SLEEPERS. | ✔️

1-10

The shrill alarm rang in Hoseok's ear as he laid there, unmoving, staring up at the ceiling. He'd woken up way too early for his own liking, and for his alarm.

His hand absently reached over to his side to press the button on his phone, wanting to stop his alarm from ringing again.

He knew that he would be late for work at the rate he was moving, but heavier things weighed his mind (and his body) down. Namjoon would probably understand him.

It was the day he would unravel the mystery that was Min Yoongi. Or, at least, unveil a small bit of the puzzle.

A puzzle he still had to put together. A puzzle he spent nights awake thinking about and that same morning planning.

Hoseok gulped a little as he stared at the clock which was clearly egging him on to get out of bed and to the hospital. He was going to, very surely, be late. The man closed his eyes for a few seconds and grunted when he finally landed one foot on the cold tiled floor.

His movements were reasonably slower than usual, considering the gravity of his situation. He walked around the house half-assedly doing things and getting his clothes on.

He even took time to brew a pot of coffee.

It was selfish, he knew, that he was taking his own, sweet, treasured time to get to work just because he was about to execute the plan he'd made for a patient he cared for more than he should.

Maybe, he told himself, Namjoon was right. Maybe whatever web he'd caught himself in was really dangerous and maybe he'd fallen in too far.

The commute to the hospital was slow, sluggish, almost depressing. He sat solemnly on the bus, riding along the curves and bumps in the roads of the city, staring out the foggy window and listening. Listening for the light pit-pat of raindrops on windows, on roofs of cars and buses.

Thinking. Dreaming. About how he'd met Min Yoongi only barely a week ago, and how he already got himself that involved in his case.

The bus stopped at its first station since he boarded. It was a departmental store down the west, one which Hoseok recognised as the one some doctors in the hospital would go to for the coffee shop. He'd seen some of them on the same bus as him alighting there.

He was getting back to his gazing out the window when he heard a shuffle near him, and then felt someone sit down next to him.

Hoseok glanced over just on instinct, but was greeted with a familiar warm smile and a head of blonde.

"Morning, colleague," Taehyung said, raising a coffee holder with two cups secured inside. Hoseok assumed it was for Jungkook.

"Morning," he responded with a small smile, looking down at the sleeves of his jacket.

"Rough morning? I usually see you at work when I get back from coffee."

"Yeah...kinda. It's a...case I'm working on."

"Which one?"

Hoseok wasn't quite sure if he wanted to share the details and information about the patient in 039.

"He's a...sleepwalker. Can't tell you much," he decided to say, chuckling a little and trying to be as vague as he could.

"Ah, confidentiality and all that. It's alright, hospital protocol is a bit of a bitch sometimes. But how're you doing?"

"I'm...fine. Alive. Helping people. It's...what I wanted to do, anyways. What about you? I see you running around at all hours," Hoseok replied teasingly, changing the topic in hopes of throwing his colleague off the track. The last person he wanted to share his case with was someone he met barely a month ago.

"Yeah, it's getting real busy around the East Wing. We've gotten more patients at the A&E in the past few weeks than ever. Ever being since I joined, obviously." Taehyung chuckled a little.

"Ah. How's Jungkook doing?"

"He's alright, radiology and all. He comes by the A&E to help with the patients sometimes, but I'm still there more than him. Yet I'm still his errand boy." he raised the cups of coffee, a grin on his face.

Taehyung shifted his head past Hoseok's to look out the window.

"Ah, this is my stop. I have to grab some stuff first before getting back. See you around?"

"See you around," Hoseok answered, sneaking a small glance when Taehyung exited through the opening doors.

At least someone was alright in the hospital.

•

"It's alright, Hoseok. I know."

Namjoon was busy staring his papers down when Hoseok walked into the wing, his coat already on. He was about to tell his mentor when he heard the voice acknowledge him though he wasn't facing him.

"How did you-"

"Nobody else that can access this wing has such footsteps," Namjoon turned, putting his papers down and facing Hoseok. "Holy shit, man."

He touched his face self-consciously, seeing his boss's expression.

"Is it my face? Did I not buckle my belt?"

"No, Hoseok. It's- have you been sleeping?"

Hoseok's hand fell off his face and to his side.

"M-maybe not." he lowered his head and shifted his hair to cover up his eyes.

"What the hell were you doing with your nights?" he heard Namjoon asking, firm yet concerned.

Sure, it was right that he was concerned about his mentee not having enough rest. But he was, inherently, also worried about how involved Hoseok was getting in his cases.

He knew. It was one of the perks of working at the place for an incoherently long time. The days ticked past while he worked; one second he was a junior resident at a bustling hospital, and the next second he was a senior at the quietest department, with a history behind him that he didn't want to be revealed.

How things had changed.

"Thinking 'bout cases. I'm fine, really." Hoseok finally spoke, his head moving back to its original position while he forced a smile.

"If you say so, but you should really get some sleep. Look, it's probably not the right time to ask, but about Min Yoongi-"

"I'm ready to visit him."

•

hI EVERYONE ITS ME I'm just here to say that I hope you're enjoying and that stuff is about to go d o w n