√ 𝐸𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑒𝑠𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡 // 𝐻𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑔 𝐻𝑦𝑢𝑛𝑗𝑖𝑛

forty three.

     "Get away from him."

     Minho's voice was as razor sharp as the scalpel he was holding, his one empty hand bracing against Jisung's shoulder to move him away. Stunned by his blunt response, Jisung pointed at Chenle, fingers unsteady.

     "B-but - "

     "Get away," Minho repeated, beginning to pull the younger boy back from his unconscious friend. Jisung struggled against his grip, head shaking as he attempted to tell him.

     "But he isn't breathing!" the boy insisted, his own breaths rapidly increasing as he fought against Minho's hands.

     "Jisung," Minho stopped him, snatching his grasping hands away from Chenle's precarious state. "You're freaking out and you need to breath for a second. I just checked on Chenle - he's okay. He's passed out due to hemorrhaging and needs a transfusion as soon as possible. He's experiencing a lot of blood loss, that's why his breathing is shallow and his hands won't get warm. But he is breathing. Don't touch him."

     The last part was a bit softer than the rest, perhaps because Minho saw the absolute and pure fear in Jisung's eyes, the fear of losing someone close to you. It was a familiar and constant fear, and if he could ease it from someone else's mind, he would.

     Taeyong was the one who helped Minho pull him away, and Jisung finally ceased his resisting, chest shuddering as he fell into his leader's arms with sparkling eyes, his pleas dying in his throat.

     As Minho ripped Chenle's sleeve open, he cast his clear eyes over his shoulder. "You may want to cover his ears," he informed Taeyong, who's throat bobbed painfully as he gripped Jisung tightly, hands clamping over the boy's head.

     It turned out there was no need. Chenle was so out of it that the only response he gave while Minho teased the bullet out of his flesh were low, quiet moans.

     After a few minutes, Minho extracted the cylindrical piece of metal, tossing the bloody trinket to Mark, who caught it in his fist. "Hold on to this. He'll probably want to keep it when he wakes up."

     While Minho bound the injury and set to work on Chenle's leg, Hyunjin slid down against the unyielding wall of the van, pulling his jacket off with a wince and setting it on his lap before nestling Nari's head on it.

     She opened her mouth in her sleep, a half yawn, half sigh. Her lips were moving slightly, as though she were having a dreamy conversation with herself.

     Hyunjin gently stroked her hair and tucked it behind her ear, attentively pulling it out of her eyes as he caressed her. Slowly, Chan eased down beside him, a groan rumbling from his throat as his sore limbs ached in protest. Jeongin had been pressed into his side all throughout the escape, his head now lying against Chan's chest, restless eyes closed in a wary sleep.

     The van ran over a bump and Nari's head slipped from Hyunjin's lap, Chan swiftly catching and repositioning her on his thigh. Jeongin remained peacefully unconscious as Chan leaned into his spot again, back digging into the metal as his eyes lingered on Nari.

     "They went through hell today," he whispered, exhausted moisture collecting in his eyes as he watched her slow breaths. "I can't... I can't imagine how they stayed strong. And- and Woo - "

     The man couldn't bring himself to say the name aloud, sure that if he did his chest would crack in half from the agony it was giving him. He didn't need to utter it though, because Hyunjin knew exactly what he meant.

     "I know," he muttered, absently pulling his fingers through Nari's tangled hair. "I know."

     "How... how are we supposed to act like nothing happened?"