Holding On To You | k.th + j.hs

Delay

      Four months have gone by. Hoseok is doing well. In fact, he's been better than ever. He's been able to run around without his oxygen lately, which is something he's only ever dreamed of doing. Day by day, Taehyung is starting to worry about him less and less. Though, he still worries.

While Taehyung is still nine, Hoseok will be turning ten tomorrow. The two boy's are supposed to spend the whole day together, doing only fun things.

Now, Taehyung can't sleep. He's too excited. More excited than he's ever been in the past four years. He stays up all night, waiting for the next day to come.

And it does come.

But not how Taehyung had wanted it to.

-

      He awakens to the sound of a car humming along on a highway. As he begins to register his surroundings, he realizes that he's in the backseat of his mother's minivan. Then, he remembers it's Hoseok's birthday. He's fully awake now. His mother looks back at him with a wary smile.

"What's going on?" Taehyung asks as he stretches against his seatbelt.

"We're going to the hospital..."

There's a pause.

"... Hoseok isn't feeling well. I think he's sick again. We're visiting him-"

"He's not sick."

"He's not feeling well."

"He's not sick."

"He was throwing up this morning."

"He's. Not. Sick."

"Taehyung-"

"He's not sick. No. Not today. Not on his birthday. He's supposed to be happy today. He isn't sick. Maybe it's just the new medicine or something," Taehyung says, though he's talking more to himself than his mother.

Although Hoseok has been doing great for the past few months, the hospital still insisted on giving him new medicine. Apparently, the medication he was taking before wasn't doing much. Which, of course, worries Taehyung. But he tells himself that this new medicine will work and that Hoseok will be fine.

-

After a few minutes of quietly panicking in the backseat, the car finally pulls into a familiar parking lot. The car hasn't even fully stopped moving before Taehyung pushes the lock up on the door and jumps out. He runs to the front doors of the building, his mother only just now stepping onto the asphalt.

Once they get settled, they take a seat in the waiting room.

They wait.

And wait.

And wait.

He can hear him. Coughing. Throwing up. But he can't see him. He's in the same room that's down the hallway from the waiting room. Taehyung sits in silence, waiting for a doctor to come out with a clipboard to tell him that they can see each other.

But no one comes.

After a while, Taehyung begins to grow impatient. He looks over at his mother, who's asleep. The clock reads 1:38AM. They've been here since ten o'clock yesterday. There's no one else in the room other than the two. Taehyung gets up and creeps down the long hallway, stopping at a familiar door.

He slowly opens it to find Hoseok awake, staring at the ceiling above.

They make eye contact as Taehyung closes the door behind him.

"Hi-"

"What are you doing up so late?" Taehyung interrupts.

"I can't sleep. I keep throwing up and my head hurts. It's also been hard to breathe and my vision's been blurring out here and there," Hoseok sighs, rubbing his eyes. Taehyung pulls up a chair once again.

"Why are you smiling?" Taehyung asks as he notices the boy's white teeth peeking through his chapped lips.

"Why not? What's wrong with smiling?"

"You're not feeling well. You're in pain. Who smiles when they're in pain?" Taehyung exclaims.

"Tough people. I'm tough. Do you not think I'm tough?" Hoseok questions. Taehyung puts his hands up in surrender.

"Trust me, you're the toughest person I know," he smiles. Hoseok's eyes light up.

"You know, our friends are coming in a few hours. I guess we'll have to celebrate my birthday a day late," Hoseok sighs.

"Really? Are you up for more visitors? Or do you need more time?" Taehyung asks.

"It's fine. They're our friends. They deserve to celebrate with us. Plus, a little extra company never hurt anyone."

"Are we just going to have a small party here?" Taehyung looks around at the tiny hospital room.

Hoseok just nods and closes his eyes, coughing as he does so.

"Why don't you get sleep? I want us to be energized when they get here," Hoseok suggests and waves him off with his hand.

"Okay. Are you sure you're okay? Do you need anything?" Taehyung asks before leaving the room.

"Other than the fact that every bone and muscle in my body hurts, I'm fine. Now as mean as it sounds, go away," Hoseok says with a grin. Taehyung rolls his eyes and closes the door. Though, he doesn't go back to the waiting room. Instead, he slides down the door and sits on the floor as his mind begins to worry.