Rhea graduated last year with a degree in fine arts. She got her first real job as a Photography Professor. There's a particular student in one of her classes that has bright blue hair that catches her attention. Taehyung has a sadness in his eyes t...
Rhea frantically clicks through her emails. She had an email with all of her student's numbers in case she ever needed it. She finds Park Jimin and dials the number in her phone. The line rings, her hands are shaky.
"Hello?" Jimin answers warily, not sure who is calling him. "Jimin, this is Rhea, which hospital is he at? You didn't tell me." Rhea waits patiently, the other line is quiet for what seems like an eternity. "It's the hospital on 27th street and Waller." He tells her and Rhea immediately hangs up. She runs to get her purse and keys and leaves the apartment in a rush.
Once Rhea arrived, she parked at the first spot she found and jumped out of the car. Jimin had texted her the room number and she rushed inside. Taking the elevator to the third floor, Rhea was now at the ICU floor. She walked down hallways until she found the room labeled fifteen.
She steps in front of the glass door and takes a breath before opening it. Taehyung's eyes look up and meet hers. He was sitting by his mother's bed, holding her hand. Rhea's heart shattered when she saw his face wet from tears. "Rhea?" Taehyung asked softly, his deep voice breaking, he looked so confused.
"Jimin told me you were here." Rhea explains quietly. Taehyung stands up quickly and walks over to Rhea and hugs her abruptly. He buries his face in her shoulder. Rhea's lip quivered as she felt him shaking in her arms. Jimin just watches them curiously and silently.
Rhea pulls Taehyung's face back and searches all over his face. She wipes his tears and kisses him hard on the lips. Jimin looks away to give them privacy. "I'm here now Tae, I won't leave your side." Rhea reassures him and he presses his forehead against hers.
"There isn't much you can do." Taehyung tells her and she shakes her head. "I know, but I can wait with you." She gives him a comforting smile, but he can't return it.
"So...when did this happen?" Jimin suddenly asks and points at both of them. "A few weeks ago." Taehyung says gently. Jimin nods, knowing that made sense. That's about the time Taehyung wouldn't stop smiling.
"I'll be mad at you later, but for now I've got to get back home and get some sleep. Rhea can keep you company. Call me if there's changes." Jimin tells Taehyung and pats him on the back. Taehyung nods and thanks Jimin.
Taking his seat again, Tae sits by his mother's side, Rhea pulled up a chair beside his. She held his hand tightly in hers.
"How did this happen?" Rhea whispers and Taehyung rubs his eyes with his free hand. "My mother is an alcoholic. She has been ever since my father passed away." Rhea's eyebrows pull together as she listens. "I'm so sorry Tae." Taehyung nods slowly.
"It's been a few years now. She gradually got worse and a few weeks ago I left her and went to stay with Jimin. She had lost her job. I couldn't take looking at her anymore. She was trying to drink whiskey off the floor that she spilled."
Taehyung buries his face into the hospital bed. "This is all my fault. I left her alone and if I hadn't left, she might still be awake." Rhea squeezes his hand. "This isn't your fault, Taehyung. That was her choice, you didn't hand her the bottle." Taehyung's lip quivers and his eyebrows knit together in agony.
"I left her like my father did. I abandoned her when she needed me the most. I'm a horrible son." Rhea grabs his neck and forces him to lay his head on her shoulder. She runs her fingers through his hair, trying to soothe and relax him. "You're not a horrible son. You couldn't have saw this coming. No one could have. She'll wake up. She has to." Rhea speaks softly, digging her nails into Taehyung's scalp.
There's silence for a long time, Rhea looks down at Taehyung, his eyes are shut, and his mouth is slightly open. She kisses the top of his head lovingly; glad that he was sleeping. Her heart was breaking for him. She couldn't imagine what was going through his head. Back breaking guilt, that's for sure.
Rhea didn't care how long it took; she wouldn't leave him. She didn't care about her classes tomorrow. She didn't care about the showcase tomorrow; it would happen without her. She would refuse to leave his side. No one should have to go through something like this alone.
She leaned her head against Taehyung's and tried to close her eyes and get some sleep. It was a little difficult to do. The bright lights in the hospital were blinding and the quiet was staggering. Eventually, she fell asleep.
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The sleeping two are startled awake by a loud ear-piercing beeping. Nurses were rushing in, and Taehyung stood up quickly. His mother was awake and was ripping the wires off of her. "Mom! Stop, you're in the hospital!" Her eyes met his and she sat back down in bed. "What's going on?" She asked him softly, the nurses flashed lights in her eyes and checked her pulse.
"Mrs. Kim, you were in a short coma. It was induced by alcohol poisoning, you collapsed outside of your home and your neighbor called an ambulance. Thanks to them, you're alive." Her eyes water as she listens to the nurses.
Rhea grips Taehyung's hand tightly. "I almost died?" Tae's mom asks the nurses, and they nod. Her face falls and she begins to sob. "Tae, I'm so sorry." His mother croaks out and Taehyung stands up and hugs her tightly. "It's okay mom, I forgive you." She cries in his arms, and he holds her protectively.
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