ethereal | park jimin | ✓

chapter 31 clouds in the distance

Jungkook huddles close to me as we walk through the automatic glass doors of the hospital. He shields his face from the brisk winter wind by burying it into my shoulder. His body is warm against me; it's as if he was a little heating unit.

But the tender moment fades and my stomach turns as the scent of disinfectant and dry air fills my nose. It's an uncomfortable sensation and I wish I didn't have to come back so soon. Even if it's for medicine.

We walk through the grand halls of the hospital and pass by half-filled waiting rooms. The silent panic on the visitors' faces is clear as day. Each room is heavy with tension and shaking hands. It gives me anxiety just by looking at them.

We finally reach the pharmacy section and its brightly lit counter. A wall of glass separates us from the pharmacist and their shelves upon shelves of labeled drugs. There are two people ahead of us and don't notice us entering the line.

Jungkook lifts his head slightly and wraps his arm around mine. "I've realized that I don't like hospitals," he whispers.

I pat his arm reassuringly. "I know. Me either. It smells weird."

Jungkook nods in agreement, "Yeah." He is quiet for a moment before leaning against me. "I wonder if they'll wake up before we come home."

"Hopefully not, I want to surprise them with everything when we—"

Jungkook's hands tighten around my arm without warning. He sharply leans away from me and shouts, scaring the daylights out of me.

What's going on? Are we being attacked?! Have they come for us?!

Jungkook drops my arm and breaks into a run, running away from me, still shouting but his words are lost in the echo.

"Jungkook!" I shout, my voice shaking with confused fear, "Jungkook, wait!"

"NAMJOONIE!!" Jungkook opens his arms wide and tackles a man without hesitation. He hugs him tightly and tries to wrap his legs around the man's waist.

"Jungkookie!" the man repeats, embracing him with equal excitement and relief.

"What's going on?" I break away from the line and speed walk to Jungkook and the man he's hugging. "Jungkook?" I ask worriedly.

Jungkook grins over his shoulders, "It's Namjoon!" He looks back at Namjoon, practically dazzling, "He's my nurse!"

Namjoon smiles warmly. "You're looking better, I'm glad! Are you the others with you as well?"

Jungkook starts bouncing with pent-up energy, "They are at home! We're all living with Eden," he points back at me, "we are all safe. What about you? Where's Seokjin?"

"He's in the restroom, but he's good too!" He turns to me with a gentle smile, "Nice to see you again. You're looking better too, Eden."

I smile in return and bow my head. "It's nice to see you too." I glance between Jungkook and Namjoon. Jungkook is being awfully friendly with the nurse; it's so adorable. "You were his nurse?"

"Only for a little while," Namjoon explains. "I had Seokjin with me as well. We were doing a hospital visit when everything happened." A deep emotion of sympathy fills his dark eyes. "Ever since Sunday, we've become a foster home for hybrids without families, or ones who don't remember them. But I'm glad Jungkook and Taehyung found a place with you. It's been chaotic these days."

"Because there are too many?" I assume, thinking of all those rescued hybrids.

Namjoon nods, "Yeah. It's hard to find homes or caretakers for everybody. The law still requires them to live with somebody until they are in a more stable place in life. However, taking on a hybrid is a big responsibility and there aren't many people available."