Fallen Leaves, Chapter 6
mso-ansi-language:EN-CA">Author: DaraDaraDara12
Pairing: JaeMin
Genre: Horror, Romance, AU
Length: Chaptered
Rating: P-13
Warnings: Character death, gore, violence
Summary: A disease has spread worldwide and the world plunges into darkness. Changmin struggles for his life, constantly running around to stay alive. Can Jaejoong save him and make him live for real again? Or will they both be swept away, left to die like fallen leaves by a harsh winter?
There was a faint, distant sound, repeating itself with a regular beat. I focused on the sound, and it slowly became louder and louder, until I was able to identify it as a hospital machine beeping in sync with my heartbeat. I opened my eyes. I blinked a few times to get my vision clear. Feeling a sudden pain in my arm, I cried out, automatically lifting my arm. The machine started beeping madly as I watched in a mix horror and fascination. My arm had been cut on the articulation, and there was a bandage around the end. It hurt, but not the part that was still there. It was my forearm. How could something that wasn’t there anymore hurt so much?
mso-ansi-language:EN-CA">The door to my room suddenly opened and Teamin’s shy face appeared. His hair was messy and he seemed panicked. He yelled:
mso-ansi-language:EN-CA">-Guys, guys! Changmin’s awake! He’s awake!
mso-ansi-language:EN-CA">He rushed into my room and gave me a hug. It felt awkward, since we weren’t that close, but I still returned it, because he looked so young and afraid.
mso-ansi-language:EN-CA">-We’ve been real worried!, said Teamin, still clutching to me.
-Me too, I admitted.
mso-ansi-language:EN-CA">I lifted his little chin to meet his eyes. They were wide, with traces of dried tears on his cheeks. The usually happy and merry child seemed now shell-shocked. The door barged open and Jaejoong entered, running towards my bed and taking my hand in both of his. He looked almost as panicked as Teamin and was carrying a shotgun and two pistols.
mso-ansi-language:EN-CA">-How are you feeling, Changmin?, he asked.
-My arm hurts, but… I feel fine. What’s happening here?
-They attacked a little after we finished the operation. They distracted us by sending…
-Wait! Distracted you?, I interrupted him.
-Yeah! They sent a large number of them in front of the hospital, but they also sent some in the back.
-Was this… intentional?
-We think so…
mso-ansi-language:EN-CA">We looked at each other, while I was stroking Teamin’s
hair. I could see the fear in his eyes, and I was sure I had the exact same
look on my own face.
mso-ansi-language:EN-CA">-I’m really glad that you’ve made it, said Jaejoong and my breath almost caught in my throat due to the feelings I could read in his eyes and hear in his voice.
mso-ansi-language:EN-CA">-Thanks to you, I said. You made me want to live again.
mso-ansi-language:EN-CA">I gave Jaejoong a delicate smile as I inched my lips closer to his, not caring about Teamin watching, but the door smacked open and we all jumped, Jaejoong pointing a pistol at the door. It was Kyuhyun, looking as stricken as the other two. Jaejoong put his gun down. Kyuhyun looked at us and barked:
mso-ansi-language:EN-CA">-Get out! Now! We’re leaving the second floor! Got to the stairs! Jae, you protect Changmin! I've got Tae!
mso-ansi-language:EN-CA">Jaejoong took my hand and lifted me off the bed. Running, we followed Kyuhyun to the staircase. Jaejoong and Kyuhyun shot at some of them who came too close. The hospital was in a disastrous state. I could see places where some barricades had been installed, now fallen. There was blood everywhere. Shredded bodies laid on the floor like mutilated dolls
painted in red. The air smelled so much of death and copper, I could almost taste it. Some of them were feeding
on a girl whom I could not recognize. Her whole body was a bloody, ripped mess. Her brown eyes still open wide in pain and terror met mine, as life slowly escaped her, and that's when I recognized her.
mso-ansi-language:EN-CA">-Taeyon!, screamed Teamin, pointing at the familiar face twisted in pain.
-It's too late, it's too late!, yelled Kyuhyun, clutching to Teamin who was bawling and trying to reach for Taeyon.
mso-ansi-language:EN-CA">By the time we reached the second floor, my head was spinning madly. I felt like throwing up, but it wasn’t exactly a good time to do so. Instead, I comforted Taemin who was still crying, his little body shaking due to the fear and pain.
mso-ansi-language:EN-CA">-No one left down?, asked Jaejoong.
-No one alive, replied Kyuhyun. Let’s barricade the stairs.
-Can I help?, I asked.
-Just go sit somewhere with Teamin, was Kyuhyun’s answer.
mso-ansi-language:EN-CA">I stepped backwards and sat on the ground, my back against the wall, Teamin in my arms. I made soothing noises in his ears as I looked as the three men took beds, tables, anything to block the stairs. He was so innocent, so caring of those around him; he reminded me of Junsu. I really wanted to help. I remembered how they had gathered around the house when Yunho was about to turn. They had sensed me too, and that’s why they were attacking. That's why Taeyon and the others were dead. I wanted to help, but the throbbing pain in my arm reminded me that helping was out of the question. Without my right hand, I couldn’t do much. I gripped Teamin closer.
mso-ansi-language:EN-CA">-Teamin-ah! Changmin-ssi!
mso-ansi-language:EN-CA">Yoochun came running towards us. His eyes automatically checked my bandaged arm. He had blood on his hands.
mso-ansi-language:EN-CA">-Are you hurt? I asked.
