A Bouquet of Blood

ix

'How is she?'

Hoseok pulls the mask off. His grim face doesn't shock Yoongi -it confirms his suspicions, really- but he still smiles tiredly at him. Yoongi tuts, clicking his tongue in disapproval.

'It's okay to be sad, you know.'

Hoseok drops his smile.

'But I shouldn't,' he replies, looking back through the glass. The prone figure on the sole bed stays the same. He turns back to Yoongi, the man with his hands by his sides, wearing the same white gear as him. The mask that is absent on his face lays on his lap.

'This is good,' he murmurs, trying to convince himself, 'a remission is the first step in curing cancer patients. There are no more cancerous cells in her body. She's going to heal and be well. This is good. I know this—'

Yoongi cuts him off with a shake of his head and pats the seat beside him. He waits for Hoseok to plop himself before talking, 'it's still okay to not feel okay. Hell, even I don't feel happy looking at her right now. Try to take comfort that it happens just in time for your birthday. This is still good news, after all.'

The other man tilts his head, 'you're not going in?'

'I would, but she doesn't look like she's all here. It's pointless when she's so high on the medications that she's barely coherent.'

Hoseok lets out a soft snort, 'she is. Haein knows she's in isolation, though. More than that, however, is lost on her.'

'Thought so.'

'She knows I'm there but other than that, it's safe to say that she won't remember anything else.'

He hums as an answer. Yoongi is not looking at Hoseok.

The man gazes at Yoongi's forced calmness. There's a slight crease between his eyebrows and his eyes aren't as clear as usual. Even the way he sits all stiff and rigid means that Yoongi is troubled by something. The mask on his lap is crushed between his fingers.

'Are you still mad?'

His eyebrow ticks once. Bingo.

Hoseok sighs, 'you know it's not their fault the last chemo didn't respond well with Haein's Hanahaki, right? They didn't know better and misjudged the situation.'

Yoongi grunts and looks away, 'well, they should know better.' His voice bellies his anger. 'There's a reason they're medical professionals.'

He puts one gloved hand on Yoongi's shoulder, 'they're also human and they made a mistake. They've done well to correct it. Why are you still mad?'

Yoongi whirls and glares at him, ''Why?' He asks with an edge in his voice, 'You're asking why am I still mad? Hoseok, they deal with human lives. Lives. They can't afford to make mistake. You should be mad. You should still be mad. So why aren't you?' He hisses, his gaze searing.

Hoseok pauses to find the right words and responds calmly, 'I was. But I'm...tired, too tired to be mad.' He says. 'I can't stay mad when I still have more important things to think about. I can't when I'm too worried for Haein' health to even be mad.'

His best friend seems to shrivel at his answer, the hard muscle under his hand softening. Yoongi breathes deeply when Hoseok takes his hand away.

'I'm not saying that it's bad you're still mad. In fact, it's actually really great. You're mad because you care.'

'You're mad for both of us and that's okay.' He says, returning Yoongi's earlier sentiment to him.

Yoongi laughs warily and looks to the side, his voice gentle, 'I don't deserve you.'