Chapter Text
Junmyeon sat down and pressed his back against the wall of the backstage. The countdown was on and pre-performance nerves were thundering through his body in bursts of jittery movement. Tensions were high and the scents in the air were strong. Junmyeon looked around the wing, surveying the surroundings. Minseok looked uncomfortable and Junmyeon immediately felt bad. He knew that the beta had a very strong sensitivity to scents.
Junmyeon's guilt increased as he watched Minseok squirming on his seat, discreetly trying to cover his nose. He knew that he should have done something, or at least have made Minseok use the cream that blocked out the scents that hung heavily, but Junmyeon could not encourage himself to move. His body ached and he fought to simply remain alert and ready for their upcoming performance.
Maybe the nerves of the people surrounding Junmyeon were a catalyst.
If Junmyeon was honest with himself, though, he would admit that he had been feeling sick for a while. It was no surprise, really. As a suppressed omega, it was a daily occurrence for him. Over ten years on a heavy heat suppressant and scent blocker combination, and even longer suppressants alone, was enough to seriously mess up any omega's body.
The combination of suppressants and blockers was not foolproof, but it did a very good job. In the eyes of the public, of his group, and of his company, Junmyeon was a beta. He always had been and always would be. Junmyeon never corrected them, and he did not intend to. He was perfectly happy for people to make an assumption. It made his life much easier, after all.
Someone snapped their fingers in front of Junmyeon's face. He looked up, startled, and met Yixing's worried eyes. "You zoned out again," Yixing said quietly. "Are you sure you're alright? You've been out of it a lot recently... Even more so than usual."
Junmyeon nodded and forced a dry laugh. "I'm fine, Yixing." He gave the alpha the most commandingly warning look he could muster. It did not have the desired effect, but Yixing understood its meaning. "We've been over this, okay? Everyone's tired, it's normal."
Yixing winced and looked away, but nodded submissively. Despite his alpha sub-gender, Yixing was ever soft-spoken, quiet, and affectionate. His oriental, spice-like scent filled the room with warmth, and usually, Junmyeon basked in its homely aroma. However, at that moment, it made his eyes smart and his knees threaten to buckle.
Junmyeon bit the inside of his cheek and pushed himself off the wall. For a second, he thought he was going to topple over and fall. His legs were unsteady beneath him. Chanyeol, an alpha like Yixing, came up behind Junmyeon and threw an arm around him.
Chanyeol's campfire scent enveloped him and made Junmyeon shake even more. He shifted out of Chanyeol's embrace and grinned in an attempt to come across as playful. Chanyeol pouted childishly, but then offered a laugh in return, apparently convinced by Junmyeon's act.
A stagehand, with an earpiece and microphone taped to his face, tapped Junmyeon's shoulder and nodded towards the stage, then held up two fingers. Junmyeon bowed his head in acknowledgement and peeked out from the wings. The current group - composed of nine, fresh-faced rookies - was on their final song and about to begin their goodbyes.
Then, it would be EXO's turn.
Junmyeon turned away and went to stand in the centre of the darkened off-stage. "Come on. Group gathering," he said quietly, beckoning for the rest of EXO to come join him. Slowly, the eight other members gathered in a small circle, summoned like moths to a light. All nine of them were pressed close, shoulder to shoulder and heads bent low.
Junmyeon breathed out slowly and evenly, directing the others in their customary pre-performance routine. "Two minutes," he said. "Two minutes and then we're on. I know we're tired, I know this week has been full on, but hold out for another hour or two, and then we have two days before our next programme." He looked each person in the eyes. "Have fun, alright? Do your best."
"Same goes to you," Baekhyun replied. His eyes were bright and outlined in heavy eyeliner that made them shine even more. Considering his heat had ended only two days previously, he was surprisingly alert. Junmyeon tried not to consider that enviously as he briefly thought back to his own heats when he was young. Then again, Baekhyun had an astoundingly fast bounce-back time from his heats. Jongdae did, too.
Most idol omegas did. It was necessary if they wanted to be able to keep up with everything that they inevitably missed over the duration of their heats. Even alpha idols were generally quick back on their feet following their annual rut.
Junmyeon coughed awkwardly and jolted himself back to the present. "Yeah, well..." He shook his head and looked at the ground. "Just give it your all for this performance, okay? Then, we're finished and we can go back home. I know we're all done in, but let's nail it one more time."
