More than a week had passed since Yoo Jonghyuk rescued Kim Dokja from freezing to death during the eve of his birthday. Dokja recovered from his injuries a day after celebrating his birthday. His doctors were astounded to see his progress and had issued him a clean bill of health. His primary physician recommended Dokja to proceed with the Omega exam the following day.

Dokja was then subjected to a multitude of tests, on the first day of treatment, he went under a full physical exam. Afterwards, samples were taken from his body; blood, urine and stool samples were extracted daily while various inhibitors and suppressors were administered to Dokja. He didn't mind the menial tests, however Dokja suffered a bit due to the side effects of some of his medication.

On some days, Dokja would feel extremely nauseated and would vomit whenever he smells a particular odour. While some of the medication triggered his heat and gave Dokja body aches. It was an excruciating time for him but Dokja clung on and endured it. He knew he had to adapt and get accustomed to his newfound gender.

Yoo Jonghyuk's companions of the 999th turn nursed and cheered up Dokja whenever he was in anguish. His friends were by his side during the length of his confinement in Yonsei Severance Hospital. Lee Jihye, Kim Namwoon and Uriel took turns in visiting and watching over Dokja as he received treatment. They would bring food, flowers and books to keep Dokja entertained and distracted from the dreary hospital life. They gave their all to make sure that Dokja wouldn't bear the pain alone.

Eventually, the tests lessened on the fourth day of treatment, as one of the suppressors that were administered was found to be effective in managing Dokja's pheromones. It was great progress as Dokja didn't show any adverse reactions with the said medication.

Dokja and his companions saw the signs, it looks like his discharge from the hospital draws near.

***

It was now 9:21 AM, Wednesday, February 22nd at Yonsei.

Kim Dokja took deep breaths while his attending doctor examined his torso.

"It looks like your body's stabilizing with the help of the suppressant." The doctor breathes out a sigh of relief as he inspects Kim Dokja's physical state, his stethoscope smooths along Dokja's back as the doctor listens to his pulse and breathing.

"We can proceed with the last leg of the exam this afternoon as there are no complications observed in the last 48 hours." The doctor then sets aside his stethoscope and logs Dokja's vitals on his tablet. "We can now completely rule out the after-effects of the meds since your motor skills, blood circulation and your pheromone levels are normal." He taps the screen as he logs additional notes on Dokja's profile.

"A nurse will come to collect some blood samples later around 10:00 AM" The doctor flicks the screen. "After that, you'll be seeing a specialist this afternoon to get an ultrasound." The doctor glances at the patient timetable on the tablet. "The ultrasound should be anytime between 12:00 to 1:00 PM." He then saves the notes and locks the screen.

"Do you have any questions, Patient Kim?" The doctor looks at Dokja inquisitively.

Dokja scratches his head as he recollected the words that the school doctor mentioned to him prior to his admission. "Is it true that it would take days or weeks before I'm issued a prescription for my constitution?"

The doctor rubs his chin. "It depends on the patient, some may take just a few hours or days while severe cases take weeks. Recessive Omega pheromones are tricky to manage. However, the medication you've been taking for the past two days was proven effective. Hopefully, once we've analysed your latest blood results, we'll be able to determine if you'll require either an injectable or oral medication." A warm, assuring smile forms on the doctor's face.

"The prescription shall be provided to you once your final blood results arrive."

"May I ask what is the purpose of the ultrasound?" Jihye interjects as she gazes at the doctor. "Is this related to Dokja's constitution?"

"Correct. Normally, Omegas at birth do not need to take the ultrasound test as their uterus would mature during puberty, however since Patient Kim here manifested late due to his recessive gender, we need to check if his reproductive organs are developing properly."

"I see… would that affect Dokja's confinement?" Jihye raises an eyebrow.

"It won't, but the ultrasound's results would help us determine what should be the best type of supplements and contraceptives to recommend for Patient Kim once he gets discharged."

