Chapter Text
Lee Gon sat there outside the operation theatre, unsure of what to think. Or feel.
He was tired, so, so tired, but it was nothing compared to the ever growing fears inside his chest. All of those feelings of helplessness were a bottomless pit, and he realized bitterly and in resigned anger that even as the ever powerful monarch, he was utterly and completely useless now.
His best friend, confidante, family, his Yeong , was fighting for his life in there, and all he could do was thinking of what did he do wrong — He should have headed out to the bamboo forest sooner, he should have asserted his command with more conviction and told Yeong to stay put and guard the back gate instead, he should not let Yeong follow him to the Cheonjongo, he should have beheaded Lee Rim sooner, he should have, he should have, he should have—
Yeong would have—
Gon buried his head on his hands.
His heart nearly stopped when he rushed back to Cheonjongo and saw him sprawling there, his head hung low, unmoving and was too still. Yeong did not respond to his frantic calls. As Gon scanned his body for any injuries, his hands terribly shaking, the sight of Yeong's blood-soaked shirt nearly pushed him over the edge.
Yeong’s pulse was too faint, but Gon still offered his gratefulness to whoever would listen that his beloved hadn’t left him alone in the world yet. He won’t.
He refuses to let him.
As he secured a makeshift bandage over his wounds with any torn fabric he could find and carried Yeong through the gate once more, he had prayed his hardest to let them come into the right year and world. And Gon would like to think that Fate was still on their side, somehow, because after stepping out of the gate, he could instantly recognize the bamboo forest as his, and in the distance, he could make out the dancing lights which was the product of the 1200-lumen flashlights used by his Royal Guards.
As soon as he converged with the guards, Gon had screamed his orders in completely unhinged tones to rush Yeong to the nearest hospital with any means necessary.
Seok Ho-pil, one of Yeong’s Sub-captains, had followed all of the King's subsequent commands and relayed them to his subordinates as well. Then, he proceeded to stay by Gon’s side with a deep and questioning frown on his face, but the northerner had thoroughly respected Gon’s space. He had stayed silent, not even asking his King a single thing, in spite of the flickers of conflicted emotions which occasionally escaped across his eyes. Instead, he simply became a fixed figure who accompanied the Monarch right there and then in the freezing hospital corridor.
“ Pyeha .”
Gon looked up from his hands, which still smelled faintly like metal and despair, to see Lady Noh rushed over to where he was seated.
"Oh, Pyeha ," was all she said, as she half collapsed to the seat beside him and engulfed him into her embrace.
Like a flick of a switch, hearing the quiver in the elderly lady's voice, Gon felt like an eight-year-old again. He finally broke down in her arms.
~
When the head doctor finally emerged from the operating room, he had informed both Gon and Lady Noh that Yeong had suffered from multiple broken ribs (most of them on his back), dislocated shoulder, some fractures, and also a few gunshot wounds. Thankfully, though, none of his broken ribs punctured his lung or any important blood vessels. And also, all of the bullets fortunately managed to avoid his vital organs and had been entirely removed without any complications. Yeong had lost a whole lot of blood, the doctor had taken notes on that, but all in all, the operation was a success.
"Don’t worry, Pyeha . Jo daejangnim is a fighter, he's tough,” the doctor continued. “He doesn't even need metal plates for his broken ribs. We're going to keep monitoring his vitals, though, but I'm confident he’ll wake up soon.”
“Thank you,” Gon had told the doctor with all of his might. Thank you for saving Yeong. Thank you, thank you, he repeated it over and over in his head, just like a prayer.
~
They moved Yeong to the large suit at the very end of the hall, the exact same one which was once occupied by none other than Jo Eun-seob on the forgotten timeline. It all felt like a long, long time ago, now.
Gon had not left his bedside throughout the dawn and day.
He never realized it was possible for Yeong to look so small. The younger man was actually almost a hundred eighty centimeters in height, not short by a long shot, and he was far from skinny. He was also perfectly toned due to the rigorous and disciplined years of training. However, seeing him clad in the oversized hospital gown with his upper torso completely covered by thick bandages, it was like he had shrunk significantly in one night.
