I spend two full days in the hospital, resting and eating sherbet. I try to watch T.V. but a headache followed after ten minutes. I start looking forward to my meals in hopes of seeing Jimin again, but I am met with disappointment when he never appears.

Alice stopped by with my backpack, car keys, and my cold chicken nuggets; we chatted for a bit and I enjoyed the company, but I felt worse when she left.

I distract myself from the loneliness by contacting my professors and explaining my situation. Thankfully, I am given extensions for my assignments and my exam dates are moved back. I worked on my homework when the painkillers kicked in and took breaks when they would fade. When the sun sets on Friday evening, I finish my remaining homework and buy myself time to relax when I return home when I am discharged on Saturday.

Unfortunately, the bruises on my body started to darken and turned into painful splotches of violet and blue. They cover my body like the burns of a fire; spreading across my body in circular patterns. The presence of the bruises wipes away all doubts as to why I am in the hospital. The mere sight of me would be proof enough. I look worse than I feel. Maybe it is grace because it allows my mind to reset from the things it experienced.

On Saturday morning, I wake up feeling oddly refreshed and ready to start my day. I would do anything to escape this boring room and its stale scent of disinfectant. I check my phone a few times for nonexistent notifications and wait not-so-patiently for a nurse to break me out of this place.

The door finally opens and a new nurse walks in. She wears scarlet red scrubs with white circular patterns on the fabric. I am a little sad that it isn't Namjoon. I was hoping to hear that story about the time his hybrid, Jin, went shopping on his own and the chaotic aftermath of it.

The new nurse examines me with a bright expression—she's probably one of the dayshift nurses—and pulls out her tablet, "How are you feeling today, miss?"

"Good," I answer truthfully and then smirk, "don't let the bruises fool you."

She chuckles lightly and nods. "Then I've got good news for you. We'll be discharging you today at noon." She looks over the tablet again, "Do you have a ride, or do you need to use the hospital shuttle?"

"I can use the shuttle." I don't want to bother Alice, especially after a Friday night. Those political science majors know how to party and judging by how drunk she sounded in her texts, she'll be too sick to do anything before noon. Besides, she has already helped me so much. I don't want to bother her anymore. "Is there a change of clothes..?" I glance down at my patient's gown.

"Yes, of course, I can grab them for you." She walks over to a cabinet built into the wall and pulls out a set of white pajamas. It's the same design Jimin was wearing when I met him in the cafeteria. She places them on the bed and her gaze is soft when she meets my eyes. "Do you need help getting changed?"

I shake my head, "No, I can do it. But thank you." I pause for a moment, "Do you happen to know Jimin?"

"Jimin?"

"The hybrid," I clarify, remembering that not all the nurses know about him. "He's a friend of mine. Is he doing okay? Last I heard he was in stable condition..."

She gives me a curious look. "He's doing good. He has calmed down since he arrived. I assume you're the one he's asking for."

My eyes widened in surprise. "He asked about me?"

"If you are 'his' Eden, then yes." Her face softens with an unreadable expression. "He is very worried about you. However, the doctor thinks it's best if you stay separate..."

My heart aches for Jimin, realizing he has also been stuck in his room. He is probably going crazy because they won't let him leave the room. "You said he was doing better..." I comment with a frown.

"Yes, and no. He is impatient, and the doctor thinks he's going to try escaping. He isn't in any condition to leave yet... and he doesn't have a guardian," she explains in a conflicted tone. "And the doctor thinks having you there will trigger something. He is stable, physically, but it's his mind that they worry about."

I've heard this before. But I can't help but sympathize with him.

Keeping him isolated won't help anybody. He shouldn't have to be lonely or trapped.

"We met right after that night..." I comment, hoping to convince her. "He seemed better when we were together. Maybe I could try seeing him before I leave? Maybe I could help him?"

"Maybe... but you would have to catch him at a good time. Sometimes he has... episodes. This was to be expected, but they take a mental toll on him. You would need to be careful."

"Of course," I agree wholeheartedly. "Could you help me? I just want to say goodbye... I owe him that much..."

"Owe him?"

I slowly lay back on the headrest and answer, "He saved my life. He took a bullet for it, and he chased off the man that attacked me. The ones trying to sell him..." The words are coming easier than before. It isn't as painful to remember that night if I focus on Jimin's bravery. "He escaped the men who kidnapped him, and he saved me with the time he bought himself. I want to see him again."

In past experience, when I ask the nurses to see Jimin, they either dismiss me or reexplain that it isn't a good idea. But this nurse's eyes are soft with emotion and she nods, "Alright. Get dressed, I'll let them know."

My eyes light up and I cast her grateful smile, "Thank you so much!"

Maybe it's selfish. I am placing so much weight on our moments together in desperate hopes of fixing my own trauma. That a moment with him will change my life once again and I will be normal again.

That isn't fair to him. And the thought of it sickens me, and yet... yet here I am trying to convince this poor nurse to take me to him.

I want to see him, I just want to see him one more time before I say goodbye...

Maybe one visit won't hurt? It's just a few minutes together. It should be fine. No harm will come from a few moments together before parting ways.

