Bab 8: Chapter 8
"You're doing great! Keep up Yoongi!" Jimin's giggle drifted down the hall.
"It's hard to keep up when you're literally skipping ahead of me!" Yoongi huffed with a joking smile.
"You can hobble a little faster can't you slowpoke?!" Jimin turned around and flashed Yoongi a heart stealing smile.
"Not when you're smiling at me like that! I just want to stop and stare at you now." Yoongi admitted with a blush.
"Flirting won't get me to go easy on you!"
Yoongi chuckled, shaking his head as he positioned his crutches to follow Jimin. It had been a long three weeks since he'd received his crutches and they've started to feel like a second pair of legs. Jimin would accompany him on lengthy strolls through the halls to get practice in and often encouraged him when he'd find his limbs growing sore and hurting. Just as he promised, Jimin was there every step to his full recovery.
He wouldn't have wanted to spend this time with anyone else.
"Hey, Jimin?" Yoongi halted, balancing on his good leg. "I'm getting tired and my leg is starting to ache."
Jimin gave a concerned frown. "We're almost to your room okay? Do you think you can make it on your own or do you want me to walk beside you?"
"I think I can make it, but it wouldn't hurt to have you next to me." Yoongi replied, wincing as he flexed his foot.
Jimin nodded, arms swinging as he approached Yoongi's side. "You're getting awfully bold you know." Jimin nudged Yoongi's cheek with his nose. "If I didn't know any better I'd think there was a bed of rose petals and champagne waiting on us at your room!"
Yoongi laughed, eyes filling with mirth. "Maybe when I can actually leave the hospital and go get those things. But for now, let's just focus on meeting Seokjin's quota."
"I was teasing!" Jimin pouted.
"Oh? Well if I didn't know any better I'd say you'd like that!" Yoongi arched a brow.
"Hmm.." Jimin tilted his head to the side with a thoughtful Expression. "It doesn't sound too bad….I think I'd like that some day. But it had to be AFTER I got to the Sea! Only after!"
"Okay okay the Sea comes first!" Yoongi snickered. "Speaking of that, what do you wanna do when we get there?"
"Oh!" Jimin beamed, fingers lacing together. "I think I want to stick my feet in the water first! Then maybe go for a swim and play in the water, we can build sandcastles, collect shells, and watch the sun set! Then we can watch the moon rise and stargaze! If we're lucky maybe we can catch a meteor shower or even a shooting star!"
A dazed smile tugged at Yoongi's lips as he listened to Jimin's excited rambling. Though his eyes were focused on each hobble he made forward, he engraved every one of Jimin's desires into his mind. He could picture it clear as day, Jimin's wide smile and crescent eyes. His cheeks painted a rose pink from the sunlight, his enchanting laugh as they splashed around in the water, even his awestruck expression as they watched the stars together.
'You've really got my heart in the palm of your hands Jimin. And I wouldn't want it anywhere else.'
*****
"Good afternoon Yoongi!"
"Good afternoon Seokjin!" Yoongi greeted his doctor as said male strolled into the room pushing a cart containing numerous objects. "I brought you a serving of Jajangmyeon, white rice, and Sesame Chicken for lunch and I also brought my chart to go over your progress this morning!"
"Sounds great!" Yoongi exclaimed, sitting upright in his bed. "The food looks good too!"
Seokjin places the tray of food in front of Yoongi before taking hold of his clipboard. "So! Were you able to get up and do some laps up and down the hall this morning?"
"Yes!" Yoongi replied, mouth full of noodles.
"Okay…how many were you able to do?"
"Hm…about four?" Yoongi tilted his head. "Five if you count the lap I called it quits on."
"Oh? Why did you stop?" Seokjin inquired, scribbling on the clipboard.
"The muscles in my leg started to hurt." Yoongi relayed as he swallowed down a mouthful of chicken. "It felt really strained and I started to get worried that my leg would give."
