It's Hee's Lift Now | An ENHA + TXT Fic

Chapter 42: Hospital (Round Two)

Heeseung glanced at the clock. "It's noon. He has eight hours left."

"Until he passes the twenty-four-hour mark, yes." The doctor peered at Beomgyu's scans, holding them up to the light. "But I don't want you to think of this as a death countdown. Recovery is always possible and it's vital that you stay positive. Beomgyu may be unconscious, but his body is aware of his surroundings. If you think he will die; you're only increasing the chances that he will."

"How is that even possible?" Heeseung whispered.

The doctor stared at Beomgyu, lost in thought.

"I don't know," she admitted. "The brain is the center of everything, and yet we know so little about it."

"What happens if twenty-four hours pass and he still hasn't woken up?"

"We keep trying. We keep talking to him. Once again, it's not a death countdown. It just means he's more likely to have lasting effects from the brain damage."

"What kind of lasting effects?"

"He might lose his ability to walk, talk, or eat. He could be paralyzed, he could lose his memory; it's almost impossible to tell right now."

Heeseung dryly swallowed. "Oh."

They watched Taehyun climb into Beomgyu's bed, freely crying as he draped the older boy's limp arm over his waist.

"Beomgyu," he quietly sobbed. "Wake up, please, wake up, this isn't funny, you have to-"

Taehyun hiccuped, unable to finish his sentence. He tightly clutched Beomgyu's hospital gown, his cries getting louder and louder as his body trembled with pure agony. "Beomgyu! Please!"

The nurse grimaced. "Now?"

"Yeah," the doctor sighed, turning to leave the room. "Page me if his stitches need to be redone. I'll have Dr. Yoo do them."

"Who's Dr. Yoo?" Heeseung questioned.

"They're our plastic surgeon," the nurse said, pulling Taehyun's writhing body off of Beomgyu. "Taehyun-ssi is a celebrity; his appearance needs to be perfect. Dr. Yoo's stitches will minimize scarring. Also, BigHit is paying us a lot of money to keep things under wraps and give you all the best care."

Heeseung watched the nurse disappear into the hallway, carrying a sobbing Taehyun with her. He closed his eyes, trying to forget the sound of Taehyun's haunting wails.

"Hey." Kai poked his head through the doorway. "I can take over if you need a break."

Heeseung wearily smiled. "Yeah, that'd be great. Thanks, Kai."

The younger boy nodded, crossing the room to take a seat at Beomgyu's bedside. "The nurses got annoyed with all of us standing in the hallway, so the others are in the cafeteria right now, if you want to join them for lunch."

"You ate, right?"

"Yes, mother," Kai laughed, pulling a book out of his drawstring bag. "Seriously, go. I'll text when I need to switch out."

Heeseung watched the younger boy begin reading to Beomgyu, his voice soft and sweet and full of love. He smiled as he stepped out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

***
1:24 p.m.

"What's this?" Heeseung asked, quickly moving to help the nurse set down a large cardboard box on Daniel's hospital bed. "Careful, noona, watch your fingers."

"Thanks," the nurse sighed, rubbing her sore palms. "Some fans sent you boys a gift. Don't worry, it's already been cleared by the police."

She picked up an official-looking envelope sitting on top of the box. "Also, Sunoo-ssi has mail."