“Taeyang, I've got it!!” G-Dragon yelled long before Taeyang was even in earshot. He was so relieved to be able to do something for Seunghyun, something other than watching him fade away right before his eyes. He knew this was no guarantee, it was only alcohol. But if the infection wasn't too far along, it should be enough to disinfect the wound, hopefully letting it heal. Given that he didn't have any hidden surprises like a concussion or a brain bleed. G-Dragon stopped his head in mid-thought, if he allowed himself to entertain 'what if's, then there would be no end to it. He would only scare himself to death. It was better just to wait and hope for the best. He would deal with whatever happened when it happened, it was not like he had any other choice.

It was amazing how much people in a modern society took for granted. He had never even thought about how it would be not to have easy access to healthcare, let alone the privilege of clean water and enough food to last the day. In his daily environment people were more concerned about not getting the limited edition of some designer bag, or being the first one to get the newest smartphone gadget just so they could brag about it to the others that weren't so fortunate. It sounded so trivial and trite in the cold light of day, why weren't people happier with all that they had? He wasn't any different. His hobby and his job was fashion, so that limited edition bag was actually his livelihood, amongst other things. He loved it with every fiber of his being, but yet it felt like he had been wasting his life, not taking the time to really look around him, to appreciate all that he had.

And now Seunghyun faced death just because he had a cut on his head. Who died from a simple cut? How was that fair? Yet it probably happened every single day in the less fortunate parts of the world. How come some people got to throw a tantrum over not getting the right shade of pink lipstick and others got to die from lack of clean drinking water? He vowed that if they were ever saved, he was going to do more, be more. He was going to use his considerable funds to help the helpless and he was going to take the time to appreciate what he had, to really be happy about the big things, instead of focusing only on the small things. He was a total perfectionist and he knew it, it was part of what made him good at his job, but it was also what made it hard for him to find happiness. Things could always be better, so instead of enjoying how good they were, he was always busy trying to reach the other side of the bridge, since the patch of grass there always seemed just a little bit fresher, tastier.

He wasn't an unhappy person, but he couldn't really say he was happy either. He had won a bunch of awards, succeeded in pretty much every aspect of his career, yet he had never felt as overwhelmingly happy as when he saw that little bottle in Chansung's hand. It reminded him of his debut days, where he took one step forwards and ten backwards, fighting the current with teeth and claws. Yet that one step forward was such a victory, that it felt like he had conquered Mount Everest, when in fact he hadn't reached the top at all. He was just so glad that he had survived another night in the freezing cold, that it actually felt better than having reached the top. It was really true what they said, it wasn't the destination, it was the journey. Because when you finally reach the top, the view is so breathtaking that you forget all the hardships that brought you there, and you take for granted that this will be your view every day from now on, settling for nothing less. But the view only gives you the chills for the first time and then you get used to it, the top becomes the new status quo and there is nothing left to climb.

Of course he had been thrilled at every turn of his career, finally reaching the destination towards which he had been working so incredibly hard. But he recognized only now that lately it had been more about his ego than anything else. Without meaning to, he had become used to fame and fortune. He had come to expect people to love him and everything he did. He wasn't as confident as people thought he was though, he was well aware of the fact that the tides could turn on him at any give moment. He just didn't think it would be actual literal tides.

“Undo the bandage!” G-Dragon shouted as he ran the last few meters towards the unconscious Seunghyun. Taeyang looked up, his face was swollen. “Chansung, that little rascal, he found alcohol!! We can disinfect the wound!” G-Dragon exclaimed, hopeful brightness in his voice. Daesung looked up, the first sign of life he had shown in too long a while. It was as if his 'on' button had been pressed, he quickly removed Seunghyun's bandage, glancing hopefully at the bottle in G-Dragon's hand. Taeyang ran for some more rainwater to wash the bandage with, since it would be kind of counter productive to put the dirty, infected, sand covered bandage back on the newly disinfected wound.

Cold water ran down G-Dragon's spine as the wound appeared from under the bandage. It didn't look good, it was a nasty cut and it clearly wasn't healing right. When Taeyang came back with the water, G-Dragon stopped him as he was about to drench the bandage. “No, use this.” he said, as he took off his shirt. “No. You need your shirt. Without it, you will be too cold at night and get sunburned during the day.” Taeyang said with concern written all over his face. “I'll be fine. We can't put that thing back on. Water or no water, it won't wash all the crap out. We would just be re-infecting him and then all this will be for nothing.” G-Dragon handed Taeyang the shirt, pleading. For a moment, they just looked into each other's eyes, exchanging their fears and hopes.

They had always been on the same wavelength, Taeyang and him. There was just something that clicked. They were good together. Almost too good. Taeyang was an amazing person. So selfless and full of love, G-Dragon often felt like he didn't deserve him. Taeyang did force him to step up and strive to be the best version of himself that he could possibly be, but sometimes it was exhausting. G-Dragon wasn't some holy saint looking to save the world, he was selfish like everyone else. Everyone else except Taeyang. That was why every so often, he liked to escape the pressure of Taeyang's expectations and just allow himself the luxury of selfishness. Most often that meant playing with Seungri, since he really knew how to set himself before anything else. They had had some great times together, more than great. It felt nice to be able to be himself without the fear of judgment. Not that Taeyang ever judged him, it was more that when he saw his own reflection in Taeyang's eyes, he judged himself. And self judgment was the harshest judgment of all.

Hesitantly, Taeyang took the shirt out of his hand, starting to wash out the sand as best he could. G-Dragon didn't waste any time, he rinsed the wound with water, trying to think how best to disinfect it. If he poured the alcohol directly on the wound, then a lot of it could go to waste by dripping into the sand, but if he put it into the shirt, the shirt could adsorb too much of it. He really wasn't a doctor, he wasn't equipped to handle this kind of situation. But he was the leader, and Seunghyun was one of his best friends, it was his responsibility to save his life. And he swore he would try to the best of his abilities.

G-Dragon decided to pour it on directly, but to hold the shirt under the wound so the drops would go into the bandage and not be lost to the sand. The bottle was small, maybe too small, but it was all that they had and he would just have to make the best of it. With his tongue sticking out in concentration, he started the process of saving Seunghyun's life. Or so he hoped.

“Where's Seungri?” G-Dragon asked as Taeyang and Daesung helped tie the shirt around Seunghyun's head. Seunghyun had winced when he poured the alcohol on the wound, which he took as a good sign. That meant he wasn't in a coma or completely unconscious, right? That had to be better than the alternative. “He ehm... he ran off a while ago.” Taeyang said softly. “Ran off? To where? Alone?” G-Dragon didn't like the sound of this at all, there could be all kinds of dangers in the woods, they had no idea what they were dealing with. There could be wild animals, there could be hostile tribes, falling trees, hell, just tripping could mean a life threatening injury in this god forsaken place. G-Dragon's stomach churned, his worry knot splitting in two. Wasn't it enough to fear for Seunghyun's life, did Seungri have to make him worry about him too?

G-Dragon felt Taeyang's soft hand slide into his, squeezing it, comforting him. 'I've got this. Go.' Taeyang's eyes said. He ran his thumb softly over the back of G-Dragon's hand, before he reclaimed his hand again. G-Dragon wasn't ready to let go of it. It had felt nice, even though it had only been a moment. He could still feel the of Taeyang's thumb, his skin still warm. “In which direction did he go?” G-Dragon asked. Following Taeyang's nod, he set out to look for Seungri.

“Don't be hurt. Don't be hurt. I'll kick your tight little if you're hurt, you hear me?” he whispered to himself as he scanned the tree line for any hints of him.