"Aw, that's sweet," Baekhyun crooned. "Best motivational speeches, I swear."
Junmyeon raised his eyebrows and pulled a face in Baekhyun's direction. "Thanks," he said dryly before he turned back to the group. "Ready?"
The others nodded and Junmyeon smiled at them. He tried to pour the last of his motivation and energy into it, convincing himself as much as the others that everything would be okay. "Let's do this! EXO, fighting!"
A slightly subdued chorus echoed back and the circle dispersed. Junmyeon stood, anxiously scuffing his shoe against the linoleum floor and watching as the music died down and the group finished their final goodbyes. Like an army, they trooped off the stage and Junmyeon turned to the stage director to await their cue.
The man nodded and gestured towards the stage. Junmyeon gave a thumbs up, mouthed a thank you and slightly bowed his head. He regretted it when his head began to pound even more. He pushed the throbbing to the back of his mind, even though it seemed counterproductive, as he turned to the members of EXO. Junmyeon pointed towards the stage and waited until he had each person's attention before he led them into the lights.
Junmyeon forced everything, except the performance, somewhere where it would not disturb. His thoughts screeched around his head, irritating and noisy like traffic on a busy road when he was trying to sleep. Junmyeon had other things to worry about, though, and he could not afford to let himself get distracted. No. This took much higher priority than his own, personal grievances.
Junmyeon manoeuvred himself into the starting formation of their first song, and then it began. Lights flashed, music blared and before they reached the first chorus, Junmyeon's body began to threaten to give out on him. Beneath layers of makeup, dark bags hung under Junmyeon's eyes. His thighs trembled with each jump and his arms began cramping too quickly to be normal.
Movements stiff and muscles taught, Junmyeon battled to complete the choreography. Every step pounded through his body like a ripple effect and it made him quiver. His eyes pricked and Junmyeon nearly missed half of his cues. The only thing keeping his head above water was the memory of the dances, so deeply ingrained into Junmyeon's mind that he was not sure he could forget them if he tried.
In one, fleeting moment, Junmyeon caught Kyungsoo giving him a worried look. The gentle beta was extremely perceptive and good at picking up on pain; Junmyeon appeared to be no exception to his senses. He gave Kyungsoo a tight-lipped smile and wordlessly communicated that he was fine. The dance continued and Kyungsoo disappeared from Junmyeon's line of vision into a different, more confusing formation.
The music concert was their last schedule for two days. The group had been running almost constantly for almost three weeks straight (with the exception of Sehun who had started his two-day-long rut at the end of the first week, and Baekhyun, who had finished his heat just two days prior to their current show).
Junmyeon knew that he only had to get through the performance - three songs in total - and then he was free to sleep. Although he tried, he could not help but let his mind drift. He resigned himself with a humongous effort. Finishing the routine suddenly seemed a lot harder in practice than it had in theory.
The first song drew to an end and Junmyeon was fighting against collapsing onto the stage then and there. Everything ached and he wanted to close his eyes and ignore the spotlights centred on them. There was an insatiable itch in the back of his mind, and even though he had minimal parts in the previous song, his throat felt raw and red, like he had been screaming for hours.
In the thirty seconds they had between songs, Kyungsoo dashed past him with a questioning expression and his thumbs skewed down. Junmyeon shook his head and flipped Kyungsoo's gesture, sending him a thumbs up, instead. Kyungsoo scowled and Junmyeon let it go.
During the second song, it got worse. Junmyeon's stomach turned into jelly. His notes shook in his parts. His eyes would not stay open. His back exploded in pain.
Junmyeon stumbled through his part and did not miss the weighty looks his received from his fellow members. The entertainment industry was ruthless. If there was one thing that Junmyeon knew, it was that regardless of what happened, the show would go on.
Going to faint? Don't. Feeling sick? Suck it up. Injured? Don't let the audience know. And just keep smiling. Junmyeon knew that as well as anyone else in the industry. He probably knew it better than most of his fellow members. He could not afford to slip up. First stage, last stage, anywhere-in-between-stage, there was no room for error or mistakes in the eyes of the public, or their supervisors.
The final song was agony personified and that was all Junmyeon could remember afterwards. Someone grabbed his arm after the final beat had fallen and the applause had ceased. They escorted him off the stage. Junmyeon was too dizzy to protest.
