Chapter 10: It's Just A Long Sleep
Hours later, the shrill ring of a hospital phone pierced the sterile silence of the night. Yoshinori, Haruto's best friend, practically ripped the receiver from the wall.
The news that greeted him was a sucker punch to the gut – Haruto had been in a car accident, critical condition, currently in a coma.
Yoshinori rushed to the hospital, his mind a whirlwind of disbelief and terror.
He found Haruto in the ICU, a tangle of wires snaking around his pale, unmoving form. The rhythmic beep of the heart monitor was the only sign that his friend was still clinging to life.
Grief, raw and unadulterated, threatened to consume Yoshinori. Haruto wasn't just his best friend; he was the brother he never had, his confidante, the one person who truly understood him.
The thought of a future without Haruto's sarcastic humor, his infectious laughter, his unwavering support was unbearable.
He pulled up a chair by Haruto's bedside, refusing to leave his side.
He talked to him, even though he knew Haruto couldn't hear him.
He recounted funny stories from their childhood, their trainee days, the times they'd gotten drunk and spilled their secrets to each other under the cloak of night.
"Wake up, you idiot," he choked out, his voice thick with emotion. "We have unfinished business. Remember that trip to Okinawa we planned? I still have the plane tickets."
Tears streamed down his face, blurring the image of his friend.
He desperately wished he could rewind time, warn Haruto about the truck, prevent the accident. But the past was unchangeable, a cruel reality that gnawed at him.
As the night wore on, Yoshinori wasn't alone in his grief. He called their other friends, his voice hoarse as he relayed the news.
"First Jeongwoo, and now you Haruto? I cannot take everything up." Hyunsuk, the oldest of the group said with a throbbing pain in his chest as hs tears flowed.
"Ruto, you'll make Jeongwoo remember, right?" Jaehyuk sadly laughs, "I'm sure he's waiting for you. Wake up or else it'll be too late."
The hospital room transformed into a gathering place, filled with the hushed whispers of shared memories and the weight of their collective worry.
Days bled into weeks, the sterile environment of the ICU becoming a constant backdrop to their despair. The doctor's visits became a grim ritual, each one a hammer blow to their already fragile hope.
—
One afternoon, the doctor entered the room, his expression etched with a somber concern.
He addressed Yoshinori, the designated spokesperson for the group.
"Mr. Kanemoto," he began, his voice heavy, "Haruto's condition remains critical. The head trauma is significant, and the coma shows no signs of abating."
Yoshinori felt the air tighten around him, the weight of the doctor's words pressing down on his chest.
"What does that mean?" Mashiho, ever the blunt one, voiced the question hanging heavy in the air.
The doctor sighed, his eyes flitting across the worried faces.
"We're at a crossroads. Right now, Haruto is relying on the machine to keep his vital functions going. There's a small chance he could wake up from the coma, but…" he trailed off, his voice laced with unspoken concern.
Junghwan, the youngest of the group, jumped in, his voice trembling.
"But what? Doctor, what are you saying?"
"The longer he remains in the coma, the higher the risk of complications. It's a difficult decision, one you need to make as a group. Do you continue with the life support, or…" He left the sentence unfinished, the weight of the choice hanging heavy in the air.
A suffocating silence descended upon the room.
The friends exchanged worried glances, the unspoken question echoing in their minds – How long do we keep him tethered to a machine? How long do we hold onto hope when the odds are stacked against us?
Yoshinori, his throat tight with emotion, finally broke the silence. "He wouldn't want to live like this," he stated, his voice rough.
A collective sob erupted from Yedam, tears streaming down his face.
Hyunsuk, his eyes red-rimmed, mumbled a choked agreement.
Asahi, ever the stoic one, simply nodded, his jaw clenched tight.
The decision, though agonizing, was unanimous. With heavy hearts and tear-filled eyes, they decided to let go.
They couldn't bear the thought of Haruto existing in a state of suspended animation, imprisoned in a body that wouldn't respond.
They wanted to remember him as he was – full of life, laughter, and a love for music that burned bright.
As they stood around Haruto's bed, their hands intertwined in a silent promise of support, the doctor gently adjusted the machine settings.
The rhythmic beep that had become the soundtrack of their vigil started to slow down, its diminishing rhythm mirroring the ebbing away of their hope.
With a final, faint beep, the machine fell silent. A wave of grief washed over them, drowning them in a sea of sorrow.
They held onto each other, their sobs echoing in the sterile room, a tragic melody of farewell.
Later, as they walked out of the hospital, the weight of their decision pressing down on them, Yoshinori noticed something strange.
Tucked discreetly in Haruto's pocket was a small, worn photo. It was a picture of him and Jeongwoo, taken years ago during their teenage days, both of them beaming with youthful exuberance.
A single tear escaped Yoshinori's eye as a horrifying realization dawned on him.
Haruto, in his final moments, must have been thinking of Jeongwoo.
The man he loved, the love he could never fully express, the future he yearned for but might never have.
Yoshinori knew then that their responsibility wasn't over. They had to honor Haruto's unspoken wishes.
He had to find a way to tell Jeongwoo about Haruto, about the love that burned bright even in his absence. It wouldn't be easy, but it was a promise he intended to keep.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of orange and purple, Yoshinori made a silent vow.
He would be Haruto's voice, the bridge that would connect him to Jeongwoo, even in death. He would ensure that their story, though tragic and incomplete, would not be forgotten.
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Our Story | HaJeongwoo
Fanfictionᯓᡣ𐭩 [Two stories in One Book] [Heavily Edited] Story #1: Haruto and Jeongwoo have been inseparable since childhood, their bond as strong as the summer sun. As they navigate the transition from adolescence to young adulthood, a spark ignites between...
