"Jeonghan?" Seungcheol's gentle voice probed the sleeping boy's conscience.
"The alarm didn't go off yet," Jeonghan mumbled, frowing in his sleep.
Beep beep BEEP-
He gasped, opening his eyes. Jeonghan locked eyes with Seungcheol, who was smiling down at him, but the nurse's face became concerned.
"Are you alright?"
Jeonghan swallowed, closing his eyes to rid that horrid sound from his mind. It had been a while since he had been awoken early each morning by a blaring alarm. The sound echoed off the corners of his mind before it disappeared again.
"Fine," he got out.
"Are you hurting anywhere?"
Jeonghan licked his dry lips, heart still pounding.
"I'm fine."
***
"I still don't understand how you managed to get so hurt from just slipping in the shower," Seungkwan scoffed.
"Shut up," Jeonghan grumbled, sinking deeper into the sofa.
Seungcheol had waken him up that morning, for some reason triggering bad memories, but that wasn't important. What was important, was how Jeonghan had felt when Seungcheol helped him walk to the bathroom and then to the examination room, given bright smiles as they talked about his progress, and how he was now bundled in a warm blanket in front of the TV, courtesy of Nurse Seungcheol. Jeonghan couldn't stop thinking about the guy.
"You like him, don't you," Seungkwan accused.
"No, I don't."
"Who am I talking about, then?" the chubby boy challenged, cramming another handful of popcorn into his mouth.
"I don't like anyone," Jeonghan said testily.
"No one likes you, either," Wonwoo quipped.
"You're such a savage," Soonyoung remarked. "Maybe Jeonghan is sad that he doesn't have a boyfriend."
Seungkwan began to choke.
"Nurse Josh, help!" Cheetos boy screamed.
"What happened?" Josh shouted, rushing into the room with a mop in his hands. He threw it down, going to Seungkwan's side. Jeonghan winced as the blanket was showered with fragments of popcorn.
"I'm okay," Seungkwan said in a choked tone, having managed to successfully swallow his food. He slurped on his smoothie. "Thanks, Josh."
"You're welcome," he replied, squeezing his shoulder, "Be more careful, okay?"
"Be more careful, okay?" Wonwoo mocked quietly.
"You're not funny," said Nurse Josh. "But that does remind me, we'll be having a new volunteer on Thursday."
"Does everything happen on a Thursday?" Seungkwan remarked.
"What's a volunteer?" Jeonghan questioned.
"Are you thick?" Wonwoo scoffed.
YOU ARE READING
small words || jeongcheol
Fanfiction"good job, today." [⏸hiatus] As a last resort to recover from anorexia, Jeonghan is checked into a group home for mental health patients. Slowly, he lets Nurse Seungcheol's small words of encouragement heal him, starting on a journey towards recover...
