Jimin awoke to a crash in the hallway, and, figuring it's just Tae wandering around at night, he just rolled over and went back to sleep.
When he wakes up in the morning again, it is still very early. With no chance of falling back asleep, the first thing on his mind is relieving his bladder and then promptly filling it with tea. He stands, cracks his back, and heads for the bathroom.
When he enters the bathroom, Tae is crouched on the tiles, his head almost halfway into the toilet bowl.
"Tae?" Jimin asks timidly.
"What?" Tae slurs.
"Are you alright? Are you sick? Should I go get someone else?"
He kneels down, puts his hand on Tae's back, but Tae shrugs him off with a brief groan, his body seizing up.
"Have you been here all night?" Jimin asks him gently.
"'S'not night," Tae stammers. "It's morning."
"Tae?" Jimin prompts.
Tae shrugs him off again, hunching down and away, as if trying to avoid his touch. "Stop it," he mutters. "Just stop it."
"Stop what?" Jimin asks helplessly.
Tae opens his mouth to answer, but leans forward as a bout of nausea grips him again. Jimin winces at the retching noises coming from Tae's throat and resists the urge to touch him. All he can do is watch and wonder why Tae is acting this way.
When Tae is done, Jimin puts a hand on his forehead and finds him burning up.
"Stop," Tae insists weakly.
"Stop what?"
"Why have you got the air conditioner on, Addy?" Tae mumbles.
Jimin's body goes cold. They don't have an air conditioner and he is definitely not Tae's little brother.
"Do you know who I am?" Jimin asks hesitantly.
"Told you to stop," Tae moans, then vomits again.
The bouts of retching that are wracking Tae's body show no signs of stopping, even though he's not bringing anything up anymore. They grip his body, forcing his stomach and back tight, labouring his breathing as he leans over the toilet bowl.
"It's okay. It's okay," Jimin soothes. There are tears running down the sides of Tae's face. Jimin wipes at them just as Tae chokes, in a moment of clarity, "I can't stop," and gives a heaving, choking sob.
"I know, I know, I'm gonna get you something - I'll get you something-"
Jimin stands up, leans over Tae to flush the toilet - and sees bright red blood splattered on the inside of the bowl. His own stomach lurches when he catches sight of it. He's no medical student, but even he knows that's not normal. Even he knows vomiting blood is very, very bad.
He flushes quickly and kneels by Tae. "Tae? Can you stand up?"
"What?" Tae moans.
"Can you stand up?"
"I - no. I don't want to go out-"
Jimin's not even sure Tae can understand what he's saying. He presses his hand to Tae's forehead, supporting the back of his neck. The skin there is slick with feverish sweat, the hairs soaked through. Tae's forehead burns against his hand like a sun.
Tae has been sick before, but never like this. This isn't normal.
"Tae, we need to go to the hospital," Jimin says.
"I don't want to go out," Tae says, sniffling. "I just - can't we stay in today?"
"Tae…" He takes Tae's face in his hands, waiting until Tae focuses on him. When he does, Jimin sees that Tae's eyes are clouded and incoherent, red rimmed from the crying and the strain of vomiting. "Tae…?"
"What're you doing in here?" Tae mumbles.
"Tae, listen." Jimin feels tears pricking his eyes. "I need to take you to a hospital. You're sick and I don't know what to do."
But Jimin lost Tae halfway through the sentence. He's closed his eyes, head turned towards the tiles. "No," he mumbles. "I already told you I didn't want to go out today."
"Tae, please, just listen. It will be less hassle. I really don't want to have to wake the Hyungs to get them to help you, not that I don't care, but that it will be stressful and everyone will be panicking." Jimin explains.
Tae leans over the toilet bowl and retches again. Jimin rubs his back, soothing him with nonsense words, until Tae makes a small noise, leans back, and says, "I think I'm sick."
