we the cursed, nct dream ✔

part fifty-six

⇉ the one with an explanation.

part fifty-six

It's eerily silent in the waiting room.

The entire group is gathered here. After the horrifying events of the night, nobody really knows what to say. They're all still in their pajamas, since the time reads past two in the morning, but none of them can fall asleep, anyway. Not when their friend lies unconscious with holes in her stomach.

If the knife had pierced just mere centimeters higher, to her heart, that would've been it. Like four others before her, she would've died. Haechan wants to feel like that's extremely lucky, but he will never forget how limp she'd felt in his arms when her eyes had closed.

For one painful, excruciating moment, he was sure she was gone.

He'd been a blubbering mess by the time he got to the clinic. In incoherent, messy words, he'd done his best to explain to the doctor what had happened. Luckily, Ms. Yang reached them a few minutes later and briefed Dr. Han on the situation. The doctor had grimly called for the school nurse and they'd all disappeared inside the room. Haechan had just called his friends and was telling them everything when Ms. Yang came out and eventually left without so much as a word to them.

Haechan's trying to think positively. If the professionals had decided Juno wasn't beyond saving, then she'll be alright. She'll be fine and then he can stop blaming himself for seeing her messages so late.

But this is the second death scare Juno has given them this year. And it's only March.

"She'll be okay," Renjun whispers from beside him.

"I know," Haechan replies, and then he hugs Renjun, just because he needs something to hold on to. The other boy grumbles about the blood from Haechan's shirt getting on him but lets him do it anyway, probably needing some of that comfort himself.

Livi's voice cuts into the silence. "It should've been me."

Jeno's head snaps up. "What?"

"It should've been me," she repeats, nails digging into her palms. "It should be me on that bed right now, who was stabbed. I let her fight my battles for me and look what happened."

"Don't say that," Jisung mumbles sadly.

Haechan jumps up, too wired to stay seated any longer. His voice reverberates throughout the space. "Blaming yourself doesn't help anything right now, Olivia. You thinking about how it should be you that's half-dead or me thinking about how I should've seen her texts sooner doesn't do anything except screw our minds over. We can't rewind time and make it not happen."

Livi doesn't push back. She doesn't say anything at all.

"And I, for one, am thankful that it wasn't you there. Because if it was, you'd already be dead. But it was Juno, who was able to hold out long enough to have the opportunity to fight for her life."

"You're right." Livi stares unblinkingly at him. "You are right, and I am thankful."

Haechan stops. Sighs. "Sorry for snapping," he mumbles.

Mark pats the chair beside him, and Haechan slumps into it. "Listen to me, both of you. Nobody, and I mean nobody else, is at fault here except for... except for Reina."

It's like saying her name steals the air from the room.

Mark continues. "I don't want to hear anybody blaming themselves for anything, and Juno wouldn't want that either. Let's all just be glad that she-"