THE DARKEST HOPE

Chapter 9

THE DARKEST HOPE

Chapter 9

After the dangerous and partly successful rescue mission Suga was taken to the only available public hospital. One broken leg and several shallow wounds and bruises were the only damage he took after the unfortunate incident in the sewers which looked like a miracle to most. Not to him though because the thought that his careless decision to enter the sewers alone might cost Jungkook's life was leaving him restless and guilty as hell.

The hospital was not much but it still provided some kind of medical services and it was good for the people to have it at their disposal. The word hospital was а bit of an exaggeration but still the facility took care of the entire population of the city. Its patients were entirely from the poor and not privileged part of town, because the rich neighborhood had its own medical facility, much better in regard of equipment and personnel.

Although overly crowded and poorly resourced the city hospital had a real a doctor and several nurses who managed to somehow adjust Suga's broken leg and sent him home to heal without any additional damage. He stayed there, stuck to his bed but his thoughts were swirling all the time around what has happened to the man who saved his life.

The search had already been taking more than two days. The scarce police forces weren't much of a help but still Jin managed to organize several policemen into helping them. The underground river that Jungkook disappeared into found its way out several kilometers outside of the city and drove off from there towards the sea. The search squad has been divided into groups of two and all of them looked carefully both banks of the river for clues or a body.

Jimin was restless in the search for Jungkook. He had been awake and alert the entire time and refused to go to sleep in spite of the fact that he'd been awake for more than 48 hours already. He walked cautiously along the river, supporting the search party day and night. His eyes were reddened and swollen, his hair and clothes were a dirty mess, but none of that mattered now. He had decided to continue until he found Jungkook or fell down from exhaustion. Where was Jungkook, was he alive? The thoughts tormented him wildly. And finally, a breakthrough!

"We found him!" Someone was shouting loud from down the bank. Jimin lifted his head in disbelief, then quickly hurried toward the voice. Jin and another policeman were standing over a body lying on the bank, their flashlights pointing down on it. It seemed like it was washed ashore by the current. The body wasn't moving, laying face down in the dirt.

"Oh, no!" Jimin's insides clenched in fear. He ran towards the group of people, almost not noticing when he hit painfully his leg into some old branch hidden by the night and knelt next to the body. It was Jungkook! Jimin turned him on his back. Jungkook's eyes were closed, messy strands of wet hair were stuck to his forehead. Jimin couldn't see much in the weak light of the flashlights. With shaking hand he reached out and tried to find the boy's pulse.

Yes, Jungkook was alive! Jimin could feel the drumming under his cold fingers, weak and somehow distant beat but still there.

"He is alive!" Jimin yelled "Quickly, he is in bad condition!"

Without any delay Jungkook was wrapped into heavy blankets and loaded into one of the cars. Jimin went in with him on the back seat and Jin took the wheel and drove off towards the hospital the fastest way possible. Jimin was holding Jungkook dearly against his chest, stroking the wet scrambled hair with only one thought in his mind "God, let him live!"

🕷️ ******* 🕷️

There was another who was restlessly searching for Jungkook for some time now. Jung Ho-seok had covered almost the entire city, questioned every contact he had and did all he could think of in his search. But it seemed the boy vanished into thin air. How was that possible? He was thinking hard. He had to be in the rich district or he must have left the city. But leaving the city for someone with no money or any other kind of support was pure suicide. That left the rich district. J-hope had some connections there as well. Well, he had to check there, just to be sure. Or maybe Jungkook was injured or dead, there seemed to be no other option...