"Bless you and all your children, you guys are literal angels!" I thank Hobi and Yoongi once again as they organize the food.

Hobi smiles warmly as he hands me a large soda, "It's no problem. I'm just glad you are feeling like yourself again."

I grab a straw out of the large paper bag and stick it through the top of the cup. I adjust the table tray that's attached to the bed and make sure it is level before setting the burger on it. I flash the two men a grateful smile again, "I'll pay for the next meal, I promise."

Yoongi drags a chair from the corner of the hospital room but he remains standing. He smirks, "That is if we live till our next meeting."

I smirk in return, "We'll live if we avoid McDonald's."

Hobi whines playfully and pouts his full lips, "Aish, I work there..."

Yoongi reaches over and pats Hobi's back. He mocks a look of sympathy for a moment before grinning again, "Guess you'll die then."

Hobi tosses his head back and fake cries about his untimely death. We laugh and tease him when he finishes his exaggerated lament about the dangers of McDonald's.

When we finish joking around, I devour my large burger and become solely focused on eating this amazing meal. It's one of those lucky burgers that looks like the commercial. It's a miracle burger and tastes like Heaven. It also might have tasted like that because I hadn't eaten all day.

Hobi finishes dividing out the onion rings and fries and sits down in the chair first. Yoongi sips his soda with a distant look, lost in thought, for a moment before looking down at Hobi. He stares at him for a beat.

"What?" Hobi asks incredulously.

Yoongi shrugs. Then he sits down on Hobi's lap.

Hobi watches him for a moment, his lips tighten into a line and pull to one side. "What?" he repeats, still confused.

Yoongi starts eating his burger with a casual expression. "There's nowhere to sit."

Hobi stares at him and then nods a few times. "Fair." Then he continues to eat.

I finish my burger quickly and start finishing my portion of the warm fries. I sink back into the bed and stretch out my legs under the covers. The boys continue eating their food causing the conversation to lapse into a comfortable silence.

The ache in my stomach slowly eases away. The woozy feeling of hunger in my mind still remains but I know it will fade soon enough.

In the peaceful moment, I begin to think of Jimin and how he is doing with Taehyung. Earlier, the doctor came in to tell us of Taehyung's current state; this state was blind panic and irrational behavior. It took only a moment for us to understand the truth behind his wild state and I practically shoved Jimin off the bed and told him to go to Taehyung.

Taehyung needs Jimin right now more than I need him.

Jimin ran out of the room at full speed and he hasn't returned yet. It's been thirty minutes so far but who's counting?

I have no right to feel an ounce of jealousy towards the relationship Jimin has with Taehyung. Taehyung and Jimin have truly been through it all together and I shouldn't feel strange that Jimin has to leave me to talk with him.

I shouldn't, and yet I do.

I still don't like being away from him. Though I am beyond grateful for the presence of Yoongi and Hobi, I want Jimin to be here as well. I want him beside me. I want him to stay with me.

Goodness Eden, you're being so clingy, I mentally scold myself. Get it together.

"How are you feeling?"

I blink out of my brief daze and look over at Yoongi. He continues to sip his soda with a look of concern.

I tug at the edges of my blankets a few times and trace the lines in the seams. "I am doing better now. I don't feel anything," I answered truthfully. "The painkillers are working wonders on me," I flash him an easy but his look of worry does not fade.

He squints briefly and casts me a look of wary disbelief. "I'm not talking about physically."

Part of me is reluctant to tell him how I am handling this emotionally, it feels too raw and private to explain. The other part reminds me that Yoongi risked his life to save me and Hobi last night. He put himself in danger to save his roommate, who was kidnapped and tortured for talking to me at the wrong moment.

They have every right to know what I'm thinking.

It doesn't stop it from feeling awkward. I am trying to be more open with my emotions and attempting to be a good person in the face of danger, but that doesn't make it any less hard to do.

"I guess... I still feel numb to it." My gaze flicks to the window across the room.

A winter white haze filters through the frosted window. The sun is shining through a thin veil of gray clouds. The blue sky is partially visible now.

"I am not thinking about it. I could be avoiding it. But I think that's okay too."

I pause and look over at the two boys again. A painful swell of guilt builds in my chest when I meet Hobi's eyes. Shaken by a wave of emotion, I sniff quietly and look away again. "I'm really sorry for this. I had no idea they would take you. I wasn't thinking straight that night. I'm sorry I got you kidnapped, Hoseok."

