𝓦𝓱𝓸 𝓐𝓻𝓮 𝓨𝓸𝓾? - 𝓡𝓮𝓷𝓱𝔂𝓾𝓬𝓴

𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘶𝘦

Eight-year old Huang Renjun hugged his fox plushie tightly to his chest as the plane took off, looking over across the aisle at his best friend, Lee Haechan. The seven-year-old boy would be celebrating his eighth birthday in two days, and by then, he would be in China. He and Renjun would be celebrating the younger's birthday in Renjun's hometown of Jilin, because Haechan had insisted on going anywhere Renjun wanted to.

So now, Ms. Huang and Mrs. Lee sat beside their respective sons, Renjun leaning against the window while Haechan smiled at him from the aisle seat. "Renjunnie, I can't wait!"

"The plane just took off, sweetheart." said Mrs. Lee, patting her son's head. "We'll be there in about three hours, okay?"

Haechan groaned and plopped back against his seat. "I'm bored."

"Wanna play I Spy?" asked Renjun from across the aisle.

Haechan perked up instantly upon hearing his best friend's voice. "Sure! I'll go first, I spy something orange!"

They played for about an hour until Renjun fell asleep, his face buried in his plushie. Haechan sighed and looked over at his mother, who was reading a book.

"Mommy, are we almost there?"

"Not yet, sweetie." said Mrs. Lee. "Why don't you get some rest too? It's well past your bedtime."

"I can't sleep." whined Haechan, kicking his feet. In addition to being naturally hyper and energetic, the excitement from all that was happening made it impossible to close his eyes.

Suddenly, the plane seemed to bounce in the air. "What was that?" asked Haechan, frightened.

"Don't worry, Channie, that happens sometimes." said Ms. Huang, although she was clearly worried as well.

The plane bounced again, then again, then again. And suddenly, they were falling.

"Renjunnie!" cried Haechan over all the chaos, clinging to his mother. "Renjunnie, wake up!"

A loud crash echoed throughout the area. Countless screams of desperation and fear were heard before many of the passengers stopped moving for good.

Haechan trembled as he lifted his head and looked around. "R-Renjunnie?"

He stood on his shaky legs and scanned the area desperately for a tiny boy around his age with a fox plushie. He'd know the plushie anywhere, and sure enough, it was sticking out of the wreckage, a hint of two-toned hair right beside it.

Haechan ran over worriedly, tears streaming down his face. He used the little strength he had left in his body to push all the debris out of the way, revealing Renjun's bloody and scarred face. He was unconscious, his whole body stained red.

"Renjunnie!" cried Haechan, lifting his best friend out of the pile and hugging him to his chest. "Renjunnie, please, wake up!"

"Haechannie!"

Mrs. Lee and Ms. Huang were running towards them, both visibly shaken but otherwise unharmed. Ms. Huang let out a desperate scream and grabbed Renjun from Haechan, instantly feeling for a pulse.

"I'm so glad you're okay." whispered Mrs. Lee, hugging her son tightly.

"M-Mommy... Renjunnie's hurt..." sobbed Haechan, his eyes drifting over to Renjun as he said it.

"I know, darling." said Mrs. Lee, rubbing Haechan's back. "It'll be alright, I promise."

"He's still alive." said Ms. Huang, standing with her son in her arms. "I heard someone else calling for some ambulances. Help is on the way."

"Where are we, anyway?" asked Haechan, rubbing his red eyes.

"I think we're in Qingdao." said Mrs. Lee. "We're lucky we crashed into an empty field, or the damage would have been much worse."

"Mommy... what if Renjunnie doesn't make it?"

Mrs. Lee's heart broke when she heard her son's voice. The normally lively, cheerful boy she knew sounded completely broken, like a whole different person. It hurt her to see Haechan so upset.

"He will, babe." she said quietly. "Trust me."

About five minutes later, about ten ambulances arrived. Ms. Huang hurried to explain everything to the paramedic in the ambulance carrying her son, while Mrs. Lee and Haechan watched, the mother's hand on Haechan's shoulder.

"So?" inquired Mrs. Lee, once Ms. Huang and the paramedic ended their Chinese conversation.

"He's hurt badly, but not badly enough to kill him immediately unless something goes horribly wrong." reported Ms. Huang, switching to Hangul. "We're allowed to ride to the hospital with him, so long as we don't mess with the medical supplies in the back."

Haechan instantly ran into the ambulance, Mrs. Lee hurrying after him. "Don't touch anything, baby." she said quickly.

"I won't." said Haechan quietly, taking a seat on the bench beside Renjun. His friend's lips were slightly parted in his unconscious state, his arms crossed over his chest, rising and falling slowly with his faint breath. Haechan wished he could pretend Renjun was just peacefully sleeping, like he'd been back on the plane, but he knew enough to know that this was much worse than that.

***

They reached the hospital at about five minutes past midnight. Despite being exhausted, Haechan was still awake, seemingly unable to take his eyes off Renjun's face.

The paramedics carried Renjun away on a stretcher, his mother following after them instantly. Haechan tried to go too, but Mrs. Lee held him back.

"Renjun's mommy has to go with them to provide medical information. We aren't allowed to see him yet." she said.

So Haechan nestled his head against his mother's shoulder. He wasn't crying anymore, but he was sad, much sadder than someone his age would normally be. He knew Renjun was hurt badly- what if he never woke up?

Mrs. Lee stroked her son's brown hair, staring into space with a mix of emotions. She was obviously sad about Renjun, but she was also relieved that it wasn't Haechan. She didn't know what she'd do without her eldest child. She'd texted her husband to let him know and tell him to come as soon as possible with Haechan's younger siblings, but it was late at night, so they likely wouldn't arrive until the next day. The entire family would be torn apart without Haechan. She couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if Haechan was in Renjun's situation.

About an hour later, Ms. Huang came back, sitting beside her friend. Haechan had finally fallen asleep in his mother's lap, tear stains on his cheeks. "How is he?" asked Mrs. Lee quietly, so as not to wake her son.

"Not well." replied Ms. Huang grimly. "They've got him hooked to a ventilator. They say there's a good chance he could go into a coma."

"And if he does?"

Ms. Huang sighed. "I'll have nothing left, Haemi. Renjun is the only thing that matters to me. Especially since..."

She fell silent. Mrs. Lee knew she was thinking about her ex-husband, who had left her for a famous model about a year ago.

She patted Ms. Huang on the back. "Hey, it'll be okay, Meihua. He's tougher than he looks. He probably won't be out of it for more than a day."