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I couldn't control my actions, and I was jumping into the back of the car too, saying that I'm his friend and wanted to make sure he's okay.
Thankfully, Mom didn't argue and started the car, driving directly to the hospital.
On the way, she explained what happened to Jimin. She started by saying where the boys were all day, which was in the tower where we left them the night before. Jimin had too much to drink like the rest and tripped down the stairs a few hours earlier.
Mom had ended up staying the full day at work instead of coming home. She said she was too exhausted and just slept there, then when she woke up, she got the news about Jimin.
Since he was being treated, she couldn't do anything but wait because the staff wouldn't let her back there, which is why she came directly home to get me, but I was nowhere to be found, and she started to panic. I will admit, if not for the seriousness of the situation, I would've probably laughed at watching Taehyung being scolded by Mom, but I was too worried about my brother to even crack a smile.
Mom said that Jimin's condition wasn't too serious, but they didn't want her in the back because there was some blood and didn't want her to get upset from seeing him like that. Mom's a nurse and can handle the sight of blood, but she's always got too emotional when seeing us hurt-she wouldn't even go to work for a week when I broke my hand a few years back. She always said that it wasn't safe for her to leave me alone because I would need help, so she can be a little overprotective at times when our health and well-being come into play-but so is most any parent out there if we're being honest here.
By the time she ends up explaining all of that, we're parking in front of the hospital while rushing to the entrance doors.
As soon as Mom walks inside, one of the nurses tells her that Jimin's awake. Mom sighs in relief, placing her hand over her mouth as if she might cry aloud, but then she starts running directly down the hall to find him. Taehyung follows after her, then I begin to, but I get stopped before I could even start walking down the same hallway.
"I'm sorry, but family only," the same nurse says, putting her hand out to stop me from going any further.
I don't have time for this.
I start to dodge her; however, she slide-steps and blocks me again.
"You'll have to wait out here in the lobby." My brother is hurt and the only thing I want to do is make sure he's okay.
"Please go sit-"
"He's with me." I suddenly hear Taehyung's voice from down the hallway, running back down the hall to grab my wrist. "He's my boyfriend."
The nurse still stops us, shaking her head. "He still can't go back there-"
"That's enough, Karen." Mom's voice shouts through the hall, not caring at all for other patients at the moment. "Let them through because he's a part of my family." Then the nurse gulps after being scolded, letting us both pass to follow Mom further into the hospital.
I don't know why Taehyung came back to get me, maybe he was feeling guilty for the way he was treating me earlier? Maybe even because I had to deliver that package minutes ago? Maybe he wanted to be a decent person for once? I don't know or have a clue because my focus is now back on seeing how my brother is doing, but I do know one thing and that's that I should try-try to be a little nicer to him.
"He has a few broken ribs...so be careful if you both want to hug him," Mom says quietly, her usual happy self now drained and replaced with concern.
Taehyung helps rush me to the hospital room. A soft gasp comes from Mom when she opens the door and sees Jimin laid in the bed weakly. He has an IV in his arm and machines are connected to his body to monitor him.
Walking further into the room, I see he has a broken arm that's already in a cast. His face is cut up and a few bruises line down his arms, probably from the fall. Thankfully, he's not nearly in bad shape as I first assumed, even with him have a few broken bones. It's honestly pure luck that he didn't receive worse damage from the long fall.
He looks at Mom and Taehyung with a light smile. "Hey," his voice comes out small, throat dry. "There's my favorite family." He chuckles lightly, coughing gently from trying to ease our hearts.
Mom starts crying from seeing him in such a state. "Mom, don't cry. I'm perfectly fine." He opens his arms, and his hands are stretched out to comfort her. He squints his eyes, trying not to show the pain from moving. "Come here," he says, making Mom ease her way towards him, giving her son a soft hug while crying on his shoulder.
He chuckles carefully, holding Mom delicately. "You too," he smiles, waving for Taehyung to get over there and hug him.
I see the hesitation in Taehyung's eyes, but eventually, he steps forward, going to the other side of the bed to hug him as well.
"You guys don't have to worry, I'll be fine. I made a promise to protect you, and I won't break that by checking out early." Jimin's words almost make me cry right here. I never thought about the possibility that he could get hurt so badly that he would never come back to us. I just never considered it.
