The hallway outside the room felt suffocating.

Not loud. Not chaotic anymore. Just… heavy.

People were still moving, charts were still being updated, monitors still beeping somewhere down the hall — but none of it felt real right now.

You couldn’t stand there anymore.

So you turned and walked.

Past the nurses’ station. Past the elevators. Past the room you’d been in for what felt like hours.

Until you reached the on-call room.

The door closed behind you with a quiet click.

Inside, the lights were dim, the air cooler, the faint smell of coffee and long shifts lingering in the small space. A couple of chairs, a couch, half-finished notes on the table.

For a moment, it was just you.

The weight of everything finally catching up.

Then the door opened again.

Not loudly — just enough to make you look up.

First was Seonghwa, stepping in carefully like he didn’t want to startle you. Behind him came San, then Mingi, and Wooyoung, who had clearly followed without really thinking about it.

A second later, Yeosang slipped in quietly, shutting the door behind him so the hallway noise stayed out.

Then the attendings arrived.

Yunho leaned against the wall near the door, arms crossed but expression softer than usual, while Jongho stepped inside with that steady, composed presence he always carried.

Last was Hongjoong.

For a moment, no one spoke.

Which was unusual for this group.

They didn’t crowd you, didn’t overwhelm the small room — just spread out naturally, like they had all silently decided the same thing at the same time.

You weren’t going to be alone right now.

San hovered near the couch like he wanted to make sure you sat down if you needed to. Mingi lingered nearby, looking concerned but unsure what to say. Wooyoung leaned against the table, quieter than anyone had ever seen him during a shift.

Seonghwa stayed closest, not intruding, just present.

Yunho glanced between everyone, as if making sure the room stayed calm.

Yeosang was watching you carefully, the way he always noticed things others missed.

Jongho stood with his arms folded, not saying anything yet — but clearly there.

And Hongjoong, standing near the center of the room, studied you for a moment before finally speaking, his voice lower than it ever was during rounds.

“…No one handles their first loss easily.”

The room stayed quiet after that.

Not awkward.

Just steady.

Like the entire team had decided that whatever you were feeling right now, they were staying until you were okay.