Double update! Read the previous chapter if you have not done so yet :D

The doctor has removed the brace, did scans, poked around at his wrist and made small chat. It was taking ages and lots of waiting before he finally sat opposite each other at the doctor's desk. Hospitals were always such a waste of time.

"Tell me honestly, have you been dancing?" the doctor interrogated, his fingers twined together as he leaned over the table. Onew gulped tightly and let out a sheepish smile out of habit.

"Sort of," he whispered shyly. His doctor wasn't the scary stern type that would have usually made him flustered and panicky; but still, like a child, he knew he would get scolded for what he did. "Sorry," he muttered under his breath quickly.

"Jinki," the doctor warned. "What I tell you today, you shouldn't just ignore; else you'll really need a surgery to fix that hand of yours and that would take an even longer time before you can dance. We wouldn't want that now would we?" he asked almost like questioning a child. Onew just hummed softly, slipping his plump lips in between his teeth nervously.

"That," the doctor gestured to his newly casted arm. "Just care for it just like you do for your leg. No water; put a plastic bag over it when you bathe. No heavy weights, no extensive force, no dancing. Keep it over your heart from time to time to prevent swelling. I'll give you more painkillers in advance so you wouldn't have to return again just for them; but make sure you only take one every 4 hours. I'll sign you a medical certificate; but I doubt you'll even use it if you are going against orders to start dancing."

"You mean this isn't temporary?" Onew asked, his voice hitching as he stared in horror at his cast. He thought it had only been just for the check up and he would be getting back the brace after everything was done. What was he supposed to do with another cast anyway?

"No; for someone like you," the doctor shook his head mockingly. "How could I even leave you with just a brace? Take it as a precaution from my side - so that you wouldn't go dancing again."

"But-"

"No buts; hand me one of your crutch. I'm not going to risk it again." The doctor reached out his hand, awaiting the plastic stick. Onew's face distorted into one of panic and anxiety. What was he going to tell the company? The members? The second he steps out of this room, how could he explain this to the fans? "Jinki, I don't want you to go into surgery for something that can be easily avoided," the doctor urged, breaking him out of his thought charade. Reluctantly, he handed over one of his crutch to the doctor.

"It's okay, your company consulted me for your coming concert. I know you want to get better in time for it; rest assured that if you follow my instructions from now on, your hand will be fine by then. I understand that this is your job but you only have one body - you can't change it - so take good care of it," the doctor encouraged, smiling gently. I can't change my job so easily either. I won't. Onew almost wanted to retort. Instead, he just nodded solemnly.

"Now then, would you like some sweets before you leave?" the doctor offered, as if really speaking to a child.

on a lollipop, rolling from side to side in his mouth, he leaned against his lone crutch held in his good hand and moved slowly towards the hospital ward that he have only gone to once. He could have moved a little faster considering his rising anticipation to meet his best friend; but he was trying to gather his thoughts together before reaching the room. It did not seem to do much good though; his mind was only locked on the point that he could visit the younger. A smile unconsciously fixed on his lips at the thought. When he finally arrived at the ward, he dared not even peek through the glass; he raised his shaking hand up to push open the door so slowly that the door did not even creak. Without him knowing, he limped in with his breath held.

The figure that lay in bed had little difference from when he last met him. The endless wirings and tubes connected to numerous machines that surrounded the bed linked their way to the petite boy; he lay still upon the sheets apart from the minute rising and falling of his chest. The only difference was maybe the fading of the blue and black bruise marks, the smaller scratch marks that were left with only faint pink lines and the little bit of colour that returned his face. His lips were still sheet white under the oxygen mask, peeling slightly from the lack of water.

Taemin had been awake earlier in the day, listening to the constant beeping of the heart monitor with his eyes closed. There wasn't really much that he could do now - still and motionless. Some when in the middle of the day, a soft clicking sound hit the floor of his ward. He opened his eyes slightly just to look at the time - 12.45pm. He supposed it was the doctor or nurse checking up on his status; his parents were still working after all. He slipped his eyes shut again, the clicking sound nearing his bed.

Onew leaned the crutch over the side and leaned over the seemingly sleeping figure, still standing upright. He cupped the face that used to be always smiling and soothing it lightly with his thumb. Taemin's eyes fluttered open at the touch. He knew these hands. No one had such stubby and slightly plump fingers like his leader did. As his vision quickly cleared, he saw the older smile down at him warmly - the same smile that always managed to make him smile as well. Just for a second, all his negative thoughts flew out the window and he tried to return the smile. He softened his eyes into tiny eye smiles and his lips twitched at its corner almost as if he had a . You're finally here he wanted to say in welcome.

"Hey there," Onew whispered in a trembling voice after removing the candy from his mouth; the memories of the horrific accident flooding his mind once again at the sight of Taemin. Onew swept his hand around the shapely face and onto the younger's forehead to push his fringe back. "What should I say...?" he choked out tightly. "I'm so... I'm so, so, so, sorry, Mink."