As soon as he was back in the wings and suitably out of the view of the audience, Junmyeon was rounded on by Minseok fretting over him. The older beta pressed his hand against Junmyeon's forehead and then against Jongin's, who was standing to the side.
"You're burning up!" Minseok exclaimed. Junmyeon groaned deliriously and tried to press his head into Minseok's cool hand. "You should've told someone if you were sick," Minseok continued. "You know that." He scoffed under his breath and shooed away someone who had tried to start a conversation.
Junmyeon shrugged deliriously. His vision was blurry and he could not focus on Minseok's concerned face. He wondered for a second if his contacts had slipped out of place. "Felt fine before," he slurred.
"That's a lie and we both know it," Minseok brusquely replied. "If you're going to lie, at least do a good job of it." He turned to Sehun and Jongin who were standing close. "Can you get a manager?"
Sehun nodded and dragged Jongin away with him. Meanwhile, Baekhyun moved closer towards Minseok and Junmyeon.
"What's happening?" Baekhyun pressed. His eyes darted between Junmyeon and Minseok as if he was unable to decide which person he wanted to hear from more.
"I don't know yet," Minseok said patiently. He kept one hand pressed against Junmyeon's forehead, the other reassuringly combing through his hair. "The managers will know what to do better than what we do. Hopefully."
Yixing sidled up to them. "In that case, can we get back to the dressing room? We're drawing attention..." Junmyeon hazily looked around and saw people staring. His stomach curdled. Out of the corner of his eye, Junmyeon saw Minseok nodding.
Before he could say a word, Junmyeon had been swept off his feet and someone - Chanyeol; the air suddenly smelt of smoke - carried him into the changing room. Junmyeon's head span as the scent covered and obscured his senses like a thick blanket. It made his throat close up and he began to cough harshly into Chanyeol's shoulder.
Chanyeol's grip on Junmyeon slackened, but he did not let go. When they made it to the room, Chanyeol placed Junmyeon onto the couch in the corner. He then stood back. Junmyeon writhed on the couch. His skin felt like it was on fire. It was like the first suppressed heat he had been through, but so much worse.
While suppressants were used to stop an omega's heats, sometimes, for no particular reason, they could fail and cause a suppressed heat. More often than not, it was because the omega's natural heat cycle had crossed over with an omega that had just gone into heat, or an alpha into rut. A suppressed heat was painful and lasted for the duration of a natural heat. The only thing it stopped was the slick and the sexual desires.
Junmyeon had been nineteen when he had suffered through his first suppressed heat. He had taken the week off school and training in the name of being sick, while his mother watched over him, hysterically muttering to herself that she should have checked how strong the doctor's prescription was. Junmyeon had never told his parents that he had switched, against all medical advice, to constant suppressants and blockers.
It made Junmyeon feel bad when he thought about it. His mother had always tried to act in his best interest, even when it pained her to do so. And even so, he had gone behind her back and caused himself to go into a suppressed heat which she blamed herself for.
"The hell," Junmyeon heard someone, maybe Jongdae, mutter.
Minseok ran his hand through Junmyeon's hair and tried to calm him down. He made Kyungsoo join him a minute later. Perhaps their theory was that fellow members of the beta dynamic would help. Jongin was missing in that case, but two betas should have been enough.
If Junmyeon had been a beta, maybe it would have been enough. His masquerade as a beta was convincing enough, but when it came to the biological aspects, Junmyeon simply had to fumble his way through and hope for the best. There was no way to fake biology, and Junmyeon knew that. He knew it all too well.
The door to the room thundered open and a manager rushed inside, face grim and phone clutched in his hand. Jongin rushed over to join the other betas while Sehun stood to the side with Yixing and Chanyeol, looking lost and worried. Junmyeon was in too much pain to take any notice of it.
"The on-site paramedics are coming," the manager said. He caught a sight of Junmyeon and his expression turned to concern. "What happened?"
Minseok shrugged hopelessly and turned to Yixing, who copied the action. It rebounded around the room and everyone appeared just as confused as everyone else. Junmyeon squirmed and hissed as spasms exploded like fireworks in his back. Jongdae held his hand and stroked it gently, trying to comfort him.
Jongdae's omegean scent of freshly mown grass was clean and comforting. Junmyeon thrashed to get closer it. Jongdae obliged without complaint, eyes wide with surprise.