The nurse smiles back and starts to walk out of the room. "You're welcome." She starts to walk out of the room but pauses at the door. "Before we go, I should probably warn you... he may not take your discharge well. He wants to leave, but he appears to be staying because you are here. And hybrids... are very sweet, but they also become attached. You should keep this in mind."

It's hard to believe he is staying for my sake but I should treat this delicately. I don't want to hurt him.

"Okay, I will."

"See you in a bit," she says and then leaves the room.

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

I limp down the hall with the kind nurse at my side. I am off-balanced only because of the pain spreading through my ribs. The restorative healing patches are speeding my recovery, but there is only so much medical treatment I can do. I didn't want to use the wheelchair because I need to start walking sooner rather than later.

We make it to the end of the hall and arrive at Jimin's door. The nurse quietly knocks and peeks into the room. "We're here," she announces calmly.

I strain my ears to hear the response but I couldn't understand it.

Then the nurse turns to me with an encouraging look. "Alright, he's ready. Come on in." She opens the door wider for me.

The hospital room is an identical copy of mine aside from a different variety of nature paintings. The soft whites of the room blend with the sunlight coming through the window. The room glows with light. The smell of warm rice and chicken mingle in the air causing my stomach to growl.

"You're here!" Jimin sits up sharply from the bed, gripping the edges of his blankets. His blond hair is fluffed on one side with a few strands sticking straight out, fresh from sleep. His body rocks back and forth as if he were debating on getting up.

I smile warmly at him, hoping he stays in a calm state, and approach him as quickly as I could manage. "Hey Jimin, how are you today?"

Jimin's tail slips out from under the covers and hangs lazily off the edge of the bed. His slender-shaped eyes track my movements. He frowns in concern, "You're limping," he says instead.

I stand beside his bed and make sure he's okay too. "I'm walking. It's better than being stuck in a wheelchair."

He is wearing the same white pajamas as me with the top two buttons undone, exposing his collarbone. His skin is perfectly smooth, his cheeks appear soft to touch. Up close, I can confidently say he's the most beautiful man I've ever seen in my life.

Jimin casts me a doubtful look, "You look in pain. You shouldn't be walking. You should rest." He scoots over and opens up the blankets. He pats the open space beside him, "Sit here."

In the corner of my eye, the nurses in the room stiffen in anticipation. They radiate with tense energy making it difficult to focus. Their eyes burn into the back of my head, waiting for Jimin to make a wrong move.

I do my best to ignore them and focus on Jimin. My heart melts at the sight of his pleading eyes and suddenly, it's impossible to tell him no. "Sure. If that's okay."

"Of course it is." He casts me a devilish smile causing his cat ears to push back against his head, "I don't bite."

I return the smile, feeling my eyes glint with mischief, "I do."

Jimin laughs and quickly pats the spot beside him, gesturing for me to move faster.

I climb up onto the bed and settle into the spot beside him. I wince briefly as I try scooting to the side then I stretch my legs out on the bed. Jimin's shoulder brushes against mine as he makes more room for me. His tail moves out of the way and settles on the other side of him, curling towards his legs.

Once we're both settled, we look over our shoulders to meet face-to-face, closer than expected.

I smile awkwardly and lean away from him to give him room. Jimin, on the other hand, leans closer and tilts his head innocently to the side. His eyes sparkle as they reflect the hospital room lights. "Are you okay?" he asks worriedly, "They didn't hurt you, did they?"

This is the second time he's asked me that.

"I'm okay," I answered sincerely to ease his troubled mind. I change subjects smoothly, "But I want to know how you are doing. Are you okay? How are you feeling?"

Jimin's gaze moves from me to the nurses. His expression darkens at the sight of their peering eyes. "I don't want to be here. I can't stay here," he mumbles, tilting his chin up to whisper into my ear. His eyes remain on the nurses but he doesn't turn his head towards them. "We need to leave before it's too late."

I force my hands to keep to themselves, worried that touching him may set him off. I give Jimin a look of concern, "You can leave soon, I'm sure of it. They aren't keeping you here forever. You don't need to escape."

Jimin shakes his head and focuses on me again. "I can't stay here, Eden," he repeats. "I have things I need to do..." His voice trails off with memories settling in his eyes. "I can't waste any time here."

"What are you trying to do?"

Jimin leans closer and motions for me to come closer with his finger. I oblige and lean closer, offering him my ear. He is now only inches away. He breathes softly against my ear before whispering, "My family is still trapped. I have to save them too. I can't leave them behind."

My eyes widened in shock. "Really?"

Jimin nods and leans closer, pressing his chest against my shoulder. He whispers, "You can help me save them, Eden. You have to help me escape."

I press my lips together and cast him a doubtful look. "I... I'm not sure how I'm supposed to help you. I can't just..." I eye the nurses as he speaks to me.

I can't break him out of the hospital; I'm pretty sure it's illegal. Not only that, how am I supposed to know if he's telling the truth about rescuing his family? They were worried he was mentally unstable, is this what they were talking about?

"I have no idea how to do that," I admit, "I'm not sure if I have the power to let you leave early."