"Hm.." Seokjin's eyebrows furrowed in thought. "The tightness of your muscles could be from the lack of movement and exercise since you've been hospitalized. Now that you're moving around more often, I'm sure that the sudden excess movement and the fact that all of your weight is only placed on one leg is causing the strain. You'll be feeling that strain until you can walk without crutches and stretch out those muscles." A smile pulled at the doctors lips. "I'm very proud of your progress Yoongi! You're making a very quick recovery!"
"I've asked this a thousand times already but I'm going to ask it again." Yoongi mumbled mid chew. "When can I actually start trying to walk without crutches?"
"Well, most broken legs heal between six to eight weeks and you've been here for a little over a month! Judging from x rays and your progress, Min Yoongi, you may give up your crutches whenever you're ready!"
"I want to start tomorrow!" Yoongi replied immediately, excited to finally be getting back on his own two feet.
"We'll have your cast removed first thing in the morning and give you a few hours to get used to the feeling. After that at around about eleven we'll get started!" Seokjin clasped his hands together. "Namjoon will be present as well so you'll have the support of loved ones to encourage you!"
"Yeah.." a fond smile appeared on Yoongi's lips as he pictured Namjoon and Jimin off to the side, shouting words of encouragement and cheering him on. "I'm looking forward to it."
*****
Numb. Numb was the best word Yoongi could use to describe the feeling in his now free leg. His cast had been taken off a little over an hour ago and here he was, sitting up on his bed and staring at it. His skin looked wrinkly and awfully pale compared to the rest of him, bright red rings adorned his calf and just below his toes, signifying the cast that had been there for weeks. Today was the day he would actually start walking. Yesterday when he told Seokjin he was ready, he had been excited and anxious. But now that he was actually moments away from walking…he wasn't so sure about that.
"You've been staring at your leg forever Yoongi." Jimin leaned against Yoongi's shoulder with an amused glint in his eyes. "Aren't you gonna try and move it?"
"No. Hell no." Was Yoongi's definite answer.
"Not even a pinky toe?"
"Not even a pinky toe." Yoongi repeated. "I swear my whole foot is gonna break into a thousand pieces if I so much as breathe on it. I don't know, I think I want my cast back."
"Hey, listen!" Jimin grabbed a hold of Yoongi's hand. "You'll do great! Seokjin and Namjoon said that you were healing wonderfully, that means you have no reason to worry!"
"But things can still happen!" Yoongi argues with a slight whine.
"Just cause things can happen it doesn't mean it will ." Jimin rubbed his thumb along the back of Yoongi's hand. "Namjoon and I will be right there cheering you on! Your leg will not fail you."
Yoongi opened his mouth to argue, far too many scenarios and what ifs running through his mind. But once his eyes locked with Jimin's, his disagreement caught in his throat. All he could do was stare at the intense yet gentle eyes that silently urged him to remain positive. Yoongi dropped his shoulders with a relenting sigh and laid his head against Jimin's, finding reassurance in the gentle strokes of the male's finger. "Okay…"
"You can do this." Jimin poked Yoongi's side lightly. "Say it."
"I can do this." Yoongi repeated per jimin's request.
"Good job!" Jimin exclaimed joyously as he hopped up, wrapped his arms around Yoongi's head, and pulled him to his chest in a hug.
"Jimin wait!" Yoongi laughed, holding onto jimin's shirt as he squeezed him tightly.
"Shh!" Jimin patted Yoongi's head in a dramatic manner. "Accept my love and support."
A sudden knock on the door followed by the clicking of the door opening startled the two, causing them to jump apart quickly.
Namjoon poked his head into the door, a warm smile present. "Good morning buddy! Are you all set to go?"
"Uh..yeah!" Yoongi replied with a quick glance at Jimin. "I'm ready."
"Your cheeks are red!" Namjoon pointed out. "Are you feeling feverish? Do we need to postpone the session?"
