The Odd Doctor Out | A Drama | S. 1

85 🩺 I'm Scared

San turned to see Hongjoong rush into the waiting room. He was dressed in scrubs and his work coat, clearly mid shift, and although San had only met him once, it was impossible to miss the look of sheer terror on his face as he scanned the bed bays. A few nurses that seemed to recognise him appeared a little confused as to why he was there, but he didn't notice.

'Hongjoong,' San called out, and he looked up. The moment their eyes met, San felt the pain in that expression.

He immediately rushed over. 'San... What happened?'

'Hwa must have told you...' Seeing how worried the older was, San broke down. 'I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry.'

Hongjoong's confused face was all he saw before he bowed his head and started rubbing his hands together as he appologised.

But the red-head reached out and held his shoulders steadily. 'San, it's okay. Just tell me what happened.'

'H-he wouldn't let me take him... He begged me not to take him...'

'Take him where?'

'To hospital... Oh my god Hyung I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry...'

Hongjoong nodded, before pulling him into a hug. 'It's okay. Hush now. You've done well.'

He patted his ack, but San tried to pull out of his embrace. He felt so guilty... 'I should have taken him straight away. I- I- I-'

Hongjoong stepped back and used one hand to guide his chin, lifting his bowed gaze up to meet his. 'San, Wooyoung was never going to let you bring him here. He would have kicked and screamed all the way.'

'B-but, I told him we could go to another hospital...'

Hongjoong shook his head. 'He wouldn't have let you go to any hospital...' He brushed San's hair back before glancing around the ER waiting room. 'San, can you tell me what happened?'

San shuffled uncomfortably on his feet. 'I- uh... I don't know if I should- umm...'

'Choi San?'

Both boy's looked up, and the doctor who had called San's name immediately met eyes with Honjoong.

'Kim Sa Bu?' Hongjoong murmered. He put his hand around behind San's waist and walked the terrified boy up to the doctor.

'Oh, Kim Saem?' the senior said, looking between San and himself. 'I thought I recognised the kid...'

Hongjoong gently rubbed circles on San's lower back, and as he glanced over at him, Hongjoong could see the sheer worry and guilt painted on his face.

'Kim Sa Bu. Are you the doctor looking after him?' Hongjoong asked, and the older nodded.

'He's an extremely lucky boy, that one.' He swiped his pass at the doors for them to open. 'Come through and I'll take you to him.'

Turning a few corners into the ward behind Emergency, they came to a room where they could see Wooyoung dressed in a hospital gown, hooked up to a number of infusions. Hongjoong's medical mind went wild seeing the number of things attached to his little brother, and his heart screamed in pain.

However San, San dropped. He held onto the door frame and his legs literally gave way. Hongjoong helped him back up, before looking to his senior. 'Are we allowed in?' Hongjoong asked, and Kim Sa Bu nodded.

San instantly turned to him and bowed at a ninety degree angle, before hurrying inside and sitting down beside him.

Hongjoong however hung back. 'I know he's not a kid anymore and I'm not his guardian, but, what can you tell me?' He asked.

Kim Sa Bu exhaled heavily. 'I've sent for the theatre team to get ready as soon as possible. I'm going to scrub up and hopefully he'll be transferred to a ward afterwards. That Choi kid brought him in without ID though...'

Hongjoong nodded. 'I'll go home and get it...' He glanced at Wooyoung in the bed. 'What are you giving him?'

'Just IV pain analgesics and anxiety meds for now. Boy must have been in excruciating pain, his blood pressure was through the roof.'

Hongjoong wanted to ask what it was, but he knew he wasn't allowed to know. 'As soon as he goes in, I'll go get his ID.'

Kim Sa Bu nodded, patting him on the back. 'I'm going to go scrub up. They should call for him in a few minutes. Go see him before he comes in and we'll talk later.'

Hongjoong nodded, bowing before being left alone to enter the room.

Tears filled his eyes instantly the moment he sat down beside San, who had been holding his hand and whispering to him. He shuffled over as Hongjoong joined him, and as Wooyoung's eyes flicked to him, San let go of his hand.

Wooyoung immediately reached out for Hongjoong, and his whole heart shattered into a million little pieces. 'Woo, honey.' He took his hand tightly into his own and leaned forward, resting his forehead against his. 'Baby,' he whispered, hearing the boy sniff softly. 'Poor baby. It's okay. You don't need to be scared, okay?'

He sniffed himself as he forced his voice to fill with conviction. 'Woo, honey, you're going to be fine. You have the best doctor I have ever met looking after you, and he's going to fix you up and bring you right back to us, okay?' He sniffed again, pressing a kiss into his cheek before resting against his forehead again. 'Don't be scared, hun. It's going to be okay. We're not going to go anywhere.'

Extremely softly, he heard Wooyoung whisper, and so he moved his ear to listen.

'-'m sorry, Hyung.'

Hongjoong shook his head fiercely. In the background, he heard the rolling wheels of the wardsman's bed mover coming, and he knew he didn't have long. 'Don't be sorry, Wooyoung. You're so strong, and I know that you will be fine.'

'-want you, to be, safe...' he whispered.

Hongjoong choked on a laugh. 'Aw Woo, don't worry about us.' Of course he was still worrying about other people. The wardsman got to the door, and Hongjoong nodded. 'Woo, honey, you're gunna have a wonderful sleep, the best sleep of your life, and when you open your eyes, I'm going to be right there holding your hand. Okay?'

Wooyoung's eyes filled with terror, and Hongjoong wanted to scream with frustration that he couldn't go with him. He didn't want to leave him alone in the one place on earth that he knew scared him the most...

'Wooyoung, you're going to be okay. Don't be scared, honey. Okay?' As the wardsman hooked up the mover to the bed, Hongjoong squeezed his eyes shut tightly and kissed him on the cheek. 'I'll see you really soon, okay? I love you, Woo. You are going to be fine.'

And then the wardsman was tapping him on the shoulder, and he was forced to let go.

'You're going to be fine, Woo,' he said, and as he was carted out, Hongjoong had never felt more scared in his life.

'You have to be okay...'

~~~

A/N: sobbing. Still procrastinating.
BangChan is ringing in my ears
And no, my phone did not just correct that to bang ham... 😳