I'll Protect You, Maknae||TaeKook FF ✓

Chapter 18.

"T-Taehyungie?" Jungkook whispered through his tears as he stood there staring at his hyungs motionless body. He watched to see if Taehyung's body would move at all, if he was breathing. He hoped his eyes were playing tricks on him because he saw nothing.

He finally gathered enough courage to take small, shaky steps towards his hyung. He didn't bother to wipe the tears flooding out of his eyes.

"H-hyungie please say something," Jungkook begged. His heart was banging against his chest with fear. If he lost Taehyung that would be the end of everything for him. He reached Taehyung and slowly moved his hand toward him, he could see how badly his hand was shaking.

"Tae..." Jungkook cried as he placed his hand on Taehyung's side. He held his breath.

Taehyung slightly inhaled.

Jungkook sighed with relief, but he honestly didn't feel any better. Taehyung was unconscious and it was clear that the Master has beaten him extremely badly based on how bad his bruises and cuts were and how much he was bleeding. Jungkook didn't feel out of the clear. Panic shot through his body again when he realized his hyung could still die at any moment, never to wake up.

He gently sat on the bed next to Taehyung and dropped his head to Taehyung's chest. His hyungs heartbeat was slow. Jungkook wished he could take his own heartbeat and give it to him. He clutched Taehyung's shirt into a ball and began to completely wail into his chest. He let his tears spill all over the place.

"I'm so sorry hyungie!" Jungkook cried out. He tried to catch his breath inbetween words but couldn't. He couldn't breathe because he was sobbing so hard.

"I'm so s-sorry! This is all m-my fault." Jungkook started choking and gagging over his own tears. He buried his face deeper into Taehyung's chest. "I got you hurt. I'm-I'm-I'm so sorry!" He never knew guilt like this. Sure he'd felt guilty about plenty of things in life, but this was different.

Taehyungie was just beaten half to death because of me. Because of my mistake. My punishment. He did nothing. It was me. What if I've killed him?! What if I've killed my TaeTae hyungie?!

"Please wake up," Jungkook pleaded. He tried to shake Taehyung as gently as possible as he begged. "I need you. Please wake up." He kissed Taehyung's cheek right on one of the big bruises. He kissed Taehyung all over the face as he continued to cry and beg for him to wake up. His crying turned into screams of begging. He wondered if his hyung would hear him if he screamed loud enough.

In the midst of his agony he shot up out of the bed and ran to the door. He started punching and kicking it. "You asshole! Fuck you! You bastard! I hate you!" He continued to scream extremely vulgar profanities through the door and could only hope that the Master heard him.

"If he dies, I'll kill you!" Jungkook screamed. "Do you hear me?! You'll wish you were never born!"

He ran back to the bed and lay in it, pulling Taehyung against him into a gentle hug. He stared at his face. Aside from the injuries, he looked like he was just in a deep peaceful sleep. He gently rubbed his back.

"I'm going to take care of you. I'll fix this. You'll be okay. You're going to be alright, because I need you to be alright. You're all I have left. And just like you've always looked out for and taken care of me, I'm going to do that for you too." Jungkook's tears spilled out faster. "Please don't go. Please d-don't go. I need my hyung. I need you." He cuddled his forehead up against Taehyung's as he cried. He didn't know how he was going to make Taehyung better but he knew damn well he'd do something.

Two days had gone by. Taehyung still hadn't woken up, and the Master hadn't come in once. Not to check on Taehyung, not to boss Jungkook around, nothing. He was incredibly scared that Taehyung was still unconscious. He was hoping he would have at least moved by now. He was increasingly worried about his and Taehyung's health. They hadn't eaten or drank anything in days. He knew they were dehydrated and he knew if Taehyung needed anything, at the very least it was water. He realized they were so malnourished that neither of them had even had to go to the bathroom in days. He hadn't let his hyung out of his grip.

That night, for the first time in the two days, the Master came in to grab Jungkook. He immediately jumped in front of Taehyung. "Stay the hell away from him!" Jungkook screamed.

"Let's go," the Master commanded as he marched over and grabbed Jungkook's arm.

"No!" Jungkook tried squirming away. "I'm not doing shit for you anymore! I can't leave hyungie alone!"

The Master didn't care. He picked Jungkook up and dragged him out.

"No! Taehyungie! Let me go! Get off me!"

The Master tightened shackles around Jungkook's ankles and gestured to the door. "Start walking."

"Why?" Jungkook said without moving.

"It's execution night. Get walking."

Jungkook felt his heart drop to his stomach. "Wh-whose?" Is it...is it mine?

The Master grabbed him and yanked him along towards the town square. Just like last time, he saw everyone and their slaves gathering around the execution block. He wanted to throw up. He couldn't witness this again, and he hoped it wouldn't be him up there. It wasn't how he wanted to die. While they waited around, another slave had made his way over close to Jungkook. The singer kept his gaze at the ground because he didn't want to get in trouble for talking.

"Hi," the man said. "I'm Cyun."

"Hi," Jungkook whispered towards the ground.

"Weren't there two of you before?" Cyun asked. Jungkook nodded and felt the tears start. He wouldn't dare look up from the dirt.

"Is he okay?"

Jungkook shook his head no as he sniffled and let out an audible sob.

"I can help him," Cyun stated. This caught Jungkook's attention and he looked up.

"Hold out your hand," Cyun said. Jungkook looked around to make sure nobody was paying attention. He reached out. Cyun placed a small tube of liquid in his hand. "Keep it hidden." Jungkook instantly put it in his pocket.

"What-what is it?" Jungkook asked.

"Medicine. I know we don't know eachother and you have no reason to trust me. But I've been here a long time. Ive seen peoples injuries. I've discovered a way to create medicine to help those who need healing. I just want to help as many as I can. I've been giving a lot of people medicine for a long time," Cyun said.

Jungkook stared at him. "Does your Master know?"

"No. It's best to keep it that way."

Jungkook kept staring at him unsure of how to respond. Does Cyun have an ulterior motive, or does he really just like helping the ones in need?

"Thanks," Jungkook finally replied. He felt his Master grab the back of his hair and face his head towards the murdering block.

"Showtime!" The Master said as he laughed. Once again Jungkook was forced to watch another person be executed.

He cried the entire walk back to the house. When the Master shoved him back into the room, he looked at Taehyung.

"Should I go dig his grave now or would you like one more night with your dead puppet?" The Master laughed loudly.

"Fuck you! He's not dead!" Jungkook screamed and balled his hands into fists.

The Master backed out of the room. "Yet."

Jungkook heard the locks close.

He went and sat beside Taehyung on the bed and talked about the guy named Cyun who gave him medicine. He pulled the tube out of his pocket and stared at it.

He was about to pour some into Taehyung's mouth but stopped in a panic. He realized he had not been able to trust a single person since they got there. Why should Cyun be different? What if this was poison?

Jungkook weighed his options.

Give it to Taehyungie, and he might get better. Or he will die. But if I don't give it to Taehyungie, he might die anyway.

He stared at the tube more and made a decision.

He couldn't offer it to Taehyung without checking.

So he put the tube to his mouth and drank some.