"Omega presence is said to be comforting. That's why they historically take the role of the children's caretaker and comforter," Yixing said quietly. He turned to Baekhyun questioningly. Baekhyun nodded and joined Jongdae. The betas still stood close, but they allowed the omegas to take over.
Sehun sighed and looked away.
The group was silenced again when the door opened to allow a paramedic in. The strong scent of an alpha permeated the air and everyone turned at once.
The doctor bowed politely. "I was asked to attend to this dressing room..." she said slowly. Her eyes shifted to Junmyeon and her lips promptly tightened. Junmyeon felt dread rising inside him and Minseok coughed, gave Junmyeon a strange look and began breathing through his mouth, trying to avoid the scent.
"Ah, yes," the manager agreed uncertainly. He turned hopelessly towards Junmyeon and floundered over his words. "We're not really sure what happened. But, uh-"
The doctor smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, it's fine. I need a name and a sub gender, and I can work from there."
"Kim Junmyeon, beta," the manager replied firmly. "Is there anything else we can do?"
Shaking her head, the doctor spoke again. "Can I ask you to leave the room? I am obliged to observe patient-doctor confidentiality, so I cannot begin until we are alone."
Junmyeon breathed out heavily and rolled onto his side. "Just go," he wheezed when Jongdae gave him a concerned look. "I'll be fine." Against his will, Junmyeon pulled his hand free of Jongdae's and propelled himself into a sitting position. Hair mused and makeup smudged, Junmyeon was well aware that he looked like a mess but the pain was far too intense for him to care.
The burning had not disappeared and he just wanted to get back to the dorm. This quicker he could get past the doctor, the quicker he could go back home, swallow some painkillers and try to sleep this - whatever it was - off under the pretence of exhaustion.
He had never experienced pain this intense and overwhelming before. Even so, Junmyeon knew what it felt like to hurt. With enough determination and painkillers, he could always fake being okay for as long as it took for him to believe his own lie.
When the room was empty sans Junmyeon and the doctor, she walked over, her medical kit clutched in a small hand. "Well," she said quietly. She placed the bag down on the ground and knelt next to it, pulling out various bottles and syringes. "I think we both know what the problem is here, yes?"
Junmyeon looked down at his knees and remained silent.
"I'm a trained doctor," she said softly, filling a needle with a clear liquid she drew from a glass bottle. "Omegean suppression isn't common, but the signs are very obvious when you know what you're looking for." She took Junmyeon's arm with careful hands and rolled up his sleeve until she could reach his upper arm.
"I'm a beta," Junmyeon whispered. His voice caught in his throat as he said it and his eyes watered traitorously, threatening to spill over.
"Dilated pupils, muted natural scent, strong chemical aura, fever, usually mistaken as a quick-onset illness, type beta or alpha, I could go on. Everything shows very clearly when you reach this stage," the doctor said. She sterilised Junmyeon's arm and pressed the syringe into his skin. "This is going to stop the fever, okay?"
Junmyeon shook his head stubbornly. "I'm a beta," he repeated, voice even quieter.
The doctor shook her head. "You're not, Junmyeon."
Junmyeon choked on a sob.
"What you're going through is, creatively, called Breaking Point," the doctor said softly. She stuck a plaster over the injection site and began fishing around in her bag for something else. "All field doctors are trained to recognise it because it's so dangerous. Omegas who take suppressants and scent blockers year round are completely shutting off their hormone production, which eventually causes, well, a breaking point where their bodies begin to give up."
"I'm fine," Junmyeon murmured.
"You've been feeling sick for a while, right?" The doctor found a bottle of pills and put two into Junmyeon's hand. Then, she passed him a small bottle of water. "This is for the pain, by the way."
She watched carefully as Junmyeon swallowed the pills. "You're definitely not okay. At this point, your body is on the verge of giving up. You've blocked your hormones for too long. You have to stop using heat suppressants and scent blockers, or else you're not going to live for much longer. Your body is shutting itself down." She waited in silence for Junmyeon's reply.
"I'm on them for health reasons, though," Junmyeon said eventually. It sounded more like a question than a statement.
"What do you mean?" The doctor said, looking up.
"I got sick a lot as a kid, which ended up being a catalyst for me presenting when I was twelve." Junmyeon paused for a moment to gather his thoughts. "My heats ended up being irregular, really long and really intense, so I was put onto suppressants."
