Still With My Memories

51. Skapegoat

It was a sunny day but rain keeps falling. Taehyung asks Officer Jung to take him home after taking the wounded stranger to the hospital. "Will you be alright from here?" The officer asks worriedly as he stopped the car in front of Jeon's residence.

"Yes. Thank you." Taehyung utters and grabs his thing before hastily leaving the car. He didn't mind the rain dripping above his head. As much as he wanted to stay and check every update about Jimin and Jungkook, his head can't take it any longer.

He rushed towards his room and go straight the bathroom. He puked. His head is aching tremendously while his internal organs feels like rambling all over inside his body.

He puked again.

Seeing some stranger's wound triggers the memories of his family's incident. The pain, anger and sadness, it is all rushing back to his head like a big shot of wave that drowns him. It makes him hard to breathe. The head aches are enormous like his head will explode any second.

With shaky hands and dots of cold sweat starting to his body, Taehyung gropes for his phone and dialled Hyuna's number. But the call was dropped several times. She just pick up after his fifth try but before he can utter a word, the doctor had to end it immediately telling him she is in the middle of an operation and she apologized beforehand.

'Right. Things are different now. Hyuna was no longer his mere therapist. She is a doctor and there are other patients in need of her attention.' He thought and his head aches again. He whimpers and pulls his hair in pain. He wants to cry but no tears are coming.

Taehyung rummaged through his things before his vision starts to get blurry. He need his pain reliever which he gladly found after several tossing and throwing of things inside his bag.

He non hesitantly drink two capsule of the high dosage medicine. It would make him feel lightheaded and sleepy but that's fine so long as the pain would be gone.

The pain in his chest specifically.

***

"Taehyung ah, are you in your room?" He heard the familiar voice asked followed by knocking on his door. "Yes." He answered hiding the pain in his tone.

"Are you okay?"
"I am."

There was a long pause before his mother spoke again. "...R-right. Call me if you need anything. I'll be just in the kitchen. Okay?" She said before leaving Taehyung with hesitation.

Taehyung heaved a sigh and slumped himself on the floor. "You'll be fine." He mumbled to himself with shut eyes remembering his conversation with Hyuna.

-Flashback-
Hyuna hastily wiped the tear that streamed down her face all suddenly. "Can't I really change your mind?" She pleaded. Her eyes were wet and hopeful as she waits for Taehyung's answer.

Taehyung just smiled. "I can't, noona." His hands fidgets, squeezing the softness of small stuffed toy in his hands that the doctor gifted him. "I can't throw my precious memories away." He uttered almost in a whisper. "That's the only treasure I have," He added. After learning the consequences of the operation, Taehyung refused it instantly.

Brain damage. It already took away so much from him: His time, memories and even the people that are so important to him. He didn't want to loose anything anymore.

"It's your life that we are talking about." Hyuna reiterated. "Memories... You can just create new ones." She uttered sounding a little desperate. Taehyung has been his little brother but her words that was supposed to be word of encouragement unintentionally hurt the other.