Crime, Betrayal, and Love (A Seventeen Street Racing AU)

LXXVII |Everyone Can't Win

S.Coups jumped up from his seat, nearly running over the nurse. "Is he alive?"

The nurse sighs, and my heart plummets, tears already welling in my eyes, a cry of pain ready to tear through my lips.

"He is," She says, though not with the happiness I would expect of someone delivering good news. "But he's suffered many vital wounds and harsh burns over his entire body." She shakes her head. "Whatever it is you guys supposedly do, he won't be able to partake for a very long time."

"But he's alive?"

"Yes." Joy breaks across S.Coups face, and his body releases all tension. "However, he's still undergoing some potentially fatal wounds and burns that may lead him to suffer greatly or possibly... pass."

"Where's the best hospital in Korea?" S.Coups demands. "Who is best available to keep him alive and healthy?"

"It could be dangerous to transfer him now. For now, it is best to keep Mingyu in our care so we can keep a constant watch on him."

"Are you guys at least one of the best in burn wounds and whatever it is he has?"

The nurse stays quiet, telling us everything we need to know. "He's in good care," she concludes. "Mingyu is coming out of surgery now, once he's awake you will be able to start visiting him." She glances warily around the room. "One at a time."

"Seriously? It'll take us, like, ten hours to see him!" Hoshi whines.

"It's for his best, leading to a quicker recovery for him."

"This is ridiculous," Seungkwan huffed.

"I'm afraid it's simply what is best for him."

"Ma'am," I hop up from my corner. "There's another man, Changkyun, admitted at the same time. Is he okay?"

Her breath catches, and she looks at me, confused for a second. "I'm sorry, but that's information I can only give to his family."

I bite my tongue, trying to not be a nuisance and demand more, pointing out that obviously no one waiting here is Mingyu's family. "I see, thank you."

"Thank you for letting us know. How long will it take for him to wake up?"

"It depends. Anywhere from an hour, to a full day. He's been through a lot today, the best thing for him right now, is to get plenty of rest."

"Okay."

The nurse bowed her head, exiting the room finally.

"He's alive," I whisper to myself, the reality still not feeling real. If I don't keep reminding myself of it, I'm scared that the truth will undo itself.

The reality fills my chest with joy, yet, an empty pang still stings in my side. Seventeen, the races, even Minghao, are so much of what I am, and all of them tie back to Mingyu, the center of it, my main focus. The road to where we are now—dating—took long, but now that it's here, all that I felt for Mingyu, is multiplying faster than anything I've experienced before.

Yet, Jisoo and Changkyun are part of what I am, too.

"Go," S.Coups pats my shoulder. "No one here is judging you for caring about your friend."

"Thank you," I mutter, thankful I don't have to ask to leave and announce my whereabouts to all of Seventeen, though I'm sure they all understand where I'm going, especially after I questioned the nurse.

I start running down the hallway I've already been down plenty of times. Hoping that when I reach the end, the same good news will await me.

"No running in the halls!" an old nurse caws at me, but I ignore her and push myself to run faster.