Suns in a Black Sea
Ateez Ot8 x Reader
Chapter 4: Seonghwa
Your girl is getting her title as writer back lol. I'm still trying to find my groove. Writing just feels so foreign now since it's been so long, so bear with me as I try to rediscover myself lol. Thank you @rocker7898 for editing and sticking with me despite my inactivity. And thank you to my readers as well for being so patient while my life is trying to sort itself out.
It would be untruthful if I admitted to myself that Yunho’s words didn’t linger after concluding his physical. I pushed away the stack of files in front of me, sighing heavily. My tired eyes glanced toward the clock. There was another physical scheduled before I would leave today. It was supposed to be done right after 9038, but since Yunho was keen on talking, we decided to push it back in hopes of being able to get more information from him. Whether about himself or the others.
Unfortunately, apart from their names and roles among their ranks, not much else was said. I set my pen aside and pressed my fingers to my temples, hoping to relieve some of the tension in my eyes. I’d been staring at these papers for too long and copying down everything Yunho had said in today’s physical. Closing my eyes, I thought back on the conversation, reliving the session to see if there was anything I missed that should have been added to my notes. Shortly after concluding the appointment, Jimin had taken to his own research, hoping to come up with a few theories as to why Yunho’s heart rate had slowed any time I touched him. The researcher in me was dying to know as well, but that wasn’t my job here.
As much as it sucked, I would leave it to Jimin and if I was lucky, he’d share his theories. I could hopefully give a few of my own. In all honesty, it was probably just something attributable to his kind, but the only way I’d be able to find out is by examining the others. Sighing again, I opened my eyes and reached for my pen to continue. Only it wasn’t there. Frowning, I lifted the scattered sheets of paper littering my desk and even sifted through each individual stack. Not finding it, I checked the floor next, but it was gone.
“Ugh, I guess I’m more tired than I thought.” I muttered under my breath, choosing to give up on hunting for my misplaced pen and just grabbed a new one out of the desk drawer. Glancing towards the clock, I groaned at the time. There was only three hours before the end of the day, and I was eager to get the ball rolling. Snatching my unfinished paperwork, I headed for the door.
“Doctor?”
I jerked my head up, not expecting someone to have been on the other side. The guard gave me a sheepish smile as he nodded back in the direction of the med bay.
“7753 is ready for you.”
“Oh, that’s… actually wonderful timing. I was about to ask that he be brought in.”
He stepped aside, allowing me into the hall.
“How is he?”
The guard glanced at me quizzically, his expression twisting to one of uncertainty as we made our way towards the med bay. Almost as if he didn’t know how to answer my question.
“He’s… odd.”
Not exactly the answer I was expecting.
“Odd in what way?”
“Sometimes the way he looks at us is… uncomfortable. Like he knows something we don’t. We, the other guards I mean, don’t really like associating with him.”
“Why is that?”
He shrugs. “We don’t know how to handle him. He’s not like the others.”
“Is he dangerous?” I ask as we come to stop outside the doors.
“He’s not violent like some of the others. That we could handle better than whatever he is.” The guard gives a wary look towards the sealed entryway. “Just… be cautious around him. He’s… not right.”
I nod, contemplating everything I’d been told about 7753. My eyes drifted down to the file in my hand. No. Not 7753. Seonghwa. Vice Captain to this group of extraterrestrials according to Yunho.
“Oh, I’ve also been asked to let you know that General Baek will not be overseeing you this time. He has a prior engagement. But we will be right out here should you need anything.”
I thank him before he sets his keycard to the pad beside the doors, and they slide open. I tamped down my nerves, especially after everything I’d just learned about my most recent patient. Dr. Park had reluctantly let me know he would also be absent for Seonghwa’s physical since Yunho’s had taken longer than expected and he had a meeting he would be required to attend. I reminded myself that Seonghwa has no previous record of any violent tendencies, and I would be fine as I entered the room. I believed that if he were truly a risk, General Baek or even Jimin would insist someone else be present. I took some comfort in that bit of knowledge as I finally lifted my gaze to the table positioned in the center of the room. My feet came to an abrupt halt upon seeing the being strapped to it. Seonghwa was unlike any of the others I’d seen so far. He was tall, though Yunho still had more height to him, and lean. The white jumpsuit that they all wore was a lot baggier on him than it had been on Yunho. The shade nearly matching his long hair that splayed out on the table around his head. His eyes were closed, and he laid there unnaturally still, even as I came closer to the table.
I scanned his form, noting how uncannily human he looked until I reached his face. That kind of preternatural beauty was distinctly inhuman. His skin was pale, lashes long and brows dark, a stark contrast compared to how void of color the rest of him was. Laying there, eyes closed, his features were smooth, almost like he was asleep. Slowly, I traced every bit of his face with my gaze, enthralled with how utterly perfect every inch of him was. The graceful slope of his nose, the pale pink fullness of his lips, the column of his throat. It wasn’t until I reached his covered chest that something felt lacking. I paused, considering what I felt was missing as a heartbeat passed. And then another. And another.