It hurts Jimin to see Tae like this, confused and frightened and incoherent. He wipes at his eyes and says, "You are. I want to take you to a hospital. Do you understand me, Tae? You need to go to a hospital."
Tae looks like he's trying to make sense of Jimin's words, but Jimin knows, just by touching his forehead, that the fever is cooking any sense or coherency Tae may have left. Instead of confirming whether or not he understands, he simply says, "I'm cold. Why do you have the fans on?"
Jimin doesn't know what to do. He doesn't want to wake the Hyungs and Jungkook, so he fishes his phone from his pocket and calls 119. He explains what's going on to the operator, that his friend is vomiting blood and is incapable of understanding him, that he doesn't know what to do - and he doesn't think he's panicking, but he must be, because she tries to calm him down and offers to stay on the line with him until emergency services arrive. Jimin politely declines, wanting to focus all his attention on Tae.
"How're you doing, Tae?" he asks softly. Now that he knows help is on the way, he feels a strange calm stealing over him. Why didn't he call earlier?
"I'm cold," Tae says miserably. "Turn the fans off."
"Do you want to move to the lounge room?" Jimin asks hopefully. The lounge is easier to access than the bathroom, up another flight of stairs and down a narrow hallway.
"Okay," Tae agrees readily.
"Okay," Jimin breathes. "Do you need help?"
Tae nods and begins to try and stand. His legs are wobbly and unsteady, and Jimin realises, when he is upright, leaning against the wall, and making no move to start walking, that he probably can't walk on his own.
"Here," he says quietly. He hopes for Tae's sake that he doesn't remember this, because he knows Tae will be embarrassed if he does. He scoops Tae up into his arms, huffing a little with the effort - Tae is a little taller and a little heavier than him - and carries him to the living room, depositing him on the couch. He goes and gets a bucket - just in case, he reasons - and when he comes back, Tae is looking at him distrustfully.
"Why'd you move me?" Tae demands.
"You wanted to be moved."
"No I didn't," Tae insists. "Why're you doing this?"
He's looking at Jimin with such an expression of betrayal that Tae feels his heart break a little. "I'm trying to help you," he soothes. "I know you don't believe me right now but you will."
There's a knock on the door, and Jimin opens it to see two paramedics standing there, bearing a stretcher. "Park Jimin?" they ask.
"Yeah, yeah, he's through here."
"And what's wrong with him?"
"He's been vomiting blood, he incoherent, can't understand what I'm saying - I think he's got a fever. I just didn't know what else to do."
"You did the right thing," one of them reassures him. "Buddy?"
Tae eyes the paramedics distrustfully. "I told Jimin I didn't want to see anyone," he complains.
"Alright, Buddy, it's okay," the paramedic says. "We're going to leave soon, alright? Just after we make sure you're-"
Tae leans over and vomits into the bucket, spluttering and choking. Jimin gets there before the paramedics, supporting Tae's head with his hand when it becomes apparent Tae can't do it himself. Tae makes an awful sobbing noise, like its being ripped right from his chest.
"Alright," the paramedic says quietly. "Buddy, we're going to take you to hospital, alright?"
"No," Tae moans. "I don't want to go out."
"Tae, please?" Jimin pleads. "I'll stay with you, alright?"
There's a long silence, during which Tae gasps for air. Finally, he says, "Only if Jimin stays."
Jimin rubs Tae's back. "Of course I will."
One of the paramedics folds up the stretcher while the other says quietly to Jimin, "We can't put him on the stretcher. He's still vomiting, and he could choke on it if he's lying down."
"Alright," Jimin says. "I'll sit with him."
"One of us will stay in the back," the paramedic says. "Just to make sure you're both alright and don't need any assistance."
They help Tae down the stairs. He shakes violently against Jimin's side, swallowing rapidly and still gasping as if he can't breathe. Jimin's heart is squeezing inside his chest, his lungs feeling crushed by the feeling of helplessness.
