Rekindled From The Ashes

Coma

The doors to the emergency room burst open as Wooyoung rushes in. He was panting harshly as he looks around for the reception, coming face to face with a small nurse who was just filling out some paperwork. His hands slap against the countertop noisily as he tries to catch his breath, "Where is he?!"

"Sir-"

"WHERE IS HE?!" Wooyoung screams, sobbing loudly as he pounds on the countertop, "CHOI JONGHO!! OFFICER CHOI!!"

"Call security," The nurse spoke to another nurse, who immediately nods while a different nurse comes around the counter to speak to a distraught Wooyoung. She places her hands on his shoulders and looks him directly in the eyes, "Sir, are you a family member? Or a friend?"

"I'm his boyfriend," Wooyoung sobs, "Please, I need to see him!" His chest started caving in on itself and soon he was gasping for air, "Please I need to see if he is okay!"

"Sir, I'm so sorry but we can't let anyone in there. We don't know any information on him at this time, other than he was taken back for emergency surgery. He had lost quite a bit of blood and they feared one of the bullets went through an organ."

Wooyoung fell to his knees as he absorbed the information, his chest hurting more and more as he sobs louder. The world spun as hands touched him to move him, people spoke all around him but he couldn't hear over the ringing in his ears. The only thing he could think of was him. He had to know if he was okay or going to be at least. He wouldn't be able to live if he lost his boyfriend. The one man who put his pieces back together after San's death. The one man who chased away all of his demons.

No. He couldn't lose him too, he refuses to lose him too.

"Sir, we don't know much at this moment. But please, sit here and calm down and once we hear anything about him we will let you know," The nurse pleads, giving him a kind smile, "Can I get you some water or anything?"

Wooyoung shakes his head, "I need a phone, I have to call someone."

"We have a phone at the desk you can borrow," She nods, smiling softly, "Whenever you catch your breath come on over and we'll help you."

He nods, thanking her before she stood and walked back to the desk. He sat there in the waiting room for what felt like hours, trying to find the strength in him to move so he can go borrow a phone and call Yunho and Mingi to let them know. When he finally calmed down some, he stood on shaky legs and walked to the nurses' desk. He clears his throat, taking a deep breath in, "Excuse me, can I borrow the phone please?"

"Do you need to make an outside call?" A nurse on a computer asks, looking up at him from her glasses.

"Yes," Wooyoung whispers, his voice hoarse from crying.

"Here," She hands him the phone, "just dial nine before you type the number." Wooyoung takes it onto the counter, holding the phone on his ear as he dials Yunho's number and waits.

It rang a couple of times before Yunho picked up, a little hushed, "Hello?"

"Jongho is in the hospital," Woo sniffles, his voice sounded horrible as he spoke down the line to his best friend, "There was an accident. He's in surgery."

"Woo? Oh my god- Is he okay? Are you okay?" Yunho started firing questions left and right at the younger, in shock himself, "Do I need to come to the hospital?"

"No," Wooyoung instantly grew defensive as he felt the sudden burden of Yunho coming by to make sure he was okay. He was tired of people constantly checking on him and coming to his aid. He was fine, he is going to be okay being on his own, "No, don't leave work just for me. I'm going to stay here until visiting hours are over and then I'm going to head home. I just wanted to let you and Mingi know so that if I miss your calls or texts that's why. And I may have left my phone at home accidentally."

"Are you sure Youngie? I don't care to run by there-"

"Yunho," Wooyoung cuts him off sternly, making his voice sound strong, "I'm fine."

"Okay... Youngie if you need me please call me. Mingi gets off in an hour and I have a few left before I get off work. We'll swing by before we go home to check on you okay?"

Wooyoung nods, "Okay," he whispers.

"Keep me updated on how he's doing. We'll see you soon."

"Will do," He whispers, hanging the phone up silently before handing it back to the nurse. Wooyoung sighs before walking back towards his chair in the waiting room. He takes a seat and looks up at the TV that was currently playing the news, and just as he looked up he caught sight of the crime scene at the gas station where Jongho was shot.

His chest tightens and before he could think more of it, a doctor comes through the doors with a clipboard, "Is there anyone here for Choi Jongho?"

Wooyoung looks around only to stand, he was the only one in the waiting room and the only one here for his boyfriend, "I'm his boyfriend, please... is he going to be okay?"

"We had to remove two bullets from his body. One in his thigh that just barely grazed his femoral artery. The other one, unfortunately, went near his right hip bone. Luckily, none of his organs were harmed and we were able to successfully stop the bleeding after removing the bullets. He lost quite a bit of blood and he is currently on blood transfusions, we had no choice but to put him in an induced coma until he has finished those."

Wooyoung nearly fell to his knees as he stared directly at the doctor, not hearing him correctly, "I'm sorry... did you say he's in a coma?"

"Yes," The doctor nods, "It was induced, and we're not sure when he will wake up. It could be days, weeks... we have good hope that he won't be in a coma longer than two weeks, but we're unsure."

Wooyoung swallows the bile in his throat and nods, thanking the doctor but before he could leave, Wooyoung stops him, "Doctor, when can I see him?"

"I'll have a nurse come out to get you when he's ready," The doctor nods, "They're currently setting up his ventilator and heart monitor."

Wooyoung nods, sitting back in his chair and running his hands through his hair. He lets out a tired sigh, but unfortunately, he couldn't stop the tears. The thought of Jongho being in a coma scared him, not only for the younger but for himself. He was scared of what his mind will be drawn to when he's alone.

But he shakes off that feeling and sits back, wiping the tears away with a glare at the TV. He'll be okay. Jongho will come out of this strong, he has faith the younger will.

***