SEVENTEEN | SICKFICS - HURTFICS I

Dino | Appendicitis Part II

The dorm was still eerily quiet when Dino finally stirred from his deep sleep. His eyelids felt heavy as he blinked, disoriented by how long he'd been out. Squinting at the clock on the bedside table, his eyes widened slightly. It read 4:00 PM.

"How did I sleep that long?" he muttered to himself, his voice hoarse. He rubbed his face with his hands, trying to shake off the grogginess.

His body still felt weak, and a dull ache throbbed in his head. But his stomach was the worst. It churned uncomfortably, and he felt a wave of nausea building up. Determined to at least follow his hyungs' advice, he decided to try and eat something.

Slowly, Dino pushed himself to sit up, his movements sluggish. But the moment he fully sat upright, his stomach lurched violently. The nausea hit him like a tidal wave, and he clamped a hand over his mouth, his eyes widening in panic.

"Oh no..." he managed to whisper before bolting out of bed.

He stumbled toward the bathroom as quickly as his weak legs could carry him, nearly tripping over his own feet. Throwing open the door, he barely made it to the toilet before he started retching violently.

His body convulsed as he threw up, gripping the edge of the toilet tightly for support. His breaths were ragged and shallow, and his face flushed from the exertion.

"Ugh..." he groaned between bouts, his voice strained. Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes as the sickness overwhelmed him.

Minutes passed, and Dino finally slumped back against the bathroom wall, his body trembling. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, the sour taste lingering unpleasantly. His head lolled back against the cold tiles, the nausea still lingering even after he had emptied his stomach.

He closed his eyes, taking slow, shaky breaths, trying to calm himself down. "I thought I'd feel better after sleeping..." he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.

The silence in the dorm suddenly felt overwhelming. Without his hyungs there, the emptiness made his discomfort and vulnerability all the more apparent. For the first time since they left, he felt truly alone, and it only added to the unease twisting in his stomach.

Dino reached for the small towel hanging nearby and pressed it to his damp forehead, his mind spinning. He thought about calling his hyungs, but a part of him hesitated. "They're busy... I don't want to bother them," he murmured, his voice filled with guilt.

He sat there for a while longer, too weak to get up, and leaned his head back against the wall. The faint hum of the heater in the dorm was the only sound, but it didn't bring any comfort.

"I just need to rest more," he told himself, though even he wasn't entirely convinced.

Dino took a deep, shaky breath, willing himself to gather enough strength to stand. The cold tiles beneath him sent chills through his body, but he braced himself, gripping the edge of the sink for support. His legs wobbled as he pushed himself up, his vision briefly blurring.

Just as he managed to get onto his feet, a sharp, searing pain erupted in his lower right abdomen, so intense it felt like someone had plunged a knife into him. The pain tore through his body, and he cried out involuntarily, his voice echoing through the empty dorm.

"Ahhh! It hurts!" he screamed, clutching his side as he doubled over, his body trembling. His knees buckled, and he collapsed back onto the cold bathroom floor, his forehead pressing against the tiles as sobs wracked his body.

Tears streamed down his face as the pain refused to relent, each wave feeling like his stomach was being ripped apart. "Why... why does it hurt so much?" he whimpered, his voice choked with pain.