“Hyukjae.” Donghae said quietly, waking me up around evening. “Hyukjae, I bought you some soup.”

Donghae carefully stepped into the room, turning on the bedside lamp. The light hit my eyes sharply, I groaned and rolled over.

“I don’t want any.” I mumbled. It was the truth. My stomach felt like it was about to consume itself. After three days, the fever in my body still raged on. My head burned, but I couldn’t help but feel sorry for Donghae, who had been at my service twenty-four seven for the past few days.

“Please Hyukjae.” He sighed, sitting down beside my bed and balancing the tray on his knee. “You haven’t eaten all day. You barely ate anything yesterday. You have to have something. Here, I made you come chilled leek-soup with some crackers.”

“I don’t want to eat.” My throat was dry, and my voice was croaky. “I feel awful.”

“I know you feel sick,” He said coaxingly. “But you have to eat something. Look at you. If you keep this up there will be no Hyukjae left.”

I snorted a sarcastic laugh. I wanted to eat. I wished that my appetite would allow me to finish every last drop of the soup that Donghae had gone through the trouble to make me, but I couldn’t. I knew that if I ate, it would probably all come up again.

“N-no Donghae.” I groaned, curling my legs up. “I just… Can’t”

My fever had gotten worse. Even the pain killers and antivirus medication wasn’t helping. I was lying on a cool bed without blankets, in boxer shorts and a lose fitting t shirt, and I still felt like a million degrees.

“Please Hyuk.” Donghae pleaded. “I promise you’ll feel better.”

I shook my head, wincing in pain, shivering once again.

“Hyuk…” He continued. “You have to eat something-.”

“Stop babying me Donghae.”

“Well you’re acting like one.” He replied.

I opened my mouth to say something, but he was right. I was sick, fussy and being insanely difficult.

“If you don’t want to eat this, I can get you anything you want.” he offered. “Name it, and I’ll send someone to pick it up.”

I shook my head, still shaking from the fever.

Donghae sighed deeply, placing the tray down on the floor. He picked up the cloth from the bedside table and took it into the bathroom to run it under cold water. He returned, dapping the wet cloth over my forehead, making me feel a whole lot better.

“It just kills me to see you like this.” he admitted, running streaks of water down my cheeks. “You’re so sick. You’re in so much pain, and I can’t do a damn thing. I just have to sit here and watch you suffer. It‘s killing me.”

I swallowed, closing my eyes. I willed myself to get better. Not just for my sake, but for Donghae’s sake.

Don’t do this to Donghae. I told myself. He’s been through so much, the last thing he needs is to look after a baby with a temperature.

He offered me the soup again, which I declined.

He let out a deep breath and headed back downstairs, leaving the soup on the table.

Where is he going? I wondered. Is he angry?

He returned several minutes later, holding a glass in his hand. I stared, wide eyed at the glass. It was a quarter filled with the jet-black liquid I saw Donghae drink occasionally.

“Wh-what is that?” I asked, propping myself up on my elbows. I stared at the glass, and felt a small inkling of curiosity.

“Here.” He handed me the glass. “Drink it.”

I looked at him, trying to see if he was joking. He was dead serious.

“What is it?”

“Just drink it. Trust me.”

There are those words again. Trust him.

I swirled the suspicious liquid around in the glass. I brought it to my nose and sniffed it. I didn’t smell like anything. It was odourless.

I carefully brought the glass to my lips, stealing one last glance at Donghae before tipping the glass upwards. I took all of the juice into my mouth, swallowing it in one go. I spluttered, as an awful bitter taste filled my mouth. I wheezed at the foul aftertaste, stretching my mouth open in response.

“Good boy.” Donghae said, taking the glass from my hand.

“That tastes like !” spluttered. “What the hell is that?”

Every time I had seen Donghae drinking the mystery juice, he’d drunk it without even batting an eyelid. Why anyone would voluntarily drink that was beyond me.

“That is a very concentrated concoction of cod liver oil and purple kale.” He smiled.

I coughed, trying to rid my mouth of the awful flavour.

“Stop whinging, it’s good for you.” He rolled his eyes.

I wondered how anything that feral tasting could be good for you.

I drifted in and out of sleep, hearing voices in the distance. I was caught between sleep and consciousness, only just receptive enough to the noises around me, but not to even open my eyes.

“Please, I wanna see him!” I heard a quiet voice outside my door whom I recognised to be Heechul.

“He’s sleeping.” Donghae hushed. “I don’t want to wake him.”

I heard my door open slightly, then close again.

“Don’t.” Donghae warned behind the close door. “He’s really sick.”

“Oh…” Heechul whispered.

I heard a few quiet murmurs and something about Kyuhyun. Then, I heard my name once again.

“You’re really worried about him aren’t you?” Heechul spoke. Those words pricked my ears, and I was no longer on the verge of sleep. I was wide awake.

There was a long silence followed by a quiet c