"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...
"The path that used to be familiar, it's now unfamiliar. Is this the path I know?"
Don't Wanna Cry, SEVENTEEN
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Jeonghan had a good few days, earning points as he continued to reach towards his targets. It didn't feel so bad anymore, even when he would wake screaming or crying from a nightmare - Seungcheol would rush to him and just hold him. The worst part was when Seungcheol wasn't working the night shift, though.
The night before last, Joshua had been asleep in the staff bedroom and woke to the sound of Jeonghan's scream. The poor boy had woken himself up from his nightmare with a single shout, sitting and shaking in his bed, with tears pouring down his face.
"Hey, Jeonghan," Josh said quietly, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder.
Jeonghan flinched away, hiding his face in his hands.
"I know Seungcheol normally does this," Josh murmured, sitting on Jeonghan's bed and rubbing his shoulder. "But you're stuck with me today."
Josh murmured comforting words until Jeonghan stopped crying, but he just wanted Seungcheol. He lay back down and Josh murmured a brief prayer, tears coming to Jeonghan's eyes again over how sweet the nurse was being.
"Try and sleep, Jeonghan," he said, his hand on Jeonghan's shoulder, caressing it with his thumb, "Seungcheol will be here in the morning."
Jeonghan drifted off, startled by the familiar deep voice pulling him from sleep hours later.
"Hey," Seungcheol said quietly, smiling as he sat down, the mattress sinking under his weight.
"Hi," Jeonghan mumbled, pushing himself up into a sitting position with his hair hiding his face.
"Josh told me you had a nightmare," Seungcheol began, but Jeonghan was already hugging him, his face buried in the nurse's chest.
Seungkwan rubbed his eyes and sat up in his bed across the room, peering around blearily and staying silent when he saw Seungcheol and Jeonghan. He brushed a hand across his face, looking guilty when he found crumbs at the corner of his mouth. He swept cookie crumbs off the covers, checking that they were all gone, and got up. He shuffled sleepily out of the room in a loose t-shirt and fuzzy blue pyjama pants, blond hair sticking up in all directions.
"You're okay," Seungcheol whispered, "I'm here now."
Jeonghan held onto Seungcheol tightly, berating himself over how dependent he had become on the nurse. But at least Seungcheol was there now, he could feel and touch him, he could be held by him.
"Was it the hospital again?" he asked softly, rubbing calming circles on Jeonghan's back.
The long-haired boy shook his head, letting out a small whimper.
