"All I ever wanted to do was leave this town and create a better life for myself and my family...If it weren't for the blackout, I never would have realized that my best life was living next door to me all along."
...
After an unexplainable phenomen...
Haze: fine dust, smoke, or light vapor causing lack of transparency of the air
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
....
Taehyung opened his eyes briefly as his body was jostled awake. The bright daylight stung. A soft moan of pain left his mouth as he slipped in and out of consciousness. His head lolled back, too weak to pick itself up. He was in someone's arms. They were walking over uneven terrain. Maybe they were still in the woods. A small hand reached out and repositioned it against a warm chest. It hurt to keep his eyes open, so instead, he settled for keeping them closed and focused on his breathing.
The body he was clutched against was warm and familiar. He nuzzled against the male's neck and smiled at the familiar scent. Maybe he had died. Was this heaven?
"Jungkook-ah," he whispered. "Don't..." His words trailed off as he struggled to speak. Jungkook's grip around him tightened. Other voices spoke in muffled waves. He thought he heard his name. "Don't leave me," he finally managed to breathe out, before slipping back into a world of darkness.
....
The second time Taehyung awoke, he was wildly more aware of the splitting aches and pains that shrouded his entire body. It was dark, meaning night had fallen. He was in his own, familiar bedroom, and a small candle was lit on his nightstand. Panic suddenly rushed over him when he couldn't see anyone else.
"Shh! Shh! Hey, it's okay." Taehyung stopped thrashing around wildly and blinked a few times, clearing his vision. Dawon and Eonjin stood over him, it looked like both of them had been crying. "You really scared us there for a moment," Dawon began, her voice still soft and gentle. "You were out for a really long time."
Eonjin began to cry openly. "How could you have been so stupid?" she yelled, causing Taehyung to visibly wince. Her voice dropped to a whisper, "We could have lost you. I don't know what I would have done without...without."
"Eonjin-ah," Dawon quietly cautioned. "Calm down, please. The stress is not good for...for you. Okay? Take a deep breath and why don't you go tell everyone that Taehyungie has woken up?"
As soon as she left the room Dawon turned to Taehyung with a concerned expression. "I need you to tell me where it hurts."
"My head," Taehyung croaked out, his throat dry. Dawon seemed to remember that and quickly lifted his head and helped pour some water down his throat.
"You most likely have a concussion and I had to stitch up your temple. Right..." She reached over and gently touched a tender place on Taehyung's skull. "...here," she finished as Taehyung winced. "Your body is bruised and banged up. You landed funny on your ankle. I already have Hoseokie instructed to head to my office tomorrow when it's safe to retrieve some crutches."
Taehyung looked down at his ankle. It was covered in white gauze and set with two wooden dowels and what looked like masking tape. Dawon followed his confused expression and shrugged. "I don't have an infinite supply of medical tape. Had to make do with what I had."