'Contraceptives… I guess I need to be careful too since Jonghyuk is an Alpha.' Dokja remembers the book he read about Omega physiology a few days ago.

➖➖➖

Recessive Omegas were rare in society, out of all the genders, they were notorious for their erratic heat cycles and strong pheromones. It was known that Betas and normal Omega's fertility rates fared better than the Recessives. Their pheromones were also tricky to deal with as most Recessives found it difficult to acquire an inhibitor or a suppressor drug that matched their constitution.

In most cases, Recessives are forced to pair up with an Alpha to manage their estrus. Recessives were a prized commodity in the black market auctions and were highly desired by Alphas due to their extremely low fertility rate. Recessives were perfect to use as a an Alpha's human fleshlight during their rut.

It is common knowledge that Omega's pheromones can influence an Alpha's libido.

According to the book, Alphas instinctively release their scent whenever they get near Omegas, causing attraction towards the opposing gender and thus creating a pair system. Alphas can also imprint their scent on their mate during their rut cycle to suppress or conceal their pheromones. It was a natural mechanism for reproduction for the survival of their brood.

Dominant Alphas were equally rare like Recessives. They are known to possess a greater pheromone scent and a higher virility rate. Their scent could trigger an Omega's heat and also intimidate other genders. It was recommended that Betas and unpaired Omegas stay clear of Dominants as their libido exceeds normal Alphas during their rut cycle.

➖➖➖

Dokja realised how much effort Jonghyuk did in order to restrain himself. He recollects Jonghyuk ingesting a multitude of supplementary pills every night after eating dinner just to manage his pheromones.

"The tests due today are straightforward as we'll analyse the efficacy of the medication. Once your results come in positive, we'll provide the prescription and then we can process your discharge, Patient Kim." The doctor lets out a sigh of relief.

"Things are looking good for you. Hopefully, you won't need to wait that long, your previous test results came back good too." The doctor pats Dokja's back. "Your final results should be available later, I'll drop by before 5 PM to let you know, Patient Kim."

The doctor fixes his coat as he prepares to leave. "I'll be resuming my rounds now. Should you need assistance, don't hesitate to notify the nurse station." The doctor bows and leaves the room.

"You've heard the doctor, Dokja! You're going to get discharged soon!" Jihye wraps her arms around Dokja's, hugging him tightly. "If your results turn out good, then you can be discharged later!"

"N-noona! I c-can't breathe!" Dokja winces as Jihye clung on his neck.

"Oops! Sorry, my bad." Jihye releases her hold. "But hey, at least, when you get out, we're going to be roommates soon!"

Dokja raises his eyebrows. "Wait, noona… what do you mean by roommates?"

"Didn't Captain inform you about his state?" Jihye's grin flattens and the mood in the room darkens.

"His state? Why? Is something wrong with Jonghyuk?" Dokja's irises dilates in shock, his hand reaches out to grip Jihye's shirt. "Is he in danger? Or is he in trouble?" His voice trembled in panic.

"Well… about that Dokja..." Jihye groans.

"Tell me!" Tears swell from Dokja's eyes. They were full of anxiety.

'God damn it, Captain! Why didn't you come clean to Dokja about your rut.' Jihye's brows arches as she contemplates on how to explain the situation to Dokja.

Jihye strokes Dokja's back to calm him down. "Don't worry! Captain's fine! He's just at home resting, Dokja!"

"How can you be sure? I… I… I've been sending him messages of thanks ever since my birthday, but he never responded! What if something bad ha-"

"Relax!" Jihye cups Dokja's cheeks with both of her hands and sighs.

"He's just in a rut."

***

A heavy scent of pheromones engulfed Yoo Jonghyuk's room. Despite the afternoon sun beaming outside the windows, the space inside remained dark as the curtains were shut to block out the sunlight.

