Aurora - You are my light (Ateez x reader)

THIRTYTHREE

Trigger Warning: Weapons, Injuries, Blood, Violence, Needles, Wounds

"San!" I screamed, my voice nearly breaking under the weight of my panic. Mingi, still trying to get me to safety, stopped abruptly. I pushed past him and rushed over to San, who was lying on the ground, trembling and curled up in pain. His eyelids fluttered, and an indescribable agony was mirrored in his eyes. The arrow was still deeply embedded in his chest, thankfully above his heart, more toward his shoulder.

Mingi dropped heavily to his knees beside me. With a determined yank, he tore a piece of cloth from his shirt sleeve and handed it to me without a word. I understood immediately, took it, and braced myself for what was to come.

"I'm sorry, Hyung," Mingi muttered quietly before gripping the massive arrow with both hands and pulling it out of San's body in one swift, determined motion. A blood-curdling scream tore from San's throat, and his body writhed in agony. I quickly pressed the cloth firmly against the bleeding wound, stabilizing him with all the strength I could muster. He couldn't afford to lose any more energy. The bright fabric quickly turned dark red, soaked with his blood. The sharp scent of burnt skin mingled with the heavy, metallic smell of blood, but even more horrifying was the sight of San before me.

A sob reached my ears, and from the corner of my eye, I saw a shadow appear beside me, soon revealing Wooyoung. He leaned over San, desperation etched on his face. "Sannie, stay with us," he whispered, gently brushing the black strands of hair away from San's forehead.

"Everything will be okay," I murmured, though I could barely believe it myself. The battle was over, but for San, it was far from done. In that moment, his survival was all that mattered. My hands shook uncontrollably as I tried to ease his pain and stop the bleeding.

The other crew members rushed over, gathering around us, but everything except the image in front of me faded into a blur. San lay on the ground, his torso drenched in blood, and the color drained from his face. He was fighting desperately to stay conscious, his gaze unfocused and his lips barely moving. Each ragged breath seemed to bring him closer to the edge, and the fear inside me grew that we might actually lose a life on this ship.

"Stay with me, San. Please," I whispered, my voice trembling. The image of the deep wound in his shoulder burned into my memory. Blood seeped relentlessly through the fabric of his shirt and the cloth I pressed against the wound.

"Come on, people! We need help here!" Mingi shouted through the chaos, his voice sharp and urgent.

"Mingi, Jongho! Get him to the infirmary. Aurora, keep pressure on that wound like your life depends on it," Hongjoong commanded as he arrived last, probably making sure the attackers posed no further threat.

"Do something, Captain. You're the only one who can help now," I pleaded with Hongjoong, never taking my eyes off the now deathly pale San.

"I can't," Hongjoong murmured, something indecipherable in his voice.

"What?! Why?!" I asked, stunned.

"That's not important right now. We need to get our best marksman back on his feet first."

Mingi stood up, reaching under San's torso. San was no longer conscious, only muted, pained sounds escaping him. Jongho grabbed his legs.

"Careful. Don't hurt him," Wooyoung urged desperately as he ran alongside them while they carried San carefully but quickly through the door below deck. I kept pressing on the wound as best as I could while we moved.

"That might be a bit too late for that," Yeosang muttered from behind us, stating the obvious.

"Thanks, Captain Obvious," Jongho grumbled.