Chanyeol had been out by himself long enough for Baekhyun to finally wake up and snap out of his drunkenness. His head had been heavy but that wasn’t on his mind now. He got up and looked around the house for Chanyeol but didn’t see him anywhere. He went over to Jiyoon’s room and saw her on the computer with the door slightly opened. Baekhyun pushed it lightly , grabbing Jiyoon’s attention to him.

“Where is Chanyeol?” he asked.

“Chanyeol-oppa went out a couple of hours ago. I don’t know where he went though.”

Baekhyun thanked Jiyoon and closed her door slightly. He headed downstairs and grabbed his jacket, putting it on and going out to look for Chanyeol. He tried calling Chanyeol a few times but no answer. Baekhyun was starting to get worried. Where was Chanyeol? Why was he out in this weather for so long? Why wasn’t he answering his phone? Baekhyun started picking up his pace, searching everywhere that Chanyeol might have gone. Still no sign of him. Baekhyun looked down every road, every alleyway, but still didn’t see him at all. His head started to feel heavy. The after effects from the alcohol came back again and hit him hard this time. His mind was so focused on his headache that he crossed the street without looking. A car was racing down the road. The driver could not see what was in front of him from all the snow that was falling under the winter sky. The headache soon moved away letting Baekhyun realize that a car was speeding down towards him. But before he could react to it…it was too late.

Chanyeol had started walking back home now that his mind was cleared. The cold winter had made him think things through, letting him come back with his usual smile.

Jiyoon was sitting in her room when she heard Chanyeol’s phone ring again. “Geez, who is calling oppa?!”

She followed the sound of his ringtone that led her to the kitchen. She answered the phone and listened to what the other was saying. Her jaw dropped and eyes watered when she heard. Immediately, she ran out to look for Chanyeol only to see him in front of the doorstep smiling at her.

“Jiyoon, where are you going in such a hurry?” he asked, still having that smile on his face.

“B-B-Ba-Bae-Baekhyun…Baekhyun-oppa was h-hit by a car………..” she said stuttering, as tears fell from her eyes.

Chanyeol took a moment to register what she had said into his head. The smile that was glued to his face was now slowly fading. Chanyeol turned around and headed for the hospital Baekhyun was said to have been brought to. As he ran through the winter snow that hit his face, warm tears dripped from his eyes. What was Baekhyun’s condition? It was probably a minor scratch. Nothing big, was what Chanyeol thought as he ran there. But even still, he couldn’t help but cry as he ran. Many people passed by him and saw the tears that streamed down his pale face. His eyes and nose were red from crying and face pale from the thought of what happened to Baekhyun.

It’s all my fault.

 His body was frozen by the time he arrived at the hospital. He went over to the reception desk to ask where Baekhyun was at. As soon as one of the nurses was ready to tell him, a recognizable face was pushed out on a stretcher. Right in front of him was Baekhyun covered in blood.

“Make way, make way!” shouted the doctors and nurses as they pushed him through the corridor.

Chanyeol could move his body. He stood there in front of the desk wondering what he should do next. Jiyoon arrived shortly after and saw that Chanyeol was just standing there.

“Oppa, where is Baekhyun?!”

“H-He was p-pushed on a stretcher…over there.”

Jiyoon went towards the direction Baekhyun was brought to and pulled Chanyeol along with her. There was a doctor standing outside the operation room with a board in his hands.

“Is there someone who is related to Byun Baekhyun here?” the doctor asked.

Chanyeol and Jiyoon ran over to the doctor seeing that Baekhyun’s mother hadn’t arrived yet.

“I’m his boyfriend and she’s his friend.”

“Baekhyun was hit by a car that was speeding. Right now we are currently patching him back up and closing all the wounds from the accident.”

The doctor went back into the operation room and left Chanyeol and Jiyoon standing outside, waiting for it to end. Baekhyun’s mother came running towards the operation room.

“Where my Baekhyun?!” she screamed, falling to the ground in front of the door.

