Wheels Have Each Other

28. Spiral

Deadly silence prevailed for a while. None of them dared to talk. 

"No. No, it will be fine," Taehyung said through a lump in his throat, "everything will be fine. We're here. We'll come up and talk to the doctor. Stay strong, hyung, everything will be perfectly alright."

"T-Tell me wh-who survived corona af-after reaching the breathless s-state, Tae," Namjoon cried harder and Taehyung snapped his head to the side when he heard his husband sniffle as well. 

It was true. The death rate was high as it is, and he hadn't heard of anyone who survived the virus after reaching the breathless state. 

"Hyung," Jeongguk called out. 

"Y-Yes?" 

"I-I think it's better if w-we don't visit you at the m-moment. You are supposed to quarantine your-self," Jeongguk bit his lower lip down, "mainly if it is this serious with the man you l-lived with."

"But Do-"

"Listen to me, h-hyung. Have a nurse or someone b-bring him out. We'll take him from there. And you go h-home and quarantine yourself. Don't go back to the hospital unless Jin hyung recovers and is returning home. Y-You hear me? You are lucky you tested negative when Jin hyung is in that condition. Protect yourself a-at least now," he said. 

"Bu-"

"Hyung, you know what I'm saying is right."

"It is."

"Then listen to m-me and do what I say. Quarantine yourself and send Doyeon out with a nurse. W-We'll take care of him until everything becomes alright," Jeongguk said sternly.  

A few minutes later, they pulled up outside the hospital and found a nurse standing outside with a crying Dohyeon. Taehyung looked around and found Namjoon standing several feet away, watching them with eyes and demeanour that signified doom. 

Taehyung waved at him sadly and held both of his thumbs up, saying everything was going to be alright. At that, Namjoon gave him half of a sad smile and a nod. And then, he turned around and walked away. 

Jeongguk, on the other hand, worked on rocking Dohyeon around so that he would stop crying. 

Taehyung offered to drive on the way back home. Dohyeon was more used to having Jeongguk around than Taehyung, after all. 

He swallowed, slowly tuning the boy's cries and his husband's sweet words out. He couldn't believe the misfortune that fell on the Kim family. They had been such a happy little family, why were things starting to go wrong now?

Seokjin, someone who feared the virus more than anything else, had not once stepped foot out of their house. He had not even let Namjoon set a foot out either. So how did he end up contracting that goddamn virus so severely?

He recalled what Jimin always said. One could roam all around the world and still not get affected. And one could make a cocoon inside their bedroom and not step outside even for a second and still contract the virus. It's all in his or her fate.

And now, Seokjin became a living example for it. 

Why him? Why them? He didn't have an answer. 

Just that it was in their fate.

Dohyeon finally fell asleep after crying for a long time and by the time they reached their home, he was settled against Jeongguk's chest with his head crammed into the base of his neck. 

While Jeongguk made him settle right on the couch with a couple of pillows and bedsheets, under their supervision, Taehyung settled to go online and shop for a few sets of clothes and other basic stuff that Dohyeon might need for a fortnight stay with them.