The House || Two Of Cure || ✔

5: The Shakes

Daisy pulled a chair up beside the bed that Jongup was laying in and sat down, the bowl of warm soup in her hand.

"Hi," She said softly to the barely awake man, "I'm Daisy. I brought you something to eat,"

"Jongup," He croaked, struggling to keep his eyes open as he turned to look at her, "Thank you, but I'm not really hungry.

"You need to eat," Daisy insisted, "Even if it's just a little. You need to have the strength to get better,"

"Not getting better," He said, "I'm dying,"

"No, we will make you better," Daisy placed the bowl on the cabinet beside the bed and helped Jongup sit up just a little. She propped some pillows behind him and grabbed the bowl again, "Do you need help?"

He stared at the food for a moment, his eyes dull and almost lifeless, but he nodded, as he was having trouble even holding his head up.

Daisy spooned a few small amounts of food into his mouth. It took him a long time to swallow each time, but she patiently waited until he was ready to eat the next bit of soup.

However, she jerked back when he began to cough, her eyes wide when she saw large flecks of red appearing on the white bedding around him. Blood dribbled down from his lips and down his chin, and without thinking, she grabbed a tissue and wiped it up for him.

"Sorry," He muttered quietly.

"Don't be," She smiled, placing the heavily bloodied tissue in the bin next to the bed, "It's alright, you're sick," She stroked his hair a little to calm him and he smiled weakly at her.

She fed him a few more spoons, but his eyes started to droop as he lost the will to keep them open.

Carefully, she placed the half-empty bowl on the cabinet and gently pulled the blanket so it came up over his chest.

She then moved to the sink and washed her hands before picking up the bowl. Just as she turned to the door, it opened.

"Don't touch him, Bee," Taehyung was saying as he entered the room with Bee and Hana, "You shouldn't even be in the same room but I need your help,"

"There's something about him that's bugging me," Bee answered, pulling a mask across her face with gloved hands, "Like I'm forgetting something- Oh, Daisy?"

The trio all looked at her as Taehyung's eyes widened. They were all wearing surgical masks over their mouth and nose, and rubber gloves on their hands.

"No!" He exclaimed, striding to her and grabbing her wrist in his hand. He roughly dragged her to the sink where she had just washed her hands and turned the tap on, before applying huge amounts of disinfectant to her hands and face.

Daisy spluttered and choked as the soap entered her mouth, but Taehyung didn't stop until he was satisfied she was adequately clean.

"Don't come in here again," He snapped at her, pushing her to the door, "Go to your room and stay there!"

"Ah, but-"

"Do as he says, for now, please," Hana smiled at her, "I'll explain to Jimin and take over your duties,"

"Don't let anyone in," Taehyung continued, pushing her, "Lock the door,"

"Alright," Daisy sighed, leaving the room. She glanced back at Jongup, who was asleep on the bed, but Taehyung slammed the door and locked it behind her.

He turned to Bee and Hana, "I think we have a problem,"

Bee frowned, staring at the man. His skin was practically grey and his breathing was shallow and laboured. She stepped closer but Taehyung threw an arm out, preventing her from getting closer.

"Stay there,"

"Tell us the symptoms," Hana said, going forward. She checked his temperature and blood pressure, before looking up at Taehyung.

"He can barely keep conscious," Taehyung began, "His temperature is high and his blood pressure is almost non-existent, it's so low. He's coughing up large amounts of blood and when he's not too weak to move his arms and legs, they tremble violently,"

"Shit!" Bee gasped, her eyes widening, "That's what I had forgotten! When I saw him come in- I knew there was something about him!"

Both Taehyung and Hana turned to face her, "What is it?" Hana asked.

"Do you remember that illness outbreak we had?" Bee asked Taehyung, "Back at the camp? Where all the Doctors in the med bay came down with it and it spread like wildfire?"

Taehyung frowned, "The General locked them in and burnt down the entire building?"

Bee nodded, "That's right. The symptoms were flu-like but led to extreme shaking, coughing up blood, seizures and ultimately brain aneurysms followed by death. The soldiers called it 'The Shakes',"

They turned to look at the man on the bed.

"We have a problem," Taehyung said, "How do we treat it?"

Bee sighed, "We need antibiotics, of course, but I'm not sure if they'll actually help at this stage,"

"We need to start everybody here on a course of antibiotics," Hana said, "To fight off any germs from the illness they might be carrying,"

"I have three boxes," Taehyung said, "And those are for Bee,"

"Three boxes wont be enough anyway," Hana said, "We need at least one box per person,"

Bee stared at Jongup on the bed, "Looks like we need to make another run to the hospital," She sighed, "I'll talk to Jimin and we'll have to call another meeting,"