c o s m o s   r e d s h i f t   7

“You can’t catch me, spaceman!” Baekhyun hollered down the hallway—although in crutches, compared to Chanyeol’s windmilling legs, he was actually considerably speedy, his oxygen tank clanging noisily against his back as he dragged his useless legs and propelled himself with his plastic appendages, bursting through nurses. Chanyeol, however, was not quite far away from him, chasing him down the path.

“Yes I can, you alien! I need you for a specimen!” Chanyeol shouted back—although he was fairly out of breath, he chased his friend down the corridors before his lungs took a toll on him and he wheezed, panting, out of puff as he retreated to one of the free chairs, clutching his chest.

“Baekhyunnie—hhah—I need a moment.” He coughed, thumping his chest. His friend, sensing his distress, stopped on his tracks and hopped back to find Chanyeol, putting the crutches down before he sat beside him.

“Eoh, your lungs again?”
“Y-Yeah.”

Baekhyun fiddled with Chanyeol’s oxygen tank and his nimble fingers fiddled with the pressure, allowing more oxygen to flow to Chanyeol’s lungs. Chanyeol took deep gulps of air and he groaned in relief as the oxygen circulated through his diseased lungs, his face completely red, correcting his nose tubes before he sat up and flexed his shoulders.

“Yah, this . I can’t run as long as I could a few months back.” Chanyeol wheezed. Baekhyun patted his back reassuringly.

“It’s okay, Chanyeollie. I won’t be running for long, either.” Baekhyun laughed, patting him. Chanyeol looked at his friends’ legs and laughed sympathetically—underneath his long hospital gown, his toes were twisted and curled inwards and awkward bones poked out of his knees, as if twigs were shoved inside his skin and were left there to grow, the muscles completely halted of movements and resulting in paralysed lower limbs. Nevertheless, the grin was as wide as ever and his head nuzzled into his shoulders.

“Love you best, Chanyeollie.” He chirped.
“Love you best too, Baekhyunnie.” His friend chirped back, and they both grinned at each other, repeating the same sentences over again.

It was a rather silly game—but they played it nevertheless. It was a long-ago bet—whoever says “Love you best” the last to each other, wins.

“But that’s unfair—you’d win, because you’re gonna live longer than me!” Chanyeol huffed that day when they made the deal. But Baekhyun grinned.

“Obviously.” He flaunted off, his smile quirking into that trademark squarish smile.

“Love you best.”
“No, I love you best.”
“No! I do!”
“I do!”
“No, me!”

“Boys, boys! How many times have I told you not to shout in the infirmary?” a pretty dark-haired nurse clicked into view in her high-heels, looking rather cross as she pulled them both by the ears, the two boys yowling.

“Oww!”
“Yaaah!”

“Eight years old—and running around the corridors like maniacs! People here need to rest; this is not a marketplace!”

“Sorry, Yura.”
“Sorry, Yura.” Baekhyun parroted his friend, both of them holding their ears that started to bloom to red. The nurse groaned but pulled them both into her chest nonetheless, kissing both of their foreheads before she ruffled their hairs.

“I hate you both, you know that? Clucking all over the place everywhere—“ she huffed. “I know that you two want to have fun, but not in here, yeah? Maybe after lunchtime—if you boys are good enough—I can take you two out in the park on my break.”

“Yay!” Baekhyun shrieked, before he slapped a hand to his mouth. “Sorry—Yura. I mean—yaaaay…”

“Yeah, that’s it. And no more running for now, Chanyeol—you look completely knocked. And you, Baekhyun, aren’t supposed to even run at all. Remember what the doctor says if you trip over and fall? Remember?”

“I…” Baekhyun twisted up his face. “I’ll grow more bones.”

“Exactly. So no more running for both of you—play something else, will you?” Yura scrunched up her nose before she walked off, clicking in her high heels as she disappeared into the maze of the hospital corridors—then Chanyeol blew a raspberry after her.

“Your sister is getting prettier every day.” Baekhyun giggled, whilst Chanyeol sm