the week | markhyuck

VII

"What do you mean he's in the hospital?"

As he says this, Mark is instantly packing a bag. He has only been away for around three days now, but, with news like this he knows he had to go back, to be by his bedside.

This is the thing he was most worried about; for weeks he has been plagued with terrifying voices telling him the most disturbing things, and the sheer repetition of such cruel words made Mark believe in the words like they were God's own gospel.

The most repeated 'truth', however, had cut him like a knife: Hyuck is going to leave you.

Now, with news that Hyuck is in the hospital fighting for his life, Mark is not about to let him leave.

"Johnny, what happened?" Mark asks, taking the charger out of the phone and savouring every last charge from the battery as he balances the cellular device on his shoulder so that he can haphazardly shove clothes into his bag.

"He was hit by a car." Johnny says, voice in disbelief. "He and Jeno were coming back from school, when some reckless driver came around and struck him. Jeno was the one that came here with him. Me and Taeyong are here too."

"I'm catching a flight out. My phone's gonna die at some point but I'm leaving now. I'll be there soon, okay?"

Hanging up the phone, Mark shoves his feet into his shoes. Then, he grabs his bag and rushes from the room, darting down the stairs and towards the front door. Hearing the commotion that went on upstairs, his parents are on their feet and stopping him at the door.

"What's going on?" His mom asks.

"Hyuck was hit by a car back home. I-I gotta go-" Mark says, tears brimming in his eyes out of panic.

"Son, you're in a state. Here, I'll drop you to the airport." His dad insists, grabbing the car keys. He lets Mark out of the door first, and unlocks the car where Mark is the first in, shaking in the passenger seat. Getting in the driver's side, Mark's dad starts up the car and quickly takes off towards the airport. During the drive, his dad attempts to coax whatever information he could out of his son, who is still in extreme shock and just wants to be at Hyuck's bedside.

As they pull up outside departures, Mark doesn't even say goodbye before he forces open the car door and is running inside the terminal. He heads up to the desk and demands a ticket for the next flight to Incheon.

The attendant, who notices his flustered expression, takes pity on him and books him the next flight that she ensures would arrive within twenty minutes. Mark thanks the attendant and takes his ticket, heading towards the gate.

Within the next twenty minutes, Mark is on the plane and taking off. He is still as much a bundle of nerves as he was half an hour ago. His legs shake and bounce as he fidgets in his seat, losing focus on the in-flight film as his mind wanders to the darkest corners that he was so desperate to escape from.

For the next eight or so hours, Mark is a stone's throw from a nervous breakdown.