He sits Tae down in the ambulance and puts an arm around him, the other holding the bucket. Tae doesn't even notice when the paramedic inserts an IV port into his arm.
"Where are we?" Tae mumbles.
"An ambulance. We're going to the hospital."
Tae spits. There's sweat dripping down the sides of his face, matting his hair to his forehead. "It hurts," he mutters, almost like he's talking to himself. He gives no sign that he even heard Jimin speak.
"I know," Jimin says, swallowing. "I know." He pushes Tae's sweaty hair back off his forehead, almost flinches at the heat radiating off him. "It'll be alright soon, though, yeah?"
Tae leans forward, and Jimin feels his body contract violently as he retches more blood. Jimin's seen it three times and it's worse each time - he wonders how much blood Tae has lost, whether he can really lose that much and not feel ill effects of it.
"What's wrong with me?" Tae croaks.
Jimin looks at the paramedic, who's messing around with the IV bag. "Nothing we can't fix," Jimin says. "Don't worry. I'm here."
Yoongi wakes not long after Jimin, Tae and the paramedics leave. He only wakes because his bladder is protesting. When he walks into the bathroom, the pungent smell of vomit hits him and he scrunches up his face. The idea if needing the loo vanishes and is replaced with disgust. He walks into the lounge –because he isn't going to fall asleep anytime soon, he might as well get some work done – and he smells it again, this time noticing the small bucket on the floor. He walks over to it curiously and peers inside. His eyes widen in shock as he sees vomit and blood pooled at the bottom. His previous disgust turns into worry; one of the members is very ill. Instead of waking anyone up, he decides to check on them instead. Peering into each room, everyone is still sound asleep, everyone except Jimin and Tae. When he reaches that last room, the one Jimin and Tae shared with Jungkook, he notices that the two beds were empty. As it was still early in the morning, he decides it wasn't right to wake anyone. He pulls out his phone and calls Jimin's number but it just went to voicemail. Tae's phone does the same. He begins to worry a bit. They obviously aren't in the apartment because they do not have the ability to be that quiet. He tried calling both of them for a second time. And a third. On the fourth, he leaves a voicemail for Jimin, asking where they are. He waits half an hour for any time of response, even just a sign that they listened to it, but nothing. Yoongi slowly begins to panic and decides he could wake someone else up. He walks over to J-Hope and Namjoon's room and quietly walks in. he creeps over to Namjoon's bed before shaking the leader awake.
"Hmmf…" Namjoon mumbles?
"Namjoon, its Yoongi… Tae and Jimin are missing…"
"What do you mean they're missing?" He replies sleepily.
"They aren't here and neither are replying to their phones."
"Let's talk in the lounge instead"
"About that… someone had been really, really ill and vomited."
"Show me."
Yoongi leads the sleepy leader into the lounge and shows him the bucket of blood and vomit.
"When did you find this?" Namjoon inquires.
"About an hour ago…"
"Oh shit… what if one of them is hurt…?"
By the time they get to the hospital, Tae is mostly unresponsive, save for clinging half-heartedly to Jimin's hand. Once inside, the paramedics lift him onto a gurney and begin wheeling him down the hallway. Jimin hurries alongside, watching as they slip an oxygen mask over Tae's face.
Tae opens his eyes blearily, staring up at Jimin. His gaze is empty for a few seconds, and then clears when he recognises Jimin standing above him.
"Where are we?" Tae asks, voice muffled by the oxygen mask.
"We're at the hospital," Jimin says, hoping that this time it sticks in Tae's head that they're trying to help him.
"Do they know what's wrong yet?" Tae mumbles.
Jimin's stomach lurches. He looks to the nurse, who says, "The fever reducer must be working by now. He'll have a little bit of coherency back."
Jimin swallows and looks at Tae. They've come to stop in a room on the second floor. He finds himself with his body tilted protectively over Tae's prone form, shielding him from the bright halogen lights. "Not yet," he says, as the nurse murmurs that she's going to get a doctor. "We will soon."
