Hyukjae’s POV

My heart dropped as soon as my phone rang.

There was suddenly an ominous feeling even before I answered the call.

‘Hyuk… Y-y-you need to come to the hospital now. Donghae h-hh-he…’

I dropped my phone before Kyuhyun could finish.

My heart started to pump furiously inside as dread began eating up every part of me. With shaking hands, I picked up my car keys and sped off to the hospital.

I soon found myself stumbling towards the hallway leading to the emergency room.

My hands were braced on the walls near me as I tried to make my legs staggered forward, one step at a time. The sound of my pumping heartbeat was loud in my ear.

Kyuhyun and Siwon were both pacing somewhere in front and Kyuhyun rushed to support me once he sensed my presence.

I leaned my weight on him.

‘H-h-how… is h-he…’ I barely choked the words out.

My heart felt as if it might shatter any time, a lump at my throat and my eyes began to hurt as I stared ahead at the double doors of the operating theatre.

My Donghae… He is inside.

Fighting. Fighting to survive.

Just the thought alone nearly killed me as I collapsed onto the ground and tears welled up in my eyes.

The thought of what could be going on in the operating theatre terrified me more than anything else.

A tear slipped down my cheek, followed by another, and another, and soon I was shaking with uncontrolled sobs as Kyuhyun hugged me closed and patted my back.

‘He is going to be fine. He is going to be fine.’ I heard Kyuhyun murmured.

‘H-H-He’s right. Donghae is a fighter. He w-will get through this.’ It was Siwon.

I couldn’t speak at all. I could only hope they are right as I sobbed breathlessly, burying my head in my hands as I sat there on the floor. Never had I felt so helpless before.

I barely knew what happened in the next moment. It felt like an eternity had passed as I grew more fearful by every passing minute.

After what must have been hours, the doors of the operating theatre finally opened and the doctor stepped out.

I quickly pulled myself to my feet, weak in my knees I stumbled and grabbed onto the doctor’s arm.

His words were going to be my very life line.

‘He’s fine. He’s fine right?’ I croaked shakily.

Kyuhyun pulled me away from the doctor as I continued to chant those words.

‘Well, the surgery was a success. It would be a long recovery process but he should be fine. His right arm and leg is broken, two of his ribs suffered fractured and he had a concussion to his head. We are not sure what could be the side effect to that. And he would be in a lot of pain when he awakes.’ The doctor informed us calmly.

‘But he will wake up right?’ I breathed shakily.

‘He is very weak right now. But we foresee him waking up in the next few days.’ The doctor answered with a slight smile.

I felt like I could finally breathe as a sigh left my lips.

Donghae would be fine.

He’s alive.

‘C-can I see him now?’ I asked. I need to see him now.

‘You may visit him after the nurses brought him to a room. I can only let one visitor in at a time for now.’ The doctor bowed slightly and left.

I saw Siwon plopped down onto a seat nearby as he too heaved a sigh of relief.

Kyuhyun squeeze my shoulders in silent support.

‘Find out who did this. I am going to kill them personally.’ I hissed.

---

With trembling hands, I reached to turn the doorknob, mentally bracing myself for the sight that I am going to see.

I have to be strong. I need to be strong. For the both of us.

He needs me.

I inhaled deeply and turned the doorknob, keeping my eyes on the floor as I entered the room.

I heard the beeping sound of the heart monitor and sounds of oxygen being inhaled through the oxygen breathing mask.

I lifted my gaze slowly.

My heart clenched painfully and my entire chest hurt as I saw a bandaged up Donghae lying motionless on the hospital bed.

His chest rising and falling ever so slightly as he breathed in weakly through the oxygen mask.

I clamped a hand over my mouth as I felt myself suddenly suffocated by my sobs again.

There were layers of bandages around his head as his brown locks lay over them in a tousled mess. An oxygen mask over his mouth and several small cuts on his face.  

His right arm and leg were wrapped in a cast. There was a needle attached to the back of his other hand which was connected to a drip nearby.

It pained me beyond words to see him hooked up by machines and needles and bandages. But these were what were keeping him alive.

He will recover. That was what the doctor said. And I will hold on tight to every word of that as I moved forward and gently caress Donghae’s face while I tried my hardest to take control of my choking sobs.

---

Days had passed by and Donghae still remained unconscious.

I had never been so afraid all my life, never had my heart ached so painfully before as I felt dread infused into every fiber of my body as he continued to lie motionless on the bed.

The only thing keeping me sane had been the beeping sound on the heart monitoring machine and the slight rise and fall of Donghae’s chest that proved that he is indeed still alive.

I had done all I could, from sobbing and begging him, to screaming and yelling at him, ordering him to just stop this joke and open his eyes, but he continued to remain just as he is.  Nothing that I had done seemed to wake him up.

A hand touched my shoulder and I shoved it away harshly.

I didn’t need any affection and comfort from anyone. Not when my lover is still laying unconscious right in front of me.

I didn’t deserve it. I should be the one laying there. I should be the one hurting. I should be the one-

I was suddenly shaking so badly with sobs that made me hard to breathe. I continued to choke while staring at an unconscious lifeless looking Donghae.

‘Stop it Hyuk. Please…’ Teuk knelt beside me and was rubbing my back, ‘He wouldn’t want to see you in this state. Be strong Hyuk. Be strong.’

I clutched my head in my hands as I tried to get my breathing under control.

He is right. I need to be strong. I have to be.

‘You have been in here for two whole days. Go eat something and wash up. I will watch over him.’

‘NO!’ I yelled hoarsely.

I got to my feet and shoved Teuk away.

‘Get lost.’

Teuk sighed out loud, ‘All right. I will buy you something to eat and bring you a basin here.’

The door shut closed with a soft click as he left and I slumped down onto the cold hard floor beside Donghae’s bed.

With fisted hand I started punching my chest hard so that it wouldn’t hurt so much inside.

---

Kyuhyun’s POV

‘Calm down Min.’

‘I want to see Hae!’

‘Please… Please just calm down. You are killing me.’

I tried my hardest to refrain Sungmin from crawling down the hospital bed as soon as he knew about Donghae’s condition.

His leg was wrapped in a cast which restricted his movements but still he tried his hardest to climb off the bed.

His eyes were filled with panic and worry, his eyes doleful as he kept calling for Hae.

I couldn’t stand seeing him in such a state so I pulled him into my embrace and hug him tight without much thought. I just wanted to comfort him.

‘Please Min. Hyuk is there with him. Please just calm down now.’ I begged.

I was so afraid. When the collision happened all I could do was to grab Sungmin to my side and pressed him as close to me as possible. But I still wasn’t fast enough as his leg was being caught and was fractured in the midst.

I felt him began to shake and felt something wet on my shirt. He was crying. And my heart was breaking.

‘Kyu… I saw h-how H-H-Hae… H-He…. It was s-so ho-horrifying.’ He said between sobs.

‘I know… I know…’ I started his back in silent comfort as I recalled the crash.

‘Th-there w-was so much b-b-b-lood… Hae’s b-blood…’ He was shaking his head violently in distressed as the memories continued to assault him.

I couldn’t say anything more to comfort him. I couldn’t. Not when we both had witnessed how bad it had been.

‘He will be fine right Kyu? He will be right?’ Sungmin was suddenly looking up at me with a hopeful expression, tears still streaming down his lovely face.

I pressed him closer and wiped his tears away gently.

‘I hope so, Min. I really hope so…’

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