With a faint smile, Yeo Jun whispered, "I'm fine."
But when Joon Hyunk placed his palm on Yeo Jun's forehead, his heart sank. The fever hadn't gone down at all—his skin was burning hot, just like yesterday. When Yeo Jun tried to sit up, his body failed him.
"Don't move," Joon Hyunk said firmly, gently guiding him back to lie down.
Yeo Jun gazed at him silently. When Joon Hyunk caught his expression, he asked, "Do you want to say something?" Yeo Jun shook his head lightly in denial.
Smiling, Joon Hyunk ran his fingers through his hair and whispered, "You're so strong, Yeo Jun. Just a little longer and everything will be fine. We'll go back home soon, I promise."
At the mention of going home, a small smile spread across Yeo Jun's tired face.
He managed to eat the light breakfast brought by the hospital staff. Then, as scheduled, the doctor came again and administered the fourth injection through the cannula.
This time, the area around Yeo Jun's hand had turned bluish from repeated injections, and his forearm throbbed with sharp pain. Worse, his fever was climbing higher and higher. His skin burned with heat, and his breathing had become shallow. He could barely take in sips of water to stay hydrated.
By noon, the doctor returned once more. She examined him closely, concern flashing across her face. Turning to Joon Hyunk, she instructed,
"There's only one last dose remaining. But this time, it may be even more difficult for him to endure. He will need extreme care. Please stay close to him at all times."
After a brief check, she administered the fifth and final injection. By now, the veins in Yeo Jun's hand were numb from repeated doses. At first, he simply lay still, too weak to react.
But minutes after the doctor left, a sudden burning sensation spread violently through his arm. Yeo Jun gasped and sat up, clutching his hand tightly with his other palm. His voice broke into a cry:
"Ahhh! My hand—it's burning!"
The pain was so intense that tears welled up in his eyes.
Panicked, Joon Hyunk rushed forward. Not knowing how else to ease him, he carefully held Yeo Jun's trembling hand—the one with the cannula—in both of his own, and then pulled him into a firm, protective embrace.
Yeo Jun, sobbing against his chest, cried out desperately, "I don't want any more injections! Please… I just want to go home. I don't want to stay here anymore."
Joon Hyunk's heart shattered at his words. Stroking his hair with one hand, he whispered firmly into his ear,
… it's over now. No more injections, I promise. After this treatment, we'll go home immediately. Just hold on a little longer, Yeo Jun. I'm right here with you."
Yeo Jun remained seated, still clinging tightly to Joon Hyunk in a hug. But Joon Hyunk could feel that Yeo Jun's body was becoming increasingly hot. Worried, he gently laid him back down on the bed so he could rest.
As he carefully tried to place Yeo Jun's hand back on the mattress, Yeo Jun instinctively lifted his arm slightly by himself.
"What happened?" Joon Hyunk asked softly.
Yeo Jun murmured weakly, "When my arm rests flat on the bed, the pain in my hand gets worse."
Understanding, Joon Hyunk quickly pulled a chair beside the bed, sat down, and tenderly took Yeo Jun's hand into both of his own—raising it just enough so the swelling would hurt less.
When he looked closely, he saw that the area around the cannula was swollen and bruised with a deep bluish mark. No wonder even the slightest movement caused him pain.
Gradually, dizziness overwhelmed Yeo Jun. He felt like he was about to lose consciousness. Frightened, he squeezed his eyes shut—and within moments, he had drifted into an exhausted sleep. Joon Hyunk remained seated right beside him, holding his hand protectively.
Later that night, while still clutching Yeo Jun's hand, Joon Hyunk dozed off in the chair at his side.
By morning, Yeo Jun slowly stirred awake. His fever was still high, and his body felt heavy. Yet, when he glanced down, he saw that Joon Hyunk was still there, asleep, his hand firmly wrapped around his own. The cannula site on his arm had now turned an even darker shade of blue, and his arm ached so much that he could barely move it. He tried to slip his hand free, but the pain made him stop. Instead, he let it remain in Joon Hyunk's grasp and closed his eyes again.
A little while later, Joon Hyunk woke up. Sitting upright, he carefully placed Yeo Jun's hand back onto the bed and quickly went to freshen up. When he returned, he found Yeo Jun's eyes half-open.
He hurried to his side, brushing his fingers gently through Yeo Jun's hair.
"How are you feeling now, Yeo Jun? Are you okay?" he asked softly.
"I'm fine," Yeo Jun replied faintly, shaking his head a little.
But when Joon Hyunk touched his forehead, his face darkened. "Your fever is still very high," he whispered worriedly.