⚠️ Trigger warning for this chapter⚠️

"Ahh don't worry about it. I don't sleep anyway."

"Insomnia?"

"Not exactly..."

You recalled the conversation you had with Moonbyul when you woke up from your nightmare the first day you arrived and mentally kicked yourself from not realising it sooner.

There had been signs all along, however discreet they had been they were still there. Ever since you had began leaving bits of rosemary around the hospital, you hadn't seen Moonbyul around, not while you were working, and not even in the room you had shared. The rosemary had stopped her from making herself known to you like the dead nurse had mentioned. That's what the herb did, it repelled ghosts, albeit weakly.

Moonbyul was a reporter who had come to this Asylum in the 1970's, upon hearing about the rumours the city had spread about the Psychiatric Hospital.

Once the people of the hospital found out she had been secretly reporting on their insidious work, they made up a story and had unjustifiably admitted her as insane.

From what you gathered from the pages in the journal, you had a haunting thought that she must have ended herself. They had put her through scarring mental and psychical torture to the point she couldn't take it anymore. How horrible. How lonely she must have felt.

You immediately felt worse about the situation. Poor Moonbyul, going through all of that alone, and now she was doomed to wander the asylum forever, but not if you had a hand in it. Once you had dealt with Hoseok, you vowed to save Moonbyul from loitering in an eternal limbo.

After learning this, you weren't sure how you might act if you were to bump into Dr. Kim now.

You had read somewhere that Dr. Kim's father was in-charge of the hospital before him. And now...Dr. Kim was carrying on his work. How sick minded. It almost made you think that his insanity must have been genetic, but of course that wasn't the case. It made you briefly wonder if perhaps Hoseok had something to do with the present Dr. Kim. You were now worried how you might act if you bump into the doctor around the hospital. You would have to act natural. Even so, the memory of your 'not so much of a dream' flashed through your mind of the doctor with that poor abused patient on the shock table. 

You shuddered from the memory.

"Jackson! Lets go, I've got it," you said quietly, moving around the desk to the exit where Jackson stood. 

He nodded and slid his way out of the half open door, allowing enough room for you also. However before you could continue, you bumped into Jackson's solid back with a huff, looking up at the back of his head in confusion. 

You opened your mouth to ask why he'd stopped only for it to hang open at the person stood a few feet in front of you both.

You gulped.

Oh fuck.

Park Jimin stood there in all his glory with his hands in his pockets, a minuscule amused smile playing on his mouth as he had caught you red handed. 

You caught the shimmer in his eyes that seemed to be laughing at the situation you were in and the look on his face had you thinking that he couldn't care less about why you and your partner were looking so suspicious, just wondering out of the Doctor's office with a set of keys and journal.

Well you guessed it could have been worse. It could have been Dr. Kim standing there. But this was still bad. What kind of excuse could you quickly think up to give to the young CEO?

"Mr. Park," Jackson greeted smoothly, as if he hadn't just helped you steal something from the doctor's office. You couldn't believe that Jackson was managing to keep his blank expression. You had to correct your own face as you had been looking at Jackson in astonishment for his acting. 

Jimin's attention switched from you to Jackson, his smile straightening. 

"Hello (Y/n), and,forgive my rudeness but I don't believe I ever caught your name?" Jimin asked Jackson, looking at your friend with the same expression he usually gave everyone else around him. A cold one.

You found it strange that the man had been giving you special attention. It wasn't hard to see that the silvernette would look at you differently and it confused you greatly. Even if it was only a slight change in his eyes, face or even his posture, it would be less formal, less of that cold look in his gaze.

Very weird. 

"We were just looking for Dr. Kim. You wouldn't happen to know where he is, would you?" Jackson played again smoothly. 

Jimin rose a brow which had you holding your breath. You seriously felt like a child who had been caught with their hand in the cookie jar and for a moment you had to stop yourself from giggling about it. 

"The both of you?" Jimin asked, his smirk returning to his face. You shrunk back unconsciously, trying to avoid his heavy gaze. 

