serendipity | kth | completed

chapter 15

my eyes flutter open and i'm greeted by the white tile ceiling and the smell of antiseptic that i know all too well. i'm immediately thrown into a panic which causes me to thrash upwards. my monitors indicate the rise in my heart rate and taehyung immediately slams his hand down on the call button. i turn to him as i can't speak, but all i can do is breathe hazardously.

"hey im here, relax." he grabs my hands as two nurses rush inside.

"what's the matter hun?" i swallow and search around. "are they...here?" i wheeze and manage to get the words out. she furrows her eyebrows and looks towards taehyung. "who?" he asks me as my chest continues to heave up and then down.

"...family." at this taehyung shakes his head. "no, no they're not here your sister called your phone and i told her we left because you came down with a stomach bug. they don't know you're here." finally i feel myself slowly come back down to ground level. my breathing slows and i'm able to rest back on the pillows behind me.

"is there a reason you don't want your family here, miss?" i nod, "yes ma'am." at this she simply nods.

"the doctor should be here shortly." she sends taehyung and i a friendly grin before leaving the room and shutting the door behind her.

our hands are still intertwined and i take this opportunity to gently squeeze his. "thank you. and i'm sorry for being a jerk to you. i know you just wanted to be present for me through this." he smiles softly and rubs his thumb on the top of my hand.

"i'm sorry for invading your space. i should've given you the time you needed." i huff gently and rest my forehead against his.

not long after the door is pushed open and in walks a tall and lanky man. his bright smile spreads across his face as he pulls a chair and sits next to my bed. "ms," he glances down at his clipboard, "han?"

"yes sir, that's me." he nods in response and goes back to scanning the sheet clipped onto the wooden board. "i'm sure you know of your cancer, is that correct?" i nod slowly and wait patiently for him to continue. "well y/n, it's to my dismay to inform you that you've entered stage 3." it goes silent in the room almost immediately.

my eyes shift towards my lap as i once again can feel that weight crushing down on me all at once. what happened? he said i was getting better. he said that it was clearing up.

i think of all the questions roaming in my head at once, but only one stands out to me,

why me?

i can't even cry, talk, i can't utter a single sound. taehyung just gives my hand another gentle squeeze and i hate the fact that he has to pity me right now. it's all so disheartening. why do i have to suffer? why won't this stupid tumor just go away?

"ms han, did you hear me?" i slowly look back over at the doctor whose face has become overcome with sympathy. "i'm sorry." i say and ask for him to repeat himself.

"i said there are many treatments you can take to at least attempt and aid your body against this virus. i see you do not live here, if you would like to stay for tonight it's highly suggested — if not we recommend you schedule an appointment asap as soon as you reach home." he stands to his feet as i force a grin. its the most i can do to tell him thank you.

he holds his hand out and taehyung shakes it. i continue to stare into the abyss until i hear his footsteps eventually fade.

the room is quiet. i'm struggling to fathom that im only another stage closer to death. i know taehyung probably doesn't have the right words especially after receiving news like that. heck, i wouldn't know what to say either. he doesn't know how much him just being here helps me.

~

i was discharged from the hospital early the next morning.

taehyung holds onto my arm as i hobble towards the rented home. as we enter i can't even enjoy the beautiful scenery of the interior. my only concern was making it to the bed and resting with him.

every step hurts. i'm putting all of my weight onto taehyung as i struggle to make it up the stairs. the pain is excruciating and the exhaustion is overbearing.

he tries his best to gently lie me down onto the sheets, but i groan at the amount of muscles that strain. he apologizes almost instantly and pulls the thick comforter over my body. "i'm gonna make you some soup. you haven't eaten in 15 hours." i shake my head before digging it deeper into the pillow.

"i don't want anything." even i can hear the difference in my own voice. taehyung's arms fall to his sides and i see his body slump a tad in a moment of defeat. "i'll give you a straw; that way it's easier for you to consume it." i don't get the opportunity to detest yet again before he dashes out of the room.

my eyes are shut as i breathe in and out gently. the sheets are so warm and fluffy that i just want to sink so far into them and never emerge. i hear the clanging of glass sit down on the nightstand next to me. the aroma of chicken broth fills my nose and prompts my eyes to steadily open.

i see the golden-clear substance dancing in the bowl, and placed on top and in the center is a single leaf of parsley. what stands out to me the most is the pink straw that leans against the edge of the white bowl. i look up at taehyung who stands proudly and motions towards the bowl. "go ahead, enjoy." he smiles and takes a seat where my feet are.

i use my forearm to prop myself up and hold my weight before i lean over and take a small sip of the broth. it feels good going down my throat, but i just don't have the energy to even sip. once i swallow i lie back down and grin at him. "thank you." at this his shoulders collapse and his expectant smile is gone.

he stands to his feet and crosses his arms. "i called eunjae to come over."

my eyes widen momentarily before i cover my face with my hands and groan into them. "taehyung.." i grimace as i fight the urge to jump out of bed and strangle him to death.

"you won't talk to me, you won't eat for me, maybe she'll help you a little. i just want to help." i slam my hands down on my lap and squint at him in pure disbelief. "has it ever crossed your mind that maybe, just maybe, the only help i need is privacy?"

i immediately regret the words that leave my mouth as soon as i see his face go blank. i think for a minute that he may finally retaliate and blow up on me; give me the lash that i so deserved ever since i started being such an ass to him.

but instead he chuckles and this raises all confusion within me. "i meant it when i said i'm here to help you. i also mean it every time i tell you i love you. i'll give you the space you need, but i'm never leaving you." i stare back at him and i open my mouth to respond, but it's cut short as another voice averts my gaze towards the bedroom door.

"y/n? i'm here!"

end.