Soon, the bruises finally showed up, all yellow and blue and ugly, decorating all over his body. They were such a contrast to the rest of his skin which had become even paler.
His Yeong looked very fragile. His Unbreakable Sword, fractured.
Gon wondered if Yeong dreamt at all. He thought he saw the younger man produce a slight frown at one point during the breaking dawn, but before Gon could raise his hand to smooth it over — Why are you frowning, Yeong? Are you having nightmares? — the crease had been gone, leaving him looking too lifeless for his liking.
Some of the fears crept back into his heart. Gon held on tight to the steady beeping of the machines which assisted his best friend, as if it was his lifeline instead of Yeong's.
It was not a surprise that Gon had lost any sense of time.
He did remember changing his clothes, briefly, before returning to his place on Yeong's side, feeling like an undead. His head throbbed and his whole body ached as extreme fatigue washed over him.
His mind wandered to Jeong Tae-eul despite his calculated self-distraction, and the deep, suppressed yearning broke through in the end, nearly suffocating him. Gon would gladly give anything in a heartbeat for her to be there with him, to have her in his arms again. But no matter how bad Gon would like to seek her out, right now he needed to make sure one of his pillars was perfectly safe and sound first.
He could not even bring himself to think about how much more he could possibly lose—
Gon knew he was utterly spent, both emotionally and physically. He tried to reason with himself that nothing good could come out from excessive worrying about things that hadn't even come to pass.
Perhaps, that was why he could finally succumb into any kind of slumber while he's still in the upward sitting position, his head eventually slumped on top of his crossed arms at the edge of the bed.
The faint sound of the medical instruments served him as his lullaby.
~
When Gon jerked awake from the bad dreams, he felt disoriented for a second.
He could not remember his nightmares, its traces had evaporated too quickly as he was violently thrown back down into the realm of consciousness. However, the leftover sinking feeling deep within his gut was telling him that it should have something to do with Yeong.
And speaking of the man—
Yeong had somehow managed to move his right hand to clasp over one of Gon’s during his sleep.
The King looked up sharply at that realization to see the younger man’s eyes fluttering open slowly, most probably sensing his sudden movement.
"Yeong?" Gon’s voice was low and hopeful.
Even fully pumped up by morphines, Gon could see how much he still suffered in pain. His stomach churned to see it reflected in Yeong’s slightly unfocused eyes and furrowed brows. " Pye-ha? " Yeong had gasped with difficulty, instantly wincing.
"Save your energy, Yeong-ah," Gon breathed, trying to keep his voice even. Truth was, he was once again on the verge of tears, though he was flooded with relief that time around. "Thank you ," he said, his voice thick with emotion, "for waking up this soon."
Yeong didn’t respond. His eyes had been closed once again.
The doctors had warned Gon during one of their inspection visits that Yeong would drift in and out of consciousness for a while. It was normal, they had reassured him. It was an effect of the anesthetic in his system gradually wearing off, and also as they would keep him heavily sedated for the time being.
Gon placed his hand on Yeong's right shoulder, making the gentlest squeeze. "Sleep tight, Yeong-ah. Please rest."
A beat later, his smart watch beeped. Gon glanced at it and realized that it was about time Lady Noh came back to bring some of Yeong's clothes and personal effects with her.
The King finally rose from his seat, half-dragging himself to wash up quickly.
When he was done, Gon slid open the door to the corridor, and instantly locked eyes with Seok Ho-pil. He had his hand rested on his earpiece. The Sub-captain should be in the middle of listening to reports from his subordinates.
"Noh sanggoong mamanim has arrived, Pyeha ," he said, relaying the report.
And right on cue, the Head Court Lady appeared seconds after. And she was not alone, she brought Myeong Na-ri with her—
No, that’s incorrect , Gon backtracked. The young woman accompanying Lady Noh was Myeong Na-ri’s counterpart, a staff of the Royal Public Affairs Office named Myeong Seung-ah, if his memory served correctly.
