Stolen Amour

Chapter Sixteen

Numb. Taehyung felt a suffocating numbness enveloping him as he navigated the sterile, fluorescent-lit hallways of the hospital. The world around him seemed to blur into a Jumble of indistinct voices and hurried footsteps, the relentless ringing in his ears drowning out the chaos. He stumbled through the emotions swirling within him fear, anger, despair each one heavier than the last, as if they were weights dragging him into an abyss he couldn't escape. The thought of collapsing felt imminent, yet he pressed on, driven by a flicker of responsibility, a shred of hope he wished to cling to.

Memories of his mother danced in his mind, her bright eyes glowing with optimism as she talked about fighting to clear their father's name. Those moments now felt like cruel reminders of how quickly life could unravel, turning dreams into nightmares. He remembered how she had held onto that hope with unwavering faith, imagining a future where the truth would prevail, but now, faced with the stark reality of Seokjin's fight for life, all their aspirations seemed to slip further away. Taehyung's heart ached, a profound sorrow anchoring him in the spot while a storm raged inside, pushing against the walls of his chest, begging for release. They were trapped, ensnared in a cruel twist of fate, and in his heart, he knew that hope felt as distant as his brother's once vibrant laughter.

A dimly lit hospital corridor, the sterile smell of antiseptic hangs in the air. Taehyung is pacing anxiously, his heart racing as the doctor approaches him with a solemn expression. His mother sits on a nearby bench, tears streaming down her cheeks as she clutches a tissue.

Taehyung stood in front of the doctor asking "How... how is my brother? Is he okay?"

The doctor sighed looking down "Taehyung, I'm afraid I have some difficult news. Seokjin's condition is serious. The accident was severe; he suffered a significant head injury, and with the fall has several broken ribs and a shoulder fracture."

"But... He's going to be alright, right? You can fix him?" Taehyung asked with a trembling voice

The doctor nodded slowly "We can, but he needs surgery immediately due to the blood clots and the blood loss. Time is of the essence here."

Mrs Kim started to sob loudly listening to the doctor getting worried sick for her son, Taehyung turned towards her mother trying to console her "Eomma, We have to let them operate. He's strong; he'll pull through, I know it."

His mother sniffed and nodded slowly and looked towards the doctor and said "Please, do whatever it takes to save my son!"

The doctor nodded "I'll prepare the operating room, but first, you need to Pay the fees at the reception."

The mother-son duo nodded and went towards the reception to enquire about the fees, they asked the lady at the reception "Ma'am we need to pay the operation fees of Kim Seokjin can you tell me how much is it?"

"Yes, It will be 30 million Won sir, Do you have an insurance plan or a way to pay?"

Taehyung's voice raises in panic "No, I... I don't have that kind of money!". He then calms down "I'll figure something out, just... please don't let them start without me!"

He rushes back to his mother and swallows hard trying to hide his fear. Taking his mothers hand in his he says "Mom, listen to me. I'm going to find a way to get the money. Just... don't worry, okay? We can't let anything happen to Hyung."

Mrs Kim starts sobbing and asks "Taehyung, what are we going to do?"

"I don't know yet, but I'll do whatever it takes. I promise. Just stay here and stay strong for him." Taehyung said trying to be strong for his mom and left from the hospital.