Here goes... nothing. *sweats*

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POV from Junsu

I am trapped… in a dark pit or tunnel like thing… and there is no way I can get my hands on my surroundings no matter how far I have ran.

I try looking for something I can grasp onto… but there is nothing. Voices are screaming my name… as if exploding beside my ears… so loud that I cannot even have a single moment of peace. Then it all quieted down in an instant, leaving me drowning in the darkness and deafening silence. An exact opposite of how it was earlier.

I cannot feel myself… and my hand is able to pass through my other. I cannot even substantiate my existence anymore. No flesh… no blood… I am like a shadow now… something without a mass. I am scared! 

I tried looking around desperately… screaming for someone to come and acknowledge my presence in here… but there is still nothing other than more pitch black tunnels… and even darker tunnels greeted me as I go along. I don’t know if I can run anymore. I want to give up… but I can hear my son in the distance. I can hear him crying.

I can’t give up like that!

Also… I haven’t told him yet… I haven’t told him that I wasn’t planning on running away! I haven’t told him that I like being around him! I haven’t told him that he is the best appa for our Minnie! I haven’t told him before that I like him.

Hyungie too… I haven’t successfully persuaded him to stop fighting with Minnie’s appa! I wanted hyungie’s blessing! I wanted him to feel happy for me… so badly.

Jae hyung too! I haven’t repaid my debt! I still owe him for saving my life back then.

If I can’t find my way out of here… what will happen to me? Death? Is this how it feels like?

I don’t want to leave Changmin behind without saying goodbye though! I just left him with the soldiers earlier on… without even giving him a kiss on his fat cheeks! My baby! Will Minnie’s appa take good care of him if I am really gone? I am pretty sure he will do very well…

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Back in the capital the next day… in the evening…

“Sir!!” A rattle on the door alerted Yunho as he sits in the hut he is situated in, reading the appeals delivered to him as scrolls and parchments. Leaving his work area, which is a new table just beside Jaejoong’s working table, the man made his way to open up the residence for his guest, which happens to be his assistant, who had returned with Yoochun.

“Sir Yunho… I have very bad news.” The man started and Yunho could feel his stomach churn. Edging forward and looking at the man, slightly worried and concerned, the advisor led the way back to his workplace before taking a seat by the table again.

“What is it?” Yunho asked, back still facing the person as he enters after the advisor.

Praying that it would be trivial matters like them losing half the army, which isn’t exactly trivial at all, the advisor inhaled deeply before turning to face his assistant. “How bad.” Yunho looked on as the other paces nervously, pursing his lips in order not to bite it.

“It’s got to do with the boy.” The man started, voice cracking. Yunho worse fear realised itself since he had just ranked news related to Junsu and Changmin at the top of the ‘worst news’ list. Even losing Yoochun comes in second, since he knows that his friend will rather die if Junsu is to pass away.

“He… he is… poorly.” The assistant hang his head low as he stares at the ground. Yunho turned towards his bed room immediately, looking very troubled. He needs to go to his friend’s side, and since Junsu is ill, he knows he will need all the help he can get from Jaejoong, who is on his bed, immobilized, and most likely hating him to the very core. The advisor hadn’t spoken to the healer since that incident.

“What happened?” The taller man asked gingerly.

“His majesty… injured the boy accidentally.” “During the battle.” The other frowned, pointing an index finger to his temper, to indicate the site of Junsu’s injury. The advisor sighs deeply. Yunho is truly concerned. “That idiot screwed up didn’t he?” “How bad?”

“He isn’t waking.” The assistant replied plainly and Yunho caught his breath as he swallows an escaping gasp, face turning pale with dread.

“You go on ahead. I will catch up with you again.” Yunho instructed the man a while later.

“You want to consult Jaejoong sshi?” The assistant knows Jaejoong since he would ask the latter for advise whenever his kids and wife is ill. He is aware of Jaejoong’s superb medicinal skills. Yunho nodded solemnly. “I screwed up too.” The man answered his assistant and rubs at his nose bridge resignedly.

Yunho has no idea how to start consulting the healer. They cannot seem to find a common ground to communicate ever since the incident. Jaejoong would not eat, nor would he open his eyes whenever Yunho is around. The healer wouldn’t even move, pretending to be dead half the time. Yunho is troubled since he knows Jaejoong is still very much alive.

“Jaejoong.” The man said while still at the doorway, addressing the healer with a serious tone. The healer plays dumb and deaf again, shivering as he lay wrapped up beneath a thick blanket. He does not even speak since he is afraid that Yunho might turn crazy again. Clenching his hands into a fist with whatever strength he has left, the healer braced himself as he plays dead again, acting as though Yunho is a grizzly bear that wouldn’t touch corpses.

