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Finally, the moment came when Jungkook got up off the sofa, he felt dizzy.

He threw a hand against the wall to steady his feet.

Jimin stood at the end of the hallway and, without even looking toward him, Jungkook knew Jimin's eyes were lined with tears.

Even if they all believed BigHit was going to save him, it hurt Jimin to see Jungkook in so much pain.

To see him so helpless.

To see him drink through 20 bottles of water like it was normal and didn't bother him.

It didn't bother Jungkook, actually.

Not really.

Sure, he was literally throwing water back up as he filled himself with more,

and breathing had begun to feel sore and difficult,

but it wasn't a big deal compared to all the things he'd willing suffered in his lifetime.

If this was the fight for his life or death,

it was actually one of the easiest fights he'd ever had to face.

Sip.

He knew it was late into the night when he got up to pee yet again but this time had to lean against the door frame, panting.

It had to have been over 24 hours since he bonded with a girl then, he knew.

And also because they had started wiping his arms and legs with wet towels, trying to get that marginally more water into him, wanting him to have as much moisture as possible through his skin if he was already drinking to the brim.

And he was.

He never stopped sipping.

The strain had now crept over his entire torso, down his abdomen and inching toward his good arm.

It felt like the flu, except way worse, and weirdly isolated to only the area of his body affected.

It hurt the worst in his right hand; the pain had started to be sharp and digging in his palm by the afternoon.

Good, he thought, the hand that started all of this deserved to be punished.

He tried not to worry about how he would go to the bathroom once his entire body fell to it.

They wanted to give him an herbal tea as soon as Namjoon had dialed the managers and BigHit was jumping into a frenzy.

They wanted to force something good into him one last time before his body shut down for good, before he would be weak and battling to stay alive.

But even just touching the tea to his lips had left a bitter, disgusting flavor in his mouth that made Jungkook want to gag.

He tried to hold it in his mouth but the manager had pulled the mug away from him and said, "No, it's too late. It won't do you any good if that's how you're reacting."

Then Jungkook blinked and couldn't hold the manager's eyes, or even Seokjin's eyes, as they silently accused him with their gaze for being recklessly dangerous, for risking his life by not reaching out to anyone for an entire night.

And now it had been entire day, too, melting into another night as he dozed in and out, trying to spare his body energy.

"It's going to be okay, Kookie. We're not letting you go," whispered the noona who wiped his right arm gently yet again, the towel soaked through with warm water.

She had kind eyes, and had always acted like a big sister to him.

"I know," he replies.

Taehyung was by the foot of the sofa, his brows drawn in worry, but he forced a smile as soon as Jungkook looked at him.

Jimin sat on the floor beside Taehyung, resting against the wall.

Jin and Namjoon were in the living room, occasionally speaking on the phone.

Hoseok and Yoongi poured over a chart with management, locking down all the possible ways Jungkook could have touched someone yesterday.

He knew, though, that it was just the concert.

The one moment he'd reached out and changed his life.

That was the only time yesterday he had touched anyone new.

He'd told them so, and they had cars sent out already to track down every person who was in the standing rock zone by the stage yesterday.

Yoongi pointed angrily at a square in the spreadsheet.

"It doesn't matter if she's on a plane, they need to radio the pilots and tell them to turn her back. It's a matter of life and death."

A manager who was trying to talk on the phone sighed and replied, "That girl didn't even get near the stage the entire concert."

"What about this one?" Yoongi stabbed at another square. "This one that posted online about having touched Jungkook's hand."

"We already told her the truth about his bonding because she confirmed having touched him. She's got no symptoms and has checked thoroughly for bruises. It can't be her."

"She could be lying," Yoongi seethed.

"Why would anyone lie about this? They will die too if they don't meet Jungkook," Namjoon cut in.

"No one would lie. We have to focus on the people we haven't reached and haven't already received a negative answer from," the manager says, before returning to his phone call and this time taking it to the foyer.

"It'll be easy because it was a fan, Jungkook," Jimin tilts his face so Jungkook can see him even from a lying down position.

"A fan would be happy to meet you again. So don't worry."

"I know," Jungkook replies automatically to someone for the 30th time today.

Calm voice, racing heart, lies.

Sip.

Hi ARMY!

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