BTS Christmas drabbles 2020 [BxB]

6- Rememb-ER me? - namjin

Prompt: Seokjin and Namjoon meet in the ER on Christmas Eve.

(DISCLAIMER: I don't know about the medical field and I'm too lazy to do some proper research on that, so don't read too much into my half-assed rendition of South Korea's medical system. Also, I apologise for that awful pun in the title.)

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Namjoon looked at the clock hanging on the pristine white wall in front of him. It was nearing 3am, and the hallway of the ER was now empty. At his previous hospital, in the outskirts of Seoul, the hallways would still be buzzing with injured people, doctors and nurses — because people tended to be more reckless while celebrating, and Christmas Eve was no exception.

As a nurse, Namjoon worked an ever-increasing amount of hours, and that had started to take a toll on his body and his mind. Being gentle by nature and with a predisposition to help people, Namjoon had, admittedly, spent years of his life overworking himself — taking shifts for his colleagues or superiors while not getting paid the required amount, mainly. There had been a time when he couldn't recall sleeping more than three hours per night. He had been functioning solely on caffeine, vitamin tabs, anxiety pills, and a determined mindset. But even the strongest spirit would reach a state of mental breakdown when the body attached to it was lacking proper food, proper sleep, and affectionate physical human contact. Namjoon's life wasn't his anymore, and others used his time and energy for their own profit.

It was Yoongi, ever the considerate friend, who had slammed on the metaphorical brakes of Namjoon's recklessly-driven life. The older male had pulled Namjoon's body in front of a mirror and had forced him to take a real look. What Namjoon had seen in there had terrified him. His clothes were hanging pathetically off his slimmed body; his silhouette was hunched in a defeated stance; his limbs were pale and thin, like they might snap in two if he so much as collided with someone else; his drawn face had acquired a ghostly tone, his eyes aghast and empty above eyebags so big they were taking a good half of his cheeks. He looked nothing like the nurse he prided himself to be when he first started working at the hospital.

"Joon-ah", Yoongi had said, then, his tone more serious and broken than ever, "you're going to kill yourself at this rate. You can go on like this."

Namjoon had only been able to nod, the shock still short-circuiting his brain. Before he'd fully taken everything in, his own doctor, Jeon Jeongguk, had put him on a month-long sick leave for burn-out and Yoongi was helping him send his resignation letter and deal with all the paperwork. This month had been as painful to Namjoon as it had been rejuvenerating. Yoongi had taken him back home, to his parents' house, in the countryside. Namjoon had, for lack of a better image, rediscover what a simple and healthy life was like. It had taken him some time to adjust, but he'd learnt to have decent sleep schedules, set meal times, and healthy food again. He'd also reconnected with his parents, who he hadn't had the time to visit these past few years, and with his sister and nephew, who he hadn't even seen since his birth.

There had been a lot of tears, serious adult-y conversations and apologies over missed family time, but overall, this whole experience had put Namjoon back in shape. And after two more months where Namjoon had been jobless, he'd finally settled in a small hospital in Jeonju. The small city was just what Namjoon needed to start anew as a nurse, which was still a job he liked. Yoongi had helped him move out his things from his dingy apartment in Seoul and settle in a much bigger one in Jeonju. His new place was not too far from the hospital, which was a bonus because public transportation was not as developed as in bigger cities and Namjoon really didn't like to drive.

The hospital he was now working at was a much better work environment. His colleagues were all nice and didn't dump their workload on him; the hospital unit he usually was assigned to was never crowded, although being in the countryside meant that sometimes people got registered for very... creative accidents. Namjoon was still working a consequent amount of hours, and he still lacked affectionate physical human contact, but at least he got a decent amount of sleep and was eating regular meals.