Pull the Plug

Pull the Plug

The rooftop of a hospital, where white sheets were hung, filled Junhyung's vision with bright colors. The vast, blue azure sky contrasted the color of the sheets, making it blinding to humans by having it reflect the light emitted by the sun. The once polychromatic vision, however, became monochromatic, ever since that incident that involved his lover and him. He stood there before the rail, staring relentlessly at the back of a boy who wore the blinding white that made Junhyung squint his eyes. The boy hummed a tune that Junhyung knew well; the vibrations that escaped the boy's pale lips were also heard. He listened intently and let the boy finished the song, before speaking anything. When he was about to speak, he was cut-off by the boy almost immediately.

"Junhyung-ah."

The boy glanced at him; three-fourths of his face was shadowed by his bangs leaving Junhyung to see his mouth only. Junhyung knew who the boy was, more like he knew too well. It was his lover, Yoseob. He felt the familiar stirrings of the incipient guilt and pain from his heart when he mentioned his lover's name in his thought. His face showed pain and anguish.

"Yoseob-ah I--"

“It hurts Junhyung-ah,” Yoseob said, turning his head back to look at the sky. Yoseob was leaning against the rail; the rail was the only thing separating the two. Time seemed to stop for both of them; God knows it did, especially for Junhyung. Yoseob looked at Junhyung again, this time his face is now visible. His face was full of pain, still, he smiled sadly.

“Let me go.”

A gush of wind rushed between them, when Junhyung reached for Yoseob. In a split second, Yoseob fell from the rooftop.

“Yoseob-ah!”

Junhyung became susceptible and instantly reached for Yoseob, bending forward, letting the iron rail press against his abdomen heavily.

Junhyung looked helplessly extending his hand to someone who didn’t want it. He caught a glimpse of Yoseob’s face when he fell, he wasn’t shock at all; in fact, he seemed like he was expecting the wind.
 
As Yoseob fell, everything was in slow motion. The sound of the sheets, Junhyung’s pleading voice, everything. Yoseob just smiled at him, as if everything that burdens him was lifted. Tears fell on Junhyung’s eyes.
 
“Yoseob….”
 
----
 
When Junhyung opened his eyes, his arms dead from carrying the weight of his head for too long, he began hearing the familiar sound that he dreaded every day. The beeping sounds of the heart monitor, that is. He raised his head, and saw his lover that fell in an endless slumber. Large tubes were connected to his frail body; bandages covered every fatal wound that he received in that accident. Yoseob’s body was pale, his breathing was shallow, and his brown hair lost the usual shine that it had own before the incident. Junhyung wanted to grieve, if only he could.
 
He ran his hands to his hair harshly, his nails digging to his scalp, as he pulled his hair. This was his fault. If only he listened to Yoseob… this wouldn’t happen to him. If Yoseob didn’t shield him.. he could have been in his place right now.
 
“This is so ed up.”
 
Incipient tears started to line up on his eyes, his head bowing down. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry..” he said continuously, as it became a chant.
 
“This is my entire fault. “
 
He reached for Yoseob’s hand, and grasped it tightly. He knew his apologies won’t bring back what was lost. He lost Yoseob, but not entirely. Junhyung wanted to believe that Yoseob was only sleeping, for Yoseob liked sleeping. Junhyung didn’t notice that someone had entered the room, for he was too engrossed in staring at Yoseob.
 
“It has already been 7months.”
 
Junhyung flinched slightly, but paid no heed in the man’s voice. He didn’t bother to turn his head, for he knew this voice too well. It was Doojoon’s, a man who had survived the accident as well. Doojoon sighed, when Junhyung didn’t look at him. He was leaning against the wall, his arms crossed, and a visible frown made his face older.
 