-Not me. Heechul cut himself. How's your arm?
-It hurts, but not the upper part… I know the other part’s gone, but…
-That’s normal. We call it phantom pain, and most people who have been amputated feel like that. Your nerves have been damaged, and they are still trying to send signals to your missing arm. Your brain still thinks that you have an arm, see? So when it receives no signal from the arm, it thinks that your arm is paralysed or in bad condition, and your brain tells you that your arm’s in pain. Do you get it?
-A little… I think...
-What about Teamin?
mso-ansi-language:EN-CA">Exhausted, Teamin didn’t lift his head. He was already half-asleep, his small head against my shoulder.
-It's Teayon, I said, not too loud for not to make him cry again. They got her.
mso-ansi-language:EN-CA">Yoochun took a deep breath, visibly trying to calm himself. He passed his hands on his face, whipping the fresh tears, his bottom lip trembling slightly.mso-ansi-language:EN-CA"> The barricades were now fully set. Jaejoong and Kyuhyun were sitting against the wall, visibly exhausted. I stared at Jaejoong. His sweaty bangs were glued to his forehead. His eyes were closed and he was breathing deeply. He looked like an angel, and I knew inside he was also one. An angel fallen from the sky straight into hell. I must have had a certain look in my eyes, because Yoochun asked me:
mso-ansi-language:EN-CA">-Did you tell Jae?, asked Yoochun, voice strained but suddenly serious.
-Tell him what? I asked, unsure.
-Tell him you love him, idiot, he replied.
mso-ansi-language:EN-CA">I didn’t answer. Jaejoong had told me about his feelings for me, and I had never answered. It was not because I didn’t. I knew what I felt for him, it could only be love.
mso-ansi-language:EN-CA">-Well, you should!, said Yoochun, taking my silence for an answer. We’ve lost many people today. You never know when it’ll be his turn.
mso-ansi-language:EN-CA">As to give him reason, a dull banging sound was heard from downstairs. My throat constricted. I wanted to go towards Jaejoong and cuddle with him, but he was already gone to check on the munitions we had left. Yoochun followed him, drying his tears, and I took care of Teamin. The others spent the next hour making sure all stairs were barricaded and everyone had a functional weapon, except for me. That being done, we all stayed in the same room. None of us wanted to be separated again. We had been around thirty; we were now eleven. After eating a little, we made a minute of silence for all those who had not made it to the second floor.
mso-ansi-language:EN-CA">After eating, it was getting late, but no one really wanted to go to sleep. We were too afraid that they would come and get us in our sleep. We finally decided that if they were to get through the barricades in only one night, which was unlikely, we would hear them destroying everything. Jaejoong and I slept in the same bed. We didn’t even ask the other about it, we just knew we needed to be close in order to fall asleep. I cuddled against his warm chest, his arms around me and mine around him. I felt safe, even though that feeling was merely an illusion. They were just downstairs, after all.
mso-ansi-language:EN-CA">-Jaejoong? I asked timidly against his chest.
mso-ansi-language:EN-CA">He did not answer. I could feel his breathing, slow and regular on the top of my head. Even though he was asleep, I said:
mso-ansi-language:EN-CA">-I love you.
mso-ansi-language:EN-CA">***
mso-ansi-language:EN-CA">I dreamed I was in the middle of the street, surrounded by them. I had no idea how I had gotten there, and I quickly scanned the area to plan an escape. Junsu was on the ground, his ankle visibly swelling. He was crying. Suddenly, he screamed and pointed towards me:
mso-ansi-language:EN-CA">-Changmin! Watch out!
mso-ansi-language:EN-CA">I spun and found myself face to face with one of them. Its traits were so familiar, it boggled my mind. Who was that?
mso-ansi-language:EN-CA">Suddenly, I heard a high-pitched scream and I woke up in sweat. Jaejoong was awake, too. The scream had come from another room, close to ours. The scream died to be replaced by sobs and whimpers of pain. Teamin...
mso-ansi-language:EN-CA">-How did…? asked Jaejoong, eyes wide with fear.
mso-ansi-language:EN-CA">I had no answer. How could they get past the barricades so fast, and without making any noise? It was impossible! I looked around. It was dark and the emergency lights could not light up the whole room. Wait… No one had shut the lights before going to sleep. We were all too anxious to sleep with the lights closed. They couldn’t have…
mso-ansi-language:EN-CA">The door opened, and one of them came towards us, walking in a slow, regular pace. Jaejoong took his gun and aimed, but there was something about the silhouette…
mso-ansi-language:EN-CA">-Wait, I said, pushing Jaejoong’s hand aside.
mso-ansi-language:EN-CA">Jaejoong looked at me like I was mad. Maybe I was. It felt like my dream, just like my dream and when the light hit the silhouette as it came forward, I finally recognized the familiar face smeared in blood.
mso-ansi-language:EN-CA">-Yunho!
mso-ansi-language:EN-CA">AN: Cliff-hanger! Haha! This chapter was kinda long, but there was no better place to stop, since I wanted to end it with Yunho. Sorry for the little medical explanation about phantom pain. I wasn’t sure if everyone knew what it was, so I explained it to make sure. The end is getting near!! Look forward to the nextmso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-CA"> chapter!
PS: I hate LJ, and LJ hates me.