Inside the hospital room, Do-Yun lay on a hospital bed, still unconscious. He looked pale and frail, a stark contrast to the focused and determined colleague Noah had seen working diligently just the night before. The machines surrounding the bed beeped softly, monitoring Do-Yun's vital signs.
Slowly he regained his consciousness, he blinked his eyes open adjusting to the harsh hospital lightening. As his vision cleared, he saw a familiar face sitting quietly by his bedside. It was Noah.
He tried to speak, but his throat was dry, and his voice came out as a raspy whisper. "Noah?" he managed to croak.
Do-Yun winced as he tried to move closer to him. "What are you- Why are you here?". Do-Yun clearly expected no one to visit him during his stay in the hospital. Who would want to come? Do I even have any friends that would give a shit?
So this came as a big surprise, since the only one who had been visiting him regularly was a stray cat that he used to feed near his building, usually keeping him company on the hospital's roof secretly, since the doctors were strict on him getting his rest.
His recovery had been a slow process, because he was unable to stay still and rest. Taking care of the little kitty made him feel a little bit better, like he was doing something important. Something that helped. Something that mattered, even if it didn't. It helped ease the anxiety in his mind.
As a workaholic, Do-yun felt utterly useless lying in a hospital bed, rotting away. His mental health was deteriorating. Seeing Noah again brought back some nostalgia, you could call it.
"Hey..." Noah muttered slowly with an unsure voice. He didn't know what tone to use, deeming his usual sarcastic one highly inappropriate for the current situation. Still he didn't want to have Do-yun thinking he pitied him.
He found himself internally conflicted on how to answer the laying man's question. "I heard..." He decided to start with, not wanting to betray the fact that he was there at the time of the accident so as to not upset the other more. He was aware that Do-yun had pride, pride that would hurt if he knew Noah was there to see him at his, quite possibly, worst. "I heard that you were injured... Since you haven't been to the office... Ya know..."
He averted his gaze, and didn't know where to look. The flowers he had brought sat idly on the side of the hospital bed, he didn't mention them, they were more for show anyways, although now that he saw the condition of the other man he regretted not putting a little bit more effort in them. He appeared to be the only one there to see him, anyways.
He didn't know what brought him to the hospital, he considered it ideal for the other to be missing office hours after all. Reputation building was also a very good way to get the promotion he was lusting after, and with the situation as it was he was killing two birds with one stone. Yet when he saw the empty and giftless room, something stung his heart. He decided to think about it later though.
"You don't have to get up!" He motioned with his hands for Do-yun, who was struggling to sit up, to lay back down. "Just came to check up on you.. See if you need anything..."
Noah's words hung in the air, creating tension in the hospital room. Do-yun, who had been slowly trying to prop himself up, sank back into his pillows at Noah's insistence. He couldn't help but feel a mix of gratitude and frustration, caught between the desire to maintain his pride and the genuine concern Noah seemed to be showing.
A weak smile tugged at the corners of Do-yun's lips as he replied, "Well, isn't this a surprise? Noah, the ever-diligent colleague, coming to check up on me. I guess I should be thankful, huh?"
He glanced at the flowers on the side table, his eyes lingering on them for a moment before returning to Noah. "You didn't have to, you know. I'll be back at the office soon. Just a minor setback."