“Don’t you think---
 
“Shut up, Doojoon,” Junhyung said with irritation, for he knew what Doojoon was going to say. Doojoon was going to say that he needed to let Yoseob go, so Yoseob can move on, and he as well. The doctor said it too, that the chances that Yoseob would wake up would be one in one hundred. But Junhyung knows better, for he thinks that what they are saying are lies. Yoseob would wake up, or at least he believed so.
 
“I won’t give up.”
 
Doojoon only frowned, and exited the room, leaving Junhyung and Yoseob alone.”I won’t give you up,” he whispered to Yoseob as if assuring him. It was more of an assurance to his self, a promise that would kept his sanity in stake.
 
----

Yoseob cried on Doojoon’s chest; Doojoon holding Yoseob’s arms to keep him from falling. He felt like crying too, but he needed to be strong for Yoseob, even if it hurts. They have just received the news from the doctor that Junhyung was just a living corpse; the oxygen supplying him was the only thing keeping him from being here. The doctor also said that he would not wake up, that’s why it was better to pull the plug the machine that kept pumping oxygen to Junhyung’s lungs. That’s why Yoseob was crying, and Doojoon was no better. 
Doojoon’s lower lip was bleeding, from trying to keep those unstrained tears.
 
“N-no! He’s still breathing! He’ll live!” Yoseob wallowed, his form was pitiful. He had black rings under his eyes, and his crying only made his face older than ever before.
 
“Yoseob, the doctor said—
 
“NO! Junhyung will live! He’s just.. sleeping! I know it!”
 
Yoseob pulled his hands away from Doojoon and stumbled in Junhyung’s bed. He shook Junhyung’s sleeping form, shouting “Wake up! Wake up!”
 
There was nothing more tragic than this, Doojoon thought.
----
 
“Junhyung-ah.”
 
Junhyung turned around to see who called him, only to find Yoseob again. He has been getting these dreams frequently, where Yoseob would appear to him out of nowhere, and it’ll always end in Yoseob asking for him to give him up.
 
“I’m not giving you up,” he said, with determination in his eyes. Yoseob only sighed at him. “You won’t be giving me up.”
 
“I would, if I did what others asked me to do,” Junhyung spitted bitterly. Deep inside, Junhyung knew he was only delaying time for Yoseob, but he didn’t want to give him up, he didn’t want to pull the plug that is keeping Yoseob from living.
 
Yoseob reached for Junhyung’s head and patted him; he tiptoed, and caused their foreheads to have contact. “Junhyung,” he muttered. Said man felt the coldness of Yoseob’s skin during the contact, but ignored it.
 
“Let me go.”
 
“N-no!”
 
“Please.”
 
“Stop it,” Junhyung begged, and then he broke down. The man who he loves asked him to let him go. He couldn’t bare living if he let Yoseob go. Yoseob was his life, the reason for his breathing. It would be like cutting of his supply of oxygen. “You’ll die..”
Yoseob hugged Junhyung, soothed him by forming circles on his back. “I’m already dead.” Junhyung cried harder and embraced Yoseob tightly.
 
“No, you’re alive! See? I can even touch you! It means you’re living!” Junhyung looked at Yoseob in the eye, Junhyung’s eyes were turning red because of the tears trickling his cheek. Yoseob’s face showed sadness. He cupped Junhyung’s face and wiped the streaming tears.
 
“I’m already living in your hearts, Junhyung-ah. Both you and Doojoon’s.”
 
Shaking his head, Junhyung cried out, “I don’t want to give you up!” Then Yoseob kissed Junhyung, a familiar warmth was felt when Yoseob’s lips touched his. It wasn’t cold at all, it was real, warm lips. Junhyung’s tears stopped.
 
“Pull the plug.”
----
 
Yoseob stared at Junhyung and cupped his face. He caressed it, trying to erase the coldness that he felt on Junhyung’s cheek. The usual sound of the heart monitor filled the room.
 
“Junhyung, don’t go, please? Don’t…. leave me.”
 
