fortuitous odds

[23] stay

content warning: blood and minor gore
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Taehyung's blurry vision tried to focus on the dripping of blood cascading through his fingers, then on the arms wrapping around his waist. There were deafening sounds all around that disoriented him even more, struggling to make out what was happening. Suddenly he was on his back, a face appearing above.

"–meone help me!" Taehyung's whole upper body felt fuzzy, eyes flickering all around before settling on the hands of the old soldier that was shoving at his chest painfully hard. "–aehyung – still hear me?" He nodded despite barely comprehending Elias' words. The pain hit next, his whole body bowing tighter than a wire. Elias was shoving any fibrous material he could reach into the gushing flow to stop anymore loss. Oh.

Am I going to die?

Thoughts of death rarely occurred to his own self, usually projected onto others. Staring up at the scarred face of his enemy made him feel far too mortal for his liking, fists squeezing around the hands that brought sharp painful memories to the forefront.

When he tried to move, pain shot up through his neck and caused the wound to bubble with more blood, his next breath caving into his throat with a broken gasp. "Please stay still." Elias spoke, voice overtaken by the onslaught of yells that were heard from outside the building.

"Jung–"

"I can't focus on him right now!" Snapped Elias through barely contained tears, wincing each time he heard Jungkook's painful howls outside with each strike of deadly weather. "I have to save you." Even when Taehyung's brothers swarmed in, Elias' focus remained on using the supplied bandages to tie a tight seal over the single entry wound.

"What happened?!" Jimin screamed at the Katharós man the second he saw the two sprawled out on the floor. He crashed by his brothers side, fingers pulling his hair back and delving into his mind to feel the harrowing pain coursing through. Immediately he began to send signals of calm to over-ride the panic stricken thoughts.

"There was a sniper. I didn't know, I thought they'd stay focused on me but they were targeting him." Explained Elias through trembling lips. "You need to breathe slowly Taehyung, if you hyperventilate it'll worsen the state of your lung."

"Is he going to be okay?" Interrupted another, the other's encircling their Swan to provide whatever comfort they could. Each of them sat in silent acknowledgement of the horrifying battle happening just metres away. Flashes of light lit up the sky like an array of shooting stars; now tainted and angry. "Is he going to be okay?" Repeated Seokjin quietly, wiping away the sweat that was collecting in the boy's silver hair.

"Taehyung I can't do anything more. Your lung is punctured and the bullet is still inside you. I need to get it out but I can't in good conscience do so without potentially making this all worse." All Taehyung could manage was a nod, eyes lidded and pupils blown wide. His lethargic body was barely moving, only stimulated by the hands of family keeping him grounded.

With the little energy he had, he brought his hand up to try and pull strands of his own DNA, trembling grip managing a minuscule thread that dissipated into the air like dead skin cells. "You breathed in so much of that smoke. I... Taehyung I'm worried you are too sick."

"No..." His shattered voice couldn't even be described as a whisper, voiceless in his dread. Taehyung searched the faces of those around him, hoping they could offer any comforting words. All of his brothers bowed their heads in shame, tears long since fallen. "I can't have... I have to–" He choked on each word, hiccups sounding like sticatto beats of pain.

"Shhh, give me a moment. We can try again when your panic settles. Don't give up yet." Assured Jimin from above, still venturing through the mind maze in search of the Deviant boy he hoped was still buried deep inside, hiding from the haze of smoke that had seeped in.