Chapter 9: I need to breathe.

Pain. There was so much pain.

Kibum emptied his stomach in the bathroom. He hated the smell, the taste, the utter feeling of hopelessness. Kibum lifted his head from the toilet’s white interior and fell back onto his from his kneeling position. He slumped against the wall and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

He was tired. Emotionally and physically.

It was time to take the initiative. Kibum was not going to wait anymore. He could not just lay here with an illness that was defeating him. He was going to move forward and not back.

Kibum walked freely out the door of his hospital room. He had disconnected himself from the wires earlier in the morning. He was no longer attached to the troublesome, annoying apparatus that was meant to keep him living. He managed to pull on some skinny jeans and a white polo with shaky hands.

He was desperate for some fresh air. Air that breathed toxins and life and despair and not the clean crap he was being fed.

The alarms weren’t ringing for him, so he continued walking.

He slipped by countless nurses without notice. He even made it past the circulation desk and the automatic double doors at the hospital’s entrance.

Kibum lifted his arms above his head, inhaled deeply and felt himself falling.

He fell into black, but something stopped his motion. He felt arms, strong arms.

Minho was getting into his car when he spotted Kibum exit the hospital from across the street.  Kibum was grinning sheepishly in the light, his pearly white teeth glistening in the afternoon sun. It had been awhile since he had seen Kibum feel so free and not care about the people around him. Minho was too preoccupied with Kibum’s happiness that he didn’t remember that Kibum was ill or realize that Kibum was blacking out until the very last second.

Minho dropped his medical bag, dived to the ground and slid under Kibum to soften his fall. He held him tight, carefully stood up while carrying him and stumbled to his car. At the car he pulled out his medical equipment and quickly reattached Kibum to oxygen. Minho checked that Kibum was still breathing before fastening Kibum into the passenger's seat. He quickly got into the car and pulled away before arising any more suspicion. He drove carefully over the bumpy Korean streets. He didn’t care that he was causing more traffic. He just needed to get Kibum to his house.

Minho finally understood what Key needed.