Jimin shoots me a look of panic. His hand fists in his lap a few times. "I have to leave," he urges in a hushed tone, "I can't—, I can't stay here. I don't know if they're still going to be there. They might be moved to another location and then I'll never be able to find them again! I can't waste any more time!"

The nurses begin to bristle at his raised voice.

I motion for them to calm down with one hand before turning back to Jimin with a calm look. "I want to help you, I really do. But you need to calm down. If you start panicking, they'll force me to leave."

His eyes flash with icy panic, "I won't let them take you from me again," his voice shakes with emotion. "I won't let them. You're going to escape too, Eden, we're going to escape from here!"

"Shh shh..." I urge him, "don't worry, we're going to leave soon, okay? Please calm down..."

Jimin locks eyes with me and reaches for my hand. He takes it carefully and holds it close to him. His voice drops a level causing a low rumble to rise from his throat, "You need to help me. You promised... I'm asking for you to help me escape. You have to keep your promise..."

I stiffen at the mention of my promise. I swallow hard and give him a level look. "Jimin... What you're talking about will cause more problems than it's worth. We can figure this out together. We don't need to escape from here. You will be released soon."

The door opens suddenly. A doctor walks in and gives Jimin and me a strange look, "Oh... what do we have here?" He casts the nurses a dark look, "I thought we weren't allowing visitors?"

I squeeze Jimin's hand and make eye contact with the doctor. "It's alright," I answer, "we know each other. We were just talking."

The doctor looks over me with a tight frown. "You must be the other one. I believe you were being discharged today, am I correct?"

I feel my stomach twist with panic, worried Jimin may take it the wrong way. He might believe I'm leaving him, that I was lying to him about my promise.

I force a smile. "I was wondering when Jimin was being discharged. Do you have an exact date?"

"He will be released when he can handle living by himself," the doctor answers bluntly, casting Jimin a look of suspicion. "As of right now, he is a danger to himself and others. On top of that, he has no existing family to retrieve him, at least none that exist in our system."

Jimin scowls silently at the doctor and leans against my shoulder for support.

The doctor crosses the room and begins looking through one of the cabinets. The nurses in the room have fallen silent. It's almost like they are avoiding the doctor.

The doctor turns with a vial in his hand. "We've asked him about biological relatives and he claims he has none. This means he can't leave the hospital until he is in stable condition, or if somebody claims him. Our policy states that hybrids are not allowed to leave the hospital alone."

Jimin's dark eyes gleam with murder as he stares down the doctor. His ears flatten against his fluffy hair as his lips curl back into a snarl, "I won't stay here," he threatens, "you can't keep me here."

Quickly, I readjust my grip on Jimin's trembling hand and nudge his shoulder with mine in an attempt to snap him out of it. "What if somebody claimed him?" I ask calmly, "Who can claim him?"

The doctor coolly raises an eyebrow as he looks over me. "You don't appear to be in a condition to take care of a hybrid."

"I'm being discharged today. That's enough," I argue sternly. "What are the requirements?"

On the other hand, he has a point. I'm still recovering from a concussion. How am I supposed to take care of myself and Jimin? I don't have the money to support another person, especially right now.

Even so, Jimin sacrificed his safety to save me. He protected me from those men and took a bullet for it. I can't leave him here. I can't be selfish with the man who risked his freedom to make sure I was safe.

He asked me to help him escape this hospital to fulfill my promise and that's what I'm going to do.

The doctor sighs at the intense look in my eyes, exasperated. "I don't know the exact rules, but I can give you the release papers." He gestures to one of the nurses with a sharp flick of his hand with a silent command. "I do, however, know that the claimer must be mentally stable as well. And you..." He smiles falsely, "you don't seem any better than he is."

I ground my teeth together and fought the urge to throw a lead apple at him. I force myself to smile back at him, mocking his high-and-mighty tone, "If I wasn't, you wouldn't be releasing me. I have a right to see the papers, don't I?"

The doctor suppresses an eye roll. "Sure," he drawls, "but that doesn't give you any right over him."

Jimin sits up straight and openly glares at the doctor. "That isn't for you to decide," he argues firmly.

"Neither can you." The doctor turns to the nurses again and clicks his tongue in annoyance. "Do I have to do everything around here?" he asks incredulously.

While the doctor begins to scold the "lazy" nurses, I turn to Jimin with a secret look of encouragement. I lean closer to him and whisper, "I'm keeping my promise, I'm getting you out."

The previous tension slowly melts from his eyes and is replaced with a soft look of adoration. "Thank you," he replies wholeheartedly. He leans against me again and rests his head on my shoulder, "Thank you so much..."

With a hesitant hand, I lightly touch his back. I gently rub his back, only to become aware of how his ribs stick out from his skin. I massage his back until my hand begins to tingle from the feeling of the pajama fabric.

This is me making it up to you. I'm getting you out of here, Jimin.

A/N: What do you think will happen next? Any theories? : )

On this fine Friday, remember to distress and relax in the comfort of your own home. Eat some fruit to give you some energy! If you are getting hit by the polar vortex today, be extra careful and bundle up!! Wear leggings underneath your jeans and sweatshirts under your jackets! It helps! Thanks for reading, lovelies!