He knew! He knew the two of you were suspicious about something! There's no way he didn't!

"Yes," Jackson replied in your stead. 

Jimin did not reply and glanced at the objects you tried to hide behind your back. 

Smooth (Y/n). Real smooth.

"So if you don't mind us, we'll continue on our way," Jackson insisted, matching Jimin's tone that had you looking up at him in surprise. You'd never heard Jackson sound so...Serious before. 

Jackson stepped forward, beginning to walk. Before he got too far he turned and grabbed your wrist, pulling you along behind him. 

Jimin's eyes zeroed in on the contact, a tick in his jaw.

You bowed politely as you passed him, and didn't look back as your colleague pulled you along, Jimin staying in his place like a statue, a frosty look seeping into his dark orbs. His hands tightened into a fists in his pockets.

Jimin chuckled lowly to himself and shook his head.

"Jealousy is not my thing."

Once out of sight in a different part of the building, you burst out into a sudden laughter you had been keeping in.

Jackson looked at you like you had grown a second head.

"Yah! What's so funny!? Why are you laughing?" 

You clutched your stomach as you tried to muffle your laughter as much as possible, eyes glassing over. 

"I'm sorry," you chuckled, wiping your eyes, your laughter finally dying down, "its just us sneaking around and getting caught reminded me of the old days when we ran around stealing Mr. Bang's things and getting caught all the time. I felt like a kid."

An adoring smile spread across Jackson's face as he looked at you. He hadn't seen you laugh like that in ages and he had to admit it had been a little thrilling. 

He couldn't believe he was agreeing with you. There you two were dedicating your lives to paranormal investigation dealing with the many horrors of the world and yet you both found sneaking like children around a hospital was more thrilling. What was wrong with you two?

"I can see you're feeling very unwell there newbie," a shrill voice cut through the air, silencing your banter. The nurse you were paired with on the floor you worked on walked closer with a scowl set on her features. You rolled your eyes seeing Jackson in the corner biting his lip trying not to laugh. 

"I'm feeling better now," you replied to her, not anticipating the extra sass you had unconsciously put in your tone to match hers. 

She glared.

"Get back to work before I report you to one of the doctors," she hissed, shoving by you and strutting angrily down the hallway. 

Jackson looked at you with a smirk and chose to make a sarcastic comment.

"She'd be fun on a night out."

You playfully punched him in the stomach, causing him to double over. 

The rest of the afternoon was spent with you and Jackson returning to your respective jobs and not taking part in any more mischievousness. In between slots of free time you would remove any bits of rosemary you had previously planted around in cracks in the walls, under floor boards and holes. In one of the crooked floorboards you had found a fabric doll, torn with age and dull in its hue, black button eyes in a frozen stare. It only made you sad to think that a child may have been admitted here...You could only hope they hadn't gone through any of the horrors here in the past. 

Slowly but surely, you noticed the lost and wandering souls return to loiter around the building, staring at you or something invisible on the wall in front of them. You wondered how soon you would run into Moonbyul again, and what to say to her.

You hadn't seen Yoongi or Hoseok around and the time was crawling towards the 8pm mark in the evening. Almost time to round up the patients and lock them up for the night. 

You had made your way to your floor, stopping by Anna and A-Yeong's rooms to check they were there and to inspect their rooms before leaving them alone for the night.

After, you came to Yoongi's room, in which he was sat on the floor leaning against the wall and fiddling with something. 

That bloody lighter. 

How had no one confiscated that from him?

There was a musty sort of air in the room that had your nose twitching in minor distaste. Despite the coolness in the air as well, the room felt stuffy.

"Hello Yoongi, I'm here for your room inspection," you greeted, trying to erase the dryness from your voice as you spoke. Yoongi grunted softly in reply, not looking up from the object in his hands. 

You sighed, but began to search his pretty bare room for anything restricted. You found nothing. Nothing under the bed, the mattress, dresser or the small on-suite bathroom, which finally had you turning to the stoic man on the floor, sights set on the lighter in his hand. 