"This is all my fault, isn't it?" A tear fell from his face onto the face below him. "You shouldn't have... I wouldn't have blamed you if you saved yourself; but now... If anything happens to you..." Onew let out a heavy sigh, only managing to conjure up broken sentences. The memories raked Taemin's mind at the elder's words. The vision that he had just before the real accident took place, Onew had been unmoving. Even when he had fallen upon the other, there had not even been a grunt of presence from the other. His best friend could have very well have been dead if that had happened. How could he even allow that to happen? Sacrificing himself meant that his leader would live. But it also meant that he could possibly never dance again. Never walk. Never get out of bed. What did life mean then? Yet, he couldn't blame Onew for any of this. He chose to help the older. If time had been reversed, he would still have saved the older. He would have been buried in guilt if he had knowingly led his best friend into a possible death.

“Mink,” Onew called out the unique nickname which only he used. Taemin did resemble the cute little furry creature and plus, it had a connection to his name. It started off only as a joke, but it stuck on over time. Taemin used to stifle giggles over that name, saying it made no sense whatsoever considering that he wasn’t all that good a swimmer. “Thank you... for saving my life. It may not mean much in just words; but till you fully recover, you can depend on me – order me around and treat me like your servant – I’ll be more than glad to do anything for you… less killing and stealing. After all… the person in bed… was supposed to be me.” Taemin looked up longingly at the leader, softening his eyes at the spoken words. Onew has hurting and Taemin could see it very clearly. He knew better than anyone that the eldest on the team was one to hide alone in his room to cry after a bad scandal and yet still be the same one to put up the brightest smile in the face of others. A small groan of pain pulled Taemin out of his thoughts as Onew hopped lightly to drag the nearby chair closer and carefully took a seat. It was only then that Taemin finally noticed the casts that wrapped over the elder’s skin. Jonghyun had told him about the leader’s broken shin bone, but he had not given it much thought at that time. Apart from the huge cast around his lower leg, Taemin was also puzzled over the cast around Onew’s arm – which he seemed not too used to seeing as how he awkwardly lifted his arm to avoid things that were far too out of reach. Onew noticed Taemin’s gaze on his arm and answered the unasked question.

“This,” he lifted his injured arm closer to Taemin, “was supposed to be only in a simple brace,” he explained. “The doctor, however, doesn’t trust my sangtae so he decided that this was necessary,” Onew pouted cutely at that. It really did make Taemin want to laugh – what could his ridiculous sangtae have done that the doctor had to take such measures?

“He even took away one of my crutch!” Onew whined, letting out a small hmph.  Taemin shifted his eyes down to the thick plaster held in a plastic boot-like thing on Onew’s leg. Looking at it reminded himself of his own immobile leg and his light-hearted feelings from earlier faded off. He darted his eyes away from Onew, holding back tears that threatened to spill over once again.

“The doctor forbade me from dancing,” Onew added, catching Taemin’s attention once again. “And that I might have to do a surgery if my sangtae acts up again.” No dancing, surgery… Onew could very well be the closest person he could get to understanding how he feels.

“I didn’t tell the other members, but I’ve been trying to dance,” Onew explained in a more serious tone. “That was probably the reason my sprain got worse. But if you saw me, you would have scolded me for even calling what I do dancing. I was practically a fish out of water. I may not dance as well as you – but that much, I would know. The members don’t know about the cast on my hand either. But some fans caught sight of me earlier so if they happened to look up on fan accounts during their break, Kibum would start nagging me to death.” Taemin’s heart warmed a little, feeling the same familiarity he always had with Onew. As always, the elder liked to confide in him, always keeping the other members in the dark. It wasn’t healthy for the team but Taemin loved the feeling of holding that special spot in the leader’s heart. Having the other here with him, made him feel strangely at home. There was so much he wanted to tell the elder, explain to him how he was feeling, tell him about all his insecurities, how everything was so unfair. If only he could just talk.

“-ung,” Taemin squeaked softly. Jinki tensed visibly in shock, twining his fingers quickly around the younger’s cold hand.

“Is it hurting? Should I call the doctor?” he started panicking, mistaking the small voice to be a groan of pain. He leaned over the bed worriedly to stare at the brown orbs which looked shocked themselves.

“-yung,” Taemin whimpered almost inaudibly, his throat burning in pain at the simple motion. His throat was parched dry and sore from the tube which pumped air to his lungs. Onew squeezed the cold hand tightly, fresh tears squeezing out the rims of his eyes.

“Taemin,” Onew breathed out in an ecstatic whisper. “I’m so glad… you… you’re talking… you’re talking, Minnie!” 

Double update... like finally. s'been so long since I did one. And of course I couldn't leave out my otp. Have been thinking of starting a new story to fill up my ontae feels but I can't think of a good plot so I ended up putting many many many hints of them here. But no. This fic wouldn't focus on any romantic feelings. *sigh* 

Psh, AFF seems to be messing up with the font sizes :O