"Don't leave," Tae says. "Please."
"I won't. I wouldn't ever."
"You'll stay?" Tae croaks.
"I'll stay." He's still leaning over Tae's bed. Outside the room, the hospital rushes about them. Inside their little room, though, everything is quiet, save for the heart monitor. Tae's heart is beating faster than usual. "How're you feeling?"
"Um." Tae rolls his head on the pillow, frowning. "I don't really - hot."
He's still struggling for words, but, at least, Jimin thinks, he can answer questions now.
"You're running a fever," Jimin says.
"How sick am I?" Tae rasps.
"You're pretty sick," Jimin admits. "But you're in hospital now. You're gonna be fine."
"Does anyone else know we're here…?"Tae asks curiously.
Jimin realises none of the Hyungs or Jungkook knew where they were. They would wake up see the vomit and then find them missing. Jimin knew he was going to be in so much trouble for not waking them up.
"No… no they don't, but I'll text them now so they don't panic."
Just as I get my phone out to text Yoongi, the door opens and the doctor comes in. He shakes hands with Jimin, then turns to Tae. "Hi, Kim Taehyung," he says. "I'm Dr. Harrison. How're you feeling?"
"Not good," Tae replies.
"Alright. Well, we're going to get you down to some tests. Unfortunately, your friend has to wait here."
Tae looks a little panicky at that, but before he can say anything - before Jimin can protest - Dr. Harrison says, "But he is allowed to escort you to the testing room, alright?"
Tae nods.
Jimin holds Tae's arm as they head down more brightly lit hallways. Tae stares up at him, eyes clouded with whatever drugs they're giving him to stop the pain and fever and nausea.
"Be safe," Jimin murmurs to Tae when they reach the room. "I'll be waiting when you get back, okay? Everyone else might be here too. Don't be scared."
Tae nods and closes his eyes as he lets go of Jimin's hand. Jimin watches as the gurney disappears through the double doors, feeling like the world might collapse.
His mind full of worry for his best friend, he ended up never telling the other members where they were.
"Mr Park Jimin?"
Jimin jerks his head up at the nurse's call and hurries over.
"Hi," she says with a smile. "Here for Kim Taehyung?"
"Tae? How is he?"
"He's going to be fine," she says gently. "He had a stomach ulcer, probably caused by combination of diet and stress. It burst. That was the blood you saw. It's been all fixed up now, and he's resting. He's still got a fever, but he'll be waking up soon if you'd like to see him."
"I would, please," he says. "How did the ulcer burst?"
"We think it could have been caused by hot water," the nurse says. "If he got in the shower this morning, trying to cool down because of the fever, the heat from the water could have caused it."
They arrive at Tae's room, and she pushes the door open for him. "He'll likely sleep for a while longer," she says, "but his fever is down. We're going to keep him overnight for observation, but if everything goes well he can go home tomorrow."
"Thank you," Jimin says, and she smiles at him as she leaves.
Jimin sits down on the lone chair beside Tae's bed, taking in the IV and the nasal tubes beneath Tae's nose. He supposes no oxygen mask is a good thing.
Jimin reads various magazines for a few hours, not once going near his phone, until he hears Tae stirring. He puts the current magazine down and leans forward, waiting for him to open his eyes.
When he does, Tae looks confused, a little afraid, until he sees Jimin.
"Hey," Jimin says with a smile, trying to be reassuring.
"Jimin?" Tae asks.
"Yeah."
"Where - am I in the hospital? What happened?"
Jimin leans forward on the chair. "You don't remember?" he asks, feeling slightly relieved.
Tae shakes his head. "I felt sick during the night," he says. "Really hot. I got up to have a shower. I threw up and… I don't remember much else after that." He looks up. "Did I say anything?" he asks hesitantly.
Jimin shakes his head. "Not anything important. You were completely out of it. You kept telling me you didn't want to go out and to turn the fans off because you were cold."
