Chapter Text
It was a rare occurrence for the king to get ill.
His status as the ruler of the nation made him a high-value target for anyone seeking to harm him, so precautions were usually taken to ensure His Majesty would not touch people who hadn’t been screened for contagious diseases, and anyone who showed even the slightest signs of an illness was barred from entering the palace.
The king's health was of utmost importance. Therefore, Gon’s halfhearted protests notwithstanding, regular checkups at the Royal Hospital in Busan were a mandatory part of the king’s routine. It was the best hospital in the country. With a special team led by the Royal Physician, the doctors who examined the king were highly trained and experienced, and they ensured that His Majesty would always receive state-of-the-art preventive care.
Even with that – and with His Majesty always up to date with the vaccinations – the king was not completely immune to every illness.
So it happened.
Not that any of them had realized right away. Gon was so focused on his duties that he didn’t think the symptoms his body was displaying were worth any attention. He had noticed them throughout the day but quickly dismissed any measure of concern with a mental excuse. Yes, he had been feeling very hot and then suddenly cold, but how was he supposed to guess it was because of a fever? After all, his body had been pushed in and out of places with blazing sun and freezing air conditioning all day long. Also, his duties on that day had taken a lot of him; the pain in his head and shoulders was just as expected on days like that, right? And that cough he held back every time while in public was because they had been visiting the mining region earlier, wasn’t it? He should really ask the Prime Minister to do something to improve environmental regulations...
It wasn’t until he had to forcefully draw in a breath that Yeong zeroed in on him through the car's side mirror and demanded: “What’s wrong, Your Majesty?”
Because his captain, of all people, was able to guess right away – this wasn’t common, and this wasn’t just the king getting anxious.
Gon frowned and forced in another breath before answering. “My chest feels… stuffed.”
Raising his hand, Yeong spoke hurriedly into the radio: “Code Blue. We are changing the course to the Royal Hospital.” He didn’t even have to nod to the driver – the car was already making a right turn. He twisted on the seat to face Gon. “Any pain?”
“Not… quite.” Gon exhaled and drew in another breath. “But it… feels… tight…” His breaths were shorter when he was not forcing them in. Slowly, he brought a hand to his chest and kept it splayed there. “When I try… to breathe in all the way.”
“ETA?” Yeong asked in the radio, keeping his eyes on Gon.
“Three minutes, sir.”
Reaching out to touch Gon’s wrist, feeling for his pulse, Yeong insisted: “Any other symptoms? Keep talking to me.”
“I’m tired,” Gon mumbled. “Can we… open the window?” Leaning back in the seat, Gon closed his eyes. “I think… that may help.”
Without turning back to the front, Yeong nodded, and the driver opened the windows just enough for fresh air to circulate into the car – though not enough that His Majesty could be fully seen from outside.
“Your pulse is very high. Can you keep trying the deep breaths, Your Majesty?”
Eyes still closed, Gon nodded. “I may need to... lay down…” he whispered and tried to do just that in the back seat. Then, his chest became tighter, and he couldn’t breathe at all. Not missing a beat, Yeong grabbed Gon’s arm in a firm grip and pulled him upright.
A wet choke came from his throat, and Gon’s face scrunched in pain. For seconds, he was taken over by coughs that seemed to pull at his chest, as if he was trying to cough up something thick and heavy that would not come out.
Only when he could force a few short breaths he was able to speak. “Not... the best… idea…”
“ETA?” Yeong asked again.
“One minute, sir.”
"It will be... fine... Yeongie," Gon said, forcing a smile to try to get the frown out of Yeong’s face.
Yeong's expression didn't change. "You should have told me you were feeling unwell, Your Majesty," he said firmly.
“I...” Gon forced in another breath. “...wasn’t...”
Yeong’s grip on Gon’s arm tightened slightly. This time, Gon could not bring himself to try and reassure him; it had started to become a struggle to keep forcing in the breaths. The lack of air was making Gon feel lightheaded and disoriented. He reached out to cover the hand Yeong had kept on his arm. “Yeong.”
Yeong kept looking at Gon, concern etched into his features. “We’re almost there. Just focus on breathing, Your Majesty.”
Small breaths. That was what Gon was able to take as he forced away the old memory of his uncle's hands around his neck. It wasn’t Lee Lim; he wasn’t there. This... wasn’t the palace. Yeong was with him. If he would just focus on Yeong’s hand on his, maybe Gon could obey Yeong’s order.
