✔️ Unconditionally [Book 2] | Jeon Jungkook

• 31 •

Worry bled through her sleepy voice. "Honey, is everything ok?"

"He's awake!"

Haneul gasped and Hyun-Ji could hear her waking Jungseok. "We're coming right now!"

The call ended and Hyun-Ji looked back at Jungkook. "Your parents are coming. They'll be here soon."

Tears continued to streak down his face but he never took his eyes off her, not even when the attending doctor came in to evaluate him. Hyun-Ji tried to move out of the way to give them space to work but Jungkook refused to let go of her hand, not even when they assured him she would still be in the room.

Attempting to separate them only made him agitated. His heart monitor began to alarm and he began reaching for the breathing tube. Had it not been for his lethargic movements and Jisoo restraining him, he would have taken it out himself.

Hyun-Ji stroked his hair soothingly. "It's ok, Jungkook. I'm here." She repeated the reassurance until he eventually calmed on the condition that they not try to separate them again.

Within the hour, his parents arrived and upon seeing her son alert, Haneul nearly collapsed with relief. She clung to Jungseok as her emotion overtook her and he held her tightly as they waited for the staff to finish their assessment of him. Once they were done, she immediately went to him and hugged him as best as the bed and his equipment allowed, his father standing closely behind her.

His eyes closed at the feel of her embrace and more tears escaped. She wiped them away, smiling through her tears as she gazed down at him.

He looked back up at her, brow creased and began to slowly shake his head. His hand slowly moved up to touch the breathing tube and more tears fell.

"I know, honey. I know," she said softly, taking his hand in both of hers. "You just needed some help breathing but it'll come out soon."

As she spoke, he looked down at his body, at the heart monitor leads and the wires extending from them, at the tube extending from his arms, seeming to become more alarmed the more he saw of himself.

Haneul picked up on her son's anxiety and cupped his cheek in her hand, making his eyes meet hers. "You're ok, honey. All of this stuff will be off of you soon. Just be patient a little while longer."

He calmed at her words and looked over at Hyun-Ji again.

"You're going to be ok," she smiled, her chin trembling.

The nightmare was finally over. She leaned down and kissed his forehead, thanking whoever had listened to her prayers.

-- ∞ --

Hours later, Hyun-Ji sat beside Jungkook as two nurses began to take out his breathing tube, and never had she been happier to hear him cough than that moment. She held his hand in both of hers, comforting him with her presence as they put an oxygen mask over his face with the instruction to breathe deeply.

His movements were still sluggish and inconsistent even though a few hours had passed. He moved as if he were intoxicated, and Hyun-Ji mused that it could be due to the heavy medications he had been on for almost two weeks.

She reached over and gently prevented his other hand from touching the thin tube that was still in his nose for the fourth time. He had yet to speak but he had made it clear that he wanted it out, and Hyun-Ji was afraid he'd eventually pull it out himself.

Hyun-Ji turned to nurse Holly. "When can the feeding tube come out? He's uncomfortable."

"We'll bring some jello or apple sauce when it's time for breakfast. As long as you can eat without choking, Jungkook, we'll take it out," she said.

She smiled and turned back to him, smoothing down his hair. "Not too much longer, ok baby?"

"We want all these tubes out of you just as much as you do," Holly smiled. "For now, get some rest. I'll be coming in throughout the rest of the night to check on you," she said on her way out.

"Then we'll sneak in some real food for you," Jungseok chuckled after the door closed.

"I would be happy to," Haneul chimed in. How much weight had he lost since he'd been asleep?

From beneath his mask, Hyun-Ji could see the tiniest of smiles. Little by little he seemed to be coming back to her and Hyun-Ji wanted nothing more than to get him out of the hospital and back home. The last ten days had felt like an eternity.

Jungkook continued to hold her gaze and soon she could see his eyes growing heavy. "Are you tired?" She asked.

He blinked slowly and nodded.

"You should sleep then," she smiled.

He held her hand tighter and his eyes pleaded with her.

"Don't worry. I'm not leaving you."

She stood and kissed forehead, making his non-identical eyes widen and the heart monitor to beep faster than before. By the time she sat back down, he was turning pink.

"And that's our cue," Haneul said, standing from her seat next to Jungseok on the couch. They both stretched and yawned before taking turns embracing their son.

"We're old," Haneul chuckled. "We're going to sleep a little more and come right back for breakfast, ok?"

Jungkook smiled weakly, appearing to be growing even more tired.

"We love you," Jungseok said, kissing the top of his head.

His parents took turns embracing both of them before going home for a few hours' rest. Hyun-Ji then stood from her chair, only to have Jungkook stop her from her action.

"I'm just going to turn the lights off," she smiled.

The Bambi eyes she desperately missed silently stared back at her as if they were seeing her for the first time, as if trying to commit her features to memory. She gazed back in kind, taking him in, not caring that he looked different than before.

Thankful that he had come back to her.

"Welcome back," she smiled.

A lingering kiss was left on his forehead, once again causing a blush to shade his skin pinker.

Hyun-Ji giggled at his condition and caressed his cherry cheek.

"You're so cute when you blush."

—— ∞ ——