Ventricular Arrhythmia

Chapter 12: Pretenders

A heart attack. That's what happened.
Doctors couldn't explain how Hyunjin came back right from the dead, it was a miracle indeed.
His condition was bad.
He was in a coma kept in the intensive care unit. They didn't know when he would wake up, if he ever did and how this would affect his life and general health. They performed 3 surgeries and everything seemed to go pretty well with his heart, with the combination of a certain medication including the one he was already supposed to take. All in all he was healthy and it was a matter of time and his brain's to allow him to open his eyelids, so they could see the damage done to his brain.

The thing that pained the members the most was when Hyunjin's long term Doctor informed them that he wasn't taking his meds.
They just couldn't figure out the reason he would do that.
They all blamed themselves a little bit, they all knew about his condition... yet they pushed him too far... even when Hyunjin didn't like to admit his disability, he had indeed one and they should have taken it into consideration, treating him the way his health deserved.

They were aloud in the room one at a time only for a total of 2 hours per day, at first not aloud at all.
Their boss announced they would be taking a break due to sudden health problems not giving much details, promising to come back as 8. As days passed however, Chan felt less confident about Hyunjin's... return.
He didn't show any improvement, he wasn't worse either. There was only a weird, boring, scary stability, almost like a routine. Chan was visiting the hospital, he was getting discouraged by the doctors, he came back at the dorms and had several mental breakdowns crying in the arms of his friends. That was his everyday life for these two months.

During this period, Hyunjin almost gave up countless of times. Everytime he held on, for his friends, for Chan, for his brother. He heard Chan's and Kibum's voices, everyday. Their soft words giving him courage. From time to time he could hear Minho's of Felix's voices and from other members too.
He still remembers the words that brought him back to life. He had to thank Changbin and Felix for teaching him a lesson that day by yelling at him... unspoken words. If it weren't for their loud voices... he would be taken by the light at the end of the, how people like to call, tunnel. That day, while that light was calling for him, Changbin's screams brought him back, followed by Felix's and Chan's muffled words.

All this time, he knew about everything going on around him.
He was conscious. He knew, it was bad, he knew he did wrong, he listened to the voices around him. Everything made sense to his mind, he just couldn't use it to control his body.

Day by day, he heard the doctors trying to persuade his brother to...,unplug him. Kibum would never let go of him, and Hyunjin was thankful. Someone that wouldn't let go of him was giving him time to rebuild his life.

Actually if Hyunjin needed something right at this moment was Changbin's scream to get his eyes suddenly pop open, just how his heartbeat came back that night.

Hyunjin slowly stopped hoping, he lost his confidence and quit trying letting his mind and soul rest.
This took an effect to his body.
The artificial food he was given wasn't being accepted and he started losing weight faster, his bones poking through his hospital clothes, his skin just when it had started to take a pretty color became, fair and pale. Wounds and bruises started to create on different parts of his body.
All in all, his body was preparing to become a corpse.
Even Chan's begging couldn't bring him back now as Hyunjin let himself mentally go.

The doctors continued to pressure Kibum to make the fatal decision, threatening to call their other sibling located in the United States.
Kibum, cried and cried and cried.
He talked about it with his friends and Hyunjin's.
He talked about it with Chan.
None of them wanted to do such a thing. What if Hyunjin woke up and they took it away from him?
After hours or maybe days of the same conversation happening again and again, hugs and cries, they came to the decision everyone hoped to avoid.

Felix among with Changbin were the ones who took it the worst.
Fighting and trying to delay the date of Hyunjin's death.
Nothing could be changed.
The decision was made.

A week later they were all around the asleep boy. He looked tired and sad, weak but at the same time with so much life left in him. Chan's sobs filled the room while Kibum hugged him silently crying.
Felix was hanging from Taemin and Changbin... Changbin was just angry, angry to himself, the doctors, to his friends, to Chan, to Kibum, he was only staring everyone coldly. Jisung was hugging Minho and Seugmin, Jeongin, occasionally letting out a sob. Hyunjin's doctor was also standing by the door with tears in his eyes.

Hyunjin was beyond confused. He could hear painful cries and the mourning of his lover beside his bed. He could sense the death on the atmosphere, but he wasn't dead why are they crying? Did anyone else die? No-
Then it clicked.

They would unplug him today.
He remembered an almost silent conversation happening not long ago, yet he couldn't place the exact time, it could be months or seconds before, he didn't know.
But why would they unplug him? He-

Right... he gave up.
A sudden will to live was born in Hyunjin's heart.
He didn't want to die.
Oh god no! He didn't want this at all.
As a teenager he might have been happy to finally face his death, but now... as an adult he didn't wish to die.
Now he had everything he ever wanted, back then he didn't even have himself.

'It's time'

No- what time? No, no, no, I have to open my eyes.
No please don't kill me!
No I want to live!
I want to-
As Hyunjin desperately tried to do something, quicken his heartbeat, move his hand, open his eyes. A scream of frustration was heard.

Changbin's cold composure fell apart. He started screaming and crying pulling his hair.

"Wake up you bitch!? D'you wanna die!? If you die I swear to fucking universe I'm gonna kill you with my bare hands!"

"Sir please calm-"

"Shut up! You are a fucking murderer!"

"Sir please!"

"No! Changbin is right! Wake up Hyunjin-"

"Felix... we've talked about this-"

"No Taemin! I don't belive that Hyunjin isn't somewhere in there hidden, locked in his body.
Hyunjin... I love you, really you are my best friend. We all love you actually. But you are a pretender you know?

Why'd you say such a thing Bokkie?

You always promised from the first time we met to stay till the end, yet you leave me, us behind.

I really don't want to. I promise, I want to stay till the end.

Get your shit together and wake up!

I'm trying Lixxie...

I know you can hear me.

Thank you for believing in me.

Please do something to stop this... only you can stop it.

I'm trying Felix I really am! Please help me.
Oh, please let me open my eyes. I don't want them to-

And just like that Hyunjin's eyes popped open, just like how he begged to happen.

He couldn't see clearly, he couldn't move or speak but he opened his eyes and everyone saw it, his eyes were scanning the room not being able to focus on anything but even this was enough to prove them he was there. Awake and alive.

Author's note:

Moral of the story✍🏻; when you're dying, and you are a stubborn person, get someone to scream at you. Seems like it works, well it worked for me too so, I talk from experience lmao.

Also, I don't know if I'm rushing thing up or if this is wayyy too dramatic, but I've for sure written worse. At the same time, I don't want to write something that says the same thing for 737382 chapters, nor make something too long. Yet I don't really know, the future will tell.
I would really like to listen to your opinion.