Biochemical; NCT Dream

✯•Thirteen•✯

Renjun watches as a nurse places a tray of food beside his bed. He hadn't eaten in days and doctors were already threatening him with feeding tubes but he didn't care. He didn't want to be here. They brought him back and he would never forgive them for it.

"You need to eat" the nurse says sternly but Renjun's eyes were focused in front of him, the glossy white walls becoming rather entertaining.

"I'm hoping I starve to death" he mutters, crossing his arms over his chest. Just that action alone took so much energy. He was aware of how bad he looked, his cheeks sunken, huge eye bags, his bones protruding unnaturally. He was sick and he didn't care.

"I think we're both aware that's not going to happen" the nurse says before leaving the room.

Of course it wasn't going to fucking happen. The second he took his last breath they would bring him back to this shitty place, good as knew almost like he was a broken toy being all fixed up again. Sure it sounded good but it wasn't. He'd had something as simple as his own mortality taken from him.

He'd lost count of how many days he had been trapped in this revival centre. He'd lost count of how many days had gone by that he hadn't been allowed to see his brother. Everything was so wrong.

He hated it all, all of this stupid technology had him trapped in this prison. They should have let him die, it's what he wanted after all.

Before his thoughts could go any further a man barges into the room and comes closer to the bed. He looked almost angry but Renjun was use to getting on everyone's nerves by now. Even his parents had stopped visiting.

"I warned you" the man says and his eyes narrow as he brings a large needle closer and closer to Renjun's arm. He tries desperately to move away but it was no use, he had no energy.

"Renjun!"

He screams and thrashes his arms around weakly, trying his best to fight the man off. "No! Get off me!"

"Renjun wake up!"

The brunettes eyes open and he sits up with a start. A thin layer of sweat covers his body and his breath was heavy. "Renjun are you okay?" The voice asks again and he tries his best to focus his eyes in the dim room.

"Jeno?"

"No Jeno's out. It's me Jaemin. Remember we met at the gate?" The boy says and instantly Renjun backs away a little. Thankfully Jaemin doesn't reach of for him and stays kneeled down at the other side of the bed. "Are you okay? That seemed like a pretty bad dream" his voice was soft and sounded nothing like the flirty boy he had first seen at the gates.

"J-just a silly nightmare" Renjun laughs a little nervously as he climbs down from the bed, scratching at his wrist nervously. It was either a nervous tick or that the cut from removing the ID chip was healing, he couldn't tell.

"Are you sure you're okay because I can go get-"

"I'm fine!" He snaps causing Jaemin to flinch a little at his sudden outburst. "S-sorry I just- I'm fine" he mutters, now a little embarrassed. He crosses his arms over his chest, hugging himself a little and staring down at the floor.

An awkward silence settles over the small room and Renjun didn't dare look up in fear that Jaemin might hurt him. It was still a mystery whether Jaemin was an android or not and Renjun knew better than anyone that androids had extremely short tempers.

But to the boys surprise he hears footsteps move around the bed and come a little closer to him. Of course he wanted to move away but he was worried he had already pushed his luck. "I'm sorry, you just looked so frightened" Jaemin's voice was soft and strangely it made Renjun relax just a little and he let out a breath he didn't even know he had been holding in. "Come on, lets get you some clean clothes and something to eat" he says and Renjun sees him hold out a gloved hand.

His brown eyes move up to look at Jaemin who gives him a timid smile before he cautiously takes the hand and allows Jaemin to lead him out of the hut. Renjun still kept his eyes focused on the back of Jaemin's head, still not trusting him completely.

The sun was blazing outside but the air was still frosty, steam rising up each time he took a breath. The fire from last night was still going strong and Renjun could see a few people sat around it, chatting away. He wondered if Chenle was over there, making new friends and eating nice food.

Before he knew it they were in a building, this one was much larger and every inch of the interior was covered in white tiles. There were about nine cubicles along the far side of the room and in the centre was a row of sinks. "You go ahead and take a shower, I'll get you some clothes and leave them by the sinks" Jaemin says, moving away and taking a neatly folded towel off a pile of others and handing it over to the brunette.

Just as Jaemin was about to leave to find some clothes, Renjun quickly reaches out for his arm and stops him. Jaemin flinches a little and looks down at where Renjun's small fingers were wrapped around his wrist and the brunette self consciously lets go "I um...Thank you" he says, forcing a smile which thankfully the light haired boy returns.

"Don't mention it" he says simply before walking off and leaving Renjun alone.

He could hear the faint sound of water dripping and every so often the pipes above his head would creak and groan.
Slowly he drags his tired feet towards a cubicle and opens the door. He was pleasantly surprised to see that the cubicles were rather big. With two compartments, the first being a dry changing area and the other being the shower itself with another door to help keep the other part dry.

He steps inside and slides the lock on the door before beginning to peel off his dirty clothes. The thought of being able to wash and put on clean clothes was such a relief as his old ones were beginning to smell rather fousty.

He neatly folds them up and places them on the bench along with the towel before moving into the other compartment and closing the door. His eyes examine the box on the wall, it was different from other showers he had used, not really knowing what he was doing he turns a wheel and almost screams and a flood of icy cold water falls on top of him.

Quickly the switches it off, his breath heavy and his teeth chattering with cold. Well at least he knew that the other one was for the hot water. Finally he turns it on and cleans himself completely, almost scrubbing himself raw in an attempt to remove all of the dirt and grime.

After spending at least thirty minutes cleaning himself he finally turns off the shower and opens the door to grab the towel. He dries his dripping hair first before drying the rest of his body off as best he could.

Renjun wraps the towel around his waist and carefully opens the door, peaking his head around to see if anyone was there, but the room was exactly as it was before. Empty.

He spots a pile of clothes folded up on the sink opposite his cubicle and quickly grabs them before rushing back inside and locking the door. The clothes were simple, a pair of dark blue jeans, a plain white T-shirt and a blue hoodie with white font across the front. The T-shirt and hoodie were a little big on him but he didn't mind, it made the clothing feel more cozy. There was also a pair of grey bed socks which he slipped on before pulling on his old black sneakers he had worn before.

Finally he felt clean. For the first time in days he wasn't cringing every time he caught a whiff of himself.
He pulls the hood up to cover his still slightly damp hair before picking up his dirty clothes and walking out of the cubicle, almost dropping everything when he spots a familiar raven haired boy leaning against the sink.

"Hey, did you sleep well?" Jeno asks and offers one of his beautiful eye smiles which never fails to make Renjun's heart leap slightly.

"O-okay I guess" he says, his mind thinking back to the dream he had. Jaemin can't have told Jeno about it. For some strange reason that made him trust Jaemin just a little bit more, the last thing he needed was Jeno knowing he was having more nightmares.

"Good" Jeno moves from the sink and takes Renjun's dirty clothes from him, dropping them into a large laundry basket "everyone takes turns doing chores around the camp, this week I'm on laundry" he laughs a little "Come on let's get some food, you must be starving".

Renjun nods and, unlike Jaemin, Jeno makes no attempt of taking his hand and leading the way, he simply just allows Renjun to follow.