pieces of my soul

one

You are so damn selfish Appa!

You don't care about anyone! You don't care about mom and you don't care about us!

Heechul woke up with a start, sweat layering his forehead as he struggled to breathe through the tightness in his chest. He sat up, observing his surroundings. He was in a hospital, a thin curtain separating him from the rest of the ward. His arms were bandaged in a few places and there was a burning gash across his temple but Heechul couldn't remember what happened.

The curtain rings rattled as they were pulled to a side, startling him.

"You're up" Jungsu said, relief sweeping over his face.

Heechul glanced at his arms simultaneously. "What happened??"

"You almost drowned in a creek"

"I... drowned?"

"You don't remember anything?"

Heechul shook his head, staring at his bandaged wounds. He didn't remember being injured or being drowned.

Jungsu turned his phone to him. "Look"

The most recent call in his logs was from Heechul. He called him five times in a row and when Jungsu answered the fifth time, he was baffled by what he heard.

"You said that woman was trying to hurt you again"

Heechul recollected the incident in flashes. There was a blunt throbbing in his calves that he believed was from running. He was being chased. He was scrambling past a stretch of tall grass until he reached the edge of a creek.

"She was following me...." He muttered. "She- she was following me, Jungsu"

Heechul failed to remember what happened next. He remembered looking at his reflection in the water as he screeched to a halt by the creek but nothing after that.

"I can't remember anything!" He groaned, dropping his head in hands. It was infuriating to have parts of his memory stripped away.

"It's alright" Jungsu rubbed his back. "You don't have to try to remember those awful things"

"I do! I have to remember! How will I report her to the police if I don't remember what happened"

Jungsu blinked. "You're not actually going to file a complaint"

"Yes I am. I am sending that woman to jail"

"Heechul—"

The door swung open and Aiden rushed in followed by Donghae.

"Are you alright??? What happened???"

Heechul wasn't one bit amused to see his father. In fact, his concern made him want to roll his eyes. "Did you call him here?"

Jungsu pursed his lips, sparing Aiden a glance. "Yes..."

Aiden's eyes widened on seeing his bandaged arms. "Heechul how did this—"

"Why?" Heechul cut him off. "Why would you call the one person who does not care if I live or die"

"I'm talking to you" Aiden raised his voice. "What happened! Answer me!"

"What happened Appa, is that your mistress tried to KILL ME for the THIRD time and you STILL. DON'T. CARE!"

Aiden swung his arm back to strike him across the face. Donghae flinched, covering his eyes. He couldn't watch his older brother get smacked.

Nothing happened. Aiden's hand stayed in the air for a few seconds before he dropped it in defeat. Heechul wasn't fazed. He stared at his father in the eye because they both knew what he said was the truth.