Astra (GyuHan AU)

6

His body felt too heavy to move around. He could hear the familiar beeping sounds. The bright light shone into his eyes as he tried to open them.

"Mingyu...Kim Mingyu? You're awake?" The voice sounded too far from his ears. His head was pounding like crazy.

"Hey, Mingyu. God, you're finally awake. Stay still, I'm going to call your doctor."

Mingyu could finally make out Seungcheol's figure that was standing in front of him.

"Hannie..." He tried to call out for his husband's name. That name made Seungcheol froze in his tracks.

"Han hyung, where is he? Is he okay?" He started to ask about his husband in frantic.

Cheol turned back, holding his arm to make him stay still.

"Hey, You need to stay calm. You just got out from surgery." He advised him.

"I need to see him, hyung... Where is he?" He asked him once again. A man with a long white coat entered the room soon after.

"Wonwoo yah..." Seungcheol greeted him. Wonwoo took his stethoscope off from his neck, placing the metal plate on Mingyu's chest and checking all his condition.

"Mingyu, how do you feel right now?" Wonwoo inquired him, his hand writing something probably his report.

"Doctor Jeon, I need to see my husband." Mingyu begged him.

Both Seungcheol and Wonwoo looked at each other. Wonwoo let out a sigh.

"Let's go" Wonwoo agreed to him.

"Wonwoo..." Seungcheol gave him a concerned look.

"Yes, thank you, Doctor Jeon." He said with a smile on his face.

The ride in the elevator felt so long to Mingyu. He was sitting in a wheelchair, and Wonwoo and Seungcheol were standing on each corner of the elevator. The door opened as soon as they reached their floor.

But when they arrived, the place that Mingyu saw in front of his eyes was not what he expected to see.

"Doctor?" He asked, turning around to look at Wonwoo who was just standing still. His expression was blank. Seungcheol just patted his shoulder, trying to ease him.

"This is NICU. It's an ICU but for babies." Wonwoo started to explain. "That over there..."

Mingyu tried to follow the direction of Wonwoo's finger. "That is your son, Mingyu ah. You have a son."

"My son..." Mingyu almost choked on his tears but Wonwoo still hadn't answered his curiosity.

As if Wonwoo understood what Mingyu was trying to ask, he continued, "Your son was born prematurely... He is 3 months early and..." Wonwoo hesitated to continue. He wanted to avoid Mingyu's gaze. This is not the first time he has to break news like this, but this time, it felt different.

"Jeonghan didn't get through the surgery... He lost too much blood on his way to the hospital. We could barely save the baby as well... but somehow, that little guy managed to pull through. He's strong, just like his father." He finally let out his answer.

He swore he could hear every part of himself break as soon as he listened to what Wonwoo had said. The time stopped and all part of him felt numb. His eyes gave up from holding back the tears.

"I'm sorry, Mingyu. We couldn't save him." Wonwoo's hand squeezed Mingyu's shoulder softly, sending him comfort.

"Why? Why did he have to leave me? Doctor, I didn't even get the chance to see him. This is unfair." He let out all of his tears.

"I know, Mingyu. Life is always unfair." Wonwoo agreed with him.

Seungcheol hugged the sobbing man. "I'm sorry, Mingyu. I'm so sorry."

Three of them went back to Mingyu's room to let him rest. Wonwoo parted ways with them to return back to his work. When both of them arrived at the room, Seungcheol helped Mingyu to get on the bed. He then poured some water into a cup and gave it to the man who was still in silence.

"Drink. You're going to be thirsty." Mingyu took the cup and gulped the water down his throat.

"What happened in that warehouse?" He asked Seungcheol, trying to recall that day

"We managed to arrest everyone there. The police station is probably busy right now, especially since I'm not there." He said nonchalantly, taking a seat on a chair beside his bed.

"Then you should go back there." Mingyu told him.

"It's fine. They could just give me a call if they want. I made my junior to be in charge while I'm away." Seungcheol replied back.

"I thought he was hurt," Mingyu recalled what had happened to him.

"Chan? He's a strong young man, he'll manage without me. I'm just going to be here, taking care of you until you get discharged." He made a comment.

"Hyung, I'm a grown-up. I can handle myself." Mingyu assured the older man.

"I can't leave you for now, Mingyu. I made my promise."

Seungcheol sighed. "I promised to take care of you until you managed to deal with stuff on your own. Even if it means I need to take care of you like a child, then I will. I never break a promise with my best friend."

Both of them stayed in silence, lost in the thought of their grief.

*****

It has been 2 days since the incident, and Mingyu was slowly healing from his injury. It was quite tough but he was glad Seungcheol was with him.

But today didn't pass as peacefully as he thought it would be.

"There's an emergency at the NICU. I need you to be here as soon as possible."

And that's how he's currently sitting in front of the emergency room. His anxiety made his legs bounced non-stop. Seungcheol was pacing in front of him. Mingyu silently prayed to any God that is willing to hear him right now.

"Han hyung, you told me you want our son to be strong, can you please lend him more of your strength, I don't want to lose him too. He's the only one I have now." He prayed, clenching both of his hands together

An hour that felt like an eternity later, a doctor came out of the room.

He held his breath waiting for the news.

"Your son had respiratory distress syndrome. Due to his condition being born as a premature baby, his lungs collapsed. We're sorry. We've done everything we can. I'm sorry for your loss."

Numb.

That was the only thing he could feel right now. He slowly stood up and approached the doctor.

"My son... He's gone?" He asked, not believing his ears. The doctor just nodded.

"Mingyu!" Seungcheol ran toward Mingyu, catching his body, and almost hit the floor. The doctor knelt down, patting the shoulder of the man who was crying on the floor.

His little star is now reunited with his universe, creating a black hole in his heart.