Something had you pausing however. 

His arm was no longer bandaged. 

The skin was...smooth, unscathed. How was that possible? 

You inched closer to him, and crouched down for a closer inspection of his skin.

You opened your mouth to comment on it, but hesitated as Yoongi's eyes flickered up at you briefly. 

Why was this man so intimidating with a mere glance? 

"Yoongi...Your arm..." You trailed off, confused with yourself for not knowing what to say. Like your train of thought was being numbed suddenly, a gentle cloud settling over your senses. The same feeling as the last time you spoke with the ravenette on the roof. You shook your head to disperse the feeling.

"What of it?" 

"O-oh, um its healed? I don't understand, that was a pretty bad wound," you commented, reaching a hand out to have a look at his arm. He let you take it and examine the appendage, attention on his lighter forgotten as he stared at you in the corner of his eye with an unreadable expression, relishing in the feeling of your fingers skimming over the skin of his forearm. A contact he rarely experienced. 

"You don't need to worry about it," he said calmly, prying your fingers from his arm. 

Without warning you plucked the lighter from his loosened hand while he had been distracted and stuffed it into one of your pockets. 

You stood up with a playful smile while Yoongi sent you an annoyed expression. 

"I'm happy you're no longer hurt. I don't want you doing that again."

He let out an exasperated sigh and dropped the back of his head against the wall. 

"Whatever," he muttered. 

You gave him an apologetic look before turning on your heel to leave him in peace. 

"Have a good night, Yoongi. I'll see you in the morning."

The door closed with a clang behind your form.

Yoongi's gaze lingered on the locked door. A sense of longing filling his empty core.

'She took my only source of warmth.'

Next was Hoseok, which you had steeled yourself for. 

The man was quiet today, only sparing you a glance as you greeted him when you entered his room and began your routine search. 

"Hoseok? Are you ok?" You asked after a bit. 

He nods in reply, yet to you his answer wasn't very convincing. 

There was nothing out of the ordinary, for Hoseok's room anyway. The rocking horse still peaked out from under the bed at you with its empty eyes. The books and toys were still scattered everywhere. Untouched. Then why did he have them?

You bit your lip in thought at the strangely silent man.

Quiet. His head felt quiet and silent, for the first time in a while. It was strange, and unnerving. 

You missed the slight shake of his fingers and hands, the tenseness in his shoulders. 

Why is my head suddenly so quiet?  He could only think to himself, not quite hearing your question earlier. Hoseok didn't feel right for some reason. 

He remembered his body having a conversation with that young CEO Park Jimin earlier that day, his voice and actions not his own. But now he couldn't feel any of that darkness that held him hostage. He felt sick even though he could control his own limbs at that moment. 

Being in control of himself after so long felt so weird.

However that evil thing in his head was a heavy weight, yet over time he had grown used to it. It had grounded him, and although he could still feel it in the far recesses of his mind, he felt very lonely, empty. His head felt like an empty stomach, acid eating at the walls.

He wanted to puke. 

In his peripheral vision, Hoseok saw you inching towards the exit of his room, leaving. Hoseok's lungs suddenly felt tight.

Why had oxygen become hard to draw in all of a sudden?

You turned to leave, your inspection being finished and went to bid him a goodnight, happy that the spirit within him had nothing to say to you, oblivious to Hoseok's inner turmoil.

A loud thudding sound suddenly caught your attention behind you and you swivelled round to see what had caused it. To your shock, Hoseok had collapsed to the floor and started shaking.

Shaking at first, then violently shuddering. 

"Hoseok!" 

Walls were closing in on him. 

"Hoseok what-"

"(Y/n)...(Y/n). Y-you," Hoseok struggled, breathing a little jagged. 

Your brows knitted together in concern as you crouched down by his form, hands hovering near his shoulders in case you needed to help him. He looked up at you with puppy like eyes. 

"I-I need help." 

"I'm here, Hobi."

His heart clenched.

"T-take my mind off it." 

"Hoseok, you're shaking."

