There's faint whispering and a consistent beep that can't seem to let up. Taehyun blinks, white is all he sees for the first seconds before he moves his head sideways.
"Taehyun-Shii!" Soobin calls. "I'll call you later." he speaks to his phone and hangs on the caller he conversed with. He walks towards Taehyun with a relived look in his eyes and a wide smile. "How are you feeling?" he strokes Taehyun's arm. "Anything hurts? Do you want me to call the nurse?" He bombards him with questions.
Blinking slowly, Taehyun squints and his eyes float around the room. He shakes his head, straightening up in the hospital bed. "Where's Kai?" his voice hoars from the lack of usage.
Soobin lips stretch into a straight line.
"He should be here, is he outside?" Taehyun flings the blanket from him, the edge of it falls to the floor. Holding the bed's bars, Taehyun climbs off, tearing the IV drip from his hand.
"Taehyun-Shii."
The young scientist spares Soobin no answer, waddling in his hospital gown towards the door. He opens the door, peeking outside. The hall is empty aside from a nurse or two. He turns back to Soobin. "where's my bodyguard?"
"Taehyun-Shii, please lay down and rest, we'll visit Kai soon enough, I promise."
"Okay, where is he?"
Soobin grimaces "Do you remember what happened?"
Looking down at the floor as if it can give him information, Taehyun tries to remember what happened before he woke up. "The research, I finished it. Kai carried me outside and... I don't recall. I was holding the tube, where is it?" his eyes turn panicky.
"I have it Taehyun-Shii." Soobin reassures. "It's done now. It works." He breaks into a smile. "The medicine will go into circulation between small groups in a few weeks."
Taehyun's face ironed with confusion. "It works?" he asks quietly to himself mostly. Soobin nods. "It works." Taehyun repeats. Jumping up and down. "It works!" He engulfs Soobin in a tight hug. "a few weeks?"
"We got the green light."
Taehyun's hug is not so crushing anymore as he lets go of Soobin. "What happened to the lab?" He has to look up to meet Soobin's eyes. They're dimmed as he thinks of an answer. Taehyun takes a few steps back. "He was there? Oh my... "he grabs his hair. Turning back. "He was there?!" realization settles on his face. "Leo... Leo was there that day? Right?!"
Soobin bites his bottom lips, conflicted. "He was, but... Taehyun-Shii." he crosses his hands on his chest, closing his eyes. "Leo died, yesterday. The building caught fire, and he was inside."
Taehyun's oddly quiet, eyes darting across the floor as he takes in the facts of yesterday. A few hours have passed since, he presumes. To say he feels bad for Leo, well that would be a stretch. But he did not wish him dead, maybe at times to himself he prayed so. But he never meant those prayers to be answered. He was mad, confused, betrayed. He wanted justice for what Leo did to him, but now that he's dead.
It feels strange. Not sad, but strange.
He clears his throat. Wait a sec... if Leo is dead. Then, Kai? Did he... no he had to has made it through the explosion.
"Kai made it." Soobin says. Only then does Taehyun notice he was speaking out loud. "He was brought here in critical condition, but he's recovering now." There is an edge to Soobin's voice, as if he's upset with Kai. Which doesn't make sense.
"Which room?"
"he's recovering-"
"Soobin." Taehyun seethes between his teeth. "I want to see Kai, tell me where he is."
His manager breathes through his nose and pinches his cupid's bow in a sort of defeat. "304, it's across the hall."
"Thank you."
The wall to room 304 is not long but as it turns out for Taehyun, he is more hurt than he believed himself to be. He makes a note to ask the nurse for painkiller for the pain in his back. The more he walks towards room 304, the more noise he hears from the inside. The door has a small window he can look through, but it is blocked by the back of a man standing in front of it.
"It's not just your job! It's mine, Yeonjun's and the team! How could you be so reckless!?" he yells. "-I'm not done, Kai. You will speak when I let you, although with the way you took a dump on us all I'm not sure I should even hear you out."
"Sorry."
"Sorry does not fucking quit it! You put everything on the line, not to mention your own client's life! And you fired your gun when the head of the team clearly said not to, are you fucking kidding me?!"
Taehyun flinches, furrowing his eyebrows.
"He's alive, isn't he?" Kai retaliates. His voice is vacant of regret.
The man shakes his head. "This is the end of your career. I can't trust you anymore, none of us can. It doesn't matter if Kang Taehyun is alive, we don't need a loose cannon like you in our company and I told Yeonjun that. He argued you're worth it, but I can't risk it anymore." he sighs. "You're fired, Kai. And you're lucky that is the extent of the repercussions to your actions, because it could've ended a lot worse."
".... I know."
The man turns around and opens the door before Taehyun can register and he storms out, face red and tight lips. He walks by Taehyun and makes an angry huff.
Kai lets his head fall behind on the pillow, eyes boring into the ceiling. His chest is bare, with only a big white bandage wrapped around his shoulder and torso. Taehyun walks in, feeling awkward and out of place. He coughs timidly so Kai would acknowledge his presence.
"Umm... Hi." Taehyun croaks.
Kai's eyes soften. "Hi, are you feeling alright? They- they wouldn't let me see you. So..."
"I'm alright. My back hurts a little bit, but I'll be fine."
"Yeah... "Kai smiles. "You took some burns here and there, I was worried." care is dripping from his tone unlike how it was when talking to his boss.
Taehyun's eyes swell. "Kai, I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"I heard." pause. "The conversation with you and... "He points to the door at the man who already left. "I didn't know what type of trouble I was getting you into. You lost your job because of me." He tears up, his voice is thick with guilt.
"It's fine."
"No, it's not! You loved your job! You said so... "
"it's better than the alternative, Mr. Kang." Kai's lips tug into a small smile. "I couldn't have done it any other way, if I listened to my superiors I would be hurting you. And that's not what I was there to do. I don't ever wish to do that."
"But-"
"you're alive, and the research is fine, I heard. You did well, Mr. Kang." Kai sighs. "Don't worry about me. I have enough money saved and I need a break anyways. My last client was a nightmare..." his smile widens.
Taehyun's nose scrunched when he got that Kai was talking about him. "Take that back."
"He got me cleaning blood off his tiles and stuff, felt like Cinderella."
"I never apologized for that." Taehyun turns serious. "I-"
Kai waves his hand. "You don't have to explain. Or feel bad. You were cautious... "
"I was a jerk."
"You were."
"I never really hated you... "
Kai laughs. "I know."
"So... "Taehyun fiddles with the sleeves of his gown. He smacks his lips. "Is there any rule that says anything about bodyguard-client relationship?"
Kai opens his mouth. "Oh, yeah... strictly forbidden of course, but as it turned out I just got fired. "He flings his hands in the air and shrugs. "How convenient. How wonder what's the first thing I'll do as a non-employed man-"
"Shut up and kiss me."
"OK."
