Incarnadine | Prequel to "Viridescence"

46

24th April
2018

Yeosang nervously creeps down the stairs to the basement. He knows that Hongjoong advised him against it, but he couldn't resist his guilt. He's been secretly visiting Yunho nearly every day since he got here, and has been trying to calm the other's nerves through conversation.

At first it wouldn't work, it was like talking to a brick wall. But slowly yet surely, the brick wall began to crumble under the mental distress caused by all the tests. Although the scientists haven't tried their prototype serum yet, they've been running plenty of tests on Yunho and staying trapped in a cage does his mental health no favours either.

At this point, Yunho's begun to cling onto any bit of positivity that he can get. He has started to warm up to Yeosang, and the doctor can't deny that he's growing attached to their very first test subject too.

He figures that it's a bit too late now to realise that this type of work is not very suited for an emotional and sensitive boy like him, so he tries to suppress his emotions instead but fails every time. He can't decide if he'd rather stay loyal to his new family, stay loyal to his old family, or protect these innocent people.

At the moment he's chosen his new family.

He enters the cage room and as always, Yunho is sitting right there, face devoid of joy. "How's my favourite patient doing?" Yeosang exclaims. Yunho's head whips up and he offers a tired smile. "Aren't I your only patient?"

Yeosang claps loudly. "Bingo!"

He skips over to the cage and sets down his bag. "I came here to check up on your health but tell me more about yourself in the meantime," he requests while zipping open his bag.

It's a bit awkward trying to check Yunho's wounds through the bars of the cage, but Yeosang's gotten used to it. Ever since a few escape attempts by Yunho, Hongjoong decided to open the cage as little as possible.

Yeosang nods along to Yunho's nostalgic stories as he replaces bandages on the man. This lasts for several minutes, and Yeosang spends the rest of the hour sitting back and listening to everything.

That is until the door flies open.

Yeosang whips his head around when he is not greeted by the sight of a person, but by large metal bars. "Joong! Lift the left side a little more," Seonghwa's voice grunts from one side of the metal. "Don't tell me what to do- argh! Why are you pushing it my way?" Hongjoong shouts back from the other.

Yeosang giggles to himself and decides to help, despite being unaware of what's even going on. As he approaches, it becomes clear that Seonghwa and Hongjoong are attempting to carry large pieces of metal into the room together, though they are having a tough time as neither of them can see past the metal.

"Hongjoong, you should push your side of the metal forward a little and Seonghwa, you should tilt it towards yourself slightly. Then try pushing it through the doorway," Yeosang shouts at them. Neither of the men complain and follow Yeosang's instruction obediently, allowing them to enter easily.

"Thanks Yeosang!" Seonghwa chirps as he sets the metal down. Hongjoong brushes his hands off his trousers and grins while staring at the pile of metal. Yeosang gets a shiver down his spine at the sight of bars, having a feeling he knows what this is for.

"We're going to build a new cage! You know what that means...new test subject!" Hongjoong announces with great excitement. Yeosang gasps and can't really return the same amount of excitement, but at the same time he does not contain near the same amount of horror brewing inside Yunho right now.