"No! No!" Yoongi shook his head frantically. "It's nothing like that! Jimin and I were just…" he trailed off with a point at Jimin, far too nervous to say he and Jimin were essentially cuddling.
"Did I interrupt a special moment between you and your crush?" Namjoon teased, amusement evident on his face.
"Shut up!" Yoongi huffed with a slight pout, blush darkening. "Just take me to my session!"
"You're just so easy to tease!" Namjoon entered the room, pushing a wheelchair in front of him. "It'll be easier to wheel you up. Let's get you situated and then I'll escort you and Jimin there."
*****
'Oh fuck. Oh fuck oh fuck shit shit shit this is actually happening-'
"Whenever you're ready Yoongi!" Seokjin called to the hesitant patient. "I'll be standing right here just in case you feel weak or don't think you can walk any further. My goal for you is to try and make it to me. If you don't or can't, it's not a failure. All progress is good progress!"
"O-Okay.." Yoongi's eyes darted from Seokjin, to the two padded railings in front of him, and then to Namjoon and Jimin who stood off to the right side, watching him with encouraging smiles. His heart was beating rapidly in his chest, nerves frayed as he inspected the railings. There was about ten feet between where he sat and where Seokjin stood. On any other day, the distance would've seemed short and simple. But now, as Yoongi hauled himself out of the wheelchair with the help of the railings, the ten feet looked like a mile.
Yoongi gripped the railings in a deathly tight hold as he balanced on his good leg, keeping his newly healed one off the ground. The room grew silent as stretched out the leg, creating a heavy, invisible weight on his shoulders. 'You can do it Yoongi…pace yourself..put one foot in front of the other.'
Very slowly, Yoongi drug his healed leg forward, keeping it stiff and not exactly lifting it off of the ground. He gingerly placed his weight on the leg as he moved his hands up the bar and placed his good leg forward. His shoulders suddenly dropped as he released a breath he wasn't aware he had been holding. He inhaled and exhaled as he steadied himself. Yoongi but down on his lip as he drug the leg forward once again, moving himself forward.
"You're doing great Yoongi!"
Yoongi glanced over to his side, eyes locking on Jimin who was staring at him with eyes shining proud.
"I'm so proud of you! Keep going! And remember, you're leg won't fail on you!" Jimin whispered, flashing Yoongi a wide smile with an encouraging nod.
Yoongi smiled, giving a breathless chuckle as he turned his attention back to his legs. "Okay…okay.." He took a deep breath whilst straightening his posture. This time he lifted the leg, bending it at the knee. As he brought it forward and down, the image of his leg crumbling flashed in his mind, causing him to freeze up in fear.
"Your leg won't cave…your leg won't cave.." He repeated the mantra over and over in his head as his foot connected with the floor, placing all his weight on the leg. His eyes grew wide with panic as his knee buckled. He quickly stepped forward with his good leg in an effort to catch and steady himself. His leg trembled, a strange feeling rumbling through it that he couldn't quite place. It felt heavy but somewhat normal at the same time.
"Remember that you haven't moved your leg in over a month. While the bone is healed the strength in it and your muscles have drastically decreased. It'll take time to build up strength again to make your leg feel like it's moving normally." Namjoon informed with a small smile. "What you're feeling is perfectly normal. It's also perfectly normal to be scared. You're making wonderful progress Yoongi."
"S-So it's not gonna break?" Yoongi asked, keeping his eyes on his leg for fear that it'd cave if he looked elsewhere.
"No." Namjoon assured. "It won't break."
"O-one more…" Yoongi murmured, more so to himself than anything. "One more…" Gripping the railings tightly, he righted himself and took yet another deep breath. He lifted his leg again, feeling a bit more confident after Namjoon's assurance. He placed his foot on the ground and took a careful sep forward, giving a soft laugh when his knee didn't buckle this time. He bit down on his bottom lip, feeling a spark of excitement deep in his chest as he took yet another step. Yoongi almost let out a giggle of his own upon hearing Jimin's excited squeal from off to the side.
