest short-term risk. Don't worry about infections or how things will heal, that's all worries for the future, you should always think first about surviving.”

“We promise,” Baekho replied with his characteristic earnestness of voice.

“Good.” Minhyun smiled again, seeming satisfied with the answer. “Now tell me; everything from the moment Mouse got hurt until you got here. What on earth did you guys do?”

...

“You're idiots.” Minhyun kept repeating it in reply to almost every sentence, over and over again, like a mantra. But he knew he didn't believe it. He knew he would've done the same if it had been his pet, his companion in the solitary enclosed lives they all lived. He'd like to have a pet, he'd like to not be alone any more. It was curious how a soon-to-be veterinarian didn't hold any animal companions, something one would expect to be almost standard for a person who devotes their life to helping animals. If he had to be completely honest with himself, he didn't have a pet because pets died. He didn't mind as much if it was other people's pets dying, even if it would be under his hands. He'd have done his best, he'll always do his best, and at the end of the day, it would have been someone else's animal friend that passed away, not his own. He could not stand if it were his own friends.

Nonetheless, he still chided Ren and Baekho all through their story. No pet would be worth getting taken away for, losing his friends for.

“It's very curious, isn't it?” He began after they'd finished telling their story. For a second Ren's breath hitched as he was afraid Minhyun would want to ask more questions about his strange behaviour and loss of self-control when the Lurkers surrounded them. He didn't want to discuss it. He felt ashamed that it ever happened.

“The lights going off, I mean.” Ren tried not to make it apparent how relieved he was. “I wonder what could cause a malfunction like that.”

“They came back on pretty much immediately as well,” Baekho added.

“Yes you mentioned that. And it took a long time, but that's to be expected. If I'm not mistaken, the floodlights are metal-halide lamps.” Here we go again. He's going to flaunt his knowledge, Ren thought wearily.

“They're high intensity discharge lamps, that work by running a current through a vaporised mixture inside the bulbs. They're very efficient for lighting up large areas like the streets here, because they give very bright light for long periods of time and use little energy. But the downside is that if the current is interrupted for even a fraction of a second they all shut off. And also they take a really long time to start up right, as you probably know, so they can't just be switched on and off again. But the strange things is that they're supposed to have pretty good security measures, they don't malfunction often. I'm very curious what caused this.”

“Well, we can probably find out tomorrow.” Baekho had to suppress a yawn while he said that. The night's proceedings had left him, and undoubtedly everyone else, completely drained. “I don't want to whine, but can we get some sleep now? I'm knackered.”

“Oh yeah, sure thing. I shouldn't be up this late either, have classes in the morning. I'm afraid I have no spare beds, are you guys okay with sleeping on the couch?”

“With the two of us?” Ren asked. “Yeah that's fine. Baekho-hyung has trouble sleeping if he can't cuddle with someone anyway, so it's probably for the best.”

Minhyun laughed. “And it needs to be you, then? I suppose a pillow doesn't work?”

Ren glared. “It's not the same.”

“I'm sure it isn't.” He jeered. “Have fun. And goodnight.”

Baekho wasn't in the room with them any more. He stood in the hallway, leant against the front door. Expectantly, but without much hope, he stared at his cellphone screen as it dialled JR's number. It occurred to him a minute ago that he should let him know why they're not at home, in case he came back.

His phone dialled, but no one answered.

It occurred to him that if JR wasn't home before dark, he'd probably not risk the travel, and stay the night at wherever it was he'd been held up.

His phone kept dialling a few more seconds before switching to voice mail.

It occurred to him that JR may not come home.

He disconnected the call without leaving a message.

Author's Note: Oh Minhyun, what are you up to, you silly boy?