The Odd Doctor Out | A Drama | S. 2

218 🩺 Forced

'No freaking way.' Yunho made sure to hold onto Mingi's wrist as he led him through the halls to the private on call rooms that not too many people knew about. Letting them inside, he led Mingi right up to the bed and sat him down, hands on his shoulders to keep him from getting back up.

When he was sure that he wasn't going to leave, he cautiously removed his hands. 'Don't move,' he said sternly. 'I'll be right back.'

Darting outside, he went to the end of the hallway and bought a bottle of water from the machine, before jogging back, opening the door to find Mingi exactly where he'd left him; to his absolute relief.

Mingi smiled in amusement, blinking slowly as he watched him come up before him. 'You know, I'm not going to die. I am okay.'

Yunho ignored him. Pulling the pharmacy bag from his pocket, he took out the pill bottle and cracked the lid. Dillying out two tablets as per the order, he passed the cap with the pills in it to him, and the water once he'd uncapped it.

'Thanks~' Mingi said softly before taking the two and swallowing them.

Stealing a blanket from one of the other beds, Yunho added it to his bed, smoothing it over the end of the mattress and letting the rest bunch up against him for the time being. 'Sleep. Rest, and I'll drop you home when I finish my shift.'

'Yun-ah, you don't have to do that. I can catch a bu-'

Yunho shook his head. Heart thudding in his chest and concern still lacing every part of his body, he could barely think straight, or think of anything other than making sure he was okay.

'Please, lie down. Please?' He instantly felt helplessness and frustration course through him as Mingi opened his mouth to likely tell him that he didn't need to.

But apparently his extreme worry showed, and Mingi took a breath, giving him a small, genuine smile. Slipping his shoes off, he scooted back and got in under the blankets, leaving Yunho to tuck both over him before kneeling beside the bed and taking a deep breath, letting it out slowly, along with some of his nerves.

'Min, just rest... Please? I really don't want to get a phone call from San that you fainted on the bus. You're already exhausted, and you are tired, so sleep. Soon, all your adrenaline and hormones and anaesthetic will wear off, and you'll be in pain, and you'll wish you slept through the worst of it... Min, if you rest for the next couple of hours, you'll feel much better, and I can take you home after and sleep easier knowing you're safe at home in your bed. Okay?'

Mingi's gentle eyes rested upon him, and for a long few moments, he didn't speak. It made Yunho wonder what was going through his head, and whether or not he could see how terrified he felt?... Whether he could tell just how badly he needed for Mingi to just rest, and stay where he knew exactly where he was...

But suddenly all attempts at reading his mind were interrupted as Mingi suddenly reached out a hand from beneath the blankets and brushed his cheek with feather-light fingertips, sending lightning across his skin and down through his chest.

Stomach dropping and chest rising with a breath, Yunho forgot how to exhale for a long moment. Staring at Mingi's face, and those lips that were slowly pulling into a smile; and despite his raging nerves, when Mingi's eyes closed, a calm stillness overtook Yunho, bringing his panic to a sudden calmness that he wished he felt all of the time.

Kneeling, with Mingi's fingertips on his cheek, Yunho sat for a long moment, unmoving. He let his own eyes close soon after, resting his body from the stress and panic he'd felt from not only from that afternoon, but his life. Soaking up the still calm that Mingi somehow had the power to give him, he let himself rest, their soft breath the only sound in the small room.

The whirlwind of emotions calmed to a delicate soft breeze and he felt his terror and worry for Mingi fade as he started to feel not only his own emotions, but Mingi's too. He felt his content and his calmness and how he was really okay, just resting there, beside him.

Everything faded, and just like that, with Mingi's warm fingertips on his cheek, both their eyes closed and resting, the world seemed to become a smaller, less frightening place.

Ding.

Startling a little, Yunho's eyes fluttered open; seeing Mingi's do the same. Realising that it was his phone dinging, he didn't even need to look at it to know it was his preceptor calling him back. Sighing in raw disappointment, he felt his chest heave as the tender touch on his cheek disappeared, leaving five little ice cold dots on his cheek that he hated. And as Mingi tucked his hand away under the blankets, Yunho forced himself to move on.

'I'll come back soon,' he whispered. Reaching out, he tucked the blankets around him tenderly, before gently brushing his hair aside to look at his temple one last time. A pang of pain and sadness jolted through him as his eyes laid upon his injury. 'Does it hurt?' He asked softly.

Mingi shook his head slightly, causing Yunho to instantly lift his hand off of his skin in case he accidentally hurt him. As Mingi let his head sink back into the pillow, Yunho ever-so-gently let his fingers return, tenderly brushing the healthy skin around the dressing.

'I couldn't have asked for a better doctor to look after me and my little cut,' Mingi said softly, his voice sweet and kind like honey, despite amusement and possibly a hint of playfulness layering his words.

Yunho gave him a pained smile, letting his hand fall from his head. 'Get as much sleep as you can, okay?'

He nodded, smiling, before he let his eyes flutter shut.

Giving himself one more chance to look over the boy in the bed, Yunho finally stood before forcing his legs to take him to the door. It was like every step was as painful, possibly even more painful than the last, and as he quietly shut the door behind him, he suddenly felt a wave of extreme helplessness wash over him.

Deciding last minute, he ducked into the nearest ward and took a warm blanket from the hot box, jogging back to the room he had left him in.

Gently opening the door, he padded in; surprised, but also not surprised, that Mingi, was already sound asleep.

Gently draping the warm blanket over him, he forced himself to walk away. However at the door, he stopped.

Glancing down at him, Yunho felt like it would take literally everything from within him to force himself to make footsteps in any other direction, that would take him away from Mingi. It felt wrong, like every cell in his body wanted for him to stay and protect him and make sure he was okay...

But I can't do that.

Work was calling, and the world around them kept spinning. The clock was an evil, nasty thing, not willing to stop for anyone, no matter how hard you begged it to stretch out each second out.

And so, giving himself one last, long look, he let his eyes rest on Mingi's soft, pale skin, and the way his chest rose and fell with his breath.

'Sleep well, Min,' he whispered.

'I'll be back as soon as I can.'

~~~