K-pop sickfics/hurtfics

Taehyun txt - pneumonia

@Sleepdeprived_corgi here's your request. Hope you like it.
900 words.

⚠️ coughing blood

The night was quiet.

The dorm was dim, with only the soft hum of the refrigerator breaking the silence. Everyone was finally back from a long day of practice, slumped in their respective corners of comfort. Beomgyu had his headphones on, strumming gently on his guitar. Soobin was flipping through a book, his brows knit in concentration. Yeonjun scrolled lazily through his phone, lying upside-down on the couch. Hueningkai was curled up on the floor with a pillow, watching something animated.

And then—

A sound. Sharp. Wet. Echoing from the bathroom.

Cough. Cough..

Choke.

And then the thud of something hitting the sink.

Beomgyu was the first to move. His guitar clattered to the floor as he sprinted toward the sound, the others snapping to attention as his panic cut through the room.

"Taehyun?" Beomgyu's voice cracked. "Are you okay?"

No response.

The door was cracked open just enough for Beomgyu to shove it aside—and what he saw rooted him to the floor.

Taehyun was on his knees, one hand gripping the edge of the sink, the other trembling near his mouth. Bright red blood stained his palm. More was splattered across the white porcelain. His breathing was shallow, strained, and laced with another coughing fit that brought more blood up his throat.

"Hyung...!" Beomgyu shouted. "Soobin! Call an ambulance!"

The panic spread like wildfire. Soobin's phone slipped from his hand the first time. Yeonjun was already kneeling next to Taehyun, supporting him as he swayed forward. Hueningkai was frozen in the hallway, eyes wide, hands trembling.

Taehyun tried to speak. "I..I'm fine. Just..just a cough.."

"Don't," Yeonjun said firmly, his voice betraying none of the fear behind his eyes. "Don't talk."

"But I don't want to go to the hospital," Taehyun murmured, coughing again. "Not for this..."

"You're coughing blood, Taehyun!" Beomgyu's voice cracked. "This isn't normal!"

The paramedics arrived within minutes, but it felt like hours. Everything became a blur. Taehyun, barely conscious now, was loaded onto the stretcher, his eyes fluttering open and shut. The other members were told to stay behind, to wait. To be calm.

How do you stay calm when your brother is spitting blood into a towel?

The hospital was white. Too white. The fluorescent lights stung their eyes and the sterile smell clung to their clothes.

Soobin paced.

Hueningkai hadn't said a word since they arrived. He just sat in one of the waiting room chairs, staring at his hands.

Yeonjun had his arms crossed, back against the wall, jaw tight. Beomgyu sat next to Kai, head in his hands, trying to slow the storm of worst-case scenarios in his mind.

They waited.

Two hours passed.

Then three.

Finally, a doctor approached.

Soobin was on him in seconds. "Is he okay?"

The doctor gave a tight nod. "He's stable. He was suffering from pneumonia. It's advanced, and it's clear he's had it for a while. He either didn't know... or he hid it."

"Hid it?" Beomgyu asked, voice strained.

"He's strong," the doctor said, almost softly. "But even the strongest fall when they carry too much."

They were led into a private room. Taehyun was hooked up to an IV, oxygen tube gently resting under his nose. He looked... small. Smaller than any of them were used to seeing him. His lips were pale, and his chest rose and fell with the rhythm of the oxygen monitor beside him.

He opened his eyes when he heard them.

"You look like shit," Yeonjun said, but his voice wavered.

Taehyun gave a faint smile. "Thanks, hyung."

Soobin stepped closer, arms crossed but his posture soft. "Why didn't you tell us?"

Taehyun looked away. "I thought it was just a cold. A sore throat. We were preparing for the comeback... I didn't want to be the weak link."

Hueningkai finally broke. "You're not a weak link, hyung." His voice cracked, and tears slid down his cheeks. "You scared us so bad..."

"I'm sorry," Taehyun whispered. "I just wanted to push through. I thought I could handle it."

"You always try to handle everything alone," Beomgyu said, kneeling beside the bed. "But we're here. We're your family. Don't shut us out like that."

"I know," Taehyun said quietly. "I didn't mean to. I just didn't want to slow anyone down."

Yeonjun knelt next to Beomgyu, resting a hand on Taehyun's shoulder. "Listen, you being alive matters more than any stage. Any comeback. Got it?"

Taehyun nodded, tears pooling in the corners of his eyes. "Yeah."

Soobin finally allowed himself to sit. He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, head bowed. "From now on, no more hiding when something's wrong. Not emotionally. Not physically. We're not TXT without all five of us. Understood?"

"Understood," Taehyun whispered, and for the first time since the night began, the heaviness in his chest eased.

They stayed with him late into the night. Talked. Laughed softly. Took turns watching him breathe.

At one point, when everyone else had dozed off, Beomgyu remained awake, holding a cup of hospital coffee and staring at the quiet beep of Taehyun's monitor.

"You always carry yourself like you're unbreakable," he murmured. "But even diamonds crack under pressure."

Taehyun didn't open his eyes, but he smiled.

"I'm not a diamond," he said. "I'm just Taehyun."

Beomgyu smiled too. "Good. 'Cause we don't need perfection. We just need you."

~~~

Three months later.

Taehyun stood in the practice room, breathing in the familiar scent of sweat and polished floors. He was thinner, still recovering, but he felt stronger every day. More than that—he felt seen.

The others didn't treat him like glass. They joked. They practiced. But they also watched. Listened. Made sure he knew he didn't have to carry everything alone.

As the music started and their synchronized steps filled the room, Taehyun smiled.

The music had paused for a while—but it never stopped.

And when it returned, it came back louder, warmer, fuller than ever.

Thanks for reading. If you have a story in mind don't hesitate. I take requests.