Yoseob placed a kiss on Junhyung’s lips, and hugged him. He rested his head on Junhyung’s chest; the rhythm of Junhyung’s heartbeat soothed him.
----
 
“Yoseob-ah, I love you. I will always will.”
 
Junhyung kissed Yoseob for the last time, a kiss that lasted and engraved on his memory. The kiss was like a parting gift, a symbol of letting go.
 
“I’m sorry for this.”

He reached for the plug that kept the machine from pumping air to Yoseob’s lungs. His other hand caressed Yoseob’s cheek.
----
 
“Wha-what’s happening?! Doctor! Doojoon-ah! Someone! Please!” Yoseob cried out, his tears were already flowing. He began to notice the deteriorating sound of Junhyung’s heartbeat when he listened to it. The heart monitor was unstable. The number kept decreasing, and the monitor was making sounds that broke Yoseob’s ear and heart.
 
“Kindly please step out of the way, Mr. Yang,” a nurse said, as doctors and nurses tended to him. Yoseob was pulled by Doojoon.
 
“Doojoon-ah! What’s happening?!”
 
“I don’t know, Yoseob. I don’t know.”
----
 
Junhyung gingerly held the plug, trembling when he did so. He stared at Yoseob remorsefully. He tried his best to give him a smile, as another parting gift. Junhyung smiled sadly.
 
“I’m letting you go,” Junhyung said, and then he pulled the plug.
----
 
Doojoon looked at the two forms that rested before him, each has his own bed. He looked at them sorrowfully. Both of their heart monitors were in sync when—
 
The other heart monitor signaled somebody’s death. Doojoon felt something die inside of him.
----
 
Yoseob was currently at the edge of the rooftop now. He felt the power of the wind, blowing him. It was only after three hours since Junhyung was officially announced dead by the doctors, and Yoseob felt no reason to live anymore. He decided to follow Junhyung.
 
He raised both of his arms, embracing the wind. He closed his eyes and imagined Junhyung. “Saranghe,” he whispered. The wind then pushed him, as he fell, to the finite height.
---
 
Doojoon was crying when another heart monitor gave out the signal. “No!” He screamed in his mind. He went to Yoseob’s bed, shaking Yoseob. “NO! Please! Don’t leave me alone!”
 
A nurse pulled him; he struggled to get out of their grasp. “Junhyung! Yoseob! Please!”
 
He was pulled out of the room, as the doctors tried their best to save Yoseob. Doojoon broke down, cried in a fetal position, and mumbled between his cries. He heard the doctor declaring the boy’s death. He cried harder.
 
“I’m… stll here. sob. you…sob. I-Idiots.”
----
“Two boys were confirmed dead today after the car crash that happened seven months ago. The driver Yong Junhyung and passenger Yang Yoseob were fatally wounded that both went to comma after surgery. Back passenger Yoon Doojoon is currently grieving for the lost of his two best friends. Their families are grieving for their loss also. “


END

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seoulsunshine
#1
Chapter 1: Im confused like really confused. ..
But then my tears wont stop
Such a beautiful story
SilentOne43
#2
Chapter 1: Im crying here...
the story is great. The way you write it is amazing
oc_b2uty
#3
i read this again, maybe for the fifth times, and i still cry hard~ this is perfect ^^b
ILOVEYS99
#4
unnie! i really love you!
this 2junseob angst is the best!
oc_b2uty
#5
it.s hurt! so damn hurt! 1st, i cant let my self imagine they died, 2nd the way u describe their “living-comateus” perfectly sinked me in my own tears,<br />
i declared myself as ur fans bcz of this!
Sakurachirari
#6
i'm tearing up now. they live in their comatose. their suffering just ended here but doojoon suffering more!
Jiyeonn
#7
that was incredible. so complicated but beautifully written. it made me tear up
uwuowowhatsthis
#8
I really cried..<br />
That was so beautifully written, but so sad :s <br />
Poor Doojoon...