Title: Runner, Chapter 10: Shaken

[onthethruway01]

Title: Runner, Chapter 10: Shaken

Author: onthethruway01

Genre: friendship, angst, war, AU

Rating:pg-13

pairings: JYJ, TVXQ

Length: chapter 10 of ?

Genre: AU ( another place and time), friendship, angst

Summary: 5 young men dream of growing up together and being friends forever, but wishes don’t always come true.

The secretary was frantically scribbling the message from the telegraph as the general looked on.  He did his best not to show his feelings, but all knew that he was worried.  Almost as quickly as the telegraph started, it stopped; the secretary trying desperately to reach the line at the other end; the line at the front…

They pulled him from the tunnel; his body limp and unresponsive.

“Is he dead?” someone shouted as the medic frantically unbuttoned his tunic.

“Stay with me damn it,” Jaejoong whispered as he fumbled with his medical kit.

He examined the runner who showed no signs of injury save a bump on his head; a tiny trickle of blood dripping down his forehead.

The medic gently tapped the runners face; the soldier’s eyes blinking open.

“Wha, what happened?” he stammered.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

“You passed out,” Jaejoong said with a smile on his face as he wiped the blood away.

He helped the runner to his feet.

“Are you alright?” the medic asked.

“No time for that; I must go to the general immediately.”

The runner sprinted at breakneck speed shouting “make a hole” as he ran.

Jaejoong looked at the entrance to the tunnel and shivered.  Something had happened; something very bad…

“We’re about to make a big push,” Changmin told Yunho.  The two were gathered in Yunho’s cozy quarters, Changmin pacing up and down the room across the crackling fireplace while his senior officer sat in a leather chair, his injured leg propped up on a well cushioned ottoman.

Yunho looked at if he was nodding off.  The new pain medication was making him drowsy, but he did his best to stay awake for his friend.

“We made a breakthrough on their eastern side.  By nightfall our front lines will advance and capture their first line of defense.  Once it’s done, we’ll have access to the tunnels that the runner’s use. We won’t have to cut through the wires and risk being butchered. It will only be a matter of time before the rebel base will fall.”

Yunho smiled.

“That’s good.”

Changmin frowned.

“Good? It’s what we’ve been waiting for!”

A log shifted in the fireplace sending up sparks, but there was no other sound in the small, cozy room.

Changmin turned to face Yunho, but the injured man was fast asleep.

Changmin sighed; he took a blanket from the bed and gently draped it over his friend.

“Good night, hyung,” he whispered as he closed the door behind him…

The door burst open sending men shouting at the rude interruption.

“Watch it, shorty,” Yoochun grumbled as the younger man pushed him out of the way.

“What is it Jaybom?”

The runner did not hesitate.  He began pointing on the general’s map; coordinates and damage reports were written down by the secretary as Jaybom dictated to his superior officer.  When he was done he sat in a chair, body shaking.

“For Christ sake, get the man a drink,” the general ordered.

The chiefs of staff surrounded the general’s desk as they began to talk amongst themselves.

The secretary poured soju into a glass; Jaybom taking it; his hands still trembling.

As the runner downed the shot of soju; Yoochun approached him and offered him a cigarette.

“Smoke?”

“No thanks,” Jaybom said; the two runners smiling nervously at each other.

The general looked up from the map and barked out another order.

“Jaybom, get your ass to the infirmary.  Have Junsu take a look at your wound.  Yoochun, you help him.”

Yoochun helped his fellow runner out of the chair and out of the general’s office.  They didn’t bother to salute.

“Sorry about the shorty thing,” Yoochun apologized scratching his head.  Jay was a good guy; a wisecracker, but in the end a good soldier and a decent tunnel rat.

Jaybom acknowledged his senior.

“No problem Chunface,” he spoke with a hint of sarcasm in his eye.  He winked at Yoochun who laughed.

“I guess we’re even now.”

Jaybom shook his head besides the pain.

“Nope, not even close.  I can’t even count how many times you’ve called me shorty or “gnome.”

Yoochun swallowed hard. The general must have told the younger man about Yoochun’s  nickname for him.

“I owe you then,” the slender lieutenant stated.

“Yes,” Jaybom responded; “ big time.”

They were greeted at the steps of the infirmary by Jaejoong and Junsu.  The doctor supported Jaybom as they walked through the doors, the two “soulmates” remaining outside.

It’s bad Chun,” Jae told him.  “Everyone is talking about it.  They’re trapped on the eastern side.  The bunker collapsed; their medic was killed.  They need help. Jaybom was hit on the head by some loose planking.  Looks like the tunnel to the eastern side is in danger of collapsing.”

They sat on the steps of the infirmary sharing a cigarette.  Those who knew them said they shared everything; even the same thoughts.

“The eastern side will never hold up against frontal assault, not with the bunker blown up.  They’ll need the engineer corp to dig them out.  But if the damage is as bad as they say, the engineers might not get there in time.”

They passed the cigarette to each other; inhaling deep and blowing smoke from their nose.

“Tunnel close to collapsing, you say?” Yoochun spoke in a deep tone.

He narrowed his eyes and stared at the medic.

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Jaejoong asked him.

Yoochun cracked his neck and then his knuckles.

“I think it’s time for you to live up to your nickname, Hero.”

Jae puffed out his cheeks.

“We should tell Junsu.”

A lighthearted voice interrupted them.

“Tell Junsu. what?”

The doctor clapped Jaybom on the back; the runner’s head bandaged up where he had received a few stitches.

“Su, we need to talk.”

The soulmates grabbed Junsu and walked towards the officer’s mess.  As Jaybom slowly shuffled to his quarters he could hear a high pitched scream in the distance.

“You stupid fuck.”

Comments

[shinchul303.livejournal.com]

Ah, you give us moar.

And welcome it is. I sense amazing crossline action coming up.

Thanks for continuing to give to us readers out here. Your art is appreciated.

[onthethruway01.livejournal.com]

thanks for reading and leaving a comment.

[be-ddelusionall.livejournal.com]

ahhhhhhh what are they going to do????

i thought that was Yoochun injured in the first part, oy vey these boys!!!

[onthethruway01.livejournal.com]

yeah, I had you worried for a sec, didn't I? I'm a stinker. Hang in there; it's going to get bumpy.

[hyunnyb.livejournal.com]

I'm getting worried for our impulsive soul-mates! It seems like bad things are about to happen. Thanks for the update.

[onthethruway01.livejournal.com]

impulsive, indeed. thanks for reading.