SEVENTEEN | SICKFICS - HURTFICS

JeongCheol | Appendicitis Part IV

A week had passed, and though every day had felt like an eternity, Seungcheol had refused to let go of hope. He continued to stay by Jeonghan's side, day and night, never once leaving the hospital room. His body had begun to feel the weight of sleeplessness, his eyes swollen from crying, but his heart still clung to the hope that Jeonghan would wake up.

That morning, Seungcheol had fallen asleep at Jeonghan's side, his head resting on the edge of the bed, one of his hands tightly clutching Jeonghan's. The rhythm of the machines was the only sound in the room, steady and constant.

Then, something unusual stirred him from his deep slumber. A soft touch. A gentle, warm hand brushing through his disheveled hair. The sensation was so tender, so familiar, that it took Seungcheol a few moments to process what was happening.

His eyes fluttered open, still groggy with sleep, and his vision was blurry at first, but then, as the haze cleared, he saw him.

Jeonghan.

Jeonghan's hand, weak but steady, was resting on Seungcheol's head, his fingers brushing through the tangled strands of his hair. His eyes were closed, but his breathing was steady, and there was something about the way he moved-something so unmistakably Jeonghan-that caused Seungcheol's heart to leap in his chest.

"Baby?" Seungcheol whispered, his voice hoarse and thick with disbelief. His heart pounded in his chest as he looked at the face he thought he might never see again.

The touch was so soft, so delicate, as if Jeonghan was still caught between waking and sleeping. But when Seungcheol spoke his name again, there was a flicker-a slight flutter of Jeonghan's eyelids. His fingers twitched, and the faintest of smiles pulled at the corner of his lips.

Seungcheol felt the weight of the moment hit him all at once. He couldn't breathe. Tears, which had been welling in his eyes for days, spilled over now, falling down his cheeks in hot streams.

He had waited for this. He had hoped for this. And now, Jeonghan was here. He was awake. He was alive.

"Baby, can you hear me?" Seungcheol's voice cracked as he tried to hold back the flood of emotions threatening to break him.

Jeonghan's eyelids slowly fluttered open, and though his gaze was unfocused, there was something so unmistakably alive in the way he looked at Seungcheol, even through the haze of his disoriented state.

"S-seungcheol..." Jeonghan's voice was a whisper, rough and raspy, barely a breath.

Seungcheol's tears flowed even more freely now as he leaned forward, taking Jeonghan's hand in both of his. "I'm here, baby. I'm right here. You're going to be okay."

But Jeonghan only looked at him with the faintest trace of confusion, his brow furrowing slightly as if trying to piece together what had happened. "What... happened?" he asked in a weak, confused tone.

Seungcheol's heart ached at the question. He hadn't expected Jeonghan to remember everything, especially not right away. He hadn't expected this at all, to be honest. He had prayed for this moment, but now that it had come, he didn't know how to explain it.

"You've been sick," Seungcheol said softly, brushing a tear from his cheek. "You were really sick, Jeonghan. You had surgery... You've been unconscious for a while. But you're awake now. You're going to be okay."

Jeonghan blinked slowly, his hand tightening around Seungcheol's. There was something so gentle and vulnerable in his eyes, something Seungcheol had never seen before-not like this, anyway. The weight of everything that had happened seemed to settle over him like a blanket.

But before Jeonghan could say anything else, Seungcheol couldn't hold back anymore. The emotions, the fear, the worry, and the endless days of waiting-all of it came rushing to the surface.