The doctor sighed and sat back on her ankles. "So, you presented four years early... Well, that's certainly not going to help," she muttered under her breath. "When were you put on heat suppressants, because I take it that no sane doctor would put you on scent blockers, as well?"
"Only suppressants," Junmyeon confirmed, stretching the truth as much as he could afford. "I was fifteen."
"Did you come off them over holidays, though? Your doctor surely wouldn't put you on them year-round. They're highly monitored and a doctor can't legally prescribe them for more than six months at a time without a two-week break."
Junmyeon reluctantly nodded. "I came off over holidays. I was meant to have three heats per year. My doctor didn't want to put me on them for any longer than that because I was so young at the time. "
The doctor exhaled heavily and ran a hand over her neatly smoothed-back hair. "When did you start taking them year-round, then?"
For a long time, Junmyeon did not reply. "Just after I was scouted," he said eventually. "I didn't have time to deal with my heat schedule. It's so irregular and unpredictable... It's not like I have three days every three months that I can block out like clockwork. I have at least a week, sometimes every month, sometimes every six months, or anywhere in between. Suppressants let me control it so that I didn't have to worry about random heats that I had no way of predicting."
The doctor seemed to genuinely want to understand as she continued to press for answers. "Why did you go year-round, though? Surely, one heat every six months would have been alright. And why scent blockers?"
Junmyeon thought about his answers. "It was just easier to block them out altogether, I guess... No funny questions or stares: I was free to live without people chasing after me as an object. And everyone tries to ignore it, but there's still massive amounts of stigma against omegas, especially in this industry. Unless you're extremely talented, that is," Junmyeon added, mind flashing to Jongdae and Baekhyun, "but I wasn't when I auditioned. Even though I was street cast, I probably would have been dropped the second I had to do the follow-up audition once I sang and the realised I was an omega."
If the doctor had any thoughts on that, she made no comment on the structure of society.
"Where did you acquire the extra medications from, then? Scent blockers are in pharmacies, but heat suppressants are rare and heavily controlled."
Junmyeon shrugged. "I asked my doctor to put me on the six-month cycle instead, which meant I only needed an extra two weeks of suppressants over six months. And, well...”
The doctor clucked her tongue. "They're not so hard to come across when you know where to look, right?"
Nodding, Junmyeon looked away. His stomach was churning with a mixture of shame, guilt, and embarrassment.
"Well, it's definitely Breaking Point," the doctor sighed. "This isn't a suppressed heat. You'll be vulnerable to them at the moment, though, so do try to stay away from omegas in heat." She looked thoughtful for a moment. "And alphas in rut," she added as if it was an afterthought.
Junmyeon nodded, feeling empty and achy.
"Regardless, you need to stop using this combination," the doctor said. "Breaking Point means you need to clear your system out. At a minimum, a year without blockers or suppressants should do it, and then with a doctor's permission you could go to a properly monitored six-month cycle if you really feel that you must regulate your cycle."
"I can't do that," Junmyeon immediately said. "I lead a group. I can't afford to be out of commission for so long."
The doctor sighed. "Heats don't last forever. They don't make a person weak. You have omegas in your group, don't you? You should be well aware that they're extremely resilient for a sub-gender that society once judged as useless."
"I don't think omegas are weak," Junmyeon said defensively. "I never said that. I know that sub-gender doesn't define a person. But, most omegas have a normal cycle and their heats aren't completely debilitating."
The doctor looked like she felt sorry for Junmyeon, but she shook her head resolutely. "You don't have a choice. I'm sorry, but there is no other way to say it: you are putting your life in danger, here. The blocker-suppressant combination kills and inflicts permanent damage mentally and physically before that. Breaking Point is about your last chance to get off the combination before the worst inevitable happens."
Junmyeon winced.
"Suppressants and blockers both shut down hormone groups in your body. Alone, they're usually not so bad. Combined, they cut off every hormone in your body that defines a person as an omega and break down the immune system until it's almost non-existant."
"I know..." Junmyeon refused to meet her eyes.
"How did you even get this past your doctor," she said, rubbing a hand down her face. "They should have realized something was going on and done something."
Junmyeon swallowed and his cheeks flushed. "I have two different doctors. One from my company, and the other from before I joined SM. As far as my company doctor is concerned, I'm a beta. My home doctor knows that I'm an omega, and prescribes my suppressants. But, I barely see him, and he trusts the company doctor to be making sure I'm following recommendations and healthy practices."
