Tomorrow x Together x Reader

Scientist Soobin: Bring Her Back

The lab was a desolate shell, a hollowed-out building that once thrummed with life. Now it was silent, except for the constant hum of flickering fluorescent lights overhead. Most of the scientists had fled or been devoured by the infected, but Soobin stayed behind. He had fortified the lab, sealed the doors, and built makeshift barricades. He worked tirelessly, almost obsessively, trying to rebuild what was left.
In the center of the room, strapped heavily to a steel table, was the lab's last patient—number two. Her real name was Y/N, but Soobin rarely called her that now. It felt too human. She was a human lab rat, one of the earliest to be exposed to the infection. Her skin was pale, almost translucent, her veins blackened by the virus coursing through her. Her eyes, once vibrant, were clouded, foggy, yet they seemed to follow Soobin as he moved.
Soobin let out a sigh, adjusting his glasses as he checked the IV attached to her arm. "How are you feeling today, Y/N?" he asked, his voice strained with forced cheerfulness. He knew she couldn't respond—not in words, anyway. Her mouth was slack, lips cracked and dry, but there was a guttural noise that bubbled up from her throat. A low, primal growl.

"Ah, still the silent type," Soobin muttered, more to himself than to her. "I guess that makes sense. I mean, you are technically dead."

Y/N's head jerked slightly, the only movement her restraints would allow. Her fingers twitched against the cold metal table.

"Look at you," Soobin said, crouching down so he was eye-level with her. "I can tell you're still in there somewhere. I see it in your eyes. You're not like the others out there. They're mindless, but you... you know what I'm saying, don't you?"

Her eyes rolled back, and a strangled noise escaped her throat—a sound somewhere between a moan and a whimper. It was almost like she was trying to speak.

"Yeah, I know," Soobin whispered, reaching out but stopping just short of touching her. "It's frustrating, isn't it? Being trapped like this."

He pulled back abruptly, shaking his head. "But I had no choice. I couldn't just let you go, not like this. You understand, don't you?"

Y/N responded with another low growl, her jaw clenching as if she were trying to bite him, but the straps held firm.

"So dramatic," Soobin chuckled, though there was no real humor in his voice. He picked up a syringe filled with a murky, greenish liquid and held it up to the light. "You know what this is, don't you? Attempt number fifty-six. I keep hoping one of these will be the one. The cure."

He approached her slowly, watching her reaction. Y/N's breathing grew erratic, her eyes wild with something like fear or anger.

"You don't trust me?" Soobin asked, tilting his head. "After everything we've been through?"

Her head twisted sharply to the side, as if trying to pull away from him. The sound she made this time was more of a hiss, like she was warning him off.

"Fine," he sighed, lowering the syringe. "We can wait. But you know we have to try eventually. I can't just leave you like this forever. I won't."

He turned away, rubbing his temples. He hadn't slept in days; the dark circles under his eyes were proof of that. He paced the room, talking more to himself now.

"I wonder if they're still out there," he mused, half to himself, half to Y/N. "The others, I mean. The ones who ran. Maybe they found somewhere safe. Or maybe they became like you."

The only response was the soft clinking of Y/N's restraints as she shifted against them, her body still fighting even when her mind was trapped somewhere far away.

"I'm close, Y/N," Soobin continued, almost pleading now. "I can feel it. I just need more time. And... and I need you to stay with me, alright? Don't give up on me."