Hobi stops drinking his Sprite and casts me a look of reassurance. He has to lean around Yoongi's body to see me. "It wasn't your fault, Eden. There's no need to blame yourself."

"I never meant for this to happen," I continued quietly. "I didn't want anybody to get hurt. I just... I just thought I was helping people but all I seem to do is screw things up."

"You didn't screw anything up—" Hobi begins but Yoongi cuts in.

"You were in the wrong place at the wrong time," he says firmly. "The only one who is to blame is the guys who started all of this. And now they are paying for what they did."

If I had gone home instead of stopping at McDonald's that Wednesday night, none of this would have happened.

Conversely, if I had gone home instead, the men selling Jimin wouldn't have been distracted enough to allow him to escape. Nobody would help him save his brothers and bring Sam's hybrid smuggling ring to an end.

I don't regret meeting Jimin, I just wish nobody had to suffer.

"Eden," Hobi speaks quietly but earns my undivided attention. "You were so brave back there... you were tortured so much... and here you are, still smiling with us. You helped so many people, all of those people who were turned into hybrids, the people they would have taken, they are saved because you didn't give up."

My gaze softens as his words comfort me. Am I truly all that he says? It certainly doesn't feel like I am. Maybe they see something in me that I don't. Maybe it would be okay to give myself a little credit for the good parts of the night.

"And you're not alone," Hobi smiles, causing his eyes to glow with energy. "Though we might be strangers, I think you're growing on me."

Yoongi scoffs and looks at Hobi through the corner of his eye, fighting his smile. "You almost died."

Hobi smiles wider, "But I didn't."

Yoongi rolls his eyes and lightly pokes Hobi's waist. "You're so weird." Hobi's body tenses and jerks at the touch; he fights his rising giggles and lightly smacks Yoongi on the head.

I allow myself to smile again as I watch the boys lightly bicker and hit each other. "At least we learned one thing from all of this."

Yoongi pauses, mid-smack, and gives me an odd look. "What's that?"

I shrug. "McDonald's is bad for your health."

Hobi smirks, "I'll hand in my resignation letter tomorrow!" he announces, his voice level raises in volume causing his words to echo off the walls.

Yoongi whines and hits Hobi's arm, "You're so loud..."

Hobi starts laughing again and makes no attempt to quiet his voice. I laugh as well and watch them continue to tease each other.

We finish eating our meal together and Yoongi explains they have to return to their apartment. I thank them for everything and promise not to involve them in my escape plan again. They laugh and assure me that it's alright and they would love to be ninjas again if they had to.

I give them both hugs and say my goodbyes, promising to tell Jimin their well wishes when he comes back. Hobi gives me their numbers, just in case we ever want to meet up again, and with that, the roommates leave the hospital room.

When the door closes, the room is enveloped in heavy silence once again.

The silence feels empty now.

I shift in my bed and look down at the seams of my blanket. I sink back down into the covers and rest my head against the pillow. I stare vacantly at the ceiling and lose myself in my thoughts once more.

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

The soft trickle of the stone waterfall echoes off the tall walls and the domed glass ceiling. The wet stones perfume the air with a fresh scent, mixing with the sweet smell of blossoming plants. The small greenhouse is shaped like a standing cylinder with smooth, curved walls.

Pots with bushes of various kinds line the small stone path inlaid in the mulch-covered floor. Clay pots painted with small hands and fingerprints are set near the center and labeled with messy names and pictures of flowers. At the center, a tree grows upwards with clipped branches and small buds.

The natural peace of the hospital garden is comforting.

I sit on a small black marble bench underneath the thin canopy of the single tree. I stare up at the glass ceiling watching as snow dances past the sky. The warmth of the garden is like a breath of sweet air yet jarring as it is still bitter winter outside.

Jimin appears in the glass door and opens it carefully. He pokes his head in and studies the garden in curiosity. "I didn't know they had this," he comments. He steps into the garden and makes his way to me.

I inhale deeply and relax my tense shoulders when I exhale. "I asked them if I could walk around, and they sent me here," I answered.

The hospital's peace garden.

Jimin casts me a look of concern. "Are you okay?"

