SEVENTEEN | SICKFICS - HURTFICS

Minghao | Poison Part III

An hour later, the door to the waiting room opened, and the doctor stepped in. He looked exhausted but determined, his face stern. The members immediately stood up, crowding around him, eager for any news, any sign of hope.

"The tests are back," the doctor began, his voice grave. "Minghao has been poisoned."

The words hit them like a thunderclap. For a moment, the room was utterly still. No one moved. No one spoke. It was as if the world had stopped turning for just a second.

"Poisoned?" Jeonghan asked, his voice barely above a whisper, his face pale. "What... what kind of poison? How?"

The doctor looked at them, his face somber. "We're still working to identify the exact toxin, but the symptoms point to something very dangerous. His body has been in severe shock because of the poisoning, which is why he's not responding. We need to act quickly."

"What... what do we need to do?" S.Coups asked, his voice urgent, his hands trembling at his sides. He wasn't sure how much more he could take of this, but he needed answers.

"We need to flush out the toxins from his system," the doctor said, his tone firm but filled with urgency. "It's a procedure called gastric lavage, where we essentially clear his stomach of whatever poison is in his system. It needs to be done immediately, before the toxins spread further."

Seungkwan, who had been silently listening, finally spoke up. "Will it... will it help? Will he survive?"

The doctor's expression softened slightly, though his words were no less dire. "There's a chance, but we need to act fast. The longer the poison stays in his system, the harder it will be to save him. Right now, his condition is critical, but we're not giving up."

The members stood frozen, the weight of the doctor's words sinking in. Their minds raced with questions, their hearts heavy with worry. Poison. Someone had poisoned Minghao. The thought made them all shudder. But for now, they couldn't dwell on that. All that mattered was making sure Minghao would survive.

"Can we be there with him?" Joshua asked, his voice filled with desperation.

The doctor shook his head. "Not for the procedure. It's too risky right now. We need to focus entirely on stabilizing him. But once we're finished, you'll be able to see him."

S.Coups closed his eyes for a moment, his mind whirling. He had always been the one to keep everything under control, the one to lead the group through every challenge. But right now, nothing was in his control. The fear for Minghao's life was suffocating, and he didn't know if he could bear the weight of it.

"I'm not leaving him," Seungcheol said quietly, his voice filled with quiet determination. "Please, do what you need to do. Just... save him."

The doctor nodded, his gaze serious. "We'll do everything we can. You need to wait here, but we'll keep you informed."

With that, the doctor turned and walked back into the emergency room, leaving the members standing in the hallway, each of them trying to process what they had just learned. Minghao was poisoned. They didn't know who did it, or why, but they knew that they had to hold on to hope.

"Poisoned..." Woozi said, the words barely a whisper, as if he couldn't quite believe it himself. "Who would do this to him? Why?"

Seungkwan swallowed hard, his throat tight. "I don't know, but whoever it is... they need to pay."

Jeonghan shook his head, his expression one of disbelief. "We can't think about that right now. Right now, we need to focus on getting him through this."

The minutes felt like hours as they waited for any kind of update. The uncertainty was maddening, the weight of the situation pressing down on each of them. All they could do was wait, and pray, that Minghao would survive the next few hours.