Answer ||| Ateez

49

San did everything he could to stay by Yunho's side over the next couple of days. Mostly to make sure the driver was actually resting, but also for his own selfish reasons.

He never wanted to be away from him again. Those few hours he had been standing in front of Mercer had been the worst moments of San's life, and he had spent the entire time wishing Yunho had been there to give him strength.

When everyone had been in decent enough shape to travel, Dr. Kim helped get them back to Hongjoong's base where they could stay and rest for as long as they needed.

Hongjoong, Yeosang, and Seonghwa were the least wounded out of the group, so they became the caretakers.

Which became a surprisingly easy job now that Mercer had released his clutches on the city.

The first day Yeosang had returned from getting groceries for them, he was giddy with excitement, saying that the people were in the streets celebrating and throwing the biggest party.

He had quickly sent out his drones and pulled all available screens into the medical room for everyone who was awake to watch.

It was all true. The public gathered in large numbers holding anything that was bright and colorful that could be waved around. They danced and sang, throwing flowers or streamers or confetti.

According to Yeosang, all Pack activity had stopped. No one had been robbed, held at gun point, or threatened, and businesses were thriving again.

That had all started a week ago now.

San couldn't believe it. They had actually succeeded.

He turned to look at where Wooyoung was sitting up in bed with the widest smile on his face. He too looked at San and the smile grew even bigger if possible. Then Wooyoung reached for him and San hurried to his side to take his hand.

"Isn't it wonderful, Sannie?" The younger asked. It was easy to see that he was having a hard time controlling his joy by how he squirmed in place.

"It is." San nodded. "It is."

Every day that passed without incident was another day that San felt lighter. Even below ground, the happiness in the city was contagious.

The only thing that would make it better would be if Jongho and Mingi would wake up.

Whereas San had some broken bruises and re-injured others, Yunho still needed to recover from the car accident, and Wooyoung had his lower leg in a cast after Dr. Kim had operated on his leg to realign it after the bon had been split in two, neither Jongho nor Mingi had shown any signs of waking up since coming back to the base.

Dr. Kim was worried about brain damage with their youngest member after San told him about ripping the headband off and the seizure Jongho had experienced. However, all scans he had done came back normal, so he was optimistic that Jongho was going to be alright.

When he wasn't out shopping or doing something for someone else, Yeosang sat and slept by his side.

And Hongjoong did the same for Mingi.

All of them worried for their two friends.

For San, he was afraid of what would happen to them if they couldn't be whole. This was the first place he truly considered his home, and these people were his family.

Ten days after they had returned home, San let out a long sigh from where he was cuddled into Yunho's side. "What are we going to do now?" He asked, tilting his head back to look up at the older.

"What do you mean?" Yunho asked, his voice slightly husky, indicating he had been dozing. His fingers drifted lazily back and forth over San's arm.