“We need your help.” Yunho spoke again as he makes his way over to sit beside Jaejoong. “It’s about Junsu.” The advisor started and Jaejoong’s eyes widens. “He isn’t doing well.” The man continued cautiously. Jaejoong just remained silent. Yunho’s presence scares him so much at the current moment that he barely dare to breathe a word to the other.

“Mmm.” The healer made some sound at last, sounding like a dying puppy. ‘Let me out of here!! I need to see him!’ The healer thought, but he simply cannot bring himself to speak his mind. Tears rolled down his pale cheeks as he chews his already chapped lower lip, shuddering even more obviously when the advisor approaches him and settles down right beside him. The healer gasps and grimaces pitifully while the other frowns.

Sniffling as the advisor hoists him up, the healer does nothing to protest, snivelling so pathetically that even he is a little irritated by himself. He couldn’t help it. Not with Yunho terrorising him like that.

“Hey.” Yunho spoke, voice sounding like a single thunder clap, making Jaejoong stiffen up, becoming giddy. “Are you alright? Talk to me.” The man whispered to the healer softly as he cuddles the shivering small frame. ‘Do I look fine to you?!’ Jaejoong would usually rebuff, but instead, he just nodded his head, rubbing his ear on Yunho’s broad chest slightly as he leans on the man for support.

Feeling less than well, very sick and in pain, the healer tries to persuade himself that the 'mishap' was just a nightmare. Seeing Yunho revert back to being the human being he once was, Jaejoong feels more comfortable speaking. He doesn’t have a choice either, since Junsu is involved. “I need to see him. Please bring me there.” The healer pleaded politely at last, squeaking fearfully a he waits for the advisor’s reaction. Yunho nodded his head.

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POV from Jaejoong

As if last night wasn’t bad enough… I woke to find myself still on that same damn bed… numb. Well… maybe ‘numb’ isn’t exactly correct… since I am hurting everywhere…

How I wish I would just die from what happened last night. If I did… then he would regret and roll in it for the rest of his life. That low life! I don’t even have a tiny bit of dignity left after what that uncivilised creature did! He humiliated me… made me worthless and disgusted with myself. My life is my foe’s debt!!

Sometimes… I wonder if I should just lacerate my own tongue and bleed to death. It will be painful… but not as unbearable as when I am living like this. What if he does this again?! I can’t!! Once is more than enough!!

Nevertheless… I can’t move… I can’t do anything… and I can’t even decide if I should just die. I am just breathing… and living.

The worst part is… I had been thinking about how I might really get knocked up if he continues to shoot so blindly without any considerations!! Junsu and I are family… so there is still a chance that I might be just like him. Our medicine isn’t as advanced… so there is no way I can tell if I have this defect as well…

Whatever it is, I don’t believe that with sheer will power, I can’t stop this type of absurd things from happening to me!!  

The gods won’t treat me so unfairly. That’s my conclusion! Now is the time for me to believe that I am born under the lucky star!!

However… this trust I have in the heavens is also starting to diminish with everything that is happening. Junsu is in trouble… and I am just stuck here… like a paralysed ! I need to be there for him! If something is to happen to either of them, I won’t know what to tell hyung if we ever meet again. I don’t even know if that meathead Junho is still alive!! He better not be dead!!

I am so tired of all this. I need to get out of here soon, before I go crazy!! I used to be able to rant and rave, making sure he knows I have my human rights as well… but I can’t even say anything now!! Not after knowing what he is capable of. What do I do? I can’t shut up like this forever!! What type of an outrageous situation am I in?!

I have to get away! I am going to be one that needs help if this drags on. Plus, I am very worried about Junho… and mostly Junsu. That child has a pretty jinxed life… like mine. I have to save him.

Then I will think of how I can get away… My goodness…

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Half a day later…

“Can you feel your legs?” Yunho had stopped dosing Jaejoong, and the healer is gradually starting to feel around himself again. Nonetheless, determined to get up even with the searing pain in his bottom, the healer rolled himself to the edge of the bed eagerly while the advisor tries to assist him.

Pushing himself up unsteadily, the healer almost smiled after feeling the coolness of the stone floor, with his now sensitive bare soles as he dangles both the weakened lower limbs, rotating his ankles and taking in the freedom that mobility brings. Jaejoong’s eyes twinkled prettily as he savours the moments of independence, struggling to keep himself seated with both arms supporting his unusually heavy torso. He hadn’t been able to do that for what seem to him like forever.