"How can you even be thinking about us when you're the one injured?" Mom sniffs, wiping her tears away. "And promise me you won't ever drink that much again. You could've died...take better care of yourself." Mom doesn't cry much but this is different.
Jimin ignores the last few words, not promising her anything because he doesn't know if he can. Drinking has always been his escape since he went to his first party a few years ago, but thankfully, he doesn't do it too much. His only way to cope with our life is through drinking, which is sad because he never talks about his troubles, just keeps it to himself and tries to drink them away as if everything will be okay when he reaches the bottom of the bottle; however, he always grabs another one when he knows that nothing will ever change, trying to drown himself in some fake reality that he wishes to be his.
"I will always put my family before myself," Jimin answers right away, and it pains my heart because it's so true. Jimin would always put us first and himself after. He shouldn't have to but that just proves how lucky we are to have him.
Mom nods her head and lets go of Jimin, brushing the last few tears away before her phone dings in her pocket. "That's probably your principal. I called him because you won't be able to start school until you're fully recovered."
"You didn't have to do that, Mom-"
"Yes, I did, Jimin. Stop acting like you're not important." Mom snaps a little but shakes her head. "We all love you, and it breaks my heart seeing how you treat yourself. I don't know where or who I would be if I didn't have you two in my life." That makes Jimin still for a few seconds, making him think twice about everything but then coming back to his senses and acting as if what Mom just said didn't affect him.
Mom kisses the top of his head, then leaves the room, bringing the phone up to her ear to call someone.
Taehyung gently pats Jimin's back, stepping away to let him have some space. Jimin recovers from Mom's words and turns to us instead.
"I'm glad you both are okay." Jimin keeps his soft smile, coughing a few times. He lays back, resting his head on the pillow behind him.
The blueness of the room reminds me of the sea in a way. I don't know how to describe it, but it gives off an unsettling vibe. I'm not sure if it's because of my brother's condition or just because I'm stuck in my situation...whatever it is that's making me feel this way, I don't like it.
Taehyung speaks up, acting as I would. "We decided to head home early and rest because we still had small headaches from when we fell," Taehyung explains, watching Jimin shut his eyes. "Anyway, we just stayed home, waiting for you guys to come back but you never did."
Jimin waves Taehyung's words off, lightly moving his hand in the air as if not caring. "We were already wasted by the time we even noticed the two of you were gone. I appreciate you looking after her, Taehyung." Jimin looks at me with a weak smile painted across his face, and it makes me want to cry.
"I was only doing what was right," I say, feeling my chest tighten from knowing that I can't go up and talk to him like normal.
"Hey, you can't be back here!" Again the same woman's voice speaks up from right outside the door.
"Oh, shut it," then my heart drops.
"He's back..." Jimin says annoyed, causing Taehyung to look confused.
Jimin turns to his side, head buried into the pillow. "Tell him I'm asleep." He starts fake snoring, hoping he'll leave.
He is our younger cousin-younger cousin being from our uncle's side. We're technically all three cousins since our mother had a sister, which is Jimin's birth mother, and an uncle, which is our younger cousin's father.
The door starts opening, and I remain stone still, not daring to meet his eyes because he's likely to attack.
He walks inside the room, his footsteps gently hitting the ground. He comes right to the end of the hospital bed and crosses his arms over his chest, eyeing Jimin darkly.
"I know you're awake," he leans over the bed, smirking evilly before saying that one word that Jimin hates hearing from him. "Shorty."
Instantly, Jimin's sitting up in the bed, yeeting-oh, yes, I said it-yeeting the pillow directly towards our younger cousin's face.
"Go back to Church, you demon!" Jimin narrows his eyes, spitting the words viciously.
"Now why would I leave my dear cousin when he's in this kind of shape?" He chuckles, grabbing the end of the bed. "Hmm?"
"Just take Y/N and go back home. I don't want you guys here, especially you-"
"Whatever, come on." Then he grabs Taehyung's wrist, walking past me while giving me a look so dark that it makes me shiver nearly.
Taehyung seems stuck in a haze almost, as if not believing something, but Mom walks back inside the room suddenly.
"Your cousin should be here-" She stops her sentence, wrapping her arms around him when she sees him. She hasn't seen him in a couple of months.
"Park Jisung, sweetheart!" She says, holding his face in her hands. "I missed you so much!"
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