"How is he, Pyeha ?"
"Yeong’s awake," Gon confided, completely relishing that he was able to say it. “For just a second, but I’d say he’s lucid, recognizing me.” He’s going to take what he could get.
The collective relief in the women’s faces were palpable. Gon even thought he saw Seok Ho-pil let out a long exhale, as if he had been holding his breath the whole time.
Gon’s eyes traveled downwards to land on the huge luggage that Myeong Seung-ah had on her grip. "Ah, would you please go inside, Miss Myeong Seung-ah, accompany Yeong for a while? I want to talk with Noh sanggoong for a bit.”
The King watched Seung-ah’s back disappear into the room for a bit before he turned back to the Head Court Lady. "Any news from Yeong’s parents?"
"Admiral Jo should arrive first,” Lady Noh replied. “His transit is shorter and he managed to get an earlier flight. Jo daejang 's mother is delayed in Dubai, but they'll only be spaced out a few hours, at most."
“Sounds good. Everything’s set with their accommodation?”
“Yes. There’ll be a team on standby at the airport. The hotel’s also been taken care of.” Lady Noh placed her hand on Gon’s elbow then. “ Pyeha , you should rest. I can tell you haven’t been sleeping enough.”
True. Gon felt like he could just keel over where he stood.
“Get some shut-eye. Let me take care of Jo daejang ’s paperwork.”
"Thank you, Noh sanggoong ," Gon said, pulling the elderly lady into a tight hug.
~
Gon ended up requesting some sleeping aids to help him sleep better. He needed to maximize his resting time and ensure it was nightmare-free, and the nurses had been more than helpful in recommending him the right dosage for it. They even brought over some chamomile tea and warm milk as the complement.
And he should admit that the long sofa in the VIP room wasn’t the most comfortable one. His back was stiff as a result, but Gon still thought it was pretty manageable, especially considering Lady Noh had also kindly produced a few soft pillows to aid him further.
He did not know how long he had been sleeping. It surely felt like minutes, but when he had fully opened his eyes, the room was already dimmed and Gon realized that it should be closer to nightfall already.
He rose into an upright position, and was instantly greeted by the view of Yeong’s bed.
He saw it, at first.
Myeong Seung-ah had moved the chair much closer to the bed, her back to Gon, but the King could still see her holding Yeong’s IV-free hand in hers, against her heart.
The way she addressed his best friend prevented Gon to announce his presence. He felt too much like an intruder.
“Hey you,” she had said, her tone too soft and intimate.
Gon could not figure out whether Yeong was currently awake or not, because he could not hear any response from him.
Seung-ah raised her hand to stroke Yeong’s hair now, combing them slightly to the side to expose some part of his forehead, perhaps in an attempt to mirror his trademark hairstyle. She continued to caress his forehead then.
“You scared me.” Her voice was too quiet.
Gon could make out some faint movement on Yeong’s part, alerting him that the Captain should be conscious.
It was then that a set of memories emerged in his head. They were weak at first, making Gon question whether they really did happen or not and added another layer of confusion regarding which timeline they belonged to. But gradually, they got sharper and clearer. In them, he could recall seeing Yeong — his Yeong and not Jo Eun-seob parading as the Captain — with a small smile on his face as he read one of the phone messages he just received, presumably from Myeong Seung-ah. Yeong, trading quick knowing glances with the lady as they crossed paths on the palace’s corridor. And there were also a few where the latter seemed to deliver more and more documents into his study while Yeong was standing guard.
Gon smiled, something warm burst through him. So it is fate.
Even after the reset and forgotten memories, just like Jo Eun-seob and Myeong Na-ri, even on a different world which was theirs, his Yeong was meant to be with Myeong Seung-ah after all.
Gon lowered himself back down, slowly. He did not want to disturb the two. He supposed he would wait until the moment's right before he would pretend to finally arise from sleep.
Satisfied that Yeong would be so well taken care of, now Gon could finally embark on his quest to find his own destiny.
Please wait for me a little more, Jeong Tae-eul, I am on my way.