Impatient, the healer got up before he is ready to walk again, just to end up crashing to the ground again, had Yunho not caught him in time. Without speaking, the advisor lifts the healer up and piggy backs him out of their shared room. Jaejoong almost thanked him, had he not remembered that Yunho was the cause of his sufferings.

“I want to walk by myself.” The healer requested, but the advisor refuses to let him off. Jaejoong does not insist either. Behaving himself like how Yunho was hoping he would, since the man was harping on that for so long, the healer does not want to risk provoking the other.

Reaching the main palace, which is just a stone throw away from the advisor’s house; the healer couldn’t help but look around like how an amazed country bumpkin would, during his first visit to the larger cities. Jaejoong has never set foot into the capital willingly, since no northerner in the right mind would. Even during his stay in the capital, he had never bothered to familiarise himself with his surrounding, since he was too busy trying to escape back then.

Yunho feels the healer fidgeting behind his back and turns, just to spot a curious Jaejoong, staring incredibly innocently as his eyes follows a passerby. The man chuckled heartily for the first time in days and lifts Jaejoong up further as the healer slides downwards.

Entering the palace, the healer’s curious face reverted back to a solemn one as he observes and listens to Yunho speak to the palace guards, in front of the main building where the king resides. “Are they back?” “I brought someone who can help.” The advisor said quietly while the guards make way. Jaejoong quickly hops off the other’s back, wandering off as he waddles like an injured duck.

Following the healer, the advisor directed the other into a quiet room just around the corner, where nothing but silence greeted them. Pushing the heavy doors open after a couple of knocks, Yunho enters first, followed by Jaejoong. Once inside, the couple can see an exhausted Yoochun, head dangling above his chest as he sits, slumped uncomfortably, next to the unconscious boy, whereas their baby rests peacefully beside the two.

“Chun.” Yunho approached the king and patted him on the shoulder while Jaejoong inches away and stares fiercely at them. Not knowing the details, Jaejoong is hesitant about approaching the king, standing by the door like a bashful kid.

“Yun!” The king woke almost instantly, positioning himself upright as he places both palms on his cheeks, rubbing them roughly. “I screwed up man.” The king mumbled quietly as he glances down at Junsu. “They couldn’t help.” “No one could help.” The man sounded like he is choking on his words, half sobbing. Jaejoong could not but soften a little.

Picture a tough brute, voice breaking as he speaks with a nasally tone. It obvious that he had been crying a lot too, and Jaejoong couldn’t help but feel comforted that Yoochun is not the least bit uncaring towards Junsu, even though he absolutely detests the king. Anyone can tell that the man is in an equally bad shape, and would feel a bit of sympathy one way or another.

“I brought someone who might be able to help.” The advisor lowered his voice as he looks at Yoochun and back at Jaejoong. Walking over to the healer while the other backs away slowly, the advisor fastens a palm on the healer’s thin shoulder awkwardly and brought him over to Yoochun while the man grieves over a living human being.

Yunho can’t possibly do a show and tell about how he made Jaejoong his own, especially not to such a depressed Yoochun. So, not bothering to explain how Jaejoong came into existence at the first place, Yunho managed to persuade the king to trust the healer on their 'first' meeting. Yoochun does not recognise Jaejoong, much to Yunho's relief.

Jaejoong simply followed Yunho’s leads, allowing the advisor to behave like a puppeteer, pulling the strings and controlling what he does and does not do. Seeing Junsu in such a bad state, the healer’s heart broke as well. “Junsu. It’s me.” The man whispered as he climbs onto the bed beside the boy. Yoochun immediately makes way for him and exits the bed, which is almost impossible if it’s just a random person.

Getting down to work, the healer ignores his own need to rest and buzzes around the room, picking out the things he need as he busies himself with setting up a small workshop beside Junsu. Yunho heaved a sigh of relief again, after noticing that Jaejoong is adapting pretty well despite what happened between them the night before.

Jaejoong dreads cases of comatose, since with the primitive medicinal treatments during their era, there is no way they can save someone who is dying of a head injury. Jaejoong himself, has never met someone who is in an unconscious state with little chance of waking with stimulants.

With Junsu out cold, there is no possibility that he would be able to take any form of food and nutrition, much less medication. He will only aspirate and die faster. Closing his eyes, Jaejoong brain stormed about the ways in which he can help Junsu, under such circumstances, while the two others leaves the room with baby Changmin, pacing along the corridor anxiously.