Only Above the Surface

Bear With It

"He had a minor asthma attack, but since his lungs are already not in the best condition, it did cause him some chest pain when he asphyxiated. He should be better once the nebulizer takes full effect. With his condition, these things are pretty common. Does he have an inhaler by chance?" Jungkook overheard the paramedic ask his mother.

Mr. Jeon was situated on the couch with a mask over the lower part of his face feeding him the misty drug that will help relax his bronchi. It was amazing how the elder man's complexion turned back to normal after being such a dark purple color before.

During his attack, Jungkook and Jin had to carry Mr.Jeon over to the couch as they waited for help. It was frightening how quickly the attack had come and gone, although Mr. Jeon was still wheezing painfully when the medics arrived. Jungkook didn't have asthma, so the ordeal was a bit traumatizing, to say the least. He had a split-second thought that the day would end with him burying his estranged father.

A sick part of him, one that he never wished to come to light again, wanted his father to suffocate. He wanted him to suffer. That, in his suffocation, he would feel how Jungkook has felt for many years. Of course, he regretted the thought as soon as it came, but that didn't stop it from coming in the first place.

Jungkook felt arms encircling his waist and looked back to see Jin looking at him with concerned eyes.

"Are you okay?" he whispered, not wishing to disturb anyone.

"Well, physically? Yes. Mentally? Fuck no." Jungkook sighed and leaned back against his boyfriend.

Nuzzling into Jungkook's hair, Jin gave a little squeeze. "I heard what he said. About your uncle. I was coming back from the bathroom when I heard him talking about it. I'm sorry."

Jungkook felt tears well in his eyes once more but blinked them back. He only nodded in response. There was so much uncertainty there that he wasn't sure he was ready to unpack it yet.

"Also, I've been trying to text Jimin for the last 10 minutes with no response, so there might be a chance he shows up here unannounced trying to save the day," Jin mumbles so quickly that Jungkook almost didn't catch it.

"What?" Jungkook asks, looking back to see Jin's shame-filled face.

"It's okay, just keep leaning against me, everything will be okay," Jin reassures as he tightens his arms around Jungkook.

Jungkook pulled away enough to look at Jin. "Did you tell Jimin to come here?"

Jin gasps. "Of course not, honey! I would never!" Jin insists but then mumbles. "I just told him it was going bad and I'd give anything for an explosion of some sort and if Jimin thinks he's the explosion then that's not my fault."

"But you didn't give him this address, right?" Jungkook stressed.

"Pfft, no, of course not!" Then mumbles. "But he is known to track my phone, so..."

Jungkook shakes his head but smiles. It was the type of thing he would expect from Jin's long-time best friend. He wouldn't even be mad if Jimin did show up this second, maybe insisting he was a mythical being in need of Jungkook and Jin's help and just swept them away. But he knew that couldn't happen. He needed to speak with his father more than anything right now.

Once Mr. Jeon finished his nebulizer, the paramedics found their way out leaving the room in silence. It always came back to silence.

Junghyun shuffled over quietly to stand next to Jin and Jungkook but kept his head down. Jungkook immediately grabbed ahold of his little brother's hand and gave a little squeeze. Junghyun jerked his head up at the action, his cheeks turning a few shades of pink but he didn't pull away. Jungkook wasn't a heartless bastard and knew Junghyun was terrified. Terrified of losing a brother he's been longing for, terrified of losing a father, terrified of what the future may hold for him. Jungkook couldn't control most of those things but he could take some of the anxiety away.