"So, you're deceiving your doctors, basically," the paramedic summarized, face hard and mouth set in a harsh line.
Looking away, Junmyeon could not help but notice the pain had decreased significantly.
The doctor shook her head. "It's not my place to comment, okay? But, what you're doing is highly dangerous. I don't know how many times I can say it. Your body will give up soon. Breaking Point usually marks a month. Maybe a little more. You can't go on like this. It will kill you. Is that really what you want?"
Again, Junmyeon was silent.
Two pills were pressed into Junmyeon's hand. "These are to neutralise the current toxins from the scent blocker and heat suppressant combination. It will get you back on to your feet for the next hour if you're lucky, but I can't give you more than that."
Junmyeon took them and leant back onto the armrest of the couch.
"That's all I can do for you," the doctor said, zipping up her bag. "Go back to your dorm, sleep for tonight, and see a doctor, okay? You need to break this cycle and have a heat, Junmyeon. If they are that dangerous for you, your doctor can organize something."
"I..." Junmyeon stuttered.
"As a doctor, I can find your identification number and hence, your personal doctor. By law, I'm required to inform him what happened. Neither he, nor I can stop you using suppressants, but I've told you what's going to happen, he'll tell you the same thing. It's up to you, okay?"
Junmyeon nodded and suddenly, he felt sick again. Did he want to die? But what were the alternatives... Facing his true biology after ten years was equally terrifying. The mere thought of admitting to being an omega, or ever having to deal with a heat, the scent, the looks and the stigma almost made him consider death as preferential. Junmyeon shuddered and tried to push the idea away.
The doctor stood up and walked to the door. "Consider it, okay?" She left the room and Junmyeon was alone with his thoughts.
It was only for a moment, though, because his members instantly poured back in again. Their relief was palatable when they saw Junmyeon sitting up and not crumbling in on himself in pain.
"I'll be okay," Junmyeon lied through his teeth.
When they got back to the dorm, no one said anything when Junmyeon barricaded himself in the bathroom. If anyone mentioned the retching that echoed through the wooden door, Junmyeon did not hear it.
Later that night, when Junmyeon had finally stopped vomiting into the toilet, Minseok urged him into a shower and then dragged him to bed. Someone had already put the dorm's designated, navy, sick-bucket next to it. Junmyeon collapsed onto his duvet and fell asleep shortly.
The painkillers that the doctor had given him had already ceased being effective. His body protested as he curled himself into a ball.
The morning was no better. If anything, it was worse. Maybe Sehun had vacated the room for the night because when Junmyeon woke up, he was alone. He quickly rolled over and vomited over the side of his bed into the bucket.
Kyungsoo rushed into the room as if summoned by the retching noises. He quietly stroked Junmyeon's back as he continued to splutter over the bucket. When he had finished, Junmyeon slumped back onto his bed.
"Do you want some water?" Kyungsoo asked softly. Junmyeon shook his head pathetically and closed his eyes, wriggling further under the bedcovers. "Hyung, you should know that your doctor - your personal one, I mean - called. Um, when we said that you wouldn't be able to go into his office, he decided to come around here himself. He sounded pretty worried... Anyway, he's due in a few hours, I think."
Junmyeon groaned but nodded. "Thanks, Soo," he croaked.
Kyungsoo sighed and sat down on the edge of Junmyeon's bed. "You're not alright, are you?"
"I'll be fine," Junmyeon said after a moment of silence. "You need to stop worrying."
Kyungsoo scowled. "Yeah, because that's going to happen when you've been vomiting all night after you half collapsed on stage."
Junmyeon sighed and tried to give Kyungsoo a soothing expression. "Really, though. I'll be fine in a few days."
"You're just saying that," Kyungsoo said. He sighed and stood up, picking up the bucket. "Get some more sleep, hyung. The doctor will be here soon."
Junmyeon nodded and turned over. His stomach turned over as he did so and his head throbbed resentfully.
When Junmyeon next woke up with enough consciousness to string two words together, Minseok was standing by his bed and carefully shaking him. His doctor stood behind him, face grim and eyes tired.
Junmyeon tried to turn away, but Minseok held him firmly. "I'm going to leave you, okay?" he said, quietly. "Call if you need anything." Junmyeon nodded. He could not make himself sit up to welcome his doctor.
The doctor only spoke when Minseok had disappeared and closed the door behind him. "I think we have a lot to talk about."