He desperately clung to the sound of your voice like a thin fishing line and calling him by a nickname had soothed him somehow, filling him with a tepid warmth. His shaking subsided slowly. 

The walls backed off, for now. 

"You said you'd read to me," he breathed out, his eyes lighter than normal and swimming with hope.

A little voice in the back of your mind said that this was Hoseok, the real Hoseok and that the spirit was currently dormant, as to why, you couldn't say. 

For extra precaution you slipped your hand into your pocket to feel for the talisman. It was still and cool to the touch. Yes, this was the real Hoseok, Dawon's brother. 

"Hoseok-" I'm going to save you "I'll read to you, but only for a bit. My shift finishes in twenty minutes, ok?"

You wanted to stay with him but you had a feeling the orderlies would kick you out when the time came. 

You were worried about what that was...

It had looked like a seizure. But somehow you thought that wasn't the case. 

More like a relapse of something missing. Like a spirit's control over him. 

You had witnessed similar occurrences back at the facility when rehabilitating people who had been possessed for a long time. 

You weren't sure why (the spirit most definitely was still there) but it was dormant. Why?

A grateful smile tugged at his lips and he nodded before dragging himself up and lifting his exhausted frame onto the bed. He shifted around on his bum and pat the spot next to him. You couldn't help but return the smile. He seemed to have relaxed much to your relief. 

Which reminded you. Hoseok had insomnia meaning he couldn't sleep. The dark bags under his eyes were evidence of that and you weren't sure why you hadn't noticed it before. He seemed so much more different now he was in control and the spirit was supposedly asleep. Like his true self, with his innocence and human flaws.  

Hoseok was actually surprised that you had easily accepted his request, a weight lifting off his chest as you picked a random book from one of the piles and sat in the space next to him, leaving a little room between you for personal space. 

He didn't mind if you had invaded his personal space. In fact, he felt like he wanted you to. He hadn't had much human contact since being admitted and he felt himself craving it.

You didn't tense up this time. The interaction felt normal. Human. Not like when Hoseok had sat next to you that time you had played chess with Anna in the common room. This time you didn't mind that Hoseok had shifted closer.

You read to him softly, like you would to send someone off to sleep. You really hoped that this somehow helped with his sleeplessness, even if only a little. You couldn't imagine what it must feel like being exhausted all the time but not being able to sleep. Torture.

Time went by as you went through chapters, a weight began to settle on your side, and soon following, Hoseok's head on your shoulder, lightly tickling your jaw with his brown locks. 

You lowered the book down, ducking your head to get a look at his peaceful face.

"Hoseok," you whispered. "Are you asleep?"

A drawn out breath left his mouth but he didn't open his eyes. "No."

You frowned. 

"We'll leave it here for now. I'll read more to you another time."

Your heart staggered in your chest when he tilted his head on your shoulder ever so slightly to meet your gaze with a hooded sleepy one of his own. 

Your faces were so close. 

"Thank you, (Y/n)," he murmured in gratitude. "I feel better," being with you.

After you had helped the male under his covers you left quietly, trying to minimise the loud squealing and clanking sound of the metal door as you closed it. 

Leaning against the closed door, you let out a long exhale, before straightening up and heading to your room to retire for the evening.

Then you remembered something that tickled the back of your mind.

Hadn't Hoseok's file mentioned that he had munchausen's syndrome? Had he faked that episode just earlier or had it been real? 

That, you truly weren't sure of.

Extra:

Hoseok lay on the veil of wake and sleep, the closest he had been in a long time to fully falling asleep. 

Yet your absence and the emptiness of his room (and mind) left him restless. Shifting turned into tossing and turning. 

All until that familiar evil that had hidden itself in his body awoke and regained its control. And spoke to him.

'You want her Hoseok. You need her Hoseok. You must take her back. Have all of her. Our possessions do not leave us, because they are ours.'

The mould under Hoseok's bed writhed, and grew.

https://youtu.be/NmgsrOaBQFo

UNEDITED 

June. 19. 2020