My eyes were trained on his torso. A torso that should have been rising and falling in time with his breaths, but it wasn’t. A tiny jolt of panic surged through me upon that realization, driving my feet to close the distance between us before halting once more as I glanced toward his face again.
His eyes were no longer closed.
Those dark pupils zeroed in on me, surrounded by a ring of gray, a shade I’d never seen in a person before. Being under his watchful gaze, I was beginning to understand why the guards were so put off by him. He did look at me as if he was privy to all the secrets I carried as well as the ones I would in the future. Forcing my heartbeat to get a grip, I pushed myself forward.
“Hello, Seonghwa. My name is Aurora. I’ll be in charge of your care from now on.”
If he was surprised by the fact I knew his name, he didn’t show it. His head tilted, the slight movement being my only indication that he’d heard me. Brushing off the last vestiges of panic, I attempted a natural smile as I reached over for a pair of gloves. Except, they weren’t there. I scanned the small table set up for the physical, wondering if they had just been moved around after Yunho’s appointment. They were nowhere to be found. Huffing an exasperated breath, my smile shifted to an apologetic one as I looked back at Seonghwa.
“Sorry, things keep getting misplaced today. Let me find some gloves real quick.”
He didn’t acknowledge my words, just watched my movements as I crossed the room, searching through various drawers and cabinets for an extra box of gloves. Finally, I found one. Grabbing it, I popped them open while turning back to Seonghwa.
“Okay. This should be pretty straightforward. I’m going to get some vitals on you, draw a little bit of blood, and then I can call someone in to take you back to your room.”
I didn’t know if he was able to understand me like some of the others could, or if he was capable of responding like Yunho, but if he could, I didn’t want to catch him off guard. Plus, talking felt more natural rather than just sitting in silence. I slid the gloves on, double checking my tray to make sure I wasn’t missing anything else. I grabbed the ophthalmoscope, hesitating as I remember Yunho’s visceral reaction to the light earlier.
“Will it bother you if I shine this light into your eyes?”
Seonghwa’s gaze slid lazily from me to the instrument in my hand, only glancing at it for half a heartbeat before his attention snapped to something behind me. Thinking it was one of the guards, I looked over my shoulder. Except there was no one else in the room or outside the observation window. Confused, I turned my head back around, Seonghwa’s eyes on me again. A tiny, almost imperceptible shake of his head was my answer. So, he did understand me. Grinning, I turned the light on, cautiously bringing it up while making sure I didn’t shine it directly into his eyes. The gray in Seonghwa’s eyes shimmered, flecks of chrome surfacing like they had in Yunho’s although the change in Seonghwa’s was more subtle given his eyes were already light in color. He blinked rapidly, a nonverbal sign telling me it was too much for him, so I lowered the light.
“Your eye color changes whenever exposed to direct light. Is that common for your… um… species?” I phrase it awkwardly.
One brow kicked up at my question. I was convinced he wouldn’t answer me, but then his lips parted and a string of… noises emerged from him. It was unlike any language I’d ever heard and didn’t sound like anything people would even be capable of speaking on earth. Fascinated, I listened to him, even though I didn’t understand any bit of it. My wide eyes must have given me away because he cut himself off shortly after, eyes once again shooting to something over my shoulder before narrowing in irritation. I looked behind me again, but there was nothing. Strange. I surveyed the room carefully, almost as if I expected whatever kept catching Seonghwa’s attention to materialize in front of me. It didn’t. Turning back to him, I set my ophthalmoscope aside meeting those eerie, stormy irises. My lips parted, ready to ask him what it was he thought he was seeing when an ear-piercing siren split the silence. I slapped my hands over my ears, wincing at the sound and whipping my head around towards the observation window. Two guards sprinted past the frame, headed for the wards. My heart rate spiked, unsure what was happening even as I turned back to Seonghwa.
“I’m going to find out what’s going on. I’ll be right back.” I promised, ears still ringing with the blaring alarm.
I crossed the room quickly, smashing my hand over the exit button for the doors before poking my head out. My eyes immediately went to the nearby fire alarm, but it wasn’t going off. A small bit of the tension released in my chest, but that still didn’t answer the question of what the alarm was for. Glancing behind me again at Seonghwa, I was a bit surprised to see how utterly nonchalant he appeared. He didn’t seem concerned about the commotion, instead, he just stared out of the observation window in front of him. Figuring he would be fine for just a bit, I stepped out of the med bay, eyeing the direction I’d seen the guards run towards earlier. My anxiety carried a sense of urgency through me as I approached the split in the hall. The closer I got, the more I could hear the muffled shouting beneath the alarm. I picked up my pace, almost running by this point as I rounded the corner and came to a halt.