"Congratulations Yoongi!"
Yoongi glanced up, eyes widening and jaw dropping when he saw that he was mere inches away from Seokjin.
"You've made it all the way over here to me! I'm very proud of you! As Namjoon said, you'll feel weak every now in your leg, but the more you walk around on it the stronger it'll get! So what do you say? Would you like to try and walk back to the other end of the railings?"
Yoongi grinned, unable to keep the happiness at his success off of his face. "Yeah, I'll give it a go."
*****
"I can't believe you're leaving me!" Seokjin gave a dramatic whine. "It feels like it was just yesterday I was wheeling you down to the recreation room to play the piano! Now you're being discharged!"
"Does that mean you want me to stay in the hospital?" Yoongi arched an eyebrow in amusement as he pulled on his jacket.
"I don't want you to stay per say…but it's like watching a child you've taken care of go off on their own! It's such an emotional feeling for us doctors!" Seokjin clutched at his heart with a rapid blink of his eyes as if he were blinking away tears.
"Mhm…I think it's just you." Yoongi snorted with a small smile.
After his first successful succession walking without crutches, Namjoon and Seokjin had agreed to have him stay for two more weeks to build up more strength in his leg. Now, two weeks later, he was walking as if he had never been injured and was officially discharged.
"I'm sure Namjoon will keep you up to date with how I'm doing in the outside world. If it makes you feel better, I'll tell Namjoon to tell you hello every now and then." Yoongi shoved his hands into his pockets. "But seriously, thanks for taking such good care of me. I really appreciate it."
"You really are trying to get me to cry aren't you?" Seokjin groaned.
"Am I interrupting?" Namjoon pushed opened the door, knocking on the door as he did so.
"No, but you're supposed to knock then open the door, Namjoon." Yoongi rolled his eyes in a good natured manner.
"Yeah not this time!" Namjoon snickered. "Listen, I need to talk to you about something before you go Yoongi."
Yoongi's smile fell, good mood instantly replaced with apprehension.
"Relax Yoongi you're not in trouble." Namjoon teased. "I promise I didn't find any other reason to keep you here either. You can breathe big boy!"
Yoongi huffed, mumbling under his breath about Namjoon scaring him.
"I'll leave you two alone now." Seokjin announced before moving towards the door. "Continue to take it easy okay Yoongi? Bye bye now!" The door closed with a soft click, leaving Namjoon and Yoongi alone in silence.
"So Hoseok called." Namjoon spoke, walking deeper into the room with his arms behind his back. "He said that he, Jungkook and Taehyung will be picking you up and taking you home!"
"That's great!" Yoongi sat on the edge of the made up bed. "Knowing them they probably have a welcome home party waiting for me or something."
"That definitely sounds like something Taehyung would fight tooth and nail for." Namjoon chuckled, dimples appearing as he did so.
"Is that what you needed to tell me alone?"
"Well…no." Namjoon's smile dissolved into a tight line. He removed his arms from behind his back, revealing a familiar Manila folder that made Yoongi stiffen. "I made sure to keep it hidden when I came in. I figured you wouldn't be too happy to see it. Looks like I was right."
"Namjoon, please. I told you, I won't invade Jimin's privacy! Quit asking-"
"That's just it, I'm not asking you this time!" Namjoon extended the folder to Yoongi. "While you were here, Seokjin and I were conduction another examination concerning you and your health. We didn't find anything wrong that would suggest brain damage or hallucinations. So I need you to look into this folder and read it so I have answers and so do you!"
"Hallucinations? Brain damage?! What the hell are you talking about?! I'm perfectly fine!" Yoongi's voice rose with outrage.
"I know you're fine!" Namjoon retorted. "But something isn't making sense about Jimin and I think we both need to know if what you're seeing is just your own imagination or something caused by your accident!"
