Under the moonlight

chapter 7

Taehyung arrives at the hospital in a frantic rush, his heart pounding with anxiety. As he enters the emergency room, he urgently asks the receptionist for Jungkook's location. She directs him to Trauma Room 3, where he hastily makes his way.

Upon reaching the room, Taehyung is met with a chaotic scene: a team of doctors and nurses surrounding Jungkook, who is lying on a gurney.

The atmosphere is tense, punctuated by the harsh, rhythmic beeps of the heart monitor, each one growing fainter until it is replaced by the steady, ominous tone of a flatline.

"Clear!" a doctor shouted, and the team stepped back as another delivered a shock with the defibrillator.

Jungkook's body jolted, but the monitor showed no change. Taehyung watched in helpless horror as they repeated the process, his hope dwindling with each failed attempt.

The lead doctor, a woman with intense eyes, started chest compressions, her movements precise and desperate.

"One, two, three, four," she counted, her voice steady despite the tension in the room. Taehyung could see the strain in her eyes, the unspoken understanding that time was running out.

Another nurse took over the compressions, and the doctor leaned in, checking for any sign of life before starting another round of compressions.

Minutes felt like hours. The room was a blur of motion and noise, yet Taehyung's world seemed to slow, every detail searing into his memory-the sheen of sweat on the medical staff's foreheads, the sterile smell of the room, the unwavering flatline that echoed in his ears like a death knell.

Finally, the doctor checked Jungkook's pulse one last time and then glanced at the clock on the wall. "Time of death, 8:35 AM," she announced solemnly, removing her gloves. She then stepped back and walked towards Taehyung.

"We're deeply sorry for your loss," she said gently. "By the time he arrived, the severe internal bleeding had led to hypovolemic shock. Despite our best efforts and exhaustive attempts to resuscitate him, we were unable to revive him."

Taehyung stood frozen, silent tears streaming down his face. The weight of the moment crushed him, and he felt an overwhelming wave of grief. The room seemed to close in on him, the situation too devastating to comprehend.

Suddenly, Taehyung jolted awake, his breath coming in gasps. Disoriented, his face wet with tears, it took him a moment to realize it had been a dream-a nightmare so vivid it left him trembling. The details lingered in his mind, hauntingly real.

He reached out instinctively and grasped Jungkook, who was peacefully sleeping beside him. Feeling the warmth of Jungkook's body and the steady rise and fall of his chest, the relief was palpable. Taehyung let out a shaky sigh, his heart still racing from the remnants of his dream.

As Taehyung's breathing returns to normal, he hears the faint ring of a phone. He glances at his phone, its screen blank. Then, he realizes that the sound is coming from Jungkook's side of the bed. He reaches for it and sees Namjoon's name flashing on the screen.

As he picks up the call, Namjoon's voice interrupts before he can speak, "Hey Jungkook, sorry for the early call, but I thought this was urgent.

I was just checking our joint account finances and noticed your bus card still deducts money monthly. It's causing some strain on the accounts. Can I cancel the card?"

"What?" Taehyung responds, his voice filled with bewilderment.

"Huh?" Namjoon's surprise is clear as day as he double-checks the caller ID. "Taehyung?"

"What bus card are you talking about?" Taehyung questions, ignoring Namjoon's response.

Namjoon pauses for a moment before replying awkwardly, "It's nothing."