THEY both lied down on the bed, still sobbing their heart out, their backs against each other as they knew they couldn't face each other like that. Mal let out a few, muffled sobs while wiping away her tears, then held her hand to her heart and closed her eyes.

Thoughts and recent memories raced through her mind, making her heart ache as well.

She could hear Jeongin struggling to stay quiet while sobbing, and she could do nothing to make him feel slightly better.

What could she tell him anyway?

Their seven friends just died. At the same time.

Not to mention that one of them was the light of her life, whom she couldn't live without.

Knowing that there was nothing she could do, she continued to listen to his sniffles and allowed herself to breathe in and out, trying to calm herself down.

"Noona, I can't sleep... I'm scared."

She heard his weak, broken tone, and turned around immediately. Seeing his trembling frame not too far away from her, she reached for him to wrap her arms around his (rather muscled) stomach, and planted a small kiss over his clothed shoulder.

"I promise I'm going to protect you, even if my life depended on it. I won't let anyone hurt you."

He let out a small tear and tossed himself on the bed to turn to her.

"Please don't leave me, noona. You're all I have right now..."

She rubbed his arm in reassurance as she pulled him closer to her.

"I promise I won't leave you, not again."

He swallowed, then pushed himself closer to wrap his arms around her as if to seek reassurance.

"Come on, baby. Let's go make a drink to help you sleep."

She remained still for a moment whatsoever, hugging him closer to her and kissing his forehead gently.

He tried to enjoy her presence, as the gut feeling inside him told him not to let her go. The thought of losing her as well terrified the living hell out of him.

"I promise I won't let you go," she whispered finally, patting his back before getting up in one swift move.

"Come on, Innie,"

He followed her out of the room soon after.

☂︎

"How are you feeling now?" she asked as soon as they lied down on the bed again.

"I... I don't know. I don't feel so good. I feel terrible..."

She nodded sympathetically, then opened her arms as to invite him for a tight hug.

He obeyed, and hugged her closer to him as he took in her scent. For some reason, it gave him a sense of nostalgia.

It reminded him of Felix.

As soon as the thought hit him, he realized that Mal and Felix used to buy the same perfume, especially when they were apart, so that they would be reminded of each other.

And it worked.

"Noona, do you miss Felix?"

She nodded slowly, a sudden sense of overwhelming awareness filling her. It didn't hit her, not when the monitor beeped, not when they were both crying, not when she was lying in bed, not next to him but next to Jeongin, that Felix wasn't with her anymore.

The thought of him not being with her, forever, terrified her.

"More than anything. I miss them all so much..." she spoke in a soft tone, "I would do anything to go back in time to stop you from coming here. I should've known better."

Tears filled his eyes as he shook his head.

"It's not your fault, okay? Please, stop blaming yourself..."

She frowned, allowing a small tear to stream down her beautiful, exhausted face.

"I would do anything to bring them back," she began, "but, I know that we must stay strong. For them, at least. Promise me you will stay strong, Jeongin."

He squeezed her body tighter.

"Yes, Mal. I promise."

She sent him a weak, satisfied smile, and planted a small kiss over his forehead in reassurance. The boy sighed as he felt the soft pair of lips on his skin, then closed his eyes.

And at that, they fell asleep.

☂︎

The doctors were filled with visible confusion and a slight feeling of terror as they heard the seven monitors start beeping again, this time back to life.

"Sir! What's going on? It seems like they're still alive!"

Nurses hurried towards each room and began to hook some machines, including oxygen masks, to the patients.

"Take care of them. We won't inform their families until they actually start getting better," the doctor spoke in a monotone voice, "give them all the treatment they need."

"But doctor... Isn't that a bit cruel? To their families, I mean."

The doctor shrugged.

"Do you want to give them false hope and then crush them?"

Of course not.

The unconscious bodies were then strapped to different machines so the doctors could tell their blood pressure, their heart rate, their breathing.

For a moment, it seemed cruel as to what happened earlier that day, when everyone started crying over the seven.

But the wait, from that moment, would be worth it.

____________________