The car screeched to a halt, and Yeong tried to pull his hand back, only to be hindered by Gon.
“I’m just getting out of the car, Your Majesty.”
Gon looked right at him. “Stay close.” Voice quiet, just for the two of them. “It’s… an order.”
Yeong’s eyes softened, and he squeezed Gon’s arm. “Of course, Your Majesty.”
Only then did Gon release his hand.
With Yeong's assistance, Gon stepped out of the car and was immediately hit by a wave of dizziness. He stumbled, but Yeong's grip on his arm kept him steady. They got him on a stretcher, head elevated, because someone (Yeong – it must have been Yeongie) had mentioned he couldn’t lay down. They got him inside – and there were lights, noise, and people… Gon let Yeong do all the talking; he just kept focusing on breathing.
He could still hear them.
No, His Majesty hadn’t shown any of these symptoms until ten minutes ago. Yes, he had been feeling fine earlier in the day. No, he hadn't eaten anything unusual; he hadn’t had anything to eat or drink that hadn’t been tasted beforehand.
His heart rate was too high. His O2 levels were becoming too low.
They brought an oxygen mask to cover his nose and mouth, to which he made no objection because Yeong’s hand was still holding his – Yeong was still there. Yeong spoke quietly to him, telling him that everything was going to be okay. Gon managed a nod and a weak smile.
But then, there was more.
They poked him with needles to put in an IV, removed his shirt to listen to his heart and lungs, rubbed alcohol into his chest to attach electrodes for an ECG and then, when that was done… they pulled Yeong away. Gon stopped obeying, stopped forcing in the breaths, and opened his eyes, focusing back on where he was; where Yeong had gone–
Where Gon was going because they were taking him somewhere else, leaving Yeong behind.
Distressed, Gon pulled the oxygen mask away and choked out: “No!” with the last of the air in his lungs, his panic rising as they took him away from Yeong. He tried to jump out of bed as they were still wheeling him out, but he just ended up doubling over onto himself. His chest burned as he gasped for air, the heart pounding in his chest.
“Your Majesty, please calm down,” someone told him, adjusting the oxygen mask back into his face.
Calm down... that was not what he wanted. He wanted Yeong – Yeong had said he would stay close.
Hands gently pushed him back to the bed, which Gon allowed only because he was feeling very faint. When they had stopped moving, when enough air had made it into his lungs, Gon touched the mask again, this time only lifting it off enough to speak in a weak croak: “Yeong...”
“I am going to touch your hand, Your Majesty.” The Royal Physician had come in front of him; Gon was able to recognize this clearly because he was the only one who always spoke to him like that, letting Gon know what he was about to do.
"Yeong," Gon repeated, his voice very hoarse. "Where is he?"
“Captain Jo is by the door, Your Majesty.” Then, as he had said he would do, the doctor touched Gon’s hand before he pointed towards the door and moved to his side so Gon would see. “He will be waiting for Your Majesty when we finish the x-ray. Please keep calm and allow us to care for you, Your Majesty.”
After making sure Yeong was there, Gon nodded weakly, feeling defeated. There was nothing more he could do but to close his eyes and force out breaths, trying to remain calm.
To prepare for the exam, they lowered the head of the bed and got him to lay completely horizontal.
Gon only noticed when it was too late.
His chest felt like it was being crushed. He gasped for air – gasped and choked, but it did not work; air would not get past his throat. Gon started to panic; he knew he felt too weak to be able to sit up again, not without help, not without–
Yeong.
Then Gon was trembling and coughing uncontrollably against Yeong’s chest because Yeong was there, even if he didn't have enough air, even if Gon could not breathe. His throat felt constricted, and his lungs burned with the effort. He tried to take deep breaths, but it felt like his throat was closing up each time he inhaled. The oxygen mask was not helping. He got lightheaded and started to sweat, his hands growing cold and clammy.
Suddenly, there were voices shouting around them, a flurry of activity coming around as more people entered the room.
His vision started to blur, and he tightened his grip on Yeong’s hand, which was still holding his. The shouting grew louder, more urgent, but Gon didn’t try to make sense of what they were saying; the only voice that mattered was the one that whispered to him: “I’ll stay, Your Majesty.”
A wave of drowsiness washed over him. He tried to fight it, wanting to stay awake and aware, but it was too much for him. Everything sounded muffled, as if coming from underwater. His body was screaming for him to give in, to let go, so, with the certainty that Yeong was still there, he finally did.