Jiyoon wrapped her arms around her, “They are closing the wounds right now. We don’t know anything more than that.”

Baekhyun’s mother turned to look at her, “W-Who are you? His girlfriend?”

Jiyoon shook her head and pointed at Chanyeol who was sending her a low bow.

“My name is Park Chanyeol, I am your son’s boyfriend.”

Baekhyun’s mother got up and stepped towards him. When she was close enough, she pulled him into a hug.

A few hours passed by. The doctors finally brought Baekhyun out and put him into his own room. Chanyeol, Jiyoon and Baekhyun’s mother were all anxious to hear from the doctor. The words that came out from his mouth were not pleasant to hear. Baekhyun had been paralysed from the waist down.

“Is this temporary? It will go away right? He’ll be able to walk and swim again right?!” said Chanyeol, throwing questions at the doctor.

“We aren’t sure. All you have to do is pray that he’ll be able to walk. We’ll do our best to send him to rehabilitation to get his legs working again once he’s healed. I’ll excuse myself now.”

After the doctor left, Baekhyun’s mother went over to his side and cried onto him. “Baekhyun, why you? Why?!”

Jiyoon stood beside his mother, comforting her. Chanyeol stood in front of the hospital bed, staring at Baekhyun who was breathing through an oxygen mask. He did his best to hold back his tears, not letting them fall. It was unimaginable. He couldn’t believe that the one he loved would be hit by a car. He thought that everything was his fault. Everything happened because of him. Baekhyun’s mother and Jiyoon left a couple of hours later, because his mother had work the next day. Jiyoon left to prepare for school tomorrow while Chanyeol stayed there by Baekhyun’s side. Chanyeol kissed Baekhyun’s hand and prayed that he would open his eyes soon. Minutes ticked by. The room was silent and only Baekhyun’s breathing could be heard. Chanyeol rested his head on the bed and fell asleep. In the middle of the night, Baekhyun’s eyes slowly opened, waking up to the hospital’s ceiling. He moved his head slightly to look around and noticed that he was in a hospital room.

“C-C-Chan y-y-yeol.” He muttered.

Chanyeol was in deep sleep and didn’t hear Baekhyun’s voice at all. Baekhyun tried to move his legs to sit up but couldn’t. His legs made no movement even though he knew they should’ve moved.

“M-My l-legs…w-won’t move.”

Chanyeol heard Baekhyun’s movements and woke up to see his face.

“Baekhyun!” he shouted, wrapping his arms around him.

Baekhyun did the same and pulled him close. He removed the oxygen mask from his face and shared a soft and gentle kiss with Chanyeol. The two talked about what had happened previously before the incident, letting Chanyeol reveal what had happened while he was drunk.

“I did all that?! Aaahh, how embarrassing!”

Chanyeol laughed quietly at his comment, holding his hand in his tightly.

“Oh, Chanyeol. Was there some medication given to me to put my legs to sleep? I can’t seem to move them.” Baekhyun said innocently, not knowing what had happened to his body.

Chanyeol hesitated to tell him. He wasn’t sure how he could bring himself to say it.

“P-Para…paralysed…you’re paralysed waist down.”

Baekhyun stayed silent after hearing what he said.

Paralysed? Chanyeol’s probably joking…right?

“Stop joking, Chanyeol. There was medicine given to me right?”

The room was silent and stayed silent for a while.

“That means I can’t walk? I-I—”

That night Chanyeol held Baekhyun in his arms as he cried. He slept with the older male on the small hospital bed, watching him cry himself to sleep. That was the hardest moment for Baekhyun to deal with ever since he was born. The doctors had told Baekhyun that he would be able to start his rehabilitation in just a couple of days. At first he was ecstatic, but having to train his legs once again to walk was hard. Every day was painful for him. Chanyeol was always with him after his swimming classes and school were over, but Baekhyun wanted him to be by his side 24/7. Baekhyun wished that Chanyeol would be there with him for his rehabilitation since it was the hardest part of the day for him.

Chanyeol…I need you now…more than ever.