"I'm sorry," Tae says, shaking his head. "I don't remember. Do they know what's wrong with me?"
"You had an ulcer. It's all better now. But I think they're still trying to figure out what caused it." Jimin eyes Tae closely. "How're you feeling?"
Tae rubs his eyes. "Like a bus hit me," he admits finally. "My stomach hurts."
"You were vomiting. A lot. And I think the nurse said you still have a fever."
"Did you take care of me?" Tae asks curiously. "I remember your voice when I woke up. I was… floating?"
"On a gurney," Jimin explains. "Once we got here you got to get a gurney. Like your own personal chariot or something."
Tae smiles wanly. "You stayed."
Jimin blushes at the weight in Tae's words. "Of course I did," he says quietly. "I could never leave you. Not like that. I care too much."
"Want to play an iPhone game while we wait for a doctor?" Jimin asks lamely. "I think I've still got some battery left."
Tae nods weakly, and Jimin goes to get his phone out. When he turns on the screen, he sees 201 missed calls, 104 voicemails and over 1000 unread texts from various members of the band.
"Oh shit." Jimin exclaims.
"What happened?!" Tae asks frantically.
"I… shit… I forgot to tell the Hyungs and manager-nim where we were… oh shit. We are dead when we get back." Jimin stutters. Tae's mouth hangs open in dumbfounded-ness before he punches Jimin in the arm.
"Are you being serious right now? Oh. My god. We need to call the back and explain." Tae says sternly. Suddenly the seriousness in the room is turned into hysterical laughter. They both laugh to the point where tears are spilling over their cheeks.
"Omg, we're fucking dead aren't we." Jimin manages between heaves and laughs.
"They're never going to let us out of their sight. Oh my god. What have you done?"
When the pair finally regain their sanity, they pick up the phone and call Jungkook, who, they suppose, will be the most relaxed about them disappearing.
Jimin calls Jungkook's number and not even one ring later, Jungkook has picked up the phone.
"Hello?" Jimin stutters, putting the phone on speaker so Tae can hear the conversations too. Tae is grinning manically, just waiting for the scolding.
"Hello? Who is this?" Jungkook answers.
"Um… its Jimin…"
"JIMIN!" Jungkook screams through the phone, "HOLY SHIT, YOU'RE ALIVE! IS TAE WITH YOU? WHAT HAPPENED? WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU? HYUNGS IT'S JIMIN!"
"You're in shit now" Tae whispers, causing both of them to chuckle.
"JIMIN, ARE YOU STILL THERE?" Jungkook yells. On the other side of the phone Jimin and Tae could hear the other members gathering around the phone.
"Yes I'm still here-"
"Where's Tae? Is he with you?" someone on the other end bellows.
"Yea he's with me"
"Hello" Tae yells to the phone.
"WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU! WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED. YOONGI WOKE UP AND JUST SAW A BUCKET OF VOMIT AND BLOOD IN THE LOUNGE AND WHEN HE WENT TO CHECK ON EVERYONE, YOU GUYS WEREN'T THERE! YOU DIDN'T EVEN LEAVE US A FUCKING NOTE. YOU COULD HAVE BEEN DEAD FOR ALL WE KNEW!" Jin screams through the phone.
Jimin and Tae both bite their tongues to stop themselves from bursting out laughing.
"We're actually at the hospital…" Jimin replies cautiously.
There was mayhem on the other side of the phone and the pair could clearly hear Yoongi yell "I TOLD YOU SO. I FUCKING TOLD YOU SO!" Jimin and Tae tried to hard not to burst out laughing.
"What happened, are you guys okay." Namjoon asks calmly.
"We're okay now. It's actually just Tae that's not fully okay."
"Okay you can explain when we get there." And with that, Namjoon hangs up the phone.
To pass the time waiting for the other members to arrive, they went through the texts and voicemails, and by the time everyone else arrived, they were in extreme hysterics and both were laughing manically.
