₥₳Đ ₩ØⱤⱠĐ -ot21

0.39

"Do you want to have a sleepover at mine today?", Donghyuck excitedly asked Mark. "No I'm sorry, I can't today.. Maybe next week?", the answer made Donghyuck pout slightly, but he nodded anyway.

"Fine, gotta go now!", the younger then grinned as he ran into his house. Mark just watched him run away with a fond smile on his face. "Weirdo", the boy muttered under his breathe, as he too walked back to his own house.

Mark panicky walked towards the counter as he looked the woman sitting behind it dead in the eye. "I'm Mark Lee from the gang NC 127, I want you to call the cops", the woman blinked a few times. First thinking he was just joking around, but eventually realizing he was not. She immediately called the cops, saying that Mark Lee was in the hospital waiting for them.

Mark then nodded slightly and sat down again, the woman still staring at him with a confused and slightly afraid look. The boy had forgotten his phone and couldn't inform the others about what happened himself and tell them to come, luckily that woman did it for him.

Kun was confused, why would Mark be in the hospital? At that exact timing Renjun, Jeno, Jaemin, Chenle and Jisung marched into the police station, trying to catch their breathe as they looked pale and some had tears rolling down their face.

"What's wrong?", he had worriedly asked. The other cops also looking at them concerned. "I-It's Donghyuck.. In the hospital", was the only thing Renjun breathed out before bursting into tears. Everyone's eyes widened as Yang Yang rushed to the other's side, trying to comfort him.

Sicheng was hysterically calling NCT 127, telling them to go to the hospital. Luckily they didn't ask why, as Sicheng said he would explain it to them later. But the gang already knew it must be about something Mark did. Frowning while they put on their jackets and hurried into the van.

Donghyuck looked at the clock, it was getting late already. Maybe he should go to bed, he was exhausted and couldn't think properly anymore. So he walked up stairs, yawning tiredly as he went to his room. Totally dismissing the pot of ramen that was still boiling on the stove.

"What happened?!", Sicheng practically screamed as he ran into the hospital. Everyone else following close behind him. Jaemin had already explained a little, about the fire and Donghyuck being in it. But they all wanted to hear Mark's answer.

"I.. I", he just stuttered, looking down at his lap. "I started a fire", he muttered.

"Well no fucking shit", Jisung rolled his eyes, trying to hold back his own tears.

Mark just glared at him, his bloodshot and tired eyes making clear he had cried a lot. "I didn't know he was in there, I swear", the boy then whispered softly. Everyone sat down and stared at Mark, waiting for a better explanation. "But when I realized he was, I ran into the shop and got him out of there."

"You did?!", Taeyong exclaimed shocked. "You know how dangerous that is?! You could've died—"

"Yes, that would be very ironical. Dying in the fire you started yourself, but I didn't and I made sure Donghyuck didn't too", Mark then growled at the older.

"You're fucking stupid", Renjun hissed.

"Oh really? Says the one that didn't do shit while they knew their friend was in there, probably burning alive", he snapped back. Renjun was about to hit Mark, but got stopped by Yang Yang who dragged him away. Now was absolutely not the right time to fight.

"And then, what happened next?"

"We got into the ambulance and Donghyuck cried, so I sang a song for him and, I think he's finally remembering me", Mark's eyes became teary again as he said that.

"He did?", Sicheng frowned. He was happy, of course he was, but could that mean that Donghyuck was slowly regaining the memories of that night too?

And he was, Donghyuck was remembering everything as the doctors did their everything to save the boy.

But was their everything enough?

The smell of smoke spread through the house, breathing got more difficult and it started to get warmer and warmer as the seconds passed by.

It still didn't wake the young boy up, it only made him dream that he was suffocating. Not knowing that he was for real, until it felt like he was burning.

His eyes shot open, as he sat up. Looking around, he could barely see a thing. His eyes stung as he made his way to the hallway, grabbing the doorknob, but immediately withdrawing his hand. It felt like the doorknob was on fire, the boy suddenly panicked.

What was happening?

A doctor walked towards the boys who were still seated in the waiting room. "Eh, are you here for Lee Donghyuck?", immediately all of them stood up (intimidating the doctor a little bit).

"Yes, yes we are", Taeyong answered for all of them.

"Well, I'm sorry to tell you that-", all of the boys looked at the woman anxiously, expecting the worse, "We had to put him in a coma, it was way worse than we expected it be."

Seeing the horrified expressions of the boys she quickly added something to it "But don't worry! He seems strong, I bet that he will wake up soon... If you want to you can see him now..", she then whispered as she hurriedly took off.

No one knew what to do with this news, should they be relieved that he wasn't dead? Yes. But were they devastated about Donghyuck being in coma? Of course they were.

Would they give up on the younger boy and each other?

Never.

And so they slouched back into their seats, tears rolling down their faces, they were going to see Donghyuck one by one. The boys that were still seated in the waiting room just prayed for the boy to wake up.

Praying for it all to be okay.

Praying for this mad world to stop hunting them and driving them crazy.