The automatic doors to the right hall were wide open. Two guards standing in the threshold, armed, with their weapons pointed down the corridor. Following the line of sight, my heart lurched at what I was witnessing. Five guards surrounded another body, two of whom had a hold of one arm respectively forcing the man on his knees while a third guard held a stun stick in front of his face. Completely unfazed, the man on the ground glared up at the guard, gritting his teeth as he struggled against the restraint. I watched, horrified, as the guard raised his stick and jammed it into the shoulder of the man. He convulsed, his body going rigid, veins popping as the electricity ran through him wave after wave.
“Stop!”
My scream surprised everyone, the two guards at the door barely having time to turn towards me before I was running down the hall. The stun stick was dropped and the man collapsed to the floor in a heap, chest heaving. I shoved aside the nearest guard as I confronted the group of them, purposely placing myself between him and the weapon meant to incapacitate him.
“Doctor-”
“He’s clearly already been subdued. What you’re doing is using unnecessary force.”
“You don’t understand. This… thing is dangerous.”
“The most dangerous thing I see right now is you and that damn stick.” I snap, gesturing towards the weapon he still held at the ready.
I turn my head, looking down at the man on the ground, still shaking with the residual energy rolling through him. Concerned, I kneeled beside him and placed my fingers against the pulse point on his neck. It thrummed erratically beneath my fingertips, my lips silently counting the beats as I turned his face up, checking his eyes. His pupils were blown wide, the stormy blue of his irises no more than slivers, adrenaline most likely. I spared a quick look at the destroyed room behind him. The glass window had been shattered; the floor littered with the shards. It shouldn’t have been possible for him to get through that, but apparently that wasn’t true. The numbers plastered onto the wall beside it was what I was looking for.
“San.” I addressed him, dropping my attention back down to him. “Can you hear me?”
“Doctor, it’s not safe. We need to move him to another cell.”
I ignored him, more worried about San than safety. The point of contact from the stun stick was already turning into an angry red welt at the junction of his neck and shoulder.
“Get her out of here.”
A pair of hands gripped my upper arms, hauling me up onto my feet.
“Hey!” I shouted, the guard tightening his hold on me as I began to resist.
My feet stumbled under me uselessly as I was being dragged away from San and back down the hallway. A growl ripped through the corridor, echoing off the walls louder than the still screeching alarm itself as San tried to push himself off the floor. The remaining four guards were on him immediately, three of them shoving him back onto the floor while the other snatched a pair of restraints off his belt. The two guards that had been near the door moved further into the hall, past me and the guard dragging me out, weapons raised and ready to fire the second the command was given if necessary. A loud bang made everyone pause. Every head whipping in the direction of the room to my right. I recognized the head of fiery orange hair, those dark eyes leveling on me as he pressed his palms against the glass, chest heaving. He bared his teeth, pulling away before ramming into the glass shoulder first again. My eyes widened, watching him do it a third time, the glass releasing an ominous sound as it cracked, the fracture fissuring in two directions.
“Shit!” The guard holding me shouted, dropping me in favor of scrambling for his own weapon.
Chaos ensued. The handful of guards still fighting San, the others panning their weapons between San and Mingi as he continued to barrel into the glass. Glass that was seconds away from breaking completely. One of the guards was frantically shouting into his walkie, requesting back up. In the midst of it all, I stood helplessly. I took it all in, unsure how to de-escalate the situation until my gaze landed on the other room. It was my first time seeing him, and yet, his very presence commanded attention. I didn’t need to read his ID number to know exactly who he was. He surveyed the scene before him, unperturbed. Standing in front of the window of his room, his dark hair a contrast to the white suit he wore. Black, bottomless eyes swept between each individual until they landed on me and held my gaze.
Captain.
My feet were moving before the conscious thought to do so made me. I walked towards him until there were only mere inches between me and the glass separating us. This close, he was even more intimidating. A part of me recognizing his authority without him having to express it.
“Stop them.” I murmured, pressing a hand to the glass. “Please. Before they get hurt.”
He stared at me. I realized I had no clue whether he could understand me or not. Desperately, I gestured wildly towards San and Mingi.
“Stop. Them.” I begged.
Hongjoong’s gaze followed my movements, looking first at San and then Mingi before dropping to me again. He cocked his head, and I felt my stomach drop. He didn’t know what I was saying. Another shout behind me drew my attention. Two of the guards now had their guns pointed at Mingi. The cracked glass now fissured in multiple directions. I jerked my head in San’s direction, seeing him still struggling against the three men on top of him as they attempted to get the cuffs on him. The same guard from before raised the stun stick, seconds from zapping San again when a voice cut through everyone, drawing them to a halt.
I whirled back towards Hongjoong, watching in disbelief as he issued orders in a language similar to what I’d heard from Seonghwa earlier. At his words, San stopped struggling, letting the guards put the cuffs on him and pull him onto his feet. Mingi looked unhappy but stepped away from the glass that was staying together by some miracle at this point. The tension eased out of me as I watched them take San down the hall. I wanted to follow them, but I still had a patient in the med bay unattended. They rounded the corner of the open doors and were out of sight. I mentally reminded myself to ask where they put him later so I could check on him again. Before I left, I turned back to Hongjoong.
“Thank you.”
He blinked and gave me an imperceptible nod. I took that as he received my gratitude and a dismissal as I stepped away, rushing back down the hall to Seonghwa. I entered the med bay, expecting to still see Seonghwa strapped to the table. My shoes scrapped against the floors as I came to a sudden stop. The table was empty. Seonghwa was gone.
“What the-”
There’s no way he could have gotten out of those by himself. Except, somehow, he clearly did. Damn it. As if everything that’s already gone wrong wasn’t enough, now there’s another one of them on the loose. I need to find him. Preferably before he ran into any of the guards. Assuming he’d even listen to me when I did. The alarm overhead cut off abruptly, leaving the room too quiet now. I took a couple of steps back and turned, a startled yelp escaping me as I nearly ran into the body behind me. Jerking my head up, I was surprised to see Seonghwa, expression unreadable as he stared down at me. I felt my heart skip a beat, pulse pounding steadily as we observed one another. It was one thing coming face to face with one of them while they were restrained or with other people around.
It was a different kind of feeling knowing we were alone, only a few inches apart, and he was no longer shackled. He swept a quick look over me as I created some distance between us, swallowing the lump that had formed in my throat.
“Seonghwa… You need to get back on the table.”
Whether he understood my words or chose to ignore them was hard to say. Behind him, the red emergency call button on the wall caught my eye. I didn’t know if I’d be fast enough to press it, but it wasn’t that far. I might be able to get there before he realized what I was doing. But then that left the problem of him getting me before anyone actually showed up. Weighing my options in my head, none of them seemed particularly helpful in this situation. I could run for the button and risk Seonghwa getting ahold of me before anyone found me or potentially risk him getting me anyway seeing as I was trapped with him between me and the exit. Silently, Seonghwa moved into my line of vision, cutting off my one possible lifeline.
I flicked my attention back to him, nerves settling in my gut as he took a step closer. He shook his head once, long fingers reaching towards me, but hesitating before making contact. He blinks slowly, brows furrowing slightly and pulls his hand away. Instead, he opens his palm, laying it over his heart. Those gray orbs meet mine, filled with something I could closely attribute to concern as he taps his chest softly. He then extends that same hand to me again. Palm out, settling over my own heart inches from my chest. I watch, puzzling the pieces together as he repeats the motion.
“I don’t-” I admit with a frown, shaking my head.
A strange clicking noise filled the space between us, Seonghwa repeating the same actions as the sound increased in pitch until it was more like a low hum, emanating from Seonghwa directly. It was like some alien version of a purr. He brought his hand to himself again, taking in a visible deep breath and exhaling, motioning for me to do the same. I mirrored him, breathing in and out when he did. He was… regulating me. Calming me down. Bewildered, and more than intrigued, I smiled.
“Are you trying to comfort me?”
His head tilted as if he was unfamiliar with the question. He roamed another probing look over me, scanning me carefully.
“Seonghwa, how did you get out of your restraints?” I asked, needing to know if this was going to be something they were all capable of.
He finished his perusal, facing me again and pointing, at me.
“Me?” I clarified, surprised.
He nodded.
“No. I didn’t release you.”
He pointed at me again and then turned slightly to nod in the direction of the door. It clicked.
“You were coming to find me?”
A nod.
“Were you worried?”
He nodded again. I softened, feeling almost guilty for assuming the worst of his intentions. Then again, this was my first time interacting with an alien species that no one really knew anything about apart from the small bits of information they had already awarded us. I gave Seonghwa a reassuring smile even as I pointed back to the bed.
“I’m okay, but I’m worried San may not be. If you would lay back down and I can finish your physical so I can go check on him, I’d really appreciate it.”
He looked back at the table, hesitating.
“Please, Seonghwa. Before someone else comes in to find you here, unrestrained. They won’t be kind, and I don’t like seeing you all hurt.”
A span of a heartbeat, and then another, before he finally relented. He walked back to the table and laid down, letting me pick up the straps and secure him in again without a word.
“I’m sorry.” I apologized, tightening the last strap. “But thank you.”
He responded with a series of clicks, soothing my worry over him. It forced another smile from me as I pulled the tray table back to me.
“Okay, let’s finish your physical and then I’m going to figure out where they put San.”
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