The Odd Doctor Out | A Drama | S. 1

10 🩺 Night Terror

Yeosang stumbled into their apartment just after midnight, dumping his bag on the ground next to the door and kicking off his shoes. Not being bothered to turn any lights on, or do anything for that matter, he staggered through the living room of their small flat and down the hall towards his room, yawning repeatedly to the point of his eyes watering.

However just as he was about to turn into his own room, he heard a small whimper coming from across the hallway.

'Woo? You okay hun?'

With no answer, Yeosang was suddenly very awake. He padded across the hallway in his socks and opened the door softly.

There, in his bed, was Wooyoung, tangled up in a mess of blankets, head thrashing to the side every now again and brows furrowed, deep in the midst of a nightmare.

Unhesitating, Yeosang rushed over, kneeling one knee on the side of his bed as he started to shake the feverish boy awake. 'Wooyoung. Wake up hun, you're okay. You're okay, it's okay, wake up...'

He continued to repeat himself until Wooyoung's eyes suddenly shot open, wide and filled with terror. They quickly filled with tears as they darted around the room frantically.

'It's okay sweetie, you're home, you're safe. Everyone's okay baby. Come here, give Sangie a hug. It's okay baby.' He rubbed the boy's back as Wooyoung crawled up and into his arms, starting to sob against his chest. He began shaking as his tears turned hysterical, clinging onto his hyung for dear life. 'Shhhh, hun. It's okay, hush baby. It's okay Woo. Shhhhh.'

Nursing the boy, Yeosang moved so that he could get into the bed beside Wooyoung, reclining down beside the boy and leaning against the bed head to let him nuzzle into his side. Hot tears soaked into his shirt as he rubbed Wooyoung's back and ran his fingers through his hair that was damp and matted to his forehead. 'You're okay sweetheart, shhhh.'

Hiccuping, Wooyoung tilted his head up to look at Yeosang with tears eyes. 'Hyung, is Joong okay too?'

Yeosang reached over to Wooyoung's bedside table and picked up his phone. Navigating to the phone app, he dialled Hongjoong's number, praying that he would pick up.

'... Hey, Woo. Are you okay? It's super late, what's up?'

'Hey Joong, it's Sang. I just got home. Are you all good? Woo just had another nightmare...' Yeosang brushed Wooyoung's hair with his fingers, looking into the younger's doe eyes as they stared up at him with such pain... waiting... hoping... Yeosang put the phone on speaker for the both of them to listen to.

'Aww shit, Woo hun. I'm okay, I promise.' His voice was definitely tired, and it worried Wooyoung to his core.

He immediately started to work himself back up again, tears flowing more heavily than before. 'Joong H-hyung, you need to be careful, a-are you coming home? You shouldn't drive, you shouldn't drive, you sh- you shou- you sh- y-'

'Wooyoung hun, hush now, I'm okay. I'm not driving, I promise. I was going to come home after my last surgery, but I just got called to ortho for a patient deterioration, so I'm headed there now instead.'

Wooyoung's voice was almost incoherent as he spoke, choked up from crying so heavily. 'H-h-Hyung, d-don't d-drive, don't d-d-drive, please, d-d-don't d-d-d-'

Yeosang hushed the boy who was working himself into a horrific state. Resting the phone down on his chest, he used his spare hand to wrap around Wooyoung and rock him in his arms.

'Wooyoung, it's okay, hmmm? Hongjoong isn't going to drive anywhere, nothing is going to happen to him, okay? Nothing. He's alright. Okay?'

Wooyoung, totally ruined, nodded against Yeosang's chest, hiccuping and choking and balling his eyes out. 'O-o-ok-ok-okay...'

'Shhh, baby, it's okay sweetie. Hyung, don't stress, We'll be okay. Go attend to your patient.' Yeosang continued rocking the boy against him, the way he had always done for him on nights like these.

'Wooyoung-ah, I promise I will be exxxxtra careful, okay?'

Unable to speak, Wooyoung just hummed, interrupted by numerous hiccups of tears in response.

'Sang, I'll ring back and check in with you guys when I'm done with my patient.'

'Shhh, Woo, everything's alright. Okay Joong, chat soon.'

'Night, Woo.' And with that, Hongjoong's voice disappeared, bringing on another pained, hysterical fit of tears to the youngest.

It had been like this as long as Yeosang could remember, ever since they were little, Wooyoung and Yeosang only six, and Hongjoong eight. Wooyoung cried after every nightmare, some nights worse than others, but all leaving him scared and paranoid beyond belief. It had been a while since he'd had a particularly bad episode, but judging from the strong fit of tears tonight, whatever Wooyoung had experienced in his dreams, it had been horrific.

Some might have called Wooyoung weak for crying so hysterically, especially as a fully grown man in his twenties. But to those who dared open their mouths like that, Yeosang would have loved to backhand them square across the face.

Wooyoung was strong, and had endured things that Yeosang couldn't even hope to understand.

Although, from an age that he couldn't even remember, he had made the decision that he would spend his whole life, trying to...

~~~

A/N: Omg I have been STRESSED sorry for the wait. I'm currently trying to bust out my assignments now that exams are done, but this was short and already written so I thought I'd edit it over breakfast and post it lol. I miss writing 😭😭 and not the 'research paper' kind of writing 😒