"Wha…what are you saying Namjoon?" Yoongi's voice came out in a small whimper, eyes wide with disbelief as his brain processed the possible implications of his friends words. "Are you trying to tell me….Jimin is…he isn't.."
"Read the file Yoongi." Namjoon urged, placing the folder in Yoongi's lap. "Please."
*****
The sound of the Piano keys being pressed in a slow manner resonated through the room. The melancholy noise only seemed to reflect his mood all too well.
"Damn it!" Jimin slammed his head against the keys with a broken whimper.
Yoongi would be leaving today. And that meant that once more, Jimin would be left alone. It wasn't intentional, his meeting with Yoongi. He was just so sad and lonely on that day, so tired of waiting that he'd lowered his guard in hopes that someone would come to him, and that person had been Yoongi.
"Stupid, stupid stupid!" Jimin muttered, sniffing as his tears fell onto the keys. His heart ached, it felt like the old knife that had been stabbed there many years ago was being gripped and plunged in deeper for good measure. He would be abandoned again, left alone again, but this time, God knows how long it'd be until his knight and shining armor finally set him free. "Damn it..damn it all."
"Now what's got you so sad?"
Jimin jumped, rubbing at his eyes quickly as he turned to face the figure standing in the doorway. "Y-Yoongi you scared me! What are you doing here? You should be getting ready to leave!"
"Well I was, until I noticed a special someone wasn't around to say goodbye." Yoongi gave Jimin a small smile, one that made Jimin want to melt.
"Oh… it's harder for me to say goodbye than to say hello." Jimin shrugged with a humorless laugh.
Yoongi's eyes drifted to the Piano, taking note of Jimin's small hands on the keys. "Were you trying to play the Piano?"
"Yeah, but I'm no good at it. I like hearing you play a lot more." Jimin patted the spot next to him. "Play for me one last time?"
"Of course!" Yoongi closed the door behind him as he entered the room and sat on the bench. "Anything for you."
Jimin wasted no time in wrapping his arms around Yoongi's. He rested his head on Yoongi's shoulder and let his eyes fall closed as he began to play.
Yoongi's fingers drifted along the keyboard, a soft, almost sad melody, filling the air and serenading the two.
Jimin suddenly found himself thinking back on the night he had laid in Yoongi's arms and opened up to him for the first time. He had wanted to tell Yoongi everything, but backed out in the end for fear that Yoongi's reaction would be like the others. He feared being left alone again, and yet here he was mere moments from being invisible to the human eye once more. ' Tell him the truth jimin..you owe it to him. Now is as good a time as any. Its not like you'll see him again.'
"Jimin?"
The soft call of his name pulled Jimin out of his thoughts. "Yes Yoongi?"
Yoongi turned to gaze at Jimin, a sorrowful expression on his face. "I can't believe I have to leave you soon. A part of me wants to go break my leg or something so I can stay with you a little longer."
"I'm flattered, but you can't go hurting yourself for me. You'd be worrying my precious little heart!" Jimin giggled, grabbing onto Yoongi's waist and gazing up at him through glistening eyes.
"We wouldn't want that!" Yoongi cupped Jimin's face with his hand, thumb stroking his cheek. "It really hurts you know? I came here with the mindset that befriending someone that was near death would be too painful because I'd eventually have to say goodbye. And then I met you, and I began to think that you were on your deathbed, the thought of losing you…was unimaginable. So I decided that I'd try and hide my pain, and make your final moments the best moments I possibly could! Too bad I was prepared to befriend and lose someone near death, but I wasn't prepared to befriend and fall in love with someone who's already gone."
Horror. It gripped him like a icy embrace as Yoongi's words sunk in. His mouth dropped open in silent explanation, and tears welled up in his eyes. "Yoongi…how did you.."
"I read your file." Yoongi whispered, dismay written all over his face. "When were you going to tell me you died nine years ago?"
PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
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