SEVENTEEN | SICKFICS - HURTFICS

Dino | Neglected

The air in the dorm was thick with worry. Vernon, usually a whirlwind of energy, lay pale and listless on the couch, his forehead damp with sweat. The rest of Seventeen, their faces etched with concern, hovered around him, offering him water, ginger tea, and whispered words of comfort.

Dino, the youngest, sat tucked away in a corner, his gaze fixed on the floor. He felt a dull ache in his head, his throat scratchy and raw. He tried to cough, but it came out as a weak, rasping sound. He felt a wave of nausea rise in his stomach, but he swallowed it down, trying to appear nonchalant.

"Dino, you okay?" Seungkwan asked, his voice laced with worry. He had noticed Dino's pale complexion and the way he kept rubbing his eyes.

Dino forced a smile. "Yeah hyung, I'm fine. Just a little tired."

Seungkwan, ever the observant one, wasn't convinced. He knew Dino well enough to recognize the signs of illness. But with Vernon's condition, he didn't want to add to the tension. He simply patted Dino's shoulder and went back to tending to Vernon.

The days that followed were a blur of fevered dreams and hushed whispers. Vernon's condition worsened, his coughs becoming more frequent and his breathing labored. The hyungs were constantly by his side, their faces a mixture of fear and exhaustion.

Dino, meanwhile, felt his own illness escalate. His head throbbed, his body ached, and his throat felt like sandpaper. He tried to keep up with the hyungs, helping with chores and offering words of encouragement to Vernon, but his efforts were met with indifference.

"Dino, you're just trying to get attention," Wonwoo said one day, his voice sharp with irritation. "Vernon is the one who's sick, not you."

Dino's heart sank. He knew he was being dismissed, but he couldn't bring himself to argue. He felt a wave of despair wash over him. He was sick, truly sick, but no one seemed to notice.

One evening, as the hyungs were gathered around Vernon, Dino tried to join them, but a sudden wave of dizziness hit him. He stumbled, his hand reaching out for support, but no one noticed. He ended up bumping into the coffee table, sending a glass of water crashing to the floor.

"Dino, watch where you're going!" Joshua snapped, his voice laced with annoyance. "You're making things worse."

Dino's eyes welled up with tears. He felt a lump forming in his throat, making it even harder to breathe. He retreated to his room, his heart heavy with a sense of isolation.

The days turned into nights, and the nights into days. Vernon's condition remained precarious, and the hyungs were at their wit's end. They were so focused on Vernon that they completely missed the signs of Dino's worsening illness.

One night, Dino woke up with a fever that felt like it was burning him from the inside out. He tossed and turned in his bed, his body aching and his head pounding. He tried to call for help, but his voice was too weak to carry.

He heard the hyungs talking in the living room, their voices hushed and filled with concern. He wanted to tell them he was sick, that he needed their help, but he was too afraid of being dismissed again.

He lay there, shivering and sweating, feeling utterly alone. He wished he could just disappear, vanish into thin air, so he wouldn't be a burden to anyone.

The next morning, Dino woke up feeling even worse. He had a terrible headache, his throat was raw, and he felt a constant tightness in his chest. He tried to get out of bed, but his legs felt weak and shaky.

He stumbled to the bathroom, his vision blurry. He leaned against the sink, trying to catch his breath. He looked at his reflection in the mirror, his face pale and drawn. He looked like a ghost.