"Fuck… Why is my body still like this? Ugh… Haah…"

Jonghyuk was lying down and sprawled on his bed. His body felt heavy and feverish, his warm breaths were short and every time he tried to move, body pain would follow. He had been sweating buckets since his rut started and opted to lie down half-naked in his underwear to cool himself.

It was the price he paid after saving Dokja a week ago. Jonghyuk had overdosed on inhibitors during his search for Dokja. His Alpha instincts and his pheromones raged inside his body, causing pain and discomfort.

"Shit! Ugh… Haaahh…"

Jonghyuk heaves himself from the bed, his body was terribly weak, he had been skipping meals every other day. After all, the pain prevented him from performing his daily chores and tasks. He then leaves his room and trudges to the kitchen to grab food, as his body was in dire need of sustenance. Jonghyuk remembered the boxed meals he left for Dokja.

He felt fortunate as Dokja managed to transfer the rest of the meals to the freezer before he left. Jonghyuk was relieved that he wouldn't have to inconvenience anyone during his rut.

He takes out one of the meals with a label of tteok-bokki and chucks it to the microwave to thaw. Afterwards, he takes it out and gobbles the morsels with his bare hands, his fingers and cheeks got stained with gochujang. Once he emptied the container, he hurled it into the sink along with the rest of the meal boxes he had finished from the previous days.

'I'll tidy up once my body's back to normal.'

He groaned as he saw the accumulation of dirty dishes on the kitchen sink, he briefly opened the faucet to wash his hands and face. His chin felt prickly as his stubble had grown.

'I need to wash after this. I feel so filthy.' He lathers soap on his hands and cheeks to remove the residual sauce on his face. 'My body should be back to normal in a few days… the last cycle took me a week.'

Jonghyuk recalls the news of Dokja's confinement, Jihye had notified him yesterday via SMS that Dokja's treatment was progressing well. She estimates that Dokja would be back before the end of the week.

'I'll leave him to those two… Jihye and Namwoon will probably take care of him well.'

He glances at the calendar on the fridge to take note of the date before staggering back to his room to rest.

***

Dokja had a sullen expression on his face as he rushed to arrange his luggage. He was stowing away his belongings inside a bulky duffle bag as Dokja received word from his doctor that his blood and ultrasound results returned normal.

The doctor had recommended for his discharge tomorrow morning, however Dokja insisted and begged the doctor to permit him to leave a day in advance. Hence, it was decided that he would depart from Yonsei tonight. He gazes at the wall clock above the bed to check the time.

It was 5:37 PM, there was less than an hour before his revised schedule of discharge.

Dokja turns his attention at the small tote that was placed on the bed table. His doctor had given him an aftercare kit during his check-up earlier. It was an obligatory gift for completing the comprehensive exam without any issues. The bag contained books that discussed the Recessive Omega's physiology as well as his prescribed medication and supplements.

"Ah, I need to bring this with me." Dokja grabs the tote and shoves it inside the bag.

When he spoke with Jihye earlier, Dokja had found out about Jonghyuk's fragile state. It didn't sit well with him and his anxiousness peaked. An exhausted sigh escapes from his mouth as he contemplates.

'Why didn't Jonghyuk tell me? Am I not that reliable? Does he really lov-'

His trail of thought was interrupted by the sound of the door opening behind him. It was Lee Jihye, sweat dripped from her face and she was short on breath. It looked like she ran.

"Kim Dokja, what are you doing? Your discharge is scheduled for tomorrow! Why are-"

"Noona… I need to go home."

Jihye's jaws were agape. "It's unsafe for you to be with Jonghyuk!" She grabs Dokja's wrist and grips firmly. "Captain will inform us once he's back to his normal self, you don't have to-"

"I'm aware!" Dokja tries to shake off from Jihye's firm hold. "I… I… need to be by his side."

"Dokja, don't be brash. You've just recovered from treatment."

"I'm his Fated!" Dokja musters his strength and shrugs off Jihye's hand.

"I need to be by Jonghyuk's side."