we the cursed, nct dream ✔

part forty-six

⇉ the one where she's almost dead.

part forty-six

Jaemin's trying to nap when he hears the thud.

A feeling of déjà vu settles deep in his gut, and he can't help but remember that day all those months ago, when the new girl who'd just moved into the dorm beside theirs had been having an extremely loud breakdown. Jaemin remembers his irritation at her then, but now, recalling the way her fingers were shaking earlier, he's concerned.

He and Jeno exchange a look. Then they're up, sprinting out of their room.

"Juno!" Jaemin pounds on the heavy wood, not caring if he's making a racket. "You there?"

"Open up, please." Jeno goes closer. "Are you okay?"

Silence.

After a moment's hesitation, Jaemin quickly punches in the code to her door. Jeno, momentarily surprised that he, too, knows the password, raises his brows. But his expression falls as the door opens.

Jaemin's heart actually stops. That's it, he thinks, irrationally. She's gone. We've lost her, too.

Jeno just stands there, paralyzed. For a long moment, neither of them do anything. But as Jaemin forces himself to think clearly, he is able to realize that, yes, Juno's on the floor of her room, face pale and cheeks sallow and disturbingly still, and she doesn't seem to be breathing, but there's no blood anywhere. There's no sign of an injury at all.

Then his eyes catch on the empty pill bottle.

Jeno is the first to recover. He crosses the room quickly over to her side, feeling the underside of her wrist. His shoulders sag with relief. "She still has a pulse," he reports. "It's very faint, but it's there."

"Jesus." Jaemin exhales a shaky breath. "We have to get her to the doctor's office, then. Fast."

So they do. Jeno scoops the girl up into his arms, and Jaemin swings the door open so he can get through. They rush upstairs quickly, ignoring the curious gazes of the few students in the hallways. When they get there, they don't bother taking a seat in the waiting room, they go barrel forward until they're knocking on the door of the examination room.

Dr. Han emerges tiredly, but goes alert when she sees the girl in his arms. "We found her unconscious," Jeno hurriedly tells her. "With only this around." Jaemin wordlessly holds up the pill bottle.

The doctor's face is grave, but she doesn't seem exceptionally surprised. "Take her inside," she orders. Then she holds out her hand for the pill bottle, and Jaemin gives it to her.

For the second time that day, Jeno finds a door shut in his face.

"She could've at least have told us what is going on," he grumbles as they loiter in the waiting room, both too anxious to take a seat. "That was f*cking scary."

"Yeah." Jaemin is tapping his foot incessantly.

"Can you let the group chat know?" Jeno asks, voice low. "My hands are shaking too damn much; nothing I write will be understandable."

Jaemin silently fulfills his request. Finally, he turns to Jeno. "Do you- do you think she was trying to..."

"Kill herself?"

Jaemin can only nod.

"I don't know. I don't think so." Jeno crosses and uncrosses his arms, as if he has no idea what to do with them. "Juno wouldn't... well, I hope she wouldn't..."