I reach up and start wrapping a lock of my dark blonde hair around my finger. I stare down at the dirt wedged between each stone in the path. "I'm just dazed," I admit. "Being here almost reminds me of that place."

Jimin's eyes flick to one side. "You didn't answer me."

A moment of silence passes between us. It's almost awkward. Despite our warm moment earlier, I am starting to feel the effects of exhaustion weighing on my bruised mind.

I am starting to see glimpses of reality as the shock of the night wears off. I am starting to remember my financial issues, schoolwork that needs to be done, my parents coming this weekend, and the fact that my car is stuck at McDonald's. I have responsibilities, but I'm too tired to begin facing them.

Jimin kneels down in front of me. He rests his hand on my knee and looks up at me. My eyes soften at the sight of his dark ember-like eyes. He tilts his head to one side, "Is there anything I can do to help?"

I lay my hand on top of his and run my finger over his knuckles. I duck my head and look to the side of him. "You wouldn't happen to be a millionaire, would you?" I ask, half-joking.

Jimin cracks a smile causing his eyes to scrunch up. "I was hoping you were."

His smile begins to relieve some of the tension building in my chest. I return his smile but it feels weak. "I'm just worried about taking care of everybody."

Jimin brushes his blond hair back with his free hand before smoothing his cat ears back. He puffs up his cheeks before slowly exhaling, "We could try getting us jobs... I'm not sure if people hire hybrids but it's worth a shot."

"You guys aren't even hybrids," I argue, feeling a surge of anger toward those who discriminate against them. "You were forced to become them, that's not your fault."

Jimin shrugs and turns his head to the side. "At least Taehyungie can hide it. But I'm not sure if he's ready to start working..."

I shake my head quickly, "No, I won't make you guys work. This is my responsibility, I'm the one adopting you guys. You shouldn't have to worry about it."

The corner of Jimin's lips pulls back into an unconvinced frown. "Adoption is only a formality. It's our ticket to escape the hospital, it isn't real. We are adults too, we can help you."

"Even so, I still need to take care of everybody." I flash him a look, "I'm not complaining. I'm just trying to come up with a plan. I can do this."

Jimin sighs and stands up. He takes up my hands and brings them to his lips. He kisses them lightly and looks up at me from under his lashes. "If there's one thing I learned during our time together, it is that you shouldn't do things alone. We're in this together... right?"

I know he's repeating what I told him earlier.

Why do we struggle with trusting each other? Why do we keep going around in circles?

When will the madness end?

"Yes, we are," I agree, adjusting my hands to hold his. "I just... I just need a plan."

"Does that plan involve a lot of sleeping?" he asks hopefully.

I chuckle and pat his hand a couple of times. "One can only hope. It also strictly states that none of us are allowed to go to McDonald's."

Jimin laughs and quickly nods in agreement. "Good plan."

"I might have to throw out all my sleeping meds..." I add lightly and flash him a sorry-not-sorry smile. "I still can't believe you drugged me."

Jimin winces before lowering his head. "Ah... yes... that. You know, I'm really sorry, but you have every right to be upset about it." He slowly looks up at me as his tail flicks nervously behind him. "If it helps, I promise I won't touch that cabinet again."

I reach over and lightly pat the top of his head. "I forgive you, it's alright." I force a small laugh, "Maybe it was too soon."

Jimin smiled apologetically, "No no, it's okay. Honestly, if that's all you hold against me, I can take it."

My heart wrenches at the sound of that. "Oh... no no, I don't hold it against you... now. We managed to find each other again so it's alright." I look up at the branches of the tree for a moment. "Anyway... I think I need to sign a few more things to adopt Jungkook and Taehyung if that's what we're doing."

Jimin nods in agreement. "Yeah, I talked to them about it and they said they are good with it. You've got their consent."

"We need to meet up before then," I add, trying to come up with a financially sound plan to accept two more hybrids. "We have some things to talk about before we go home."

"Sounds good." Jimin pauses and looks over me with a soft smile. "I like the sound of that. Home."

And I love the way he says it.

"Me too."

A/N: I am backkk! This chapter took forever to type (I am still trying to be careful with the cut on my finger) but it has finally been completed! I am not sure how often I will update since school is becoming increasingly difficult and I have to help my family (the majority are currently very sick) but I will let you guys know once my schedule is set! Please remember to care for yourself! Drink lots of water and rest when you can!