SEVENTEEN | SICKFICS - HURTFICS I

Seungcheol | Cardiac Arrest Part II

The next day, Seungcheol arrived at the company early, determined to finally put the stress behind him. He felt a flicker of hope as he approached his manager's office, carrying the neatly organized files of his completed tasks.

"Good morning!" he said cheerfully, but the manager's expression quickly turned serious.

"Seungcheol, we need to talk," the manager said, flipping through the documents. "These aren't up to our standards. You need to revise them all."

Seungcheol's heart sank. "All of them? But I've worked so hard to complete everything..."

"I understand, but we need this to be perfect. You have until the end of the week," the manager replied curtly, not offering any room for negotiation.

Overwhelmed, Seungcheol nodded numbly, feeling the weight of disappointment settle heavily on his shoulders. He left the office, stress mounting with every step. It felt like the walls were closing in on him, and he needed to escape.

Deciding to walk home for some fresh air, he stepped outside, hoping that the cool breeze would clear his mind. But with each step, he felt weaker and more disoriented. The exhaustion from the past weeks clung to him like a heavy blanket, and his thoughts began to swirl.

Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his chest, causing him to stumble. He gasped for breath, the air feeling thick and unyielding. Panic surged as he fumbled for his phone, dialing Jeonghan's number with shaking hands.

"Seungcheol?" Jeonghan answered, his voice laced with concern.

"I... I need help H-han," Seungcheol managed to say, his voice barely a whisper. "I can't... I can't breathe."

"Where are you? I'll be right there!" Jeonghan replied, urgency evident in his tone.

"I'm-" Seungcheol gasped, feeling the world around him blur. "I'm on Main Street... by the park."

"Stay there! Don't move, I'm coming!" Jeonghan said before hanging up.

As he waited, Seungcheol felt the pain intensify. Shortness of breath consumed him, and darkness began to creep at the edges of his vision. Just as he leaned against a lamppost for support, the world tilted violently, and he collapsed onto the concrete.

The last thing he heard was the sound of footsteps rushing toward him before everything faded away.

Jeonghan raced through the streets, his heart pounding in his chest. He couldn't shake the feeling of dread as he recalled Seungcheol's voice. It had sounded so weak, so unlike him.

Arriving at the park, he scanned the area frantically, calling out, "Seungcheol!"

When he spotted him on the ground, a chill ran down his spine. "Oh no! Cheol!" Jeonghan rushed to his side, kneeling beside him. He checked for a pulse, relief washing over him when he felt it, albeit weak.

"Seungcheol! Can you hear me?" Jeonghan shook him gently, panic flooding his veins. "Please, stay with me!"

As he called for help, he held Seungcheol's hand tightly, praying for him to wake up. The moments felt like an eternity until finally, an ambulance arrived.

"Please, he needs help!" Jeonghan urged as the paramedics rushed to assess Seungcheol's condition.

As they worked to stabilize him, Jeonghan's mind raced with worry. He couldn't believe it had come to this. He should have seen the signs, should have pushed harder to get Seungcheol to take care of himself.

"Stay with us, Sir," one of the paramedics said, and Jeonghan held onto hope, wishing more than anything that his friend would pull through.

As they loaded Seungcheol onto the stretcher, Jeonghan followed, not leaving his side. The fear of losing him was overwhelming, and he knew he had to do everything in his power to ensure that this wouldn't be the end of their journey together.