ｈａｚｙ // ｖ.ｋ. ✔️

ｆｉｖｅ

Hours had passed since Jeongguk went offline, and Taehyung was fucking terrified. The last thing he had heard from the other line was Kyong's ugly voice and that had only made Taehyung's worries worse. An uncomfortable knot had formed in the pit of Taehyung's stomach. It took everything he had in him to not start bawling. Suddenly, his phone started ringing. He picked it up quickly and saw that Jeongguk was calling. "Hello? Jeongguk? Are you okay?--" "This isn't Jeongguk. My name is Min Yoongi, I'm an investigator. Jeongguk is in the hospital, sir. May I ask your name?" Taehyung's heart sank. Jeongguk was in the hospital. He knew he should've picked Jeongguk up, despite his protests. "Sir?"

"S-Sorry, my name is Kim Taehyung...I'm a friend of Jeongguk's," he stuttered, still trying to process the information. "Well, Taehyung, you were the last person that Jeongguk called before the incident. Would you by chance have any clue as to what happened?" Taehyung opened his mouth, but he couldn't speak. Guilt panged in his chest and tears began to cascade down his face. "I-I'm sorry, can you tell me what hospital he's at?"

-

Taehyung rushed into the hospital and spotted a short man with black hair standing near the receptionist's desk, flirting with the young woman who sat there. He approached the desk and cleared his throat, causing them to look up. "Are you Taehyung?" the man asked. Taehyung nodded. The man, who Taehyung assumed was investigator Min, winked at the girl before leading Taehyung down a hallway. "I-Is he doing alright?" Yoongi looked over to him, a hint of playfulness in his eyes. "I'm an investigator, not a doctor," he chuckled, humoring only himself. They stopped in front of a room with a piece of paper on the front, reading 'Jeon'. "He's in there. A lil' loopy from blood loss and meds, but he's awake," Yoongi stated.

"When you finish visiting, come back out here so I can ask you some questions." Taehyung nodded and nervously opened the door. Jeongguk was lying down in the hospital bed, dried and fresh blood on his face and exposed skin. He looked over to the door, spotting Taehyung immediately. "T-Taehyung," he whispered, tears forming in his hazy, brown eyes. Taehyung rushed over to him and pulled him into a gentle hug. "Thank god you're okay," Taehyung muttered as he ran his hands through his hair. He stepped back and examined the boy. The gash above his eye was now stitched up and without makeup to cover up all the bruises, he looked miserable.

Jeongguk cried and avoided Taehyung's intense gaze. He was embarrassed. He knew he looked bad and it made him feel worse for Taehyung to see him in such a weak state. "I-I'm sorry... I look gross," he apologized with strained vocal cords. Taehyung placed his index finger under his chin and tapped it, forcing Jeongguk to look up. "Stop apologizing. You don't look gross," he pouted. "It's not good to always talk yourself down like that." Jeongguk sniffled softly and nodded. He couldn't stop thinking about the incident though. Jeongguk laid there for hours, sitting in his own pool of blood. All he could do was cry; it hurt too much to get up. Finally, one of his neighbors-- he assumed-- called the police and they quickly transported him to the hospital. He felt so alone, lying on that cold pavement, hoping that someone would come and save him. The only person that came to mind was Taehyung. So, he sat there, whispering Taehyung's name to himself, trying to stay conscious. Just getting lost in those feelings again caused tears to well up in his eyes. He'd always been scared of being alone, and lately, he was always alone. He was so tired. His head was pounding and he winced. Jeongguk shakily reached out and grabbed Taehyung's sleeve. "P-Please don't leave," he pleaded. Before Taehyung could even respond, Jeongguk was already losing consciousness.