Crave You Forever
Chapter 64: Can’t keep up

Chapter 64: Can’t keep up

Haeun stirred awake, feeling groggy and disoriented. He blinked against the sunlight filtering through the hospital room, his body heavy with fatigue. The weight of everything that had happened over the past day seemed to press down on him, making it hard to shake the drowsiness that clung to him.

He glanced over at Suho, who was still curled up in bed, sleeping quietly. The child’s small, fragile form tugged at his heart, but he couldn’t focus right now—his body was telling him he needed rest, food and something else.

Groaning softly, Haeun reached for his phone and dialed Yeongsoo.

"Yeongsoo?" Haeun’s voice was soft, almost pleading. "Can you come pick me up? I’m feeling a little out of it..."

There was a pause on the other end, then the sound of concern in Yeongsoo’s voice. "I’ll be right there. Hang tight, okay?"

Haeun leaned back against the chair, waiting for Yeongsoo. A few minutes later, the door opened, and Yeongsoo entered with a worried expression.

"You okay?" Yeongsoo asked, immediately kneeling beside Haeun.

Haeun nodded faintly. "Just... tired. Can you help me up?"

Without hesitation, Yeongsoo gently helped Haeun to his feet and carrying him up. "Let’s get you some fresh air. You need to eat something too."

Just as they were about to leave the room, Suho stirred. His soft voice caught Haeun’s attention.

"Baby? Babies are cute... where are they?" Suho mumbled, his eyes still half-closed.

Haeun sighed, they couldn’t just leave Suho like that.

"He’s asleep, lets find a nurse or someone that would take care of him. While we’re gone.."

Yeongsoo nodded as they left the room, closing the door behind them gently.

Haeun wrapped his hands around Yeongsoo’s neck, rest his head on his shoulder.

They found a nurse who was willing to look after Suho and Yeongsoo left one of his men Sangwaoo to keep Suho company when he woke up.

"Now that everything is settled lets get you home.."

As they made their way to the car, Haeun felt a slight warmth creeping up his skin, but he dismissed it. Maybe it was just the exhaustion from everything that had happened. His body ached from the long hours of stress, and his mind felt heavy, but he didn’t want to concern Yeongsoo more than necessary.

In the car, Haeun leaned his head against the window, the cool glass easing the mild throbbing behind his eyes. Yeongsoo glanced over at him from time to time, concern written all over his face.

"You sure you’re okay?" Yeongsoo asked softly as they pulled into the parking lot of apartment building.

"I’m fine," Haeun murmured, though his voice lacked its usual firmness. "I’m just tired. Don’t worry."

Yeongsoo helped him out of the car and up the stairs, his arm securely around Haeun’s waist. As they entered the apartment, Haeun felt a sudden wave of dizziness wash over him, but he ignored it, too focused on just getting to bed.

"Why don’t you rest while I make something to eat?" Yeongsoo suggested, guiding Haeun to the couch.

Haeun nodded, lying down with a sigh as he stretched out, thinking he’d feel better after some sleep. He heard the faint clatter of dishes in the kitchen as Yeongsoo prepared food, but it all blurred into the background as his eyes fluttered shut.

Later that night, Haeun woke up, his body drenched in sweat. His throat was dry, and a deep shiver ran through him despite the warmth radiating from his skin. Something was wrong. His head pounded relentlessly, and every inch of him felt as though it were on fire.

"Haeun?" Yeongsoo’s voice came from beside him, low with concern. He was kneeling by the bed now, brushing the damp hair from Haeun’s forehead. "You’re burning up."

Haeun groaned, feeling weak. The warmth he’d brushed off earlier had exploded into a full-blown fever, and now he could barely keep his eyes open. His limbs felt like lead, and the world around him spun.

"I didn’t think it was this bad..." Haeun mumbled, his voice barely audible.

Yeongsoo’s brow furrowed as he pressed his palm to Haeun’s forehead again, confirming the rising temperature. "I’m getting the thermometer, Haeun, I need to know your temperature."

As Yeongsoo quickly fetched the thermometer, Haeun tried to steady his breathing, but the fever had its claws deep in him now. Every breath felt labored, and whether the room was too hot or too cold, he couldn’t tell anymore.

Yeongsoo returned, slipping the thermometer under Haeun’s tongue. The moment the beep sounded, his face darkened. "You’re at 39.8°C. We need to get you to the hospital, now."

Haeun tried to protest, but his words slurred, his body betraying him. The last thing he felt was Yeongsoo gently lifting him from the bed, his voice a soft murmur in the haze of fever. "Don’t worry, I’ve got you."

Yeongsoo drove with urgency, his knuckles white on the steering wheel as he sped through the empty streets. Haeun’s fever hadn’t let up, and the soft, shallow breaths coming from the passenger seat only fueled his worry. He headed straight for Han Medical Center, knowing there was no time to waste.

When they arrived, he carried Haeun into the ER, his body limp in his arms. The nurses at the front desk barely had time to ask questions. As Yeongsoo kept saying he was looking for Dr. Choi.

A few nurses looked up, startled by his desperation. One of them, recognizing Haeun’s condition, nodded quickly and pointed down the hallway.

"He’s in his office. Third door on the right. Go, now!"

Without a word, Yeongsoo hurried toward the office, barely registering the other patients and doctors as he passed by. The weight of Haeun in his arms made him move faster, dread clawing at him. He found Dr. Choi’s door and knocked sharply before barging in, his voice rough with urgency.

"Dr. Choi, it’s Haeun! He’s burning up!"

Dr. Choi, a man in his early fifties with sharp eyes behind his glasses, was already on his feet. His calm demeanor never faltered as he glanced at Haeun’s unconscious form in Yeongsoo’s arms. He stepped forward, immediately motioning them into the private treatment room adjacent to his office.

"Lay him down here," Dr. Choi instructed, his tone measured but focused. "I need to examine him right away."

Yeongsoo carefully placed Haeun on the bed, his heart pounding as he watched Dr. Choi spring into action. There were no unnecessary questions, no hesitation—Dr. Choi had treated Haeun for years and knew exactly what he was dealing with.

"I need the pheromone stabilizer, stat," Dr. Choi ordered the nurse who had followed them in. She nodded and rushed out of the room as Dr. Choi began his examination, checking Haeun’s pulse, blood pressure, and temperature.

"He’s been pushing himself too hard, hasn’t he?" Dr. Choi asked quietly, more a statement than a question, as he adjusted the monitor connected to Haeun’s vitals.

Yeongsoo swallowed hard, his eyes fixed on Haeun’s pale face. "He thought it was just exhaustion... I should’ve noticed sooner."

Dr. Choi gave him a quick glance, his eyes sharp but not unkind. "Don’t blame yourself. His body is under immense strain with the pregnancy and his pheromone deficiency. The fever is his body’s way of signaling it can’t keep up."

The nurse returned swiftly with the pheromone stabilizer and an IV bag. Dr. Choi administered the stabilizer into Haeun’s system but it immediately rejected it.

Dr. Choi turned to Yeongsoo and asked him to hold Haeun’s hands.

"I forgot his body rejects pheromones. You’re his alpha now, give him your pheromones.."

Yeongsoo nodded and quietly transferred his pheromones to Haeun.

Dr. Choi raised his glasses watching his vitals closely as the medicine began to take effect.