4. Say my name and every colour illuminates 

"Sehun!" Luhan bursts through the door almost tripping over his own sneaker clad feet as he tumbles into the room. It was clumsy sure but Sehun also found it kind of beautiful. 

"Hey" he croaked back voice still hoarse. Sehun looked content Luhan noticed, maybe in a little pain but not the harrowing tortured pain he had been expecting to see etched into Sehun's face. He was almost confused- these people haven't mutilated anyone. Although he did look different. 

"What happened to your hair and eyes" was all Luhan could say, he was in awe the spectrum of colours ever changing and transforming in Sehun's traditionally brown locks and his eyes were a brilliant golden colour. 

"Apparently this is what happens when you think about rainbows before neurosurgery" Sehun laughed "I was kind of shocked at first but it's pretty cool actually". 

"Hey!" Luhan pouted "You know I don't know what a rainbow is!" 

"Oh yeah" Sehun Chuckled "it's the refraction of light Luhan, it creates a spectrum of colours, in the old days it used to happen when it rained and the light hit raindrops" 

It was a shame because with the mechanical weather operations rain bows were a rarity maybe a once in a century event. Sehun had never seen one but he hopes that one day he will. 

"I guess your hair is a spectrum of colours" Luhan smiled "I'm so relieved you're okay" 

"So am I don't you worry" 

They stared at each other for a while in silence, Luhan walking forward to the bedside until he had his arms wrapped tightly around the younger boy tears welling up in his eyes. 

"Sehun I thought I would never see you again, I thought you were going to leave me in this hell without an anchor to hold on to. So please, please, please don't you ever scare me like that again" 

Sehun said nothing for a bit quietly carding Luhan's hair through his fingers. He didn't want to give any promises he couldn't keep because yes he survived this- a good indication they would all survive this that didn't mean he would be okay next month even next week. This was a numbers game after all and they weren't getting any better. 

"I hope you realise I can't promise you that" he said quietly "but while I'll do everything I can to make sure you will never be alone" 

Sometimes Sehun wonders why it was him that befriended the small scared boy, it wasn't like Sehun was the most warm hearted of people in fact he really didn't like people at all. Luhan was something else it was like someone had pulled at the deteriorating heart strings of a man who thought the world was ending and brought him back to a place where people laughed and cried and loved. Sehun was lost in the sea of loneliness and pain and  Luhan was perhaps Sehun's calling back to shore. Perhaps Luhan gave Sehun a reason to live.

"Just promise me you'll be okay too" Sehun whispered as he drifted back into slumber the fatigue of the surgery hitting him once more. 

Luhan just stared at the sleeping boy for a while his locks through his fingertips. Watching the colour change from a dull grey to blossoming pinks and purples. It was beautiful.  

"If I believed in love- I think I could be in love with you" Luhan muttered sadly to himself. He gently lowered his head to peck Sehun on the cheek before sitting down in the guest chair as he surrendered to his own dreamless slumber.

---- 

"Jongdae!" Yixing screeched, it was very uncharacteristic of him to raise his voice so immediately the whole complex was made suddenly aware of the conflict. 

"Yixing stay the away from me" Jongdae snarled "I don't need or want your help so kindly off and leave me alone" 

"I can heal you if you'd just let me! Please Jongdae I can't stand to watch you come home like this!" 

"Look, I don't get you- this isn't your problem this is mine. I don't see electric charges anywhere near you do I? Let me deal with it the way I want to deal with it okay!" Jongdae ranted "For s sake let me suffer! Let me feel the pain their inflicting on me so I return I tenfold when this show is over. I want to be reminded why I want revenge"  

"Your anger is destructive" Yixing pleaded "It will do nothing but ruin you!" 

"LET IT DESTROY ME THEN GODDAMMIT" Jongdae roared glaring at Yixing through his piercing onyx eyes. "I'd rather die than work for these ers"

"Look I'm done arguing for today" Yixing surrendered to his roommate "all I wanted to do was help"

Jongdae could do nothing but stare as Yixing exited the room tears streaming down his face it almost made him feel bad. Almost. 

He deserved to be angry didn't he? If Jongdae believed in a higher power (which he didn't) they sure aren't doing a good job at mitigating evil and amplifying good. 
No one deserves to be treated like a lab rat, guess it was just his luck to end up stuck here in this living hell. 

"Hurry up and bandage your wounds" a quiet voice said from behind him "don't let them get infected" 

Jongdae slowly turned round to see Minseok standing in the door frame- wrapped in an emergency blanket. He could see the frostbite forming on his cheeks. 

"Didn't you just hear what I said to Yixing?" Jongdae sighed "I don't care" 

"Yeah" Minseok snapped "I heard you, look I know you may not care but we do. Yixing does. Think about the rest of us for once Jongdae, think about Chanyeol. We're all in this together so ing pull your head in." 

Minseok glared at Jongdae again for good measure "you really upset Yixing today so I hope you're ing happy." 

He turned to walk away when Jongdae stops him. 

"I'm sorry" 

"You should be the poor boy's being branded today" 

The words echoed repeatedly thorough Jongdae's ears as he absorbed the information. All of a sudden he could feel his self righteous sense of hate and disgust fade. Only to be filled with shame and sadness. He was awful to his closest friend in his time of need in possibly the most awful circumstances. He needed to pause, to stop, to forget about himself for one goddam second to offer his support to Yixing and if that meant letting him be healed so be it.

" I'm an idiot" Jongdae groaned slapping his palm to his forehead. "How did I forget this" 

"It's called being a self absorbed prick" Minseok tutted as he walked fully into the room towards the first aid kit on the bedside table. "I know what they're doing isn't fair. We all do, none of us feel any good is going to come out of this but we're alive and we have each other. You can't leave us like this so go easier on Yixing okay? He really adores you" 

"Yeah I know" Jongdae sighed as he let Minseok tend to his burns "Sometimes I just don't want to try anymore- and I convey that aggressively because honestly I don't see the point in living." 

"It's a while away but the time will come where we will be free of this torture, different but I'll still be here, we'll still be here that is a constant. So please, if not for yourself do it for us. Think about Joonmyun don't destroy him like that." 

"You're right" Jongdae sighs "I hate that you're right" 

"I know" was all Minseok said in reply as his fingers worked quickly to wrap dressings over his wounds" 

Jongdae watched wordlessly and pondered maybe, just maybe he'll be able to heal the wounds on the inside. Maybe they all can. 

----