𝙱𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚔 𝚈𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚁𝚞𝚕𝚎𝚜 || c.ch × k.sw ||

[Twenty Se.ven]

"it looks to be a grade II sprain," the doctor began, "just barely. you're going to experience some swelling and maybe some bruising but minimal."

"does this mean he'll be better soon?" juyeon asked, sitting on the examination table besides eric.

"it appears so. i give it a couple weeks of the RICE method: rest, ice, compress, and elevate. it should heal itself, but make sure to keep the brace on."

"yes, sir!" he saluted the doctor with his good hand, "i'll do whatever i can to get better. we have a gaming tournament in less than three weeks, i'll be able to compete, right?"

the doctor looked at his notes again, "i don't want to get your hopes up. however, if you do as you're told and take good care of yourself- i don't see why not."

there was a sigh of relief from the three in the room and the doctor chuckled, "i guess this tournament is pretty important."

"yes it is, sir! i think we can really win this time, and i'm arguably one of the best players on the team so i have to play."

"i'll make youngjae takes care of himself, doctor. is there any medicine he needs to take?"

"oh- yes. you don't need a prescription to get this medicine but i'll give it to you anyway." he signed off a small slip of paper and handed it to juyeon. "it'll help reduce swelling if there is any and reduce pain."

"thank you so much, we can go now, right?" juyeon jumped off the examination table and helped eric down as well. 

"yes! you three are free to go. it was no serious injury but it makes me glad the two of you stuck by your friend. go along now."

  they thanked the doctor for his service and they walked out. juyeon gently grabbed eric's injured arm and slowly put it over his shoulder.

"what are you doing?"

"you have to keep your wrist elevated above your heart, this'll help."

"oh- right." eric wasn't that much shorter than juyeon so his arm actually rested comfortably around his neck. "you're going to help me eat too, right? my own personal right-hand man," he laughed, "get it? because i hurt my right hand-"

"i get it," juyeon replied, snaking his arm around eric to prevent from them moving around too much and risk hurting his wrist. "from now on, until your wrist gets better, i'll be by your side."

"really?? okay!"

chanhee smiled seeing eric so happy despite literally being in physical pain. it was such a pure happiness whenever he was around juyeon and honestly chanhee was saddened just a teeny bit. he just wished his situation with sunwoo was doing better.

"eric?"

the three looked towards the voice as they exited the clinic. speak of the devil.

"sunwoo! it's about time you arrived, but i asked juyeon to text changmin." eric would have walked over, but he was attached to juyeon now and they weren't mentally in tune yet so he stayed in his spot.

"yeah, he and younghoon were too far to come over so they texted me instead. are you okay?"

eric nodded and gestured to his wrist, "just a 2nd degree sprain but don't worry! the doctor said i'll still be able to play in the tournament."

"you idiot," sunwoo went over and hugged eric- and also kind of juyeon in the process. "the tournament isn't important! i was worried you were going to mess up your wrist really bad."

juyeon definitely felt a little awkward being in the midst of this emotional moment, and chanhee felt the same not being in the emotional moment.

"chanhee don't just stand there! come and join us!"

chanhee started to shake his head but froze when sunwoo turned to him and held out his hand. he had such a somber expression on his face, there was no way anyone would ever say no to those eyes.

he gave in and joined the group hug in between sunwoo and juyeon. it was a nice, warm hug that seemed to fit everyone perfectly. sunwoo was relieved to see chanhee wasn't too angry to make physical contact with him. it was a good sign, it meant apologizing was going to be easier than he thought.

"that was a nice hug, i didn't know you guys cared so much about me."

sunwoo playfully hit eric in the softest way possible and as far away from his wrist as he could, "of course we care about you! changmin would be running over here if he wasn't like an hour away."

"aw shucks. thanks again for coming by though, all we have to do is get to a pharmacy and pick up some medicine."

"don't worry about that," sunwoo began, "you and juyeon should wait and sit somewhere. if you give me the prescription i can go get it with chanhee."

the 'with chanhee' part really snapped the boy mentioned out of his thoughts- he didn't remember agreeing to that.

"are you okay with that, chan?"

it felt as if this was a chance for them to talk stuff out, so he wasn't going to miss it. "yeah, juyeon. i'll go with him and you guys can wait for us on a bench or something."

juyeon wasn't completely convinced but didn't push further, "okay. keep us posted. don't take too long, we don't know if youngjae's wrist is going to swell up badly or not."

"got it, juju. we'll be quick. oh- take care of my bags, please." chanhee gave him each of his shopping bags, except for one.

juyeon and eric found a nearby park, there didn't seem to be any kids nearby so they took a seat on the apparatus to wait for the other two.

chanhee clutched onto the straps of the shopping bag and walked along with sunwoo. there was a pharmacy